Perhaps we should all storm Ewood and attempt a coup d’état. We won’t get rid of Venky’s, obviously, and probably not the Coventry Three but it would be quite satisfying ‘outing’ the possible intentions of those three to the media. And I say that only half in jest. I’ll get the Stop The Steal banners made tomorrow morning..

I think there definitely needs to be more interaction with Mrs Desai and the Venky’s hierarchy. Without digging up the past (it’s been done a million times before), we are stuck with Venky’s now, whether we like it or not. They are showing, in financial terms, that they support us and will continue to do so. At the last count, I think they were in to the tune of £197m. The problem, as I see it, is that their silence can be translated as indifference when this probably isn’t the case. I’ve been banging on for ages about both the need for some sort of planning from the owners and also a proper, functioning structure within the club, ie. on the pitch and off it. There needs to be dialogue. They need to come over and visit us more often. They need to feel welcomed. They need to outline to us their vision, hopefully a return to the Premier League which will benefit them, as owners, and us as supporters. This limbo has been endured now for eleven years and nobody is any wiser. A near £200m spent and we are just ticking over in mid table Championship obscurity. The blueprint, as laid down by Uncle Jack in the late80s/early 90s, remains the same. Bring in a successful, respected figurehead as manager and the players will follow. Get the internal structure right as well and everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. We may never get another Williams/Finn combination but it wouldn’t be difficult to improve on the present incumbents. I’m not sure from your original post, Nick, just what, in layman’s terms, you and the ‘Old Blackburnians’ are both hoping to achieve and actually do. Are you able to say, at this stage, or are you not yet that far along the road? Whatever, you are all to be applauded because if the status quo remains, we will forever be in this state of limbo that I mentioned earlier. If Venky’s can be ‘got onboard’ it could be so different.

All this, as has been pointed out earlier, begs the question of how can they proceed if restrictive covenants are in place to stop the land being built upon for housing. I’m no legal expert but are there similar cases previously where these covenants have not stood up in a court of law? The demand for housing has never been higher than at present. Immigration levels have been running at around 300k per annum for well over ten years now. These people have got to live somewhere. The government are allowing developments on both SSSIs and green belt land for example, so it may be a relatively simple procedure (given the right contacts and businesses that can afford political donations, nudge nudge, wink wink) to overturn something supposedly in favour of little Blackburn Rovers.

Could do with Tony wearing shorts and a t-shirt. May have him animated and jumping around a bit.

I remember going to York on one of those red, white and green double decker transport buses. It got into York at silly o’clock so, after milling around for what seemed like hours, a few bus loads went up to the station to wait for the Ewood Express arriving. When it did, all the doors opened before it had stopped and everyone piled off. A chant started and it was absolutely deafening. We joined the hordes and all and sundry ran into York. No one walked. Could well have been with Exiled in Toronto that day plus a few others from SMC. The same happened for a Burnley night match, again 1973-74 ish, think it was a pre season ‘friendly.’ Blackburn station absolutely rammed, everyone went on service trains. No police escort at Burnley Barracks, everyone just ran through Burnley, none of their fans to be seen anywhere until we got to the ground. Great days, it was certainly a top day out going by train.

I haven’t had a drink since I dont know when I don’t give a widdle and I don’t give a wa** We are the Blackburn Rovers.. (Haven’t heard that one in years)

😂😂

Jesus, I’ve just had a listen to that Bicep track. Lads, I’m sorry to have to tell you that you’ve been duped. That can’t be defined as music. It’s just a series of noises coming from a synthesiser. 😆 I’ve just become an honorary member of the ‘I Must Be Getting Old’ club. Perhaps we could form a band, Gav and the Old Boys?

Yeah, I like that too Andy. Give the Susanna Hoffs version a listen. The added bonus is that you’ll get to have a gander at the delicious Susanna.. 😍

Welcome back! Been anywhere nice? 😆

They seem talented enough from the few listens I’ve given them. Not really into covers bands although sometimes it’s good to hear a track from a different angle. Two covers I like though are Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet covering Different Drum by Mike Nesmith (Monkees fame) and Sixpence None The Richer doing There She Goes by the La’s. The latter also do a nice version of Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over.

Micky Speight is on one of the Facebook football sites, Football in the 70s and 80s or something similar. Some Rovers theme came up and I told him he was a good un and was well liked down at Ewood. He appreciated that. I think oldjamfan1 was in on the conversation if I remember correctly. You remember that Andy? 😁

Velvet Moon, a two piece from Sweden. Female singer Sandra Bjurman and guitarist, usually electric percussion (which I don’t normally like). No particular genre other than very melodic, guitar based music. Strong vocals. Can virtually guarantee that no one will have heard of them.

My pet hate as well. I like it when the ball goes out for a throw in right by the corner flag. Invariably, the throw in takes place, as you say, yards down the pitch and no one bats an eye lid. Move the ball a couple of inches further forward from the penalty spot and the ref moves in straight away and makes the penalty taker replace the ball. I know these are two different circumstances and the latter is in an obvious goal scoring part of the pitch but when is a rule not a rule? 😆 Just another example of the ‘cheating DNA’ that’s ingrained into the modern day footballer.

If in doubt, refer to Mike Jackman. 😆 5th Feb 1972, Rovers 4 Barnsley 0 (Field 3, McNamee) Att 7,678

Spot on. Option 1 for me and, as you say, the sooner the better. There is, however, an Option 3. This would be to snap out of their trance, engage with the fans, put the past behind them, put a functional board of directors together with a proper internal structure in place and outline a plan to progress us to the next level. They do have the financial clout to undertake this but, having witnessed their ten year tenure to date, there is little chance of this happening. Similarly, Options 1 and 2 are unlikely to happen as well. No one can predict the actions of our owners other than dipping into their pockets to continue to keep us ticking over. Our fan base is so weak that we will meekly accept our ‘fate’ without any meaningful response. That boat sailed long ago. It’s like death by a thousand cuts.

On behalf of darrenrover, who’ll be back with us shortly, I’m delighted to announce the arrival of his first grandchild, a girl at 12.30pm today, weighing in at 6lb 4oz. Mother and baby in good health. Hopefully the 6th generation of the darrenrover Rovers following family! He’s rather happy and so he should be!

I think it was Barnsley John and 4-0 rings a bell.

Wow! No, I hadn’t Nick, I had no idea. When folk say a bit of bad luck, well, that WAS bad luck!

One of the best players in the world towards the end of his career playing for New York Cosmos. Pele is in the picture as well.

I’ll have to look it up Tony but a fee of £18k sticks in my mind. How he went ‘unnoticed’ in the 4th Division, I’ll never know. Maybe he was just a late developer? I had the same feeling when Furphy took him to the Blades. It was like my world had fallen apart. There’s a good photo knocking around of him and Pele together whilst playing for New York Cosmos.

A mate of mine just sent me this. Now, this lad could play.

Baseball Ground. For the FA Cup tie mentioned earlier, Rovers fans had the terracing below this stand down one side of the ground. Despite the defeat, it was a great atmosphere. The days when all teams played their strongest eleven, the FA Cup was valued and not treated with contempt by the top flight clubs (and others).

Thanks for that Nick! I’m surprised we never went to any games together in the mid to late 60s. Not sure if you remember Alan Bates and his family. Mad keen Rovers fans, Alan worked with my dad before he moved to the Leeds area through work. My dad was never keen on football and it was Alan who took me to my first away match, a win at Bury in 1967. I also got taken to Everton for the 3rd round FA Cup tie when we lost 2-0, in 1972. That was with Bill Cocker (RIP) and his two lads, Simon and Tim? Like you say, Nick, they can’t take away our memories. Mostly painful during the first 26-27 years I followed the lads but every now and again you had a great day out, usually away in the cup!

I went to the Derby cup tie as well, think we lost 3-1 and they had won the league the previous year if I remember correctly. There were 40 Rovers coaches on our coach park near the ground and I was told there were another 40 somewhere else. We took a huge following and were given the whole of the side under that concrete stand (where the Derby singers usually stood). It seemed pitch black under there and the roof was so low you could almost touch the steelwork above. I don’t remember Keith Newton as being part of that circle of friends, Nick. Only Ronnie but memories fade over time! I do remember going camping, en masse, in the Lake District, would have been 1966. We all climbed Red Pike, near Kirkstone Pass and, unsurprisingly, Ronnie was first to the top.