I'm more of a fan than you clearly are capable of imagining - and I don't want my club to be associated with an overrated, spoilt child like Craig Bellamy who will think he is bigger than the club. The club is far more important, regardless of their position in the league, and I dont want it to be tarnished with the likes of Bellamy. It's clear we're on different wavelengths, So I'll drop this one.

Sorry, guys - whilst I take the point about judging a player in his time with us, I would rather keep my £5 million in the bank until a better proposition becomes available. Buying Bellamy smacks of desparation to me ........ and we're not that desparate. Craig Bellamy will prove to be a very expensive mistake, believe me!!

Personally, I would sooner see us relegated than have to watch Bellamy - a thoroughly unpleasant man, undisciplined, bad-tempered, immature and an all-round dodgy character. Some things are more important than football and allowing that bloke to think he can behave the way he does on and off the pitch is one of them. Sorry - I'm not a fan!

Just about sums it up for me, I'm afraid - and the worst of it is I've got a hospitality ticket for this one (a business freebie) so have to try to be civil about it with a few pints inside me. Best case: 0-2 Worst case: Doesn't bear thinking about

Since my last post, the subsequent posts are persuading me that the second striker spot should go to "there's only one" Simon Garner, despite the strongest of challenges from Mr. Speedie. As for some of the other nominees, notably Briggs and McEvoy, I think Shearer has the old-fashioned centre forward spot wrapped up and have come to the view that comparing scoring records between players in very, very different eras is not the sole criterion. A certain style of play also comes into the reckoning - hence my appreciation of, say, Briggs but preference for Shearer - he was different class. Garner is a different matter altogether - the extract from the Independent sums it up nicely and I've flicked through his autobiography again - and for reasons not entirely connected with his qualities as a player (good as they were) but as much with his qualities as a man and an employee of BRFC, he gets my vote when we finish this charade of a vote for the first spot upfront.

In the 30 years I have had the privilege of being a Rovers supporter, three strikers stand out as making it a pleasure to go to Ewood Park: Shearer (Alan) - can't add to the comments above other than to note we are very unlikely to see such calibre don the shirt again at the peak of their career. Garner - the facts speak for themselves. Sponsored by Silk Cut with an incentive scheme funded by Thwaites, he was genuinely one of us - as could be witnessed at his post-match "reviews" at the 500 club. This man was Blackburn Rovers in the '80's and must be one of the best never to play top-flight football - had he been a few years younger, I reckon KD may have given him that chance. Does anyone remember how sharply he could turn in the box, onto either foot? Speedie - a legend in such a short time - the reason? He gave 100% all the time, he fought for every ball and square inch of turf, he wore his heart on his sleeve, he hated to lose with a passion rarely seen - he had all the characteristics of the true fan which was why we all took him to our hearts. Oh, I nearly forgot, he was a bloody good footballer with a knack of being in the right place at the right time. When the going got tough and we started to falter that season, who galvanised the team? Who rose to the challenge? Who got out there and refused to give in, making it happen? DAVID SPEEDIE, THAT'S WHO!!! Now for the problem - which one to drop from the all time XI: For sheer talent, Shearer has to stay For sustained contribution to the club and a phenomenal ability to score goals in a mediocre team, Garner has to stay For explosive impact and making the biggest event in our recent history a reality, Speedie has to stay Oh Bugger, I've just talked them all back in - can anyone help before I resort to eeny-meeny-miny-mo?

Just listened to "A grand don't come for free" by the Streets - what a pile of overrated poo!!!

I didn't intend to appear critical - I happen to agree with you.

As a former drummer - I think me & Billy were the first - I can categorically state we enjoyed no financial gain whatsoever, so the slight strain of envy noted elsewhere in this thread is misplaced in an urban myth. Other than that, usual debate, usual views and nothing new to offer by way of an alternative to the whole drummer thing. The best way to get rid is to render him unnecessary but that would mean doing something instead of whingeing, wouldn't it? I take the point about the JW side of the BBE trying to start things, but it is a sad fact that their sterling efforts are disregarded by the time they get to the middle of the BBE. It is this lack of input from the crowd that first moved the club to ask two guys to repeat their one-off introduction of a couple of drums for the rest of what had been a poor season - the ground had been funereal, for God's sake! This is why I am unconvinced that everybody will suddenly rediscover their vocal chrods and get behind the team when should the drums be stopped tomorrow. Regular attendance for 30 years says this belief is well-intentioned but misplaced. Someone makes a good point though - if you have a chat with Bill he will do all he can to help get particular songs going or help you spread a tune around, he'll even shut up if it works - remember all he wants is the same as you and that is a noisy Ewood with a partisan, passionate making the place worth a goal's start to the team. He has a different way of going about it, but is only too willing to work with some of you budding ultra's. Finally, I couldn't give a ****** about what it sounds like on telly as long as it creates the right vibe on the ground. Giving telly even a second's thought speaks volumes for the state of the game. Merry Christmas everybody.

So Sherwood won't stand the test of time?? I pretty much guarantee that, in 80 years time, people will be talking about the last captain to lift the premiership trophy and not play for his country because he wasn't flash enough and played for an unglamorous club. A vote for anyone else is to deny the obvious .......... Sherwood by a country mile has to not only be in our XI but he has to captain it. I did a few words on why I rate Tim so much on the previous poll when we all voted through rose-tinted spectacles on our sepia screens but can't recover them - any chance of making this happen, mods as we seem to be doing the man a disservice at the moment?

Have to agree with Al - it will be interesting to see whether the greatest to play alongside Shearer will be Garner and all that he represents to those of us who were "blessed" with supporting this club in the '80's or, for the sake of argument, Derek Dougan whose talents were arguably far greater but whose relationship with the club is well documented elsewhere. In the meantime,COME ON EVERYBODY - A LAST PUSH FOR TIM SHERWOOD - VOTE WITH YOUR HEAD NOT YOUR HEART AND YOUR DAD'S STORIES.

I do believe you are right - towards the end of the Hodgson era. As I recall, his departure was imminent as Kidd associated him with the departure of his predecessor - I may be wrong, though. I wonder if this will be discussed as an issue when the talk moves on to whether Derek Dougan should be in the all-time XI.

It was a while ago, Den, but I seem to remember Sherwood being critical of how the club was being run and expressing his frustration that, as club captain, he was either not allowed to express a view in private or told to shut up and get on with his job. Now, I am by no means in favour of player power - they're employees and have the same rights and responsibilities; however, when the appointed leader of the playing staff who is reasonably intelligent and articulate (certainly by footballer standards - I am led to believe he had a grasp of two-syllable words) is treated in a way he feels to be unreasonable and is given no opportunity to air such a grievance, I can see his frusttration being vented through alternative media - the press. As for his transfer request - I understand he held a similar view to Sutton. If we went down, he wanted out - not unreasonable as he had won a pot with us, been in Europe and watched as we failed to strengthen the title team, made a dud managerial appointment (Ray Harford), showed a lack of ambition, bought players who were not capable of keeping us in the position we had reached and allowed our best players to leave. In fact, a spiral of mismanagement only corrected with the appointment of GS who brought authority back to the club and ensured everyone knew where they stood and their relative status to that of the club overall. He was ambitious - many people are. Apart from all this, in the last two decades players leave clubs, move on and try their luck elsewhere as sure as night follows day - Tim was no different. I think we should judge him on what he did on the pitch - which, to be honest - is all I remembered about him until you brought up the other stuff on which there are differing views and perceptions of the circumstances of the time. If we do this, then I still think there is a strong case for his inclusion because when I am in my dotage at the Bide-a-Wee rest home for the seriously bewildered being fed gruel for £3000 a week that is paid for out of my dwindling home equity and by extra direct tax on my kids who can only get work on the KFC home delivery service, then I will remember Tim Sherwood as the player who was at the heart of the only non-metropolitan team to win what by then will be a @#/?ised European Super League brought to you by Sky TV - but only if you can afford the £150 PPV subscription. And the nurses will all think I am smiling at their voluptuous curves, but no - it is the mental picture of Tim Sherwood getting the better of Paul Ince (as he usually did), excluding the so-called Spice Boys from the game single-handedly at Anfield and putting the ball where it could do most damage at every available opportunity. The other stuff you mention will be like yesterday's papers - keeping my chips warm or cleaning my backside! It has to be Tim - any other vote is failing to recognise our greatest midfielder in favour of one we feel we have to vote for because they were always in them days - he was pretty good but not as good as Tim for the reasons mentioned earlier. I'll shut up now.

I haven't got that much hair!!!!!!!!

Tim "the pimp" Sherwood - much maligned because he wasn't fancy and gave the ball away; however, at his peak, when he didn't play or had an off day then Rovers usually didn't win. He did simple things effectively, didn't make a fuss, galvanised the team and was a superb captain of his time. He even chipped in with the odd goal - no mean achievement when you are in a team fronted by Shearer & Sutton. His skill, talent, temperament and vision were much underrated and I reckon that, given time, I could put together a case denouncing the international managers of the time for ignoring him - not glamorous enough and not playing for a Sky TV-adopted club, I suspect. Quite simpy, he made the team he was in tick, allowing the wingers to do what they did best which in turn allowed Messrs Shearer & Sutton to do what they did best. He was part of the "spine" that any team winning things has to have (Flowers, Hendry, Sherwood, Shearer) around which the rest could ebb and flow. What made him better than Batty? When the grade got higher Tim rose to it whereas Batty always made like a crab when playing in Europe or against the better teams - no unnecessary sideways/backwards passes or unimaginative punts from Tim, thank you very much. Oh, and he was available for selection more often than Batty - and utterly consistent. OK - he lost the ball occasionally but sheer percentages say that, given the amount he was on or around the ball, he was bound to lose out now and then. Tim has to be in the team and he has to be captain IMO.

Have to agree about the Reebok - totally devoid of soul, crap place to be at and to get to, nowhere for a decent pint. Pride Park is not much better. As for sheer ruin, what about the Shay?

Not very PC (which is all that matters nowadays or so it seems) but absolutely spot on BP. "Quick, here comes the camera, let's get the tear ducts going" - especially at football matches. It's a game of football nothing more. Ken Bigley's barbaric killing amply demonstrates this, but is not a matter of public grieving IMO - those who knew him should be allowed their moment to pay their private respects, rather than 60,000 football fans who did not know the man. As for the national anthem debate, aren't we being a bit uptight? Anthems get booed, I'm not sure this signifies eternal hatred or disrespect except perhaps for the next 90 minutes.

Nice one

I had the privilege of watching him play for England against Turkey in the Euro qualifier and against France in the tournament and was converted by the sheer presence he has on the field and his intelligent, skilful and powerful playing. I even found myself breaking my own personal code and not turning over when Man. Utd. were on telly last week - awesome. He's not Alan Shearer, Bobby Charlton, Paul Gascoigne or any of the others with whom he's been compared - he's Wayne Rooney and has the potential to be the best English footballer of all time. Whereas Gascoigne blew it because of his own temperament, Rooney seems better planted and both of his managers are of the right ilk to help him cope with the hyperbole surrounding him and he seems inclined to listen - unlike Gascoigne or Shearer. From an English perspective, let's hope he realises that potential over the next 5 years or so - from a local perspective, let's hope it's with a different club. As an aside, for our older members, my Dad reckons the last Englishman with such a combination of skill, football intelligence, power and temperament to appear was Duncan Edwards - can anybody verify this?

They're all £4.99 at HMV, so I've been discovering the works of Mr. Dylan - he did some damned fine stuff. Street Legal, Desire and Highway 61 Revisited ar really standing out for me at the moment. Also listening to Joe Strummer (RIP) & The Mescaleroes, Captain Beefheart and the new Strokes album at the moment.

I know it's been done to death elsewhere, but who can come in now and do a better job? If GS takes us down we should do a Charlton and stick with him as he has done far more good than harm and is definitely the right man for the job. We canot let a few disgruntled and underperforming players determine the future of the club - player power is already dangerously high in the game.

Blimey Drummer, Never thought I'd meet another Stooges fan. "Out of my brain on a Saturday night...." Rovers lost again Well, Colin - class is permanent!! It's hard to believe The Stooges came out so far ahead of the rest - a bit like "Metal Box" which was also years ahead of it's time and stands the test of time equally well. Apart from that, Iggy does have the knack of being outstanding when the mood takes him ....... and it does on this one, although if I had to choose, I would go for "Fun House" in preference.

The in-car CD has just had an overhaul and now comprises: The Stooges - 1st album Dexy's Midnight Runners - Searching for the young soul rebels REM - Reveal Television - Marquee moon Red Hot Chilli Peppers - By the way The Coral - Magic and medicine It almost makes driving to work and home worthwhile!!

Do you know, I think Jim has hit on something here!! I'm a big fan of GS (unlike others around here), but would be seriosuly tempted at the prospect of our Claudio taking over. Problem is, I can't see him being interested and he'll be in demand at more glamorous clubs. Oh, well - GS is still the best credibly available man for the job IMO.

Some songs should be left alone and never ever covered. Comfortably Numb is one of them. Thankfully I haven't heard the cover and don't want to. Trust me, your position is prudent to quote the Chancellor. Sometimes a cover version brings a new dimension to a song; however, on this occasion, no value or artistic merit is added in any way I can identify - just an upbeat rhythm and screeching vocals - crap!