Presumably for the Uefa match the previous thursday. I imagine the home game with Wigan on 30th September will also be moved back a day.

And that, in a hutshell, is probably why England are unlikley to win the World Cup in the near future. As long as Premiership audiences demand blood and thunder football that's the type of footballer England will produce, who will then be found out when they come up against a team who can play the game properly.

? After that display by Italy? Peerless defending and wonderful performances all over the park, particularly Pirlo and Cannavaro.

I can remember it was a bit ugly when we played Legia Warsaw in the Champions League. After spending a very pleasant day and a half in Warsaw Rovers fans had to walk into the ground from the coaches through two rows of armed police with baying Legia fans in the background.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Micah Richards' actions either. He went down as if he'd been shot when Kuqi tackled him (a definite foul but also a genuine attempt to get the ball and not the man). After treatment he bounced up, trotted over to Kuqi, pushed him in the chest with both hands and then walked away with an exaggerated limp again. If he picked anyone except Kuqi the player would probably have gone down (Robbie would have, holding his face for effect) but he just bounced off Shefki's chest. as soon as the game restarted he ran off like a spring chicken...

Perhaps one of my second teams Southport (I was born there) can do the same next season to repair the injustice when they failed to get re-election despite finishing fourth from bottom. Unfortunately the team that replaced them were Wigan so it could be a few years yet...

It looked like it was planned for him to come on but everything had to change when Mokoena had to go off early on. Gallagher would also have had longer on but for Tugay's sending off.

I agree that if that's the level of ideas then it's probably worse than useless as they can hide behind the fact that they are "doing" something when in reality as you say it will more likely rile the fans. Nevertheless the new money does give an opportunity for imaginitive clubs (oxymoron?) to genuinely encourage fans to live games, although it will need a collective will rather than efforts of a few clubs. If other clubs put their extra money into players then everyone will have to follow or face decline. Anyway time I was off to Ewood...

Most commentators are suggesting that Setanta will be making their matches available to Sky and cable users for an extra fee, so it will feel little different to the current arrangement where the PremPlus matches are extra. What is not clear yet is how much you will have to pay for them. You might think more than now but there will effectively be two organisations competing so I suspect it may not be much different.

I was about to write a post wishfully thinking that some of the TV money could be used to reduce ticket prices, at least for the televised games. However, I was pre-empted by hearing on FiveLive that a report in the Sunday Express says that an attendance working group is being set up by a number of clubs, including Rovers and, more bizarrely, Chelsea and Arsenal to look at reducing ticket prices and subsidising away travel etc. Is it too much to hope for some progress in this area? Maybe the new contract might bring a little bit of benefit for the fam who turns up rather than the armchaire and pub fan.

According to today's Independent each place in the Premiership is worth £484,000, so finishing 6th would bring in £7.26m, so for once Lawro gets something right.

There were no packs but you should have had a flyer, there were ads on the big screen at the match, in the programme. I have had a recorded message from Mark Hughes to my home phone and an email reminding me of the deadline. I think they've done pretty well with the marketing...

Also another question, are we still in 6th today because our club name begins with a B? 401297[/snapback] Yes, the table is shown in alphabetical order if teams can't be split any other way. God knows what would happen, though if the season finished with us and another team tied for 6th place on points, goal difference and goals scored. presumably some sort of play-off?

No idea but it's probably quite low at the moment, as I imagine most folk will be waiting until the last few days of April...

Has anyone else had a recorded message at home from Mark Hughes reminding them of the season ticket offer? I was in London yesterday and it threw my wife for a while! It did, however, allow her to write me a note saying Mark rang while I was out!

This is bad news for all of us hoping to get local pubs from showing Rovers matches live on foreign satellite channels... http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article357239.ece

this is the original article in the Independent with a bit more info http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/ne...ticle357006.ece

BBC have just announced that Mark Hughes has shook hands with Tugay on a new one year deal, so perhaps we have a bit more time to find and develop his successor.

Presumably, though, if Arsenal win the Champions League but finish 7th or lower, then only the 4th and 5th placed teams will go into the UEFA Cup? I know it's unlikley at the moment given Arsenal's form but you never know...

Mark Hughes has just stated on BBC1 that a Champions' League finish is a possibility and one they will be going for. The interview is also available on the club website. For me it's a bit optimistic but full marks for being willing to admit they arre going for it.

If I had a list with both Bryan Adams and Phil Collins on it I'd be ashamed to publish it....

You can assess the quality of the journalism by the statement that "sources close to the club say attendances are down to 21,000". I can't imagine how much digging Bose had to do to extract that gem....

Top review again Bob. Just one piece of really exciting news you missed. Last week it was announced that Condoleeza Rice will be coming to Jack Straw's Blackburn constituency later this year. Given that when Jack went to Alabama, Condy's home state, last October he went to watch her local college football team and said that he wanted her to come to Ewood, I assume that we can expexct a royal visit early next season. The good news will be that all the CIA goons and media types should put about 1,000 on the gate alone, although it might be tempered by a forest's worth of articles in the Hovis, cobbled streets, grim up north stereotype. I can hardly contain myself.

Particularly given that the injury was nothing to do with Jay's tackle anyway - he just fell awkwardly, like Smith on Saturday.