I can't believe that this time 3 and a half years ago he was nearly in the side going to the World Cup, and since then he's hardly kicked a ball. It's a real shame for a nice lad, but them's the breaks. Lets hope he gets a chance and can take it this season as otherwise he's going in the summer I think.

I hope you're eating your words now mate!!

Souness is a man who is still living on his reputation form the 80s, and its wearing very thin. I can't see him lasting beyond early Jan, and it would not surprise me in the slightest for the desperate Gers to take him back. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire!!

It would be nice to shout Garner again. Chances of him getting the no 10 shirt?

Whilst our defence is a bit creaky at times, we should all take heart that we haven't got Christina Dailly in the side.

In the land of the blind.....

The Rovers store has always been amateur at best. When we spent the money in the 90s to bring the club up to Premier League standards, the shop was left in Div2. I'm afraid that's where it still is.

When is the draw being made?

You really are a small boy. I hope Mummy packed your pampers.

I hate to agree with Freddy Shepherd, so I won't. I'll just concentrate on slagging off Souness. When he joined Rovers I was very unhappy, but the success we had kept me happy. However, I have to say that when he 'moved on' to the bar codes, somewhere I lived for 8 years, I have taken particular pleasure in times when they have slipped up (oh VE day!!) I am suprised that he has kept Darth Shearer's seat warm for so long now, as I'd have thought that he'd have been sacked by Easter this year, by finishing in the bottom half of the league, as that is not going to be acceptable for the 6000 fans (as was in season 1990/91 when they languished in Div 2! - little known fact) I suppose Yosser is going to have to wait a few months before he's going to have to ask 'Giv uz a job'

Bryan Douglas from a purely footballing quality point of view (no contest) OR Windy Miller from a comedy 'tash point of view

Doing the rounds: Monday Newcastle United unveil their new manager Graeme Souness at St. James' Park. Chairman Freddie Shepherd states he's "delighted" to have landed one of the "top, young Geordie managers in the game". Souness, the 51-year old Scot, promises to deliver "unprecedented success" to the long suffering north-east fans. "My record in Italy, Turkey and at Southampton, Liverpool and Blackburn speaks for itself" he claims. Douglas Hall is ushered from the press conference with a glazed expression and quietly whimpering. Tuesday Souness attends training in order to meet and greet his new players. Captain Alan Shearer does the introductions and lets Souness know who he'll be picking to play in the next game. Souness readily agrees with Shearer's selection. "Alan is one of the great strikers in the game. Just because he didn't want the managers job it doesn't mean he cannot pick the team. Or select the dvd's we watch on the team coach. Or select the music in the dressing room. Mr Shepherd says so." Wednesday At a press conference Souness outlines his vision for Newcastle. "Disicipline is very important at a football club. Players have to look after themselves both on and off the pitch. I find it intolerable that any player in mine and Alan's team would behave in a manner which might bring direpute to the club. That is why I have imposed a 9pm curfew on the players in the 3 days leading up to a game. With all the mid-week fixtures we have that means the players can only go out on a Sunday. After 'Songs of Praise'." Keiron Dyer, Titus Bramble, Lee Bowyer, Olivier Bernard, Laurent Robert, Craig Bellamy, Jermaine Jenas, Shola Ameobi and Aaron Hughes all submit written transfer requests. Thursday In a further bid to instill the "mental toughness" and "discipline" he requires from his players Souness arranges a physical and mental 'bonding' session in the Cairngorms. The players are told to make their own way to the venue and are instructed to take a book to meditate on, a Swiss Army knife, a torch and sufficient food and water to last them for 3 days, as no meals will be provided. Alan Shearer is the first to arrive, on time and with the correct items. Most of the players arrive by lunch time. However Keiron Dyer doesn't join the group until 3pm on the second day. He blames his late arrival on the fact that British Airways only fly to Aberdeen on alternate days and he couldn't find any 'proper' Louis Vuitton luggage in Auchtermuchty. Also he lost his copy of 'The Gruffalo' and had to wait to have another couriered to him. Friday During the 'Search and Destroy' mission in the Uckle-Muckle Forest it becomes apparent that some participants are taking their instructions too literally. The local McDonalds has been firebombed by a group including Bowyer, Bramble and Jenas and the Prebyterian chapel converted into a 'Hardcore Rave and lapdancing club' with rooms set aside for 'the Roast'. Several local women are transferred to Glasgow Royal Infirmary to be treated for shock after going to the 'Roast Room' and asking for a 'hot meat sandwich'. The outraged Souness promises drastic action. "I'll speak to the chairman and Mr Shearer and those responsible will be severely punished. The players will all travel together in future and I'll limit them to £10 a day pocket money". Keiron Dyer submits another transfer request. Saturday In a strange twist of fate Newcastle's first game under their new manager is against his old club Blackburn. Although not directly responsible for first team affairs until the following Monday, Souness lets slip that he has had significant input to the selection process and tactics to be employed. "Alan kindly let me pin up the team sheet in the dressing room and give the second copy to the referee" he says. "I also got to pass the numbers to the fourth official when Alan made the substitutions". In a bad tempered game Newcastle lose 0-3. After the game Souness is quoted as saying "I never knew Blackburn could play like that. they never did in the last 18 months I was there". Crowd trouble erupts after the game when irate Newcastle fans try to force Souness onto one of the Blackburn supporters coaches, only to be turned back by hysterically laughing Rovers fans. "'E's your problem now lads" is overheard from one of the Lancastrian suporters. Sunday The local press report the fans reactions to the appointment of Souness and their opinions of the change in playing style the previous day; "Obviously yesterday was a disappoint. to lose 3-0 at home to a team 2 places below us isn't good enough. Souness' experiment in playing Robert at centre-half didn't seem to work, nor did his tactics of playing 7 across midfield and lumping the ball to Shearer all the time. And if Craig Bellamy is a goalkeeper I'll eat my hat" - Geordie Knacker-Dan, Walker. "If I'm going to pay £500 a season to watch Newcastle I expect us to lose with style, the way we did just after the club was formed and that Kevin fella was the manager. I'm not having that performance yesterday again. Souness out" - Billy Boots, Gosforth "Whooooop ding Klerrrrrnnnnnnk wibble. What was that man? I'll tell yerz it was a ###### camel in the poss tub with a side order of squirrel flange in Jus-Rol pastry that was. Anyway I'm oot on the toon the neet if I can get me zebra top ower me heed to show me hawaiian short to all the dorty bords in Baja. Fancy a swally?" Paully Paul McPaulster, Hebburn. Newcastle announce "with regret" that Souness has been "relieved of his duties forthwith". Cilla Black is to "act as stop gap manager" until "Alan decides who he wants next."

It's Osama bin Laden

We will come 2nd in group after losing to France, and then loose in the Quarter Final to Portugal, who will have won Group A. France to beat Germany in the Final.

Next thing you'll be mentioning the swimming; yet another sport that the Aussies are good at, that noone else gives a monkey's about. How quiet things have gone on the rugby front since the competition has finished! If the pendulum would have swung the other way then we'd still be having presenters dressed in green and gold and 7 would STILL be rerunning the game! You've got to laugh though!

To be fair to the Australian newspapers (even the dreadful Daily Telegraph, Sydney), most of them have lauded England (although that may be because the final was such a good sporting spectacle). Even the ridiculous Campese was forced to climb down. What has been unacceptable is the anti-English sentiment in the convict papers since the World Cup started. One of them, in the middle of one particular rant, said English "arrogance" (whatever that is) even extended to the 19th century field of battle where the British wore redcoats so that the enemy knew we were coming!! Some of it does have a funny side and some of it may be just tabloid drivel, but alot of it did reveal much about the Australian psyche and its obvious inferiority complex about all things English. Anyway, I'm glad England won but no one will persuade me otherwise that rugby is a crap sport. I do like Clive Woodward's attitude though. Anyone who gets up Australian noses must have something going for him and I read somewhere that he is a real footy fan too. How about Sir Clive to replace Sven when the time comes? Jim, you read too much into the papers. Nobody takes much notice of them here. They are low quality rags that don't really represent what the average Aussie thinks. I have to say that the game surely rivals the great moments I've watched with Rovers: Wembley 1987, Wembley 1992, Anfield 1995, and Cardiff 2001, as a sporting event to remember. In fact, I think that the match had even more drama than any of those other games. Who would have thought that we would have played the Aussies in their own back yard, and WON?!! It was brilliant, and I have got to say that the Aussies were brilliant hosts. They even let us take home the cup! They were so gracious in defeat, and strangers kept coming up to us and shaking our hands in the streets and congratulating us. They stopped short of singing 'Oh Jonny Jonny, Jonny Jonny Jonny Jonny Wilkinson', but I suppose that was only to be expected. There has been no talk of ugly rugby in the press today, and they have been very supportive of our performance: http://rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/articles/2003/11/24/1069522486108.html I was lucky enough to go to the game, and our photos are here: http://www.pbase.com/novauspics/england_versus_australia/ I could be come a convert to this sport if all the games are this exciting. The egg chasers did us proud!!

I'm surprised your'e NOT supporting the convicts. I thought you'd have some allegiance to the Bruce's and Sheila's no chance lonibom. born in england and although spending nearly 13 years in australia has never made me not support my home land in favour of the skips! p.s. lonibom a little less of the smart arse comments regarding bruces and sheilas ROVERS FOREVER Good for you Blueboy: a refreshing change from the other traitorous, turncoat ex-pats on here. Personally, I wouldn't support an Australian in a game of tiddlywinks. All we can hope for Saturday is that Good overcomes Evil. Everyone knows that God is an Englishman so I am sure he will be smiling on the glorious boys in white. Having said that, rugby really is a pile of doo-dah. After this tournament it will return to its rightful place on the inside sports pages while the national game reasserts its superiority. jim mk2, I'll be another of those supposed turn-coats (english person down under) but there is no question that I will be looking for an England win. But, I've got to say I can't think of any other team that I would rather came 2nd than Australia, especially if they are playing us! http://www.pbase.com/octauspics/engvsuruguay/ http://www.pbase.com/novauspics/engvsfrance/ And then its straight out of Telstra Stadium to find a pub to watch Rovers stuff manure down RFW's throat. I hope!

I agree. LET shouldn't be employing a 'pundit' who can't even be arsed to get to the matches. If he can't make it to a Saturday afternoon match to see Duffer line up against Rovers for the 1st time in his career, then I can't see him making a rainy cold winter's midweek trip anywhere. Sorry Jason, but I still stand my my 'harsh' words. You really need to get to the away games, or at least see them somewhere to be able to give insightful comments of the game. Also, the sooner you start populating your piece with clever one liner put-downs directed towards the dingles the better. One of the highlights of reading RB's column was that it was funny. Maybe we should get colin to proof read your script before it goes to press?

I agree. LET shouldn't be employing a 'pundit' who can't even be arsed to get to the matches. If he can't make it to a Saturday afternoon match to see Duffer line up against Rovers for the 1st time in his career, then I can't see him making a rainy cold winter's midweek trip anywhere.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2573741.stm Argue your way out of this one jas

Celtic have Stuttgart in the 4th round and if they get past them (and Liverpool get past Auxerre) they'll both meet in the Quarter Finals. Should be an interesting tie!

The point is, you were talking about a 'good European performance' If you believe that your team's performance in the 1st leg was that of a good team, then it really does go to show what you're used to seeing in the Scottish Pub League doesn't it?! Backs to the wall defending, and then nicking a goal in the dying minutes cannot be described as good. Damned lucky if you ask me. The 2nd leg was another story though. And I agree, the wally who came on the pitch should be banned. I personally was booing him as he came past the CIS, and I couldn't understand why Rovers fans were cheering/clapping/laughing.

I'm not surprised with your attitude! Give us all a rest and belt up

He was probably one of the 'fans' verbally abusing my sister in Blackburn Town Centre yesterday afternoon, and curiously in Preston Town Centre this lunchtime as well. What a great bunch!