Injuries or not, the Original Ronaldo still had a fantastic career. In his pomp he was even better than Shearer, can't say more than that!

Just now, davulsukur said:

Not sure he ever turned into the player people thought he would after he left here.

He also suffered an ACL injury a couple of season back, always a concern with those types of injuries.

Kane's 25 in September, he's never played a league game for Chelsea and they've loaned him out to 7 clubs.

That's their 'model' all over. Hoover up loads of talent, put them on long term contracts and loan them out for half their career.

I suppose it's about the aims of the organisation and 'what success looks like'.

Rovers, just like Bolton will want to avoid League 1 again at all costs. The Championship is leaving it further behind each passing year. So I can certainly understand why they would offer bonuses.

Doesn't strike of big ambition, but there you go.

In a decade they've gone from European campaigns to bonuses for staying out of the third division.

We've trod a similar path...

Bloody hell, it's dryhorse's brother!

Bolton local rag reporting that their players are on strike over continual late wages, so their friendly tomorrow is off.

End of July.

Think it’s been a new one every year since about 2002.

Old kit for the first two friendlies...

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/july/club-statement-kit-release/

As an aside, remember the days when kits were kept for 2 seasons as standard?

The pubs were rammed from the morning onwards - it was hot too, so by 5pm...

In place for the 2026 World Cup.

They know that it will be a well attended World Cup in North America and they'll be able to charge top dollar. So just imagine the brass they will rake in with twice the teams!

Just now, Tom said:

I’m never overly invested through the qualifying stages admittedly then get fully on board at tournament time. Although I have to admit that it’s so much easier now we don’t have the likes of Rooney, Terry and Gerrard in there.

It doesn’t help that qualifiers disrupt the flow of the normal football season.

 

Qualifiers used to have a bit of peril in them, certainly not a given we'd get to the tournament. Think of Terry Butcher covered in blood, the draw in Rome that got us to France '98, Beckham versus Greece at Old Trafford etc.

Now we are always top seeds and due to many more European countries post USSR and Yugoslavia, plus all the micro nations, we almost always get a group with a Slovakia/Slovenia, a Lithuania/Estonia, a San Marino/Andorra, so we functionally qualify with no excitement whatsoever. 

Just now, Oldgregg86 said:

They use it as a social thing to have a pint without investing into the club. Rovers to me is like a family member. Will always be there through good and bad and love it. Couldn't be with out it. They can't understand traveling to Ipswich on a Tuesday night and going straight work. They think I'm mental.they don't understand it and I don't understand how you can scream at the tv with such passion in a final and then not bother watching your team against Brighton the week after. 

Nailed it.

And I'm happy with my choice!

As do some fans of Liverpool from the actual city

’Scouse not English’

?

Listening to some of the Man Yoo/Liverpool 'fans' in the office, going absolutely potty about England - much more than I've ever heard them when it comes to 'their' club, just shows how unattached to these megaclubs they really are.

Made me feel quite smug that I really support a proper/local football club with its accompanying highs and lows, that feeling of being really part of something,  they only get a taste of our lives for a few weeks every other summer...

5 hours ago, Fraserkirky said:

 

“Minor Niggle” is code word for in negotiations with another club.

Aye, file with ‘calf/thigh/groin strain’.

Well of course, but then in reality it is a loan with benefits...

Spotted 47ers link in the Transfer Links Only Thread:

http://sportslens.com/incredible-great-signing-fans-astonished-as-blackburn-sign-manchester-city-midfielder-davenport/237426/

Excuse my ignorance, but even though we have him under contract, they are still allowed to take him back, presumably at a knock down price?

Is this a popular type of deal?

1 hour ago, roverandout said:

Sterling can beat a man but when he plays for england he freezes and plays it simple. At liverpool i thought he was going to be the new john barnes..but he regressed a little until last season

In many ways he is.

Great for his club, average for England.

No and it is one of the daftest rules in football.

Doesn't stop folk from drinking, they just stay in the concourse. Nip to the toilet on say, the hour mark, and it is heaving down there...

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

 

Surcharge- Do you really think people don't turn up late to save 3 pounds? Is this money not to pay the wages of whoever works in the ticket office?

 

It was only brought in last season.

The only reason I can think it was introduced was to help flog 1875 memberships, as members are exempt.

I noticed that a load of football journos re-tweeted it.

Obviously the Clyde Fud-Blocker is a bit of a running joke in the industry...

Nobody since Clough?

Bobby Robson and Terry Venables did cracking jobs.

If we'd just kept El Tel for France '98...

Good job it’s on ITV then!

Really?

Most ST holders I know have mentioned it, hasn’t stopped them renewing, but it’s still a noticeable increase.