You can have charisma, charm and standing in the game by the bucketful but if the owners aren’t willing to pay the fee/wages nobody is going to sign.

When I was in my heyday it was in the Manchester Industrial League. 2 divisions. We were a yo yo team. The standards were high, the pitch had to be totally enclosed so you could collect gate money. Top class facilities. Two pitches, full time groundsman etc. Quality changing rooms etc. The 1966 Brazil team used one of the grounds, Manchester Ship Canal, for training during the World Cup. The teams were mainly very large engineering/manufacturing companies that are nearly all long gone now. Lots of old pro’s, released League club apprentices etc were in those teams. There was also about 4 other teams that played at a similar level but in different Lancashire based leagues. Below that there was the Rochdale Amateur League, 2 divisions again. The Sunday School league which was at the same standard. Maybe 40/50 teams in total. Below that there was the Youth Club league, where I started out. Maybe 12 teams of under 16’s. I look in my local paper and there seems to be about 10% of that going on now. I walk across a playing field were there would have been 4 games going on in my day and there’s nobody at all playing these days. Very sad.

I used to like wearing ties but I just wear casual stuff these days. I’ve got loads, mostly nice silk ones. Some by “ Turnbull & Asser “:, James Bond’s shirt maker. I should put them on EBay really.

Good to hear somebody is still playing. Amateur football has dropped off massively around my area. Same with women playing Netball and Rounders. At least they seem to be taking up what were seen as traditional men’s sports now. Regarding your earlier point. You should always be anticipating a mistake. I used to follow up ever shot by a team mate like I was playing for the town hall clock. 99 times nothing happened but once in a while the goalie would spill the ball for a tap in.

It used to be when it was broadcast live on BBC radio at 12-30 pm or 12-45 pm on the Monday after the 2nd games. Now I never know when it’s on.

Why, is there a taxi waiting for him ? They keep changing managers without much success but they never address the real problem - the culture at the club. They are just like Rovers in that respect.

Different context - a cup tie refers to the actual game. A draw is the result. I’ve got a few more ties than that. Unfortunately the last time I wore one was the usual black one for a funeral earlier this year.

She said it took three hours from start to finish. Longer than a football game but not as long as a day at the cricket?

You mean a draw. In the UK ties are what you used to wear around your neck. Occasionally you get them in cricket. Incidentally Mrs Shoelaces went to her first baseball match in Cincinnati this week. Her verdict - “ rounders on steroids “.

Is he luckier to be our manager than Keano, Coyle, Appleton, Berg, Bowyer ?

Anything to get rid of these fools.

There are one or two on here who would have never been happy whoever replaced JDT. They were members of his fan club, so I’m not really surprised about that. They wanted the current manager fired after about 5 games ! To replace him with ? Strangely enough they haven’t had much to say since the result at Sunderland. I try to be a bit more objective. Players and managers are ordinary men, they aren’t gods, so putting them on a pedestal rarely ends well. I liked JDT as a person, he was a breath of fresh air when he came to the club at first. Inevitably the malaise at Blackburn Rovers overwhelmed him and he came to the end of the road. He realised that almost a year ago and he generously offered to stand aside in the summer when he obviously saw the writing on the wall. In my experience of over 60 years watching football I’ve never known a manager be held to a contract for any length of time once he’s made it clear he wanted out. The Chicken Chokers in their madness decide to break some new football ground. I didn’t know much about Eustace other than he’d done ok/quite well at Big Club. He seemed to be held in good regard by the fans there. Once he was appointed I was prepared to give him a bit more time than his first half a dozen games. I hope he keeps us up, after all that was why he was brought in. If he doesn’t I’d still be prepared to give him a go at next season. I anticipate another really ineffectual close season with one or two of our better players leaving to be replaced by more kids. With that in mind we are going to need a more pragmatic manager who cuts his cloth accordingly.

Yeah, don’t look here, look over there.

Or on the other hand the £8 million could have gone in their arse pocket, never to be seen again.

That’s if we’re all fit. Were a bit brittle in that respect.

You mean the 20 minute man ?

I give Samaritans a call before it’s too late if I were you.

It wasn’t a bit of an injury either - he was out for the rest of the season. Best that we stay away now.

Dion And The Belmonts - I Wonder Why

That’s essential in my eyes.

If we are going to win it I think we’ll need more than one goal. It’s doable though if we can reproduce the Newcastle/Sunderland form. At least Southampton won’t be parking the bus.

If we were to go down with the resulting shit show that that would entail I could see Eustace making a better job of getting us back up than I could JDT. JDT and the Chicken Chokers was never going to work. He was much too open and honest for them. Having said that he lost a lot of credit with me after the dingledome debacle and I never really had the same confidence in him after that. I been watching derbies since 1962 and that was without doubt the worst performance I’d ever seen from either team. Even in the 5-0 caning the dingles gave it a go, they were just outclassed.

Sam Cooke - Having A Party

Billy Swan - I Can Help

In the case of Burnley players that would be fair comment.