I’m struggling to rationalise it...still gathering evidence. 2nd half today, thought Travis was a lot better when Johnson went off. Be interested in other observations as I might be introducing confirmation bias.

To the point about is it any different ? Not massively, but I for one am happier that when advice is sought these days, it comes from accountants rather than agents & accounting firms’ motivations are fee generation rather than getting their kids a playing contract & suggesting sacking all the existing directors & manager ?.

This is conjecture of course but here’s my take on strategy for what worth... Objective - get to PL to cash in on TV money, until then manage losses down to levels within FFP tolerances, whilst hoping that a crop of young players comes through at the same time to enable us to “do a Burnley” Action Plan 1. Income growth needed Keep academy status to develop & sell promising young talent review contracts regularly to avoid losing talent on Bosmans 1875 club so we can increase away fans ticket prices upselling to season ticket holders (lounges etc) - optimise income from existing fans three kits regularly on sale in club shop new concourse catering contract sleeve sponsors/ training kit sponsors/ shirt bottom sponsors 2. Cost containment/reduction Loan out players wherever possible to reduce wage bill - e.g. Mulgrew small number of staff redundancies after consultants came in (Speculation) reduce amount spent on ground/stadium maintenance

A slightly longer version of this week's Accrington Observer column... On a day when the mercury rose to levels that broke records around the country, the scene was perfectly set for a keenly-fought contest. Visitors from another country venturing north, seemingly set to impose their will on the hosts and demonstrate their belief in their inherent superiority. Blue skies, glorious sun, the smell of freshly mown turf combining with the knowledge that with some rugged defiance and determination, the hosts, you hoped, could at the very least frustrate the visitors, if not chalk up an unlikely win. On this glorious Saturday, England’s middle order did for once show some grit and determination at Headingley, setting up what was to become a truly Superlative Sunday, but for now, let’s turn our attention to the events that unfolded at Ewood! Cardiff are many people’s favourites to bounce straight back up to the Premier League. They have largely kept their squad together, adding Vaulks from Rotherham Utd, who only made it to the bench but under the canny and experienced Colin Anagram, only the foolish would under-estimate them. They have proved to be obdurate opponents in recent times, Rovers’ sole victory in over thirty years coming in an FA Cup replay in 2005. City showed their incisive attacking ability in the first half, hitting the post from their best opportunity, created down Rovers’ perennially troublesome right back channel and shortly afterwards, forcing a smart, low save from Walton. Rovers too created chances, the estate agency of “Dack & Graham” (see Old Blackburnian passim) largely responsible; a number of viewings, a few exchanges but sadly no completions this time around. (That’s enough estate agency allusions- Ed). Downing looked lively throughout and the answer to the pre-season poser, so far at least, is that he is closer to Wagstaffe than Whittingham in the magic left peg stakes. We need to talk about Amari’i Bell. He looked lively early on, encouraged to go forward, he seems to be suffering a crisis of confidence. His decision-making currently lets him down on too many occasions. He has had a tough year losing his father, but playing through it, which shows his commitment and strength of character. You can’t help but wonder if a spell with a sports psychologist might just unlock the fear that currently seems to grip him? You sense that Greg Cunningham’s primacy is not currently under threat, except in games against Cardiff City of course. For once, Tony Mowbray’s second half substitutions seemed to re-energise the side. Adam Armstrong’s pace and tenacity in particular presented Cardiff with a different problem to solve. Dack & Graham had been well marshalled by Cardiff’s strong centre backs (Flint certainly exemplifying his nominative determinism) and if the Flint lock was to be picked, the sense was that subtlety or pace, rather than brute strength might prove crucial. Nyambe’s introduction allowed Bennett to move forward to a position in which he seems more suited and the side from then on, seemed more balanced and threatening. Rovers best spell of the game was probably the last ten minutes. A reaction to some Cardiff pressure that had seen them hit Rovers’ post for a second time, saw the newly discovered potent attacking threat of *checks notes* Derrick Williams, (see…it’s not just Sheffield Utd that do overlapping centre-backs) responding in kind; same post, same outcome as Cardiff’s earlier. It was to be Rovers’ best chance of the game. Darragh Lenihan channelled his inner Roy Keane but his always rising shot on the turn flew into the Blackburn End. Gritty defiance on display at Ewood but a distinct lack of a cutting edge. The script at Headingley on the other hand… One curious footnote, albeit from an entirely unscientific study conducted with my own, admittedly flawed, eyesight. During the entire match, I don’t recall Johnson ever passing to his midfield partner Travis. I shall watch out for this in future games to see if my evidence gathering is faulty or if there is some sort of a trend developing, but it seems unusual for two central midfielders to be disconnected in this way. Tuesday night brought Carabao Cup action back to the menu with a trip to Bramall Lane and an encounter with the newly promoted Blades. Rovers came off second best twice in last season’s Championship encounters but until you see the team sheets in this competition, predicting any outcome is something of a fool’s errand. As it turned out, both sides made significant changes; Rovers gave a start to Buckley and later introduced Rankin-Costello for his second appearance. An early spot kick from Armstrong was saved, no Charlie Mulgrew nor Danny Graham of course; Armstrong might just have dropped back to the bottom of the list. Deputy keeper Leutwiler looked shaky at a corner as Shearman nodded Utd in front. Whilst Walton seems to be slowly but surely building some confidence, Leutwiler does little to inspire confidence in his back four. For such a tall guy, he seems unable to capitalize on his physique. The goalkeeping position remains unresolved. Norwood made it two just before half time and that seemed to be that. However, a second half fight back saw Gallagher notch the first of his second Rovers spell and it was suddenly game on. Rankin-Costello dribbled into the area and around the keeper but couldn't finish. The match ended with a couple of feisty encounters on and off the pitch, Tony Mowbray was sent to the stands after apparently offering an etiquette lecture to a ball boy…no really, but all to no avail. The Carabao Cup can be parked for another season. Next up is The Hawthorns and a meeting with the Baggies that naturally evokes memories of last season’s quite extraordinary fixture. A match which saw the emergence of the #GingerNinja phenomenon, Smallwood going in goal following Raya’s clash with Jay Rodriguez and the sight of Charlie Mulgrew standing outside McDonalds on his phone right after the game, in full club tracksuit. The fact that none of those players will feature on Saturday shows how quickly the composition of football teams changes, but not so the fans. We’ll be there once more of course, around the country, supporting our teams…unless you are a Bury fan and cannot be sure whether you will have the chance ever again. At the time of writing, the deadline from the EFL has passed and Bury have been expelled from the League; 72 become 71 and their fans now must hope for a phoenix club to rise from the ashes of this debacle. Learning that 43 of the 51 businesses that Steve Dale has been involved in have been liquidated, yet he was allowed to take control, truly beggars belief. Hopefully the farcical events of this season will finally prompt some changes in regulations by the EFL, but I wouldn't reckon on it. A sorry state of affairs all round, which highlights some serious governance shortcomings in the clubs and within the League. There but for the Grace of God…

In business, cash is king. If the cash coming in exceeds cash going out, you stay in business. When the reverse applies, you go bust...in VERY simple terms. Profit & Loss shows trading performance but it does not equate to cash flow...a company consistently making losses will struggle with its cash flow eventually. A business can sell off assets to mask trading losses but you can only sell your ground & star centre forward once. You are correct about the balance sheet - if a company is asset rich but cash poor, it may still be an attractive proposition as a new owner may think they can generate income (cash) from those assets. A basic rule is that money only comes from three potential sources; trading (profit), cash injections from owners (shares or loans) or external borrowings. Profit is the best source (obviously), owners cash next best - preferably shares but benevolent loans a good proxy, last is external borrowing as that is outside the business’ direct control. It often comes with associated lending covenants, arrangement fees and of course interest rates. Dividends are optional, interest bills are mandatory. Come back here same time tomorrow accountancy fans for another in our popular series of “Finance for Beginners” courses...brought to you by BRFCS, the forum of choice for financial directors everywhere... ?

It’s not a great source but £2.5k p.w. average wage two seasons ago https://www.footy.com/footballers-vs-the-fans/#efl-league-one

Who is paying the insurance policy ? ?

It’s an observation often made that if a team is struggling or a star striker is having a barren patch, then an upcoming fixture against Blackburn Rovers can be just the tonic to relieve the pressure. Given Middlesbrough’s recent travails; new manager struggling to find his feet, recent home league defeat, Carabao Cup exit at home to lower division opposition; all pointers indicated that the ideal opponents might just turn out to be Rovers at Ewood. Rovers too have already had their problems in a season barely out of the traps; a lack of chances created, especially from open play, defensive frailty and difficulty in despatching lower league cup opponents, Saturday was all set to be a classic “must not lose” encounter. Tony Mowbray resorted to his tried and tested formula, restoring the old firm of “Dack & Graham” – a partnership that sounds for all the world like a metropolitan estate agent; “two up, semi-detached, in need of some attention” might also describe Rovers’ early season forward line. The restoration of Graham just seems to provide a focal point for the team. Dack looks more assured, Downing has someone to aim for, opposition defenders have to be on their mettle. That Mowbray has spent so far, roughly £14m on Armstrong, Brereton & Gallagher, but the only way any of them makes the team sheet, with Graham on song, is as a “wide striker” or if you prefer “winger” is a cause of some concern (or if you are D. Graham, Esq.) perhaps the source of some personal, professional pride? One of the charges levelled at a Rovers side containing Graham is that the play becomes more direct; full backs and wingers take the easy option, the “direct line” as it were, providing Rovers with a fully comprehensive insurance policy should Plan A fail. On Saturday, the early signs were positive, chances were created, impressive loanee full-back Greg Cunningham, surprisingly had the first two on-target chances. A Dack shot was almost turned home by Graham, although it was from a cross from the right flank that led to a blindingly obvious shirt pull by Dijksteel on Graham and a penalty kick the inevitable result. The hapless Dijksteel of course played for Charlton at Ewood on the opening day and was responsible for heading Bradley Johnson’s goal bound header against his keeper for an own goal. This latest mishap means he currently has provided more assists than any of the home squad (hat tip to the Lancashire Telegraph’s Rich Sharpe for that little gem). A distinct lack of Charlie Mulgrew around the place meant that DG himself took responsibility for despatching the kick to open his account for the season. Dack at one point “tried a Beckham” from his own half, but other than both Rovers full backs receiving yellow cards, the rest of the half was largely uneventful. The second half almost saw another obligatory “old boy notching against his former club” when Stewart Downing tried his own version of “Arjen Robben style” cutting in on the left foot and curling into the far corner. His attempt flew narrowly wide on this occasion. Boro had spells of pressure, most notably when a speculative cross from the right deceived Walton who badly misjudged the flight, Browne could only deflect it onto the outside of the post and Rovers breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Tony Mowbray responded with a batch of substitutions that once again served only to distort the team shape, resulting in a formation that had more square pegs in round holes and momentum ebbed away. Gallagher wide right with Armstrong through the middle seemed obtuse at best. Buckley once again was introduced from the bench ahead of Evans, a sure sign that Mowbray has faith in the youngster. This match of course also marked the 19thanniversary of the passing of Jack Walker and the fans responded with resounding applause on the 19thminute. Jack himself would have recognised steely determination on display to deliver three points. The trip to Hull on Tuesday is one that is punctuated these days by conversations about the perverse ticketing and pricing strategy in place at the KCOM. The Allams have a unique take on how to encourage fans to attend, it’s fair to say cheap tickets and attractive concessionary offers are not their preferred choice. With the game live on TV, it’s especially hard to understand such an approach. Rovers have their own foibles but even the famous “Waggott Tax” pales by comparison. On the field Hull initially proved to be worthy opponents and Rovers struggled to build on the weekend success. An early penalty concession afforded Walton a chance to win some hearts and minds and his impressive save was to prove invaluable. On an evening where post and bar alike were subject to several strikes from both sides, Rovers gradually imposed themselves on proceedings and Downing’s left footed attempt across goal to hit the foot of the far post was probably the pick of the woodwork attempts. This performance was quite the evidence to place before the doubters as to the virtues of Downing. I was far from convinced as to the efficacy of the signing but let's agree that his attitude and technique so far justify Mowbray's faith. The winner from Derek Williams also came courtesy of Downing’s sweet left foot, though in fairness, in a post-VAR world the position and interference of Adam Armstrong would almost certainly have led to it being chalked off. At last a reason to be thankful for playing in the EFL! The weekend's furore over the new handball rule and the use of VAR to enforce it in the Premier League means that the EFL here, for once, has a real product differentiator. If I was in the senior hierarchy of the EFL I would be sorely tempted to make capital of the fact that the EFL offers football, warts and all, right or wrong...at least for now. It's fair to say that two consecutive 1-0 wins really lifts the mood; as Mowbray admitted after the game, this was an evening where the result was primary, the performance secondary. The embryonic league table now looks a little more palatable for sure with Rovers positioned in the top half. Now if we could win on Saturday with three or four goals from open play that should address a number of residual concerns. That home fixture against Cardiff City over the Bank Holiday weekend will of course feature Neil "Colin" Warnock, once coveted by certain officers of the club; seemingly less so by other key decision makers. Warnock remains pretty much the ultimate footballing Marmite, certain to polarise opinion and he will bring his side to Ewood, chastened by their recent encounter with a revitalised Reading but boosted by a midweek victory over "Hapless Huddersfield" as surely they will have to be renamed soon. Premier League Sheffield Utd also lie in wait in the Carabao Cup on 27th August, a testing encounter certainly, based on the evidence of last season's Championship and early PL fixtures. However, with almost every club in the competition deploying squad rotation, the only prediction from me is that parking* around Bramall Lane, much like facing Lewis Travis, will be tough and challenging! *A hint from a local, try the APCOA car park on Eyre Street

Personally...I agree that it should be changed. The 4000 Holes style.. “Mowbrayometer” perhaps....

Nice one @perthblue02

Hear from Linz on Ep 118 of the podcast. Linz explains what will happen next, what the surplus funds will be spent on and how the benefits might be shared.

In this episode we meet John Leigh, a Rovers fan from Oswaldtwistle who now lives in Brisbane & we find out what it's like following Rovers Down Under. In Part 2 we hear from Linz Lewis who updates us on the amazing Rovers Ladies sponsorship initiative. https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/roversladies View full record

Wow...just wow...

Thank you...much appreciated...

There are two artefacts that definitively slam shut; a teenager’s bedroom door after a “full and frank” parental discussion and twice a year; the transfer window. The transfer window, at least in my febrile imagination, is an ornate Victorian sash window, crushing the fingers of those club chairmen and managers alike who have failed to complete their business in good time. You cannot help but get the sense that with the evidence of the very late business transacted by Rovers, the fingers of Tony Mowbray and Steve Waggott were extremely close to being trapped painfully at 5pm last Thursday, at the very least recipients of an ad hoc manicure. It was an odd transfer window, neither awful nor especially fulfilling. It promised to deliver but ultimately was something of a damp squib. The manifest shortcomings in last season’s squad had been identified, targets to address also were seemingly identified; but the necessary deals to close the gaps failed to materialise. Additional midfielders and strikers were recruited, the promise that “defenders are coming” uttered by Mowbray at the Fans’ Forum just a few weeks ago, seemingly an empty pledge. What confused Rovers fans further, right on the cusp of the deadline, was the departure, albeit on loan, of team captain and set piece supremo Charlie Mulgrew. This is a conspiracist’s dream, an unplanned departure of a popular player to a local rival with no prior hint, for no fee. Mulgrew’s powers did rather seem to be on the wane in fairness, many a forum thread considering the relative benefits of his set pieces versus his defensive frailties concluded that we could strengthen in that position. Indeed, we could and should have strengthened; but when all the business is complete and you are left with three loanees in a defence (including the keeper) it smacks of short-term expediency. It smacks a little of desperation. It is either extremely “courageous” or “foolish” depending on how charitable towards Mowbray & Waggott you may feel. Early on Saturday afternoon, the courage/folly was exposed yet further when it emerged that Darragh Lenihan and Ryan Nyambe were unavailable due to injury and that new loanee left back, Greg Cunningham was not in the squad, despite having travelled. Away to recently relegated pre-season promotion favourites Fulham with another defensive combo including another debutant, the Manchester City loanee, Tosin Adarabioyo. What could possibly go wrong? The answer in the first half, at least initially, was “not much”. Rovers started brightly and energetically. Chances fell to Bradley Johnson and Sam Gallagher but were not converted. Fulham looked edgy following their opening day defeat. Rovers really needed to capitalise, but the clinical cutting edge was missing. Pressure, pressing, possession; all good but it’s goals that are decisive. That Fulham’s opener came from Tom Cairney will surprise few Rovers fans. That he was given time & space to receive, control, set up and shoot without a navy-blue 3rdkit wearing Rovers player coming within sniffing distance was almost criminal. It was a fabulous strike but he was thirty yards out and Walton was sadly nowhere near preventing the goal. The second half started brightly, Armstrong coming closest to registering a shot on target but the half seemed to play out to a familiar script:- ROVERS: *Run out of ideas, make substitutions, play players out of position, run out of steam, make mistakes, concede a second, bemoan your luck…rinse & repeat* FANS: "Oh..." It’s a quote attributed to many, but most often to Gary Player, that “the harder I work, the luckier I get…”, Rovers can exclaim that luck isn’t on their side at the moment, however, this is a team that in its opening two league games has scored only via an own goal, failed to register a shot on target on Saturday and has never seriously threatened a clean sheet. More hard work may be needed you suspect. There were some positives on Saturday; the partnership of Adarabioyo and Williams looked promising, Bennett improved immeasurably (though he should not really be our first choice right back) and Dack’s first half performance was back to his impudent best. Overall though, we were beaten by a team that took its chances. Where next then? Well, back to Ewood for a Carabao Cup tie with Oldham Athletic, presenting an opportunity for redemption. Just the eleven changes and a chance for fringe players to stake a claim. The fact that a roller-coaster of a game needed the old firm of Dack & Graham to fashion a comeback or two to overcome League Two opposition will cause many a wry grin you suspect. A win is a win, but somehow this performance brought yet more problems to the fore and provided little in the way of (defensive) comfort. Dack & Graham appear to be a partnership which delivers a sum greater than the parts. Splitting them up leaves Dack bereft, but £12m spent on Brereton & Gallagher means scrutiny if the old firm starts on Saturday. Mowbray needs to find a formula from somewhere to use his recruits and bring out the best of Dack. With just two league games played, it is of course ridiculously premature to draw too many conclusions. Many pointed out on social media that the last time Rovers last their opening two league fixtures, the season ended with a glorious promotion. The counter argument to that sadly, is to point out that the last time Rovers lost all three opening fixtures, relegation was the final denouement to a season of disappointment. Saturday looms large. Rovers next league opponents Middlesbrough, have also started shakily; they too found the Carabao Cup particularly challenging, losing at home on penalties. They too will have reason to crave a victory. Their exciting Friday night TV opener at Luton followed up with a home defeat to Brentford has left them with just one point. Another former Rover in the form of Rudy Gestede lies in wait, though probably from the bench based on Woodgate’s team selections so far. Let’s hope that it is Downing, Graham, Chapman, Smallwood and Mowbray that have the upper hand against their former club and that somehow, Tony Mowbray can fashion an effective back four from his squad. One final cheery note to end on; bravo to all the supporters who have contributed to sponsoring the Rovers Ladies team this season. BRFCS forum member and podcast panellist Linz Lewis, has once again mobilised her formidable social media army to raise (at time of writing) over £3k. The original target was £250, with the aim of sponsoring one player; £3k covers a starting XI, so this is quite an achievement. #OneRovers in deed. *Thanks to Michael Taylor ( @MarpleLeaf ) for the photographs...

This is amazing...shows what we can do as a fan base when we are all committed to a cause. Well done @LinzLewis15 & everyone who has contributed.

I’ve put this on Twitter as well ??

New home or 3rd ?

Well....

Trust me...Alex knows a LOT about football...?

He would...?

Alex is an integral part of the podcast strategy to “improve the penetration amongst the younger demographics” that are so crucial to “pivoting the numbers around a coherent marketing strategy amongst the A1s & B1s”. ?

Last Season’s Failings Revisited... I think it was Sophocles, in his writings in the 5th century BC, who coined the phrase “misery loves company”. I say “think”; I pretty much “know”, partly because of my innate love of the Classics (ahem), but more honestly, because I also know how to use a decent search engine. Either way, “misery” would have been right at home at full time at Ewood Park last Saturday afternoon. Misery could not in fact, have been more at home, if it had found itself telling a group of children that their long-awaited school trip to Disneyland had just been cancelled and the teacher arranging it had just scarpered with all their spending money. In recent years, opening day and Rovers have not really been on speaking terms*. (can you remember the last opening day victory ? Answer below...). We have lost and been relegated, lost & been promoted, lost & stayed where we were; so perhaps a note of caution before becoming over-excitable and calling for Mowbray’s head as some were on Saturday? The pre-match optimism bubble was pricked before half time.We didn't even get the chance to try the “imaginatively priced” new concourse food before Rovers conceded. First reviews on these offerings were at best "mixed". A bright start from Rovers with some neat movement from Sam Gallagher, a couple of deft touches from Stewart Downing and early signs that Bradley Johnson would use his presence gainfully in the centre of Rovers midfield raised the spirits. However, all were soon distant memories once former-Sunderland Netflix star Jonny Williams or “Joniesta” as he was once christened at Crystal Palace, picked out Purrington, ghosting in, unmarked, at the far post to put Charlton in front. Nominative determination indeed as Andres himself would have been delighted with the cross and Ben was definitely purring as it curved inexorably towards him. “Defenders are coming” Tony Mowbray promised the faithful at the Fans’ Forum only a few months back, yet the line-up starting Saturday’s encounter was straight out of the 2018/19 playbook and this time, with no silver linings and the only Bradley performing to expectation being Mr Johnson rather than Mr Cooper; (Mr Dack showing only fleetingly). Converted midfielders filling three out of the four defensive positions, only Bell an authentic defender, but even he continued to look out of sorts. He is quite the enigma, seeming only content to attack at three-quarter pace and even then, only under sufferance. New on-loan keeper Walton looked unsure of the calibre of those in front of him and in fairness, the feeling looked mutual for parts of the game. A little attempted tiki taki triangle in front of the Riverside causing many a palpitation as mishit pass after mishit pass eventually saw a throw in conceded. It could so easily have been worse. An energetic start to the second half promised much, Bradley Johnson demonstrating his value in winning a decisive header, resulting in an o.g. equaliser for Rovers. But then Tony Mowbray seemed to take the steam out of the engine by removing Armstrong, who to this correspondent looked a constant threat, moving Gallagher out wide and playing Danny Graham through the middle. Downing was also replaced by Rothwell and in the blink of an eye, momentum was gone. Charlton sensed they could be more ambitious and Rovers hapless defence obliged with a series of passing errors that would embarrass even a decent school team. That the winner came from a corner with a key man once more unmarked and a keeper seemingly neither willing nor able to come and claim screamed déjà vu. The scriptwriters from last season had clearly had their contracts renewed. Walton in fairness did make a couple of sharp stops that spared blushes but overall it wasn't pretty. In a final throw of the dice worthy of a serial loser in a casino betting his taxi fare home on black, only to see it come up red; Mowbray sent on young John Buckley for Lewis Travis, presumably instructed to “try something…anything” to force a second goal. In fairness to Buckley, the odds were stacked against him and he made little impact. There were many in the team that really ought to have taken on that mantle before him. It bodes well that Mowbray trusted him with the task, but a penny for Ben Brereton’s thoughts when Buckley was given the task. If not then, in those circumstances, when? A disappointing day then turned into an ugly evening as fans vented their respective spleens on social media. The only problem being that Elliott Bennett had seemingly decided to trawl the "interweb" to see what the fans thought. What the fans thought, was that Bennett was once again being played out of position, had turned in a “sub-optimal” performance and that changes need to be made. It was often not quite as eloquent, nor polite as that, but I’m sure your imaginations can fill in the blanks. Bennett however, saw fit to call out some of his critics and a few tawdry exchanges that ensued really did nobody any good. One fan’s rather innocuous comments in particular became a focal point for Bennett’s impromptu fan club and the fan deleted his account rather than face more of the unseemly vitriol. The fact that the fan’s observations were not especially imprudent (certainly not by Twitter standards) and were possibly shared by several thousand witnesses at Ewood on Saturday just adds to the farcical nature of the whole episode. Fans love to see passion and direct engagement with their heroes can be mutually beneficial. However, I do think there is a lot to be said for players staying off social media for 24 hours after a game to let feelings calm and to encourage a more mature and considered reflection upon the events of the day. Rovers now have the opportunity to right the wrongs of last Saturday by visiting pre-season promotion favourites, Fulham and inflicting another defeat on them. Fulham also came a cropper against a newly promoted side, in the form of Barnsley and so you can be sure that Scott Parker will not want to have to explain away two consecutive defeats. Neither of course will Tony Mowbray. It should prove to be interesting. Following that, the League Cup pits what will almost certainly be a changed Rovers XI against Oldham Athletic for the “David Dunn Derby”. Wins in both would provide optimism for different reasons, defeats may just exacerbate the angst. One final note, following last week's sad news regarding Kevin Stonehouse, another Rover of that generation has also left us with the news of John Lowey's passing on Monday. Lowey made 156 appearances scoring 16 goals after being re-fashioned into a midfielder. Thoughts are with his family & friends of course. *Last win ? 14th August 2010 v Everton at Ewood, 1-0…(can’t remember a single thing about it to be honest.)

#NoKneeJerking ?