Philip, What was the net cashflow for the year and by how much was that subsidized by a cheque from Jersey?

Yes, if you scored 6 goals, provided at least 4 assists, won us 9 points, turned round a cup tie when we were 2-0 down - I'd forgive you for being crap against the world's most expensive defender, when no-one put in a decent cross for you to head. He's done well for a squad player having to step up and carry the load, but he's not Bellamy. Gallacher, Jansen and Johnson would not have influenced as many results as he has, despite having better technical ability with their feet. We went 8 games letting in only 2 goals with Shefki on the pitch for all of them. We haven't let in 6 goals in the last 2 games because he's still on the pitch.

Thanks Den, I just went and read it. Of course it's hard to get the tone of a meeting from the minutes, but since it's all there is to go on for those who weren't actually there, it'll have to do. My biggest observation is that there seems remarkably little coming back from the club compared to the time and effort and content that went into the document. If they had had a few days to read it then maybe that would have been different, but "insufficient time to digest" is a time-honored way of avoiding debate. The apparent unwillingness to take on board constructive feedback e.g. PR is disappointing but unsurprising. Effectiveness of PR and communication is measured in the response of the target audience, not the effort or intentions of the ones doing the communicating. If we feel badly communicated to, with many examples to demonstrate, then it's failing - simple as that. I'd be interested to hear how the committee feels about where they are after 2 meetings with the club - is BRISA on track with its objectives? Word of warning - being asked to advise on smoking policy and matchday atmosphere isn't much of a role, not worthy of the efforts put in so far by the committee and not worth a fiver of anyone's money (not that I've paid mine, so feel free to tell me to sod off)

Terrific preview. No point playing Tugay since he has no-one to pass to at the moment, so I would move Reid into the middle. Time to make the most of Kuqi rather than have Tugay ping 60 yarders for him to lumber after. So here is the radical solution: since we have no-one who can get to the bye-line and swing in a cross for the Kuqi monster to attack, I would put Emerton on the left and MGP on the right so they can both cut inside and angle a ball to Kuqi's head with his back to the goal, with instructions to Bentley, Reid, Savage and the other winger to get in there for knockdowns and flick-ons. Panic a dodgy MU central defence. 2-0 MGP, Emerton

Savage has spent 10 years ensuring that refs will never give him anything. The thing I realized in the 2 semis is that, while Savage makes a lot of tackles, gets booked a lot and irritates the opposition, he isn't a hard player. Smith, RVN and Ferdinand all took liberties with him because they knew they could without fear of a leg-breaker sometime in the future. He's plenty of bark and not much bite. Personally I wish it was the other way around. Come back Killer Keeley and Jim Branagan

I think we did well to still be in the tie after 184 minutes despite giving away two poor, poor goals and finishing the game with four wingers and no strikers on the pitch. We desperately needed our big players to step up tonight to have any chance. Brad more than did his bit, Nelson and Zura restricted a frightening strike force to bugger all really, but that was it. Smith seems to think that give Savage a whack and then he doesn't do much, and I'm starting to agree with him. MGP was invisible. Bentley and Kuqi had no chance really, though I thought Bentley looked most likely to do something in the last 15 mins. Gray and Tugay each made an error that could lose a game, but at least kept at it. Disappointed to lose, but we were never outclassed.

I think if he had fewer yellow cards and more red cards to his name, he would have more impact on more games. Too many of his yellows are for arsing around, as opposed to crunching tackles, and the fact he has no reds to me demonstrates he dials back his game (and the arsing) to stay on the pitch. A player who tackles as much as he does should be in the Keane/Viera bracket for reds. I'd rather he got sent off twice a year for a second cruncher than went missing fifteen times a year trying to avoid a red.

I for one was already sick and tired of the Jansen soap opera before the Bolton thing, so no surprise that I am in Theno's camp. There is no question that the heart-rendering tales of Matt's depression at not being in the team and his immediate move to one of the 7 clubs in the country higher up the league than us are incompatable. It makes no sense if you accept Jansen's story at face value. Failing to be in the first team at his next club would surely deepen the depression, and has been pointed out, Bolton would be nuts to change the formula built around Davies and Spit. I never had much sympathy for the sob story in the first place. Sure, an accident prevented him fulfilling his potential; but I know plenty of people who, through illness or economic conditions, will not reach their potential and who never complain. He has health, wealth, a hot wife and good looks. And now a bit more wealth.

I don't disagree with your analysis but for me it doesn't explain why Savage, whose game revolves around chasing down the ball and giving players absolutely no time to dwell e.g. Liverpool away, failed to continue at least trying to do that in the 2nd half. Smith was strolling around like he owned the place.

Could be Philip. On reflection, I'm now beginning to think that the Mancs did a pretty good job on how they prepared for us. Bellers thrives on the through ball to run onto and Kuqi, while being a carthorse, is an arial threat. Not one through ball for Bellers and not one cross for Kuqi to attack. I too am sure Hughes will figure out how to get chances to the right parts of the anatomy of our strikers. I don't think Utd can legislate for MGP's shooting, though they might double up on him next time.

While it makes one cringe to watch his antics, I'm not sure too much of it rubs off onto us since he's always done it ever since that infamous dive for Leicester at Wembley. I think the mud sticks to him rather than us. I was more concerned at his going completely AWOl in the 2nd half. He hid.

Interesting to see Kuqi being given no credit whatsoever on this thread for setting up our two substantive chances of the game, including the goal. Yes he is crap on the ground, but no more than Bellamy would look if every ball were to his head. Thoroughly enjoyed the first half; good attacking play by both teams. excellent result for us after the 2nd half when we were awful. The Man Yoo of old would have buried us. Would have been nice if MGP and Savage had come out after half time. And who picked Todd as MoM - Fergie? Gray for me.

Dickov now has a better goals/games ratio for us than Jansen. Must be considered a front-runner as Souness's best signing for us along with Too-gay and Freidal

I can't believe how over the top this thread is. Man survives road accident but can't quite fulfill potential but earns millions in the process. Unfortunate, but life goes on. Mick Heaton (Captain of our '75 promotion team for the young 'uns) had to retire after only 9 playing years through injury, didn't earn a fortune, and died in a road crash at the age of 48 That's a tragedy.

Free pies, Free transport to an away game, free extra ticket to bring a friend for a future game. I'm sure they could think of something Anything really to show that they CARE that 20,000+ people suffered a major upset tonight, a significant number of whom won't be there for the rematch if they sit on their hands and bleat on about a cold snap. But then that would involve the club seeing fans as customers who have many other choices rather than sheep who will come back anyway. Air Canada gave me 20,000 airmiles because my plane was delayed for 3 hours due to a snowstorm and 2 de-icings. They didn't have to, it wasn't their fault, but they showed they knew that I had suffered inconvenience while buying their product. BRFC can't change the fact that the game was called off late, but they can turn a problem into an opportunity.

Interesting that all the predictions of Wigan collapsing once they lost their games against the big boys were well wide of the mark. They seem to be on track for their 4th win in a row at WHU and are still quite a way ahead of us in the league. Underestimate this outfit at your peril. If we can lose away to Villa and Fulham, we can certainly lose at Wigan, who I think will expose some weaknesses in pace in our team. However, we have the benefit of another major failure of judgement of many on this board - Kuqi and Dickov - to partner Bellers and super-sub up front, so I now think we can score at least 2 in every game 2-2 Bellamy, Kuqi

The biggest cost will be the cynicism of the floating support who had gone to the trouble of buying a ticket for tonight. They won't be sympathetic to the reasons/excuses trotted out. Today's consumer doesn't accept excuses. If you drive all the way to Tesco's because they have been advertising turkeys, get there and find all the turkeys are off because the fridge failed , you won't feel much like come back. If Rovers were serious about attracting back missing fans, they would accept responsibility for tonight, even if it wasn't avoidable, and make it worthwhile for everyone who bought a ticket to still turn up for the rearranged game. I would imagine that a rearranged midweek game in feb would attract at least 4,000 less than were going to turn up tonight, so that'll be 80-100,000 quid down the drain if they do nothing. Now there is an opportunity to reinvest some of that money and turn disappointed customers into delighted customers who might return more often as a result. I am intruiged to see what, if anything, the club will do.

On the Fox Sports World nightly programme here - an hour long, mark you - we got a passing mention not even showing the goal under "And elsewhere.." following highlights of the Donny game plus an interview with Wenger.

Keep the faith buddy. I think Fergie won't put out his strongest side for 2 midweek "extra" games at a busy time of the year when he has to try and stay in touch with Chelsea. For the final, which replaces a weekend league game, I think they would be at full strength. I think we can do 'em

I think the strikers are the only positive thing at the moment, Dickov apparently nearly saving the day again in stoppage time. Having said that, Dickov and Bentley/Kuqi are really only the equivalent of one good prem standard striker. Add in the usual no impact from Emerton and a fitful MGP, and we're playing at the moment with 8.5 players. 6 goals shipped against Everton, Fulham and West Ham is appalling, giving us no chance to accumulate points.

Guilty as charged to having a Vinjay-esque obsession on this subject, and you are not the first who has has the pleasure of their company to tell me that they are decent, hard working, committed chaps. Not saying they aren't. But my issue is one of accountability. Other people on those salaries tend to have their feet held to the fire on things like top-line sales growth; something I don't see happening at Ewood. It particularly bugs me when the noises from Ewood seem to blame the Blackburn public for not showing up enough. If the MD of Marks and Sparks had put the blame for his woes on Britain's little old ladies for not buying enough knickers, he would have been hounded out by the shareholders immediately. But then I suspect our mysterious shareholders are in the camp of anything for a quiet life, so I suppose I should be ganging up with Vinjay more than I already have to put the blame there. However, I cannot dispute your advice of inviting myself around for a cuppa on my next royal visit. But back to trying to be constructive for BRISA; the public persona of Chairman John in no way demonstrates the attributes which you describe, so given the parlous state of our attendances, it wouldn't do any harm for him to more visibly portray them to a wavering and increasingly disaffected populace - they might even be infectious. While Sam Hamman has his faults, I think every Cardiff fan got caught up in his obvious enthusiasm.

I despair. Rochdale has a population of over 200,000 and is a lot closer to the 500,000 of Manchester. Should we be aiming lower than them? Williams and Finn are going to be in for some easy meetings if BRISA fall for this "we're small and crap" nonsense. However, Roversmum has given me faith that BRISA will be going in with high expectations of our $400,000 business management team

Surely you are not both suggesting that Charlton are a natural level above us as a club? Such short memories. We played them season in, season out in the old 2nd Div., they got 7,000 crowds the same as we did. They were our peers when we were crap. The fact that they now are seemingly our superiors, despite us winning two trophies, appeared in 4 semi-finals, and been in Europe 4 times in the last 10 years, is purely down to how well each club had been run and marketed in more recent times While many on here seem to think that the orderly management of decline is our lot, Charlton are a shining example of controlled, sensible ambition.

On my last trip over I was shocked at how what had been a flagship advertisement for the club had turned into, as you say, a branch of any old sports chain with a merchandising policy akin to Tommy Ball's - I thought it looked like a junkshop. The stuff I did buy (March this year) has since all fallen to bits and went off to the Salvation Army ages ago, not that some Canadian hobo will thank them for such shoody goods. When this subject has come up before, the club - in the guise of Lee - seem to think that, just because a service is outsourced, the club are in no way responsible for it or the image that it portrays. People are willing to pay good money to carry around and wear free advertising for the club, yet cannot do so. We must be the only club in the top 2 divisions to have such a shambolic excuse for a club shop.

Go for it Roversmum. He's an employee and you're the customer. Don't be frightened of the unspoken threat of withdrawal of access.