3 hours ago, JHRover said:

No shame in losing at Southampton. They have a better team and squad than us, for a number of reasons, and they have dealt with pretty much everyone who has gone there this season, apart from Leicester and Ipswich.

Sunderland did OK as well, winning 5-0.

I think I’d remember that it was only 2-0 going into injury time and that was us playing with 10 men for 45 minutes. That is not to praise Rovers, but to caution against suggesting that Southampton are some all conquering machine. I would have them as maybe play-off contenders but not much chance of automatic promotion.

17 hours ago, Ianrally said:

I wouldn’t put too much credence to what your PNE director says Mike. He may have sanctioned that action but the minions carrying out his wishes obviously haven’t read the script. I have lived in the PR2 postcode for 16 years and thankfully have never been targeted by PNE. The bonus being less paper waste consigned to the bin. 
 
Nevertheless your points are very valid, unfortunately I would suspect that the villages you mention will not be known by the likes of Waggot, nor will he have the gumption to look at their location on a map. 

Apathy is their watchword

I don't think I have ever received anything from PNE and I live in PR1 and have done since 1985. And I'm pretty sure I'm on their database given I have bought the odd ticket direct from them.

36 minutes ago, rigger said:

And let's hope it is still the same at 5.05 pm. 

I think we were still playing at Stoke at 5.05pm.

They have drawn their last 2 away games. They are unbeaten since 23rd September after a bad start but 5 of those 13 games have been draws and Rotherham managed a draw there so it's not an impossible task.

Another new ground for me on Saturday.

9 minutes ago, roverblue said:

Do they still count season ticket holders even if they don’t show? Place looked empty tonight and loads of regulars near me didn’t show up 

Yes they do, exactly the same as all other professional clubs do. ST holders have paid for tickets so are counted, standard accounting practice.

Years ago I remember John Williams telling the Fans Forum that on average 10% of ST holders don’t turn up for any given home game. It’s obviously more for a midweek game on a cold night just before Christmas for a game against a team neither at the top of the table or a local derby than for a standard 3pm Saturday game.

5 hours ago, MarkBRFC said:

So we haven't gone behind to any poor teams in the last 18 months where we have only collected 1 point from losing positions?

My post was meant to be largely tongue in cheek. Obviously the table will change plenty as the season progresses.

But it is a theme this season that we have mostly beaten lower placed teams and struggled against the teams above us. This is in reverse to what we often used to do in previous seasons - perform well against the top teams only to lose to the bottom ones.

Our home form is in direct contrast to our away form and again is the other way round from recently. Only Millwall have lost the 6 home games that we have but only the top two have won more away games than us.

Start playing poorer teams? As of now we have 13 home games left and 10 are against teams below us and one of those other 3 is only above on goal difference.

1 hour ago, rigger said:

What I find more strange is Barnsley getting kicked out of the FA cup, and Forest Green only being made to play their game again, for more or less the same offence.   

The circumstances were different. Barnsley fielded an ineligible player. Forest Green had all the clearances to play the player but there was some admin cock up meaning not everyone was informed.

4 hours ago, alex l said:

One draw back of him playing for Eng is if players at prem clubs are telling him how much more he could be getting elsewhere 

You can’t seriously think that a player like Adam with his agent only gets information about PL wages from his mates in an England junior team?

28 minutes ago, Mercer said:

JDT has worked wonders given the constraints upon him, however, with all our injuries and paper thin squad, I fear it will all catch up with us tomorrow and we are in for a right mullering.  4-1 to Leeds 

I feel a lot more comfortable now...

Swansea have sacked Michael Duff after 6 months - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67618235

2 minutes ago, had.e.nuff said:

did sky not say it was a 12:30 kick off

The game is not on Sky. They chose Sunderland v West Brom. The early kick-off is on Police advice.

Leeds game at Preston on Boxing Day is also a 12.30 kick off.

Tyrone - can you not offer it to the Trust to raffle off at the Watford game for Community Trust funds? Or get the Community Trust to do it themselves?

6 hours ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Why are we potentially in trouble for fans standing when a far greater proportion of supporters do it at every ground and in far greater numbers?

All clubs are potentially in trouble for allowing fans to stand, which is still currently against the law. Which clubs are in more trouble than others is down to to the approach of the various local Safety Advisory Groups. Rovers’ local SAG has just had a new Chair which might signal a new approach. There is I think no immediate issue but it certainly could happen.

13 minutes ago, 47er said:

At this point we should have been looking to fit Ash Philips in! Makes you sick eh?

Except he’s injured, picked up in the International break. He was apparently close to starting for Spurs last weekend before that. Mainly because Spurs are so short mind.

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

It doesnt sit right that we have millionaire/billionaire owners yet fans who already struggle to pay inflated ticket prices are being asked to fund stadium developments in a less than average affluent area of the UK.

Being unaware would fit in with the general disinterest they have towards the club but they wouldnt fund it anyway, especially amidst the budget cuts.

Being unaware is nothing to do with disinterest - I doubt they have been told yet.

And right now no one is asking any fan to find anything. All we have done is ask a question. I’m guessing your response is no and that’s fine.

40 minutes ago, Proudtobeblue&white said:

Good turn out, over 2,100 going tomorrow.

2,101 - I'm in the South Stand.

7 minutes ago, rigger said:

Isn't safe standing unreserved ?

I presume it doesn't have to be. Even if it was you could still have your name on a seat even if you don't sit/stand there. Or collectively somewhere else.

1 hour ago, roversfan99 said:

A club run by wealthy owners seeing if the supporters will fund stadium renovations is disgusting and indefensible.

I would be amazed if the club's owners even know we have asked a question about crowdfunding. The question was put in by Mike with the full agreement of the working group, not by the club. There are examples of other clubs crowdfunding for safe standing so it seemed a sensible question to ask. If a majority of fans think even the vague possibility is disgusting and indefensible we will soon find out.

41 minutes ago, harryhealless1928 said:

I really dont want Szmodics getting a trivial booking and then being suspended. I

It really makes no difference. If he's rested he can then play against Leeds, so misses one game. If he plays and gets booked he will miss the Leeds game, so misses one game. If he plays and doesn't get booked he can play both and is past the first cut-off date.

39 minutes ago, Hasta said:

In my experience of similar things, the majority of people who are interested in standing will complete the survey. Only people who would be affected by it would really object, and as we do not know which area would be affected I doubt they will bother speaking up / completing the survey at this time. Therefore it will be slanted to being positive.

 

I think we are aware of that Hasta. If and when this moves forward there will be a separate consultation with any fans directly affected by any proposal.

Philip - you forgot the 5-0 win we had 4 seasons ago.

I will be there but in the South stand with my Wednesday supporting mate, hoping for something similar. That game we were on the Eastbank and I have never seen so many fans leave a game so early as when we scored early in the second half to make it 4-0.

The Riverside has been ruled out. There's not much point in investing in a.stand that you might want to replace and anyway if you put standing space at the back you wouldn't be able to see the pitch.

8 hours ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Or 3 of the 4 goalscorers tonight.

There were only 3 goal scorers for Rovers.