How absolutely awful. A huge tragedy for his family. Monumentally less important, but he was also a superb footballer.

Whoever you are, whatever you achieve, it's all so fragile, isn't it? Very sad.

24 minutes ago, Ossydave said:

With Scott Carson leaving City, maybe they'll want to fill the void with Pears.....

I've no idea if any of our reserve keepers are remotely good but I can't see Pears wanting a full season playing second fiddle, can't blame him either at 27 he's in his prime. 

Loosest ever application of the word "prime", there!

17 minutes ago, philipl said:

Even more depressing than Rovers.

Great bit of hyperbole, there!

6 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

The actual statement announcing that WaTR will be working with the coalition. 
It is worth pointing out that the Football Supporters Association (FSA) has already reached out to WaTR to offer support and we also have access to the EFL given the club’s official Supporter Engagement Strategy is purported to be on the back of its relationship with the Trust via the Memorandum of Understanding.

 

I've mocked previous WATR statements but this one is pretty much spot on. 

A club going into a transfer window with identified key targets and seemingly ready to make signings happen. What is this madness?

1 hour ago, Browjd said:

Champ, PL clubs approach Alalshikh for investment

Championship clubs and at least one Premier League club have approached Saudi Arabian billionaire Turki Alalshikh seeking investment.

The chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority has a wide range of business interests but has never invested in English football. 

That could be about to change with a growing number of Championship clubs attempting to attract Saudi investors to help them win promotion to the Premier League. 

Alalshikh has become one of the most influential powerbrokers in sport after staging some of boxing's biggest bouts.

Until last week Alalshikh was also the owner of Spanish club Almeria.

He bought the club in a £20m deal in the summer of 2019.

Ownership of the club was transferred to Saudi investment group SMC last Friday.

I would be delighted to upgrade from chickens to turki. 

It won't happen.

26 minutes ago, Hasta said:

https://www.roverstrust.com/news/statement-blackburn-rovers-women

"We had been in dialogue with club executives about the future of our Women’s team as per our memorandum of understanding, but were only given 10 minutes notice prior to the announcement."

We call upon the Board and Owners of Blackburn Rovers to think again and have serious discussions with ourselves as to how the Club (Men’s and Women’s teams) have a viable and competitive future.’

Honestly lads, I'm a WATR member but they clearly don't want to have the relationship with you that you want them to have.

You can call on them to have serious discussions time after time but they won't. They see minimal discussion with you as a box-ticking and appeasement exercise, to be shown as an example of engagement.

This quote from the Rovers website reflect the whole approach of this regime to the club over the last few years. There surely comes a day when you have to draw a line. Join the coalition. 

I agree. The WATR statements do come across as "meek" and somewhat like a jilted lover telling their friends about how their cruel and bullying ex doesn't talk to them anymore, whilst pleading with the same ex for better communication and respect in their 'relationship', rather than just calling out the ex for the insufferable shit they are. It feels a bit sad to read and definitely doesn't seem to carry any impact, whatsoever. But I might be missing it so I'm genuinely happy to hear what people think the statements are achieving.

It makes very little sense, at all. It feels to me like it can only be decisions taken out of spite, now. Certainly not the actions of anyone who cares at all about success, reputation, community etc

So, what was the outcome of the hearing??

13 minutes ago, Hannoverover said:

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6366991/2025/05/20/blackburn-rovers-women-team-relegated/

Getting worldwide attention

Good. The headline on a couple of sites about this being about the owners refusing to fund is refreshing and encouraging. These are billionaires, with nothing stopping them from covering relatively small costs. If they can't or won't do that, they have no chance at all of keeping this business going eventually. I'm glad they are being shamed in this way and suspect it is our best chance of being rid of them. Obviously awful for all those caught in the crossfire though and make no mistake - this is all on the Raos.

I just made the mistake of reading some of the comments on the Facebook post. Is it just me, failing to see that this is an inevitable and sound business decision with only positive implications for the men's team? Im really sorry that I'm not quite getting it.

13 minutes ago, JHRover said:

Can I just check, do Venkys still 'never refuse to sign a cheque' or have we given up on that one at last?

I can only conclude this was always a calculated misdirection based on the literal meaning. Of course they don't refuse to sign a cheque, because they realistically would never be asked to.

2 minutes ago, superniko said:

Unforgivable to draw really. If we don’t lose the match then we clearly haven’t attacked enough at the end 

I know what you are saying but Sheff U would have thrashed us if they were able to shoot. I think we gave just about as much as our limited team could. Close. But so far away.

1 minute ago, roverandout said:

Bristol City in the play offs makes me sick 

They've earnt it through the second half of the season. Had we scraped it on the last day I would have been delighted, of course, but it would have been lucky.

Bristol City have the sheer determination and team hard-work and determination that ours has, at times, really lacked. It made a difference.

1 minute ago, roverandout said:

Bristol City in the play offs makes me sick 

They've earnt it through the second half of the season. Had we scraped it on the last day I would have been delighted, of course, but it would have been lucky.

Bristol City have the sheer determination and team hard-work and determination that ours has, at times, really lacked. It made a difference.

Our subs have been nowhere near good enough to impact this game in the way we needed. Dennis, Kargbo, Woodrow, Forshaw, Gueye. None of them should be here. I would honestly rather we had academy graduates covering each of those. The wages are a total waste. Kargbo might, just might, offer us something next season.  January 'significant investment' has been the (negative) difference. Again.

Great save and how the actual fuck has Pears played so many games this season?

Oh, it's fine. Forshaw and Woodrow are on their way. 

This is going to feel like a huge missed opportunity to have "had a right good go".

PS Kargo is exciting but, unfortunately, also seems to be brain dead.

Oh, it's fine. Forshaw and Woodrow are on their way. 

This is going to feel like a huge missed opportunity to have "had a right good go".

PS Kargo is exciting but, unfortunately, also seems to be brain dead.

Oh, it's fine. Forshaw and Woodrow are on their way. 

Wilder must be ahead of Parker in the stakes for the most dislikeable football manager. He always looks like one of those drunks you see at a bus station shouting at the pigeons. But with less class.

So many of our players look out on their feet, here. Surprised not more than the one sub so far. THis is going to be another so near yet so far away.

Honestly, I feel sick with nerves for this game. I don't know how I'd cope with the anticipation of a play-off match!! 

I still sense this is a scenario I won't have to be concerned about but, you never know...

Possibly, just possibly, could be important.

Third goal. Helpful. Perhaps...