Just back. I am really proud to be a Rover tonight. I thought the team gave their all and the backing of the fans was superb. The atmosphere in the Rovers end was brilliant. Very loud. Unfortunately we were robbed by injury of our main strike force. Had Bellamy and Dickov been playing we could have nicked it - who knows? After visiting Old Trafford five or six times in the first years of the PL, I vowed never to return due to 'Homer' refs and decisions that always seemed to go against us there - nothing changes. But one thing for sure, there is no intimidation any more or a feeling that we are going to be hammered. If we could get Bellamy fit, keep him fit and bring in one quality partner for him up front, we could be a top six side for the unforseeable future. We need to go cap in hand to the Trust.

Because of :- (1) A part of our media (2) A greedy, overpaid, immoral, oversexed, smug, unprofessional and naive man. We still have a fair chance of reaching the latter stages of the World Cup, but Sven has made this prospect somewhat harder than it might have been.

Join The Crusade! Indeed..... How about a crusade for the greedy Swede to stop touting himself to the highest bidder and to start acting with a bit more common sense. He is as near to the top of the football pyramid in this country as you can get, so you would think he would act in a manner that befits his position. This could have been placed in the topic about falling attendances. If the England manager is only bothered about lining his own pockets in the lead up to a World Cup, it shows yet another example of how morally corrupt some areas of football are. Yes, The News of The World are arseholes but what do you expect from a comic whose readership expects and thrives on this sort of trash reporting?

A mate of mine works with one of the stewards. He had asked him if they had managed to sort out the Bolton idiots. The reply was to the effect that they didn't need to, ie the Riverside had given them a bit of comeupance and that the guy who unfurled their flag was "a right mess."

A few decent bars/eating places down by the Tyne. As you work your way up the hill, through the shopping areas you come to a pub right by the ground. Had a couple in there without any problems. Had a great caracature above the bar of Peter Reid as a monkey in a Sunderland shirt.

Sting or no sting, at the time The Swede thought it was real enough and certainly something that could happen. He has shown himself to be what he is - a total slime ball, someone who is available to the highest bidder, a football prostitute if you like. In fact Sven and the NOTW are made for each other. Little wonder he went back on his gentleman's agreement with Jack and not take up the offer of managing Rovers.

Apparently one of them was bald - must be the nuclear fall out in that neanderthal sh1te hole otherwise known as Bolton.

Whilst getting my daughter a ticket for the Bolton game at dinner time yesterday, I enquired about the United cup tickets. Are there plenty left? Pause - wry smile - yes. I'll be getting mine at the weekend. Come on Rovers - only one game off a cup final.

Two divisions lower and he'd stand a chance. Still wish him well though.

With all due respect to Matt, he won't cut it at Bolton or Everton, two of the Premier Leagues more physical, battling teams. In fact he won't cut it anywhere in the PL or the Championship. His level is now League 1 or thereabouts. One of the most frustrating episodes I can remember in my 40 years watching Rovers. It's cost us a few million in wages and had we been in a position where we had to sell him, anything up to £10m or so in transfer value. Not to mention his own frustration in having to start again, both on a personal front and on the football side of things. It would be great to give him a fitting send off against QPR - Matt you were one of the best.

Speaking to a South Shields based Geordie today who reckons Souness only has a couple of games left before getting the push. It may have been mentioned on here but the feeling up in the north east is that Souness will move on to Rangers with Martin O'Neill the preferred choice for St James'. Obviously wishful thinking as O'Neill may be some way off a return to football because of his wife's ill health. I cheered the Geordie up further by mentioning they paid us £1.3m in compensation for GS who at the time was only a game or two off getting the sack from Rovers, who in turn, would have had to shell out a similar sum to our former "hero." That is a net gain of £2.5m+

Away games don't get much better than this. First two goals are rockets, Bellers rubs it in with the third. Brilliant 5,200 sell out away support creating excellent atmosphere, like days of old. Grey patent leather shoes and grey slacks brigade, who have deserted us in droves, may just start twitching if we win one or two more like this. Come on you blues! Hughesey has created a superb team spirit now and we are firing on all cylinders. Not only that but there is quality on the bench and a very strong squad. Roll on the next game, with or without the doubters.

Rovers to win 1-0 in front of another sell out crowd at the JJB. It'll be a cracker and the best away atmosphere for some considerable time. There's mention somewhere of a marquee in our stand from 13.00 hrs selling dirty beer. If I don't get a cheese & onion pie, there'll be trouble. Come on you blues.

When interviewed on SSN the ref said he had been available to inspect the pitch from 14.30 onwards. Rovers thought the pitch was ok during the afternoon but, presumably, when the temperature started to drop further after sunset, they realised there could be (and was) a big problem, resulting in the pitch inspection at 18.00 hrs. Perhaps the heating hadn't been switched on early enough, who knows, but hopefully there will be an official statement soon. Suffice to say that this is the first postponement since the system was installed and I'm sure it's been colder than at present.

Jeez, ours is off now!!

The Breezeblock is living up to its name - match postponed due to failure of under soil heating!

Big Club's next two games - Man Utd at home & Chelsea away!

Rovers 2 Sunderland 0 in front of around 24,000

At the start of season 1995-96 we sold 20,000 season tickets and there were say four or five thousand others who, fairly regularly, paid on the day. When we played Crystal Palace the season we won the title there were 28,000 Rovers fans on that night. For the play off final against Leicester we sold 31,000 tickets. For the 2002 Worthington Cup final we sold our allocation of 30,000. The latter two examples stretch us to the limit and around 30,000 can be seen as our potential fan base and who will attend for certain games. But not always at the same time. We do therefore have the necessary fan base to keep us in the top flight for any length of time. However, as everyone realises, the deserters have deserted, the bandwagon boys jumped ship when we stopped winning on a regular basis, and we have done to death the many other reasons for non attendance, but despite what many think, our fan base is out there. The problem is getting the bulk of them back.....

Next season if Stanley get promoted, it'll be interesting to see if the authorities make Rovers and Burnley play at home on the same Saturday, with Accy away and then at home on their own the following week.

Mark Lawrenson the second.

I know this has been more or less answered, but the allocation was :- Upper Tier Scoreboard 6,000 Scoreboard Lower Tier Corner (If Required) 3,000 We took the Upper Tier only and sold out, ie 6,000

Agreed. In just over 10 years we've gone from having the best around to just about the worst. At least the old club shop (smaller than a corner shop) on Nuttall Street sold 100% Rovers merchandise even though the choice was limited. Surely Mr Williams and Co have noticed its demise?

Two massive car parks right by the ground, one behind the East Stand and the other up beyond the North Stand where the Rovers fans will be. As long as you turn up say 20 minutes or more before kickoff you should get a spot without any problems.

Think I might treat my daughter to her first away match at the JJB. I've been there many, many times watching the Warriors and I've got to say the accoustics in the ends behind the goals are fantastic. It should be very loud and a superb atmosphere. This is going to be one of those games like Carlisle in 1982 or thereabouts when, surprisingly, thousands of away fans turned up. Get your tickets quickly or be disappointed.