There was a time when Rovers were really on song a few seasons later when Ronnie was the best attacking wing half in the country but having dropped Ronnie the selectors were loathe to lose face and pick him again.

There's nobody out there that I'm expecting us to lose to Phillip. Obviously that's not to say we won't. You've been watching Rovers long enough. We can beat anybody and lose to anybody in this league.

Yes and we all thought a 3-2 defeat wasn't too bad, but that was then, first game up. We know better now. They're not that great if the can get beat by Preston.

You need a few lads that are willing to give the ref a helping hand now and again. We've too many quiet lads who don't make a fuss.

Heywood had a Labour MP called Jim Dobbin not long ago. Poor guy wasn't a drinker at all and he got plied with really strong alcohol on a trip to Eastern Europe. It killed him.

I know it's easy to say now but I think we gave Bournemouth too much respect when we played them.

Sellars getting a Maradonaesque goal there. Bobby Mimms had a blinder. I can't remember what I had for my tea last night but I could give you the first name of everyone of those goal scorers without having to look them up.

That photo reminds me of an incident when I was playing youth football. About 5 of us had met up in town before getting the bus up to the local playing fields. One of the gang decided he needed some shin pads so we all trooped off to our local sports shop. In those days all the kit etc were in little drawers like those in that photo behind Ronnie. Behind the counter the wall was just a full wall of big and small drawers. The counter was empty apart from a fully inflated football and the till. When the guy turned around to go up the little steps to reach one of the high up drawers one of the lads whipped open his draw string duffle bag and shoved the ball in ! We were all mouthing daggers at him and whispering " Put it back ! " I thought " Bloody hell we're all going to get arrested here and miss the game ". When the guy turned back around he never said a word, just handed over the shin pads and took the money for them ! I was out of the shop like a flash and never went back in there for years. I later discovered the team mate was a real 100 % kleptomaniac who'd steal anything not nailed down !

The gang of lads I knocked about with decided we'd go over to Burnley that day. The Dingles battered the Red Rats. I remember Andy Blockhead having a field day in the air against Billy Foulkes and Paddy Crerand getting shirty when they were about 4 down and looking for the smallest guy in the Burnley team ( Ian Towers ) to punch and getting first go at the bath water.

Sounds like the same place.

Could he have contracted " Ayalaitis " ?

I remember working on a job at a rubber factory in Salford a few years ago. We'd stopped in a local boozer for a couple of pints and a pie because we'd worked while about 9-00 pm. When we went to leave the landlord insisted on escorting us to our works van - " Just in case lads, I wouldn't want you to get into any bother ! "

I'm not excusing that but who was the last Rovers player who would have shown that level of will to win ?

I hope so, we'll regret it if he leaves.

I think he's injured.

Do you remember the original " Tank " - John Bray ? one of my favourite players when I was kid. That was when full backs were real full backs.

I liked Alan Wright a lot but that ball should have gone out for a throw in not a blind over the shoulder kick to nowhere in particular. The throw in for the second goal wasn't too smart either. He made up for it a little bit with a typical run that led to our goal.

Err, not always, plenty go backwards. As the two ex-Rovers that have just signed for Chorley will bear witness.

The idea should be all about having an acknowledged way of playing and squad members to come in that are used to that way of playing. For instance when Douglas came off we had another left back to come on in Bell. Not the greatest I know, but a recognised left back. If Elliot has to come off we have Dolan, Holtby we have Buckley, Johnson for Trybull etc.

It was a season too far for him. Once you're in your early 30's you can " go " at any time.

Yeah, if only he'd something to be smug about.

Speedie was inspirational. A few more good balls fired in by our fullbacks. Hendry unlucky to get on the end of that one from Brown that just went wide.

The first five or six seasons I was watching Rovers they were capable of beating any opposition in the country and frequently did. Ask anyone who was watching then - that team was without a doubt the best team to watch we've had in living memory and that includes the team that won the Prem. So as far as I'm concerned we should be up there with the big boys.

I've had a lot more good times than bad with Rovers but this last ten years has been hard going.

What do you get for 60 ?