In case you haven’t already...Don is terrific in this...

Keegan, Waddle & McDermott in the team...17k in the ground

This week's slightly extended "Accrington Observer" column... Draw, Draw, Quick, Quick, Draw "Money can't buy me love..." as a popular beat combo once proclaimed but there are those who suggest it can buy promotion. Rovers opponents last Wednesday, Stoke City, are owned by the Coates family, who also own Bet365. Peter Coates is in many respects, Stoke City’s equivalent of Jack Walker and has backed the club substantially at various points over the last thirty years. With the club having largely squandered their parachute payments and now falling under the auspices of FFP, the wealth of the Coates family has not insulated Stoke from their on-field problems. Bet365's CEO is Denise Coates, daughter of Peter and has a net worth apparently in excess of £10bn, earning £323m in 2018 alone, making her the highest paid executive of any UK company. Gambling only pays when you're winning...or when you're the bookmaker. I’ll nail my colours to the mast early on here. I’m not massively keen on the normalisation of gambling in football. I believe we will look back at some point in the near future with incredulity at the proliferation of gambling adverts in a similar way that 1980’s F1 cars festooned with tobacco ads look so incongruous to us now. But that said, the Coates family have been model owners and unlike some owners, pay their taxes. I’m equally sure the Coates family would willingly have parted with a few bob more to persuade the referee to blow up early last week had they been able. On a cold evening that demanded some spicy fare to warm the heart of your cockle, both sides conspired to offer up the footballing equivalent of a limp, service station salad that has sat on a plate next to the oven for a week. Armstrong once more started brightly and Rovers had the ball in the net when Joe Rothwell pounced on a Butland spill from an Armstrong shot, but Rothwell was clearly offside. Stoke were less than wholeheartedly adventurous but when they did attack, they looked dangerous. Had they truly gone for the win, Stoke might just have secured a couple more points towards their race for safety. Gallagher had a one on one but was foiled by Butland, Armstrong cut in and tried his luck but the shot was easily smothered by Butland once more and that was about it. It’s entirely possible that had a coronavirus scare caused it to be played behind closed doors, few would have quibbled come 10pm, such was the dearth of a spectacle. Off the back of the draw at Brentford, hopes were high that the two subsequent home games would provide the fillip for a play-off push. Swansea at Ewood in the second of the back to back fixtures offered a different sort of challenge to the relegation-threatened Potters. One of those peer-group sides that Rovers have to overcome if top six is even remotely to be a prospect, Swansea clearly had a game plan that involved slowing down proceedings and frustrating their opponents – a Lewis Travis tribute some would argue. A reorganised defence seemed to have removed the prospect of Nyambe attacking down the right but the opening goal came from just this source with a delicious, curling cross worthy of Trent Alexander-Arnold, finding Sam Gallagher – in a central role note – able to flick it home from close range. The first assist of the season from either full back. Danny Graham on the bench doubtless immediately posting congratulations to Gallagher via the medium of his Instagram account. Rovers settled down and for all the world looked like they would reach half-time a goal to the good. Not so fast, spiky Liverpool loanee Rhian Brewster showed his class taking a pass on the turn and firing a shot hard and low into the bottom corner beyond Walton. All square and a growing sense of frustration at the lapse. Soon after the restart, Tosin Adarabioyo highlighted perhaps his main weakness; namely dealing with tricky forwards with fast feet in the box. Not for the first time this season, it cost a penalty when Jordan Garrick was fouled in the area and astonishingly, Rovers were now behind. Swansea managing two goals from two shots on target, efficient certainly. What really stuck in the craw was the fact that Garrick could easily have seen red for a late and high challenge on Walton in the first half. The game then followed what seemed to be an inevitable script of Rovers battling but struggling to gain a foothold in a brave defeat. Tony Mowbray went full “Football Manager”, throwing on Graham and Brereton to partner Armstrong and Gallagher in what initially looked like a throwback 4-2-4 from the 1960’s. This seemed to unsettle Rovers more than Swansea though, as Gallagher is still nowhere near as effective out wide and Armstrong is on a hot streak playing through the middle. That it worked despite this probably explains why Mowbray sits in the dugout whilst I’m typing this column! Brereton let us say “won” a penalty following a direct run into the box, which cleverly cut across a Swansea defender; Brereton’s left leg sprung out, made contact, down he went. Danny Graham took the kick rather than Armstrong, but Gareth Southgate’s Godson in the Swansea goal saved it. Graham also managed to hit the post, it all pointed to “one of those afternoons”. Deep in injury time, a tired Bennett cross ended at the feet of Adarabioyo and the big man spotted Johnson just outside the box with a neat, stabbed pass. Johnson looked up took aim and quite brilliantly found just the right deflection off the head of Swansea’s Kabango, totally wrong-footing Woodman. All square, and in fairness the least Rovers deserved on the balance of play over the ninety minutes. Three points from nine has to be considered to be a disappointing return; especially from two-nil up at Brentford with two home games to follow. But astonishingly, the gap to the play-offs at 5pm on Saturday night was just three tantalising points. Ten games left, but Rovers really need to string wins together now, not draws if the season is to have a chance to end gloriously. Frankly, still to be in the conversation at this point with the injuries that have blighted the squad is testimony to the team spirit and determination. There can be no doubt though, that a lack of guile or unpredictability has made it so much more difficult to unpick packed and disciplined defences and has cost points. Dack might just have been able to offer something different, or Holtby, once the promise of Harry Chapman would have excited the home crowd, but the reality is, we will never know. Our next opponents have of course recently changed their name and so it's Wayne Rooney’s Derby County lining up on Sunday. Rooney's salary being largely picked up by a betting company, this time it's the Gibraltar-based 32Red, who also sponsor four other league sides including Preston North End. WRDC have just won their first game in five and probably still believe that they could yet close the eight-point gap to sixth with a run of wins. All things are possible in this crazy division, would you bet against it ? There's plenty willing to take your money either way.

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Who should have been on the bench ?

This week's slightly extended "Accrington Observer" column... Bees Strikes Sting Rovers It was quite the weekend for armchair referees. In the VAR-equipped Premier League, numerous TV replays of events at Stamford Bridge, reviewed by the experts at Stockley Park, revealed absolutely no problem with an horrendous challenge by Lo Celso on Azpilicueta. Then they apologised and admitted they'd got it wrong. Then they said no further retrospective sanction against Lo Celso was possible because it had been seen by the referee real-time and reviewed by Stockley Park. Glorious. Meanwhile at Griffin Park, there were two distinct schools of thought regarding the crucial award of a no-VAR assisted penalty to Brentford; it was either a poor decision, or a very poor decision, depending upon your perspective. From the comfort of a sofa with the ability to rewind & replay with impunity, it soon became apparent that Brentford’s Mads Roerslev had “gone to ground” as they say; following a deadly combination of reckless heavy breathing from Bradley Johnson and a Paddington Bear-style hard stare from Amari’i Bell. This manoeuvre owed more to Tom Daley, with a theatrical flourish worthy of a BAFTA or Olivier Award winning actor. It fooled the referee and the scoreline was ultimately tied. The bitterest pill, was ours to take, if we took it for a hundred years, we couldn't feel more ill... Notwithstanding the fact that Rovers had been on the back foot for large parts of the game, to have the mental and intestinal fortitude to hang on, in a game where the opposition is dominating proceedings was laudable. A victory here could have been a real watershed moment, a draw would have to suffice. This fixture had a lot riding on it for both sides. For Rovers it was all about spending at least part of Saturday afternoon in those elusive play-off places, the Holy Grail that seems to be perpetually just out of reach. For Brentford, their goal is promotion and with it, the prospect of spending the first season in their spanking new stadium as a Premier League team. Unsurprisingly, Brentford started the game with high intensity, moving the ball quickly, accurately and dangerously. Rovers, much like an opening batsman facing hostile, short of a length, fast bowling, spent large parts of the game on the back foot, nervously watching the ball move. The opening ten minutes saw Rovers’ right-hand side being given a thorough chasing, the sort of robust, forensic examination normally only carried out by a qualified medical practitioner with the aid of rubber gloves and a comforting bedside manner. Rico Henry was a constant thorn in the side, combining at various points with Benrahma, Mbuemo and Watkins – Brentford’s BMW – to keep Ryan Nyambe, Dominic Samuel and John Buckley fully occupied. It seemed only a matter of time before the defence would be breached and so it proved; astonishingly though, it was Brentford's defence. Walton was quick to spot Armstrong pulling away from his marker and with a wind-assisted kick, launched the ball deep into Brentford territory. Pinnock misjudged the flight in the swirl, Armstrong controlled delightfully and lobbed the advancing David Raya with a deft touch worthy of Rory McIlroy flighting one out of a green-side bunker straight into the hole. One shot on target, one goal, one Angel of the North celebration, game most definitely on. The remainder of the first-half was conducted in a similar vein, Brentford largely controlling possession, moving the ball with precision from side to side, probing the Rovers back-line, creating several shooting opportunities. When a shot found its way towards goal, thankfully the ball seemed magnetically drawn towards the once-again impressive Walton. The half-time whistle brought with it some blessed relief but also growing optimism that the afternoon could yet prove to be fruitful for the visitors. The second half commenced with Rovers trying their best to impose themselves on proceedings. A swift break saw a long ball reach Samuel who evaded a challenge, nudged the ball through to Armstrong but his shot was blocked by Raya. The ball looped up around the penalty spot and the onrushing John Buckley was comprehensively cleaned out by Raya, who seemed unsure whether to try and punch or catch the bouncing ball. The Sky commentators considered it soft, keen to imply that as Raya had parried the ball, he was exempt from any sanction from the referee. However, Law 12 seems explicit on the topic; "holding or impeding an opponent with contact" is an offence punishable with a direct free-kick. Armstrong placed the ball on the spot, then sent Raya the wrong way, two-nil up at Griffin Park once again. Brentford may well have a BMW, Rovers have the AA. A chastened Brentford now really needed to step up to the challenge and unfortunately, they did. Their first goal was an absolute peach. Ollie Watkins latched on to a lovely long ball and controlled and shot in one smooth movement. The shot fairly rocketed right into the top corner with Walton absolutely helpless. Given the circumstances of the Rovers penalty, a cynical observer might suggest that the referee might just be susceptible to an opportunity to even things up. Time and time again as a supporter you believe you see this sort of behaviour from referees; time and time again officials proclaim that such an opinion is nonsense and referees judge each instance on its merits. How many times do you see a dodgy corner so often followed immediately by a free-kick awarded against the attacking side? A glance at the key stats and the evidence of your own eyes suggests that this was a hard-earned point against the odds and so it was, but when a couple of goals up with twenty minutes to go, thoughts inevitably drift to the points dropped rather than the one won. There were a number of bright spots emerging from this encounter. Walton, Nyambe, Travis and Armstrong were all on top of their game once again. Young Buckley in the centre displayed some lovely link play, receiving on the half-turn, laying it off just before a challenge and moving into space. Reminiscent in some respects of Duncan McKenzie for those old enough and lucky enough to have seen him in a Rovers shirt. Rovers are now back in the territory they found themselves in December – close to the play-offs, playing well, a couple of winnable homes coming up in the next week. If this season is to continue beyond the regulation forty-six matches, then realistically, six points has to be the target. The margin of error now is minute. If Rovers are to gatecrash the top six, an average of two points per game from hereon in may still not prove sufficient. By the way, I still don’t want VAR in the Championship, despite Saturday’s shenanigans. Everyone on the field is human, players and officials alike, it’s a sport not a video game. A few post-print deadline observations of the Stoke City game :- That was dreary. As entertaining as root canal work. Once more Rovers demonstrate why we are amongst the best of the rest, not the best of the best. The absence of a catalyst to make something happen, a creative spark, a maverick if you will costs Rovers heavily in games like this. It was crying out for some ingenuity from the likes of Dack or a Holtby but nobody selected in their stead could fill the void. Maybe Stead could have filled the void...? The substitutes could arguably have been used earlier but you got the sense that it was one of those games where had we played all night, we wouldn’t have scored. The mantle of favourites clearly does not rest easily on Rovers' shoulders. A replay of the Wigan game. Even Rich Sharpe Tweeted out "Rovers 0 Wigan 0" at full time. Chalk it down to experience and move on. Disappointing. Frustrating. Sadly, all too predictable.

I might be imagining it (!) but I seem to recall on the stadium tour being told that the ground was originally meant to be like that (see Telegraph clipping above) but pitch maintenance issues were cited as a reason not to do it. Of course nowadays, clubs with enclosed stands have lighting rigs to counteract the permanent shadows that occur in winter so less of an issue. Now Ewood has been built as 4 discrete stands, I think filling in the corners wouldn’t look right given the designs used on the 3 modern stands.

Crikey, there’s a lot going on here...! Let’s break it down... 1. The Ground is owned by the club which is owned by Venky’s London. It’s therefore theirs to do with as they wish, except... 2. The ACV is a separate instrument aimed at protecting the site & was taken out by Rovers Trust. All the ACV does is buy some time to raise some money in reality. 3. There are threads on here castigating Venky’s for not selling the ground to raise money for a promotion push so whatever they do, they’re on a hiding to nothing. Given the lack of trust between owners and fans, whatever they do is seen as nefarious by at least some fans. 4. I struggle to believe the land & buildings around Ewood are worth a great deal to be honest (compared to the location of other stadia around the country). Venky’s are only ever going to get their money back by getting us in the PL. Selling all the club’s assets will barely make a dent into what they’ve had to put in to keep us going. Makes no sense so to do. The really interesting point is that the club needs to raise turnover (income) & investing it facilities will help to achieve that. Waggott says the owners are willing to invest...so why not redevelop it with income-generating facilities ?

Like the WBA suggestion - I’m not convinced of the viability of a hotel at the ground TBH, particularly on that side of the stadium. Having to build out over the river also introduces logistical challenges. Having a wide open concourse with decent food & drink concessions, TV screens etc - a smaller version of the one at Spurs new ground - would entice fans to enter the ground earlier, stay later and generate income. As long as the cost doesn’t impact on FFP (?I don’t think it does...) then it would be a perfect way for Venky’s to demonstrate that they are open to suggestions.

It’s a foul, no question...?‍♂️ EB33F11C-A951-498E-9F7D-3BBB9451843D.MOV

Armstrong’s recent form with his goals against QPR & Hull especially and his assists at Sheff Weds would suggest he can do exactly what you describe, danger where no danger seemed present.

I thought most of their attacking was down their left TBH. The lad Henry was a greyhound early on. Their movement and slick passing was terrific.

Bravo ??????

A Tale of a Two Pens...worst Dickens novel ever... 1B3BD84F-A091-486F-BE4B-81EC242A243D.MOV E81BBC7E-5E67-4020-B350-F4C0E52B382B.MOV

Close...??

Good luck ?? #tensionrising

Educational & entertaining...all I hoped for...thank you ??

Haha...I don’t know how that’s happened TBH ?‍♂️

This week's slightly extended "Accrington Observer" column... Rehabilitated Rovers' Rapid Rise Cast your mind back to the opening day of the season, newly-promoted Charlton visited Ewood as one of the pre-season favourites for relegation and Rovers were expected, unusually, to record an opening day win. It didn’t happen as we know of course. The first instance, but certainly not the last this season, of a poor result leading to expectations being lowered and the manager’s ability and acumen questioned. The atmosphere leading up to the return fixture on Saturday was heavily influenced by the respective run of results of the two teams. Charlton arrived on the back of a topsy-turvy sequence of form DLDWLW; that last W impressively coming away at Forest in midweek, whilst Rovers’ run of just one defeat in the last six seemed to indicate that this would be a tough encounter for each team. Charlton to their credit experimented with an innovative pricing experiment of £5 admission and were rewarded with an attendance of more than 25,000 (including more than 2,000 visiting fans), an increase of more than 25% on the previous home fixture. The opening exchanges pointed to the home team being inspired by the swelled ranks of their support. Their passing was sharper and more incisive than Rovers and the visitors had to work hard to establish a foothold in the opening quarter. Slowly but surely however, Rovers started to take greater control of possession and moved the ball around with increasing confidence and accuracy. The ever-lengthening injury toll has to an extent forced Tony Mowbray’s hand when selecting the team, reducing his options and preventing Bristol City (a) style reorganisation. One can only imagine that the WhatsApp group messages owe more to a Sunday league pub team than a professional football club:- Big T: “Who can make it Saturday then lads?” Dacky: “I’ll be there..but only to cheer you on...” JoRo: “Hammy still a bit tight boss...count me out” Bucko: *waving emoji, smiley face* Cornelius: “No boss...just no...*attached photo of Quasimodo*” DomSam: *waving emoji with clasped hands in prayer emoji* Mowbray’s shrewd signing of Stewart Downing allied to the youthful exuberance of Lewis Travis has certainly reinvented the midfield, Travis in particular has blossomed this season, whilst Saturday pleasingly saw the successful rehabilitation of Johnson and Buckley as his midfield compadrés. Johnson and Travis prowled and snarled, hunting like a pair of starving dogs to close down, win the ball and move it quickly to exploit space. Downing though continues to defy the ageing process, much like a footballing Dorian Gray. Somewhere in an album, there is a Panini sticker of a visibly grey, wrinkled and weary former Middlesbrough winger. It was great to see Buckley back in the team and looking lively, skipping around challenges, threading passes and doing his share of tracking and tackling.The Huddersfield tribulations seemingly a distant, if painful memory. His run and shot to open the scoring was due reward for his endeavours, albeit it took a fairly heavy deflection to wrong-foot Charlton keeper Philips. It reminded me a little of Scott Sellars, another lightweight but skilful player capable of teasing, evading then punishing the opponent. Another returnee to the starting XI after a long injury rehabilitation was Dominic Samuel. His pace and strength proved problematic for Charlton throughout. One run in particular led to strong calls for a penalty as Pearce was outmuscled and out sprinted and brought down Samuel with a combination of arms round the waist combined with falling on Samuel’s ankle that would have been rightly praised by Eddie Jones, but the referee had seen a foul by Samuel earlier in the move as the two were jostling for supremacy. Let’s be charitable and say it’s one of those that if you get away with it as a defender, you are mighty relieved. Rovers felt like they were very much the wronged party. At the back, Tosin Adarabioyo and Darragh Lenihan seem to have gelled, the City man demonstrating an eye for a pass that betrays his Guardiola heritage although his tendency to try an elaborate flick or to dwell under pressure causes the occasional palpitation. Sadly, any lingering hopes of keeping him beyond this season seem now to have worsened following Uefa's punishment, City now significantly less likely to be able to buy expensive alternatives may need to blood a few more of their academy graduates. Adarabioyo's threat from attacking positions though is constant and it was his thigh that brought the second from a free kick swung in by Downing. “To err is human, Tosin is divine” you might say. The foul leading up to the Rovers free kick was at best marginal; but as is often said – these things even themselves out, but rarely in the same game. Two-nil up away from home and of course the words “Brentford” and “Preston” were mentioned in despatches but Rovers were to prove themselves up to the task this time around. That’s not to say that there weren’t any scares, Christian Walton had made a couple of decent saves early on in the game whilst Charlton were in the ascendency but he saved the best till last with a fabulous stretching, finger-tip save that required all his height to reach. Walton also falls into the category of rehabilitated Rovers players. His form in recent weeks you hope, is the benchmark for the remainder of the season. Another tidy away win, another clean sheet, a six-point week and once more, those pesky play-offs hove into view. At 5pm, it became apparent that only Rovers and Leeds in the top ten had won and the gap to sixth was now back to a tantalising three points. Rovers seem to be following the plot of a Warner Bros cartoon, the Wile E Coyote to the Road Runner's Top Six finish if you like. Shirt sponsorship from Acme can only be a matter of time. In order to climb into those places, cement the position and send a warning message to their rivals, Rovers will have to start beating the teams above and around them. Of the current top six teams, Rovers have so far only managed to beat one of them – Brentford, at Ewood, back in November. Who’s next up? That’s right, Brentford; though this time, away from home, in a farewell to Griffin Park. If Rovers truly believe and want to establish credibility as genuine play-off candidates, winning a difficult lunchtime fixture on Saturday would be a terrific place to start.

One thing’s for certain, there’ll be a high degree of caution if we’re two up after 10 minutes...?

Will you do us a live blog on here ? I’m sensing a future podcast item if you’re up for it.... “...as the train pulled into Euston at 11:50 I knew I was up against it...it was then that by an extraordinary fluke a passing helicopter pilot saw my scarf and offered me...” ?