Last league game of the month sees Chelsea despatched...

Highfield Road was rarely a happy hunting ground & this was a tough game...

Arsenal next up at Ewood...

March 1995 & whilst Man Utd are gubbing Ipswich...

We review the season just (eventually) completed with the aid of real journalists in the form of the Lancashire Telegraph's Rich Sharpe & Lancashire Live's Jaquob Crooke aided & abetted by the BRFCS pod squad; Hollie Thurstan, Linz Lewis, Michael Taylor, Mike Delap & Stuart Grimshaw - questions posed by Ian Herbert as usual. Warning - Parental Advisory - contains the words Shithouse & Shithousery...but all in context.? View full record

Is That All There Is? Nobody could have guessed at 3pm on 3rd August 2019, that the season about to kick-off would not conclude until almost a full year later; just before 10pm, on Wednesday 22nd July. When the finale did eventually arrive, it was not a moment too soon, as the mighty blues somehow contrived to leave us with a performance that many would describe as “peak Rovers”; namely losing to a side in the relegation zone at kick-off, thanks largely to gifting the opposition a couple of own goals and a penalty. Luton Town therefore took the three points having registered just a single shot on target, truly an epic achievement. Rovers took an early lead and seemed set fair to stroll to a comfortable victory, confirming the integrity of the league as Tony Mowbray had posited in one of his pre-match press conferences. Instead, the season finished with a veritable clown car of a performance, bits falling off at regular intervals, lacking just the buckets of torn newspaper, red noses and custard pies. The comedic impact would doubtless have appealed to one of Luton Town FC’s former directors, as Luton’s escape act would surely have brought him sunshine. Less said about the game the better, so instead let’s consider the last 12 months and try to assess where Rovers are now and more pertinently, what happens next? At the end of 2018/19, Rovers finished fifteenth, recording 60 points in what was generally accepted as a season of consolidation. Three points more, four places higher this time round suggests that the consolidation process has continued. At the outset of the season, I predicted a tenth-placed finish, but in the event my natural levels of caution (I mean pessimism of course) proved optimistic. Rovers’ form has ebbed and flowed throughout and in fairness to Tony Mowbray, the squad lost Greg Cunningham early on and before Christmas, his talisman, Bradley Dack, was ruled out with a long-term cruciate ligament injury. In the circumstances, still being in the hunt for a play-off spot post-lockdown was a reasonable achievement, but the limp surrender in the games against Wigan, Barnsley and Millwall especially was deflating and dispiriting. The loss to a vibrant Leeds Utd can be forgiven. The loss to Luton Town had more in common with a Brian Rix farce - #OneForTheTeenagers there. Only Tony Mowbray with his trousers round his ankles as the vicar arrives for afternoon tea could have been more of an archetype of the form. What next for Rovers? The impact of COVID upon the nation’s economy will be felt for many years to come and football is not immune from those impacts of course. Below the Premier League, gate money, sponsorship and transfer receipts are the main contributors to turnover – TV revenue is higher than in League One of course, but is merely loose change when compared to the riches paid to Premier League clubs. For Rovers, the prospects of further behind closed doors games is a major issue. Season tickets, perhaps not altogether surprisingly, are not yet on sale. Even if they were, many supporters may well be cautious about returning to Ewood whilst health concerns remain. It’s not just about the risks whilst in the ground, transport to and from, refreshments, toilets and so on mean that individual risk assessments based on personal circumstances will inevitably impact on potential attendances. The fear of a second spike as winter returns looms as a spectre. Clubs are also battling with the demographic time-bomb of supporter bases growing older without adequate replenishment from younger fans e.g. the average age of a Man Utd supporter on the Stretford End was seventeen in 1968, forty years later it had risen to forty (source: “And The Sun Shines Now”, Adrian Tempany). In 2017, 85% of a sample of a thousand 18-24 year olds surveyed said the cost of attending football was an obstacle (source: Price Of Football). Many of Rovers older season-ticket holders may well be cautious about renewing, but many of the younger ones might not be able to afford it right now or be prepared to take the risk given economic uncertainty. If income streams are threatened, cost bases have to be trimmed to reflect the reality. Last week saw the release of Danny Graham, Dominic Samuel, Richie Smallwood amongst others and whilst talks with Stewart Downing continue, unless Downing is prepared to be flexible, it seems likely that he too will depart. Each season at this time Rovers are reminded of their place in the pecking order of their owners by the “No Budget Yet Agreed” ritual. For a sophisticated, multi-million, global operation, Venky’s do seem to run Blackburn Rovers totally reactively as an after-thought. With uncertainty about how the EFL will apply FFP rules, Venky’s seem unwilling to provide any succour or reassurance to the Ewood staff and planning for next season is moot. For a sustained promotion push next season, Rovers need first of all to find two goalkeepers, two defenders, a striker and hopefully a winger, just to stand still. If costs have to be contained, do not be surprised that any incomings are loans and/or Bosman signings but equally, don’t be surprised if unwelcome approaches for the likes of Armstrong, Travis and Lenihan prove hard to rebuff. It’s going to be the most vital summer break of Tony Mowbray’s reign, arguably, even more than the one after relegation. After what has happened to Bury and Wigan Athletic, just having a fully-functioning club in the Championship by next June would be something of an achievement; based on the post-lockdown mini-season, promotion seems a distant pipe-dream. Finally, thanks to everyone who has given this column a read during the season and especially those who kindly shared some complimentary feedback. Thanks also to those who provided less complimentary feedback - at least you took the trouble to read it.? I have enjoyed the challenge of trying to capture some coherent thoughts with a twist; sometimes it has flowed easily and on other occasions, it's been quite tough...which probably comes across in fairness ! Thanks to a combination of current personal challenges for my time combined with the uncertainty surrounding post-COVID football and when I can safely return to Ewood, "Old Blackburnian" will be stepping down for the foreseeable future. If someone out there fancies writing a weekly or even a monthly piece for BRFCS I would urge you to give it a go. Just let us know & you can have use BRFCS as your conduit to communicate with the masses. In the meantime, enjoy the break and above all, stay safe. COYB @ianherbert (Old Blackburnian)

Quite like this...

Travis, Armstrong, Lenihan, Nyambe ?

Kit thread....?‍♂️

Some Worthington Cup memories coming up...first of all, the road to Cardiff...

This suggest that we could have 1960 FA cup final style collar ?

Duplicate thread

Here's the table after that Norwich game...

His LinkedIn profile needs a bit of attention...

Norwich come & frustrate...

I've just looked at 3 Championship club websites....no season tickets on sale at any of them...small sample size but...

Need to get back on it...Wimbledon at home possibly not the fixture you would choose...

A tough away game and concerns that the jitters might be starting...

An absolute humdinger this one...always felt like a crucial game & so it proved...

Yeah....?

BRFCS Twitter

https://fcbusiness.co.uk/news/in-focus-roboticket-smart-seating-allocation-to-increase-attendance-under-social-distancing-rules/

An early column this week - due to print deadlines it has to be submitted before the Luton game...so here goes... Reading Between The Lines There is no doubt that season 2019/20 will always be associated with an asterisk. A season that started, as so many do, with optimism and hope has unfolded in a somewhat stilted fashion; with some highs and lows along the way, causes for optimism and pessimism, celebration and commiseration. Saturday’s fixture with Reading was almost the perfect microcosm of the season contained in two handy forty-five minute episodes, with barely time for refreshments in between. Throughout this disjointed season, Rovers have managed to string together a number sequences which stoked the fires of optimism, only to follow up with self-inflicted trauma at inopportune moments. Right from the off, back to back defeats to start, succeeded by back to back victories; six games without a win in September/October, eight games without defeat in November/December; one defeat in ten during January/February, one win in six pre & post lockdown – with streaks like that, a sponsorship from Danish bacon must be a shoo-in. Saturday afternoon started with Rovers vibrantly on the attack right from the whistle – Brereton as one Twitter wag put it, “keeping up his amazing sequence of scoring in every season he plays for Rovers...” followed by Armstrong, who doubled the lead from the edge of the area to give Rovers a two-goal head start in just six minutes. Reading seemingly mastering the happy knack of pinning Rovers back into Reading’s own penalty box. What could possibly go wrong? Reading introduced a plot twist to the script by pulling one back with a peach of a free-kick and an entertaining half closed at 2-1. All the goals scored with an economy of effort from the only three shots on target. The second half saw the energetic and impressive Rothwell cut in, shoot from distance and via a deflection, restore the two-goal lead. Once more, what could possibly go wrong? Well let’s not fault Rovers for their creativity and ingenuity in playing Reading back into the game. Two goals in four minutes followed and parity had been restored in the time it takes to hard boil an egg. Young Carter was certainly being introduced to “the Rovers way”. With time running out and all the substitutes used, inspiration was to come from two of them. A rare sighting of the lesser-spotted Harry Chapman yielded a superb cross to the far post, met with vim and vigour by Sam Gallagher and Rovers’ lead was restored. Thankfully with little time even for Rovers to concede once more, the Ewood season ended with a morale-enhancing home win. No post-game lap of appreciation was forthcoming sadly for the benefit of the appreciative cardboard cut-outs. Rovers once more between 3pm and 5pm, revealing a heady mix of defensive frailties, midfield creativity and attacking potency that have in turn fuelled disappointment and excitement from August to July. The encouragement that resonated most of all was the sight of seven academy graduates on the field at full time and the oldest player in blue & white being the 26 year-old Darragh Lenihan. A glimpse into the future? Well perhaps, though there many potential pitfalls that aspiring professionals must avoid to have a successful and fulfilling career. One thing for sure, Rovers’ financial position means that their reliance on growing their own is substantial and this was an upbeat note upon which to sign off at Ewood. Whether the likes of Buckley, Carter, Magloire, Rankin-Costello, Wharton and Vale can be the backbone of a successful Championship side is as yet open to debate but how wonderful would it be for a Rovers equivalent of the “Class of 92” to bring success home? The season will close finally on Wednesday night with a visit to Kenilworth Road as Rovers take on Luton Town for the first time since 2007, when a Mark Hughes side containing debutant Chris Samba and double goal-scorer Matt Derbyshire, fired Rovers to a 4-0 victory. There is little riding on the midweek outcome for Rovers but pride, Luton though require the three points to keep alive their survival prospects. Such is the nature of modern-day football, the big matches that will determine the final placings will take place not on the pitch, but in the courts as the likes of Derby, Sheffield Wednesday and most pertinently, Wigan Athletic, are appealing the threat of points deductions by the EFL. I’m not sure that Rovers academy is yet producing the next generation of barristers, but perhaps it’s an avenue worthy of further investigation?

Things you love to see....??

Well look who’s on Twitter @arbitro ?