Gosh! or indeed in South Manchester. Have you got the time and opportunity Theno?

A bit of a dilemma really. I like to do my bit by not leaving the telly on stand-by all night; switching off lights when they are not needed, using the washing machine on low temperature; double glazing is installed as is the loft insulation. It saves me money. I too quite like wind farms, they are good, but they take energy to build, but then again so do gas-fired & oil-fired power stations.The former have no use when there is no wind. At least the wind farms have little cost once they are constructed. Then we have the Chelsea tractor syndrome with city dwellers going to Tescos in 5.6 litre Range Rovers and then buggering off to Provence evey other weekend for their hols. Then again the USA is the biggest global warmer and is steadfastly refusing to do bugger all about it, and China and India are fast on its tracks. So on a global scale I really am pissing into the wind. It is not an optimistic outcome for our children.

Best wishes to you at BRISA. I haven't the time nor the opportunity to join you. I do wonder about the people who criticise you, especially the ones who do bugger all anyway. I suppose that's what you get for trying to make a bit of a difference. Keep going folks.

Tugay is still as good as ever. He just gets more accolades as (a) he gets older, ("he's 38 you know") ( he knocks in a few more screamers (c ) the more the media get their lazy, lardy-arse, big-four-centric, view points.... He's great isn't he? He was good tonight, just like me playing five a side. I trapped the ball, played it, moved, got it back, passed it, moved, got the ball, passed it... Then the alarm clock went off

As no one has said it yet, may I be the first to tip my hat and say "thank you Rog" for an excellent preview. More good work from he preview volunteers, long may it continue.

Just finished Sebastian Faulkes' "Birdsong" Possibly not everyones cup of tea, but worth a punt if you're buzzing around the library with not much else on your mind. Or if you haven't the faintest idea about the mass slaughter of WW1

Dowd just asked him to move back away from the pitch - no red card involved. Not that it really matters anyway, but did anyone else note that Brad was inches away from that penalty which was pretty much perfect? If we are going to get so many awarded against us (7 so far?) it's good to know we have him to stop at least some of them. Apart from that I'll join everyone else in having a sweary-session at the sending off. A bit harsh as Toogs was heading towards Darwen & his leg was pointing at Brownhill.

This thread should be deleted. It's too much like kicking a deformed labrador puppy for my liking. And I apologise for taking part in it.

Hands up anyone who, if banned, would send a 1101-word* email to a moderator of the site that had banned you? Vinjay needs help. * if you were wondering, so no I didn't............copy & paste into "Word" & its counts them for you.

What's going on? Half the posts here suggest that Neill is rubbish and we should get rid. The others seem to be suggesting that we should sell him to Barca or Milan. Can someone square this circle and explain why if he is so bad then both Barca & Milan are interested? My own feeings is that Barca & Milan are after a blooming good player who can play any position along the back four, probably left & right midfield & that if we sell him for less than Abromovich money we are sending out all the wrong messages.

Walls, Daren , USA Blue, Scotty. I'm not really an optimist or a pessimist, but I think you are all looking at a half-full glass here. We are currently being being beaten by sides that we should either be winning against or getting a point if we are going to progress. Simple as. No excuses, the results are lining up against us. If Rovers was a decent team then we would have beaten West Ham,(who were there for the taking. Fragile, completely lacking in confidence) Bolton ( local derby full house at Ewood), and got a draw against Villa. There is something a bit wrong in the BRFC camp at the moment and I trust MH to get it right. If we beat The Ref Scum on Saturday I'll be as happy as Larry (as my Mum used to say.) Thing is I don't think we wil beat them, not with what we are dishing up at the moment.

Bear with me while I have a ranty-muse. After losing to Villa, West Ham and Bolton (in no particular order) I have this sense of deja vu. We lost all three games having without having a decent shout of winning any of them. We've been playing in a sort of dull matt-gray, really uninteresting miasma fashion. It hasn't been seen since six months after Hughes arrived, but people who can remember the bad bits of the Hartson/Hodgson/Souness years will probably know what I mean. There is just no zip or zest about the team at the moment. They are playing like they know they are going to lose. The team is lacking zip, it's like chilli con carne without chilli. It's like cold salted porridge for breakfast. I don't know if it'll take a decent win against The Red Scum to kickstart it all again - possibly it will - but I don't think that will happen. I reckon that it will take a bit of attitude on the part of the players to get themselves back on track. The sort of attitide that Jeffers made when he grabbed the ball for that penalty against Basle. The attitude that, in the same game, MGP told Grey to take the throw-in against his back. He did it. Chutzpah!

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned, but has anyone guessed/estimated what the gate would have been without the cheap tickets for last night? I'd hazard a guess that JW & co are experimenting with the pricing structure to balance numbers with receipts and somehow trying to lever in the rather incalculable value of more people at Ewood, plus the publicity it engenders. Just for a couple of examples: The Bolton game was a near as damn it sell out at £15. If the tickets were £25 or £30 how many fewer people would have come? Would the £ takings have been more or less? What value do you put on a nearly full Ewood? Plus the fact that there was some great publicity for the reduced prices in all the national papers that I read. Basle last night - if the tickets had been a straightforward (say) £20 then there might have seen a souless 5,000 and a graveyard of an atmosphere. I don't pretend I have the answers, I just think it's food for thought. I would have thought that the Rovers' board are seriously looking into the options available as it has obviously been experimenting over the past few weeks.

Sometimes you can be very very funny. That was one of them

I did sell him a half of finest Pakistani Black last week. It must have worn off at half time. Thank goodness we scored three in the last 15 minutes, my toes were about to drop off. All that jumping up and down means I don't need to have amputations for frostbite. Note to self: must wear woolly socks

Or they haven't yet put the clocks back in Brum? What time is it Flopsy?

I know this is going over old ground... Less than ten years ago Ewood was three quarters completely redeveloped. I don't think it takes anyone with a degree in economics to realise that the club is not going to demolish it and rebuild elsewhere. And having a smattering of experience in planning law - there is now way on earth that Blackburn With Darwen BC would ever sanction the rebuilding of a new stadium anywhere else. Just look at the 20 year battle that Brighton & Hove Albion had to get themselves sorted (& they were shafted by their owners, we never were.) I do like the idea of a nice little tower on top of The Riverside for the media. Cosy & warm and insulated with free pies & mushy peas and cups of tea and free Thwaites on draught. It would do wonders for our image

I'm glad someone else has had this thought (Cheers Aggy) If he just walks to the half time mike and says "Look, both teams are cheating divers, I'm completely humiliated by this. I didn't spend 20 years training as a ref to put up with this, You can stuff it." Brilliant, it needs to be done .

Total crap Fleming (just thought I'd post something different)

Mmm.... a characteristic that seems to have affected The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian all of which reported on a game that West Ham played, with scant attention to the opposition. In fact The Daily Telegraphs' coverage was so lacking in detail of anything Rovers' contributed that West Ham may as well have been playing against its own reserves. Still, I'd rather not lose eight games on the run for that kind of coverage. Only five more to go.........

So that's a big "yes" or a big "no" for Lancashire United?

Good to see Scotty in the firing line too. I'm sure that he will be squirming in a very embarrasing fashion at having "stipulations" put on him, as indeed I am. Just out of interest, you seem to be very aggressive against the people who suggest that your "Lancashire United" idea is not very good. Yet I don't seem to recall you posting any details of the new team. It's probably just me getting old & confused so forgive me, but I'd like to be reminded of: (i) Which clubs do you think should be merged? (ii) Where would the new merged club play? (iii) What would happen to the supporters of the clubs that ceased to exist? (iv) Same question for the managers, players, groundstaff, board, shareholders and directors (v) How do you propose to persuade the directors & shareholders & fans of (say) Preston North End Football Club/ Blackburn Rovers Football Club/Burnley Football Club/Bolton Wanderers Football Club/Blackpool Football Club to give up over 100 years each of history to merge and to put their clubs into voluntary liquidation? (possibly you are considering Bury, Oldham, and Rochdale too. Throw them into the mix too if you want to) I look forward for your eloquent answers. For now I will sign off with your sobriquet of "Plonker" PS Don't forget the blood pressure test mate, I really think you need to give it a go.

Oh Corks! This is horrible Rovers v West Hamster. oldest first: 93-94 home lost 0-2 away won 2-1 now read them and weep.......... 94-95 home win 4-2 away lost 0-2 95-96 home win 4-2 away draw 1-1 96-97 home win 2-1 away lost 1-2 97-98 home win 3-0 away lost 1-2 98-99 home win 3-0 away lost 0-2 01-02 home win 7-1 away lost 0-2 02-03 home draw 2-2 away lost 1-2 05-06 home win 3-2 away lost 1-3 Can anyone see a pattern emerging here?

Theno, I think you have a problem and you need help. A few days ago a couple of people (one of which was me) suggested that your idea of "Lancashire United" was not a very good one. You replied: to which I replied: and then you commented: followed up later by Now, despite our political differences over the past few years, I am now really worried about your mental health. You have basically told everyone on here to "sod off" if they don't agree with you. I really think you need to see a doctor. For some kind of anger management training, or at the very least a blood pressure test. (Please do the blod pressure test) Really deep down I love you as a fellow Rovers' fan. Which is why I suggest you need a bit of help and some TLC Regards Colin

JP - Darn good post. Thank you.