I think that's the tv era right there in a nutshell people will take the easier options if it's constantly plonked in front of them with the blanket coverage these days even if it's not a live game. SKY etc will thank you for that but clubs won't, the same clubs who take the Media money with open hands and pass it straight into players and agents pockets. Hardcore fans are supposed to turn up to carry the can of keeping the ground running, cheering the team and making it a better spectacle.........for the tv camera's ! An industry of sheer hypocrisy really ?

Spot on about the noon kick offs boys plus all the other factors MC has mentioned especially just deciding to close stands and expecting people to lump it even if it isn't many. I bet we've lost a couple of hundred regulars through doing that, can we afford to do that ??? The Leeds and PNE games should be belters but they've ruined those and reduced them to just run of the mill. Some fans do need to step up to the plate more often but the club really really needs to look at itself first. Promotion was righting the wrong of relegation but now it's as you were and to kick on needs radical thinking on and off the park. Signing Dack got people interested and excited, spending 7 mill on a mostly untried 19 yr old from Forest just got the heads scratching again. Spending that on a ready made player or two would certainly have got a few more back in the habit following last season. They need to consider that as well !

Mowbray is thinking in Middlesbrough terms I think, a club who were getting 13/14k when he was there and taking 600/1k away yet as soon as a bit of feelgood comes along they are nearly filling the ground and taking thousands everywhere. That doesn't happen down here and him and Waggot need to wake up to that fact we don't have that drawing area for all those fickle people to come from regularly with it being saturated with clubs around here. That Oxford game was a pure one off that only comes around once every blue moon and the initiative needed grabbing, it wasn't so now they seem to be passing the buck somewhat. This team and manager do deserve bigger home support but Rovers crowds have always operated around these levels and probably always will they don't become organically bigger overnight and stay that way like some clubs they have to be manufactured somewhat.

Just a business thing with Bolton trying to maximize the guaranteed takings they know it'll be 15k so they want as much as possible from that. A good few of theirs turn out for this that don't turn out for most others so they are fleecing the one off crowd as well. Both clubs should revert back to the cheap pricing for this a get 18/20k on and the extra takings and feel good factor that goes with it but they are drawing their budgets up pre season to squeeze every penny out now.

Been to Leeds loads down the years it's a good day out but last time was 6 years ago, Kean was still boss. It was about 34 quid then on the day I think and we had a good following but we'd just signed Rhodes and it was first league visit there for a while I think. However the facilities and way we were treated by the stewards and OB we vowed to never go back again at those prices and never have, I suppose some feel the same about the Horwich hole to be fair. I'm no snowflake but at Leeds that day i'm amazed there wasn't some incident it was similar to being rammed inside the Turd. They wouldn't open extra room either in the seats or downstairs despite there being a half a stand and two tiers to go at and any passive complaint was met with aggression and threat of being nicked. Bolton i'll tolerate because it's local and the team deserve the support now but Leeds never again unless they sort themselves out.

Yep prices are a shocker and I think most local clubs take their smallest local away following there nowadays and have for a while. Never understand that from Leeds point of view because most sides would take good numbers there if it was normally priced. Championship will definitely follow the Prem in the near future were smaller fanbases struggle to keep pace with its pricing and the bubble may blow there first but there's that many big city clubs finding themselves in it that covers the crowd averages and justifies the prices for the spin doctors. This one though is literally up the road and plenty will spend more in the boozer, we do have that kick one and they all jump mentality at times, one bloke says I can't afford it and another 5 say yeah sod it whether they can or not. We should still be taking the numbers that went to Stoke and we probably will if there's good result on Sat. First post wasn't a dig at anyone each to their own it was more of a rallying call, I don't want to be surrounded by empty seats ? Shame on you Bolton !

True and i'd never expect the usual numbers but still should hopefully be towards 2k.

The team can't hear the fans from the pubs unfortunately, they want to win and so do we = team effort. Get there if you can !

Joshua is a good orthodox fighter who can alter his tactics and mix it up when he needs to. Povetkin is top class but age isn't on his side however he can bang and caught AJ a few times so he proved his chin again. He'd been ill in the week apparently so maybe that was a reason for the slow start but I can assure people when you watch him live he isn't slow at all he can be deceptively quick when he let's his hands go. Only flaw I really see is he's a bit easy to hit at times with his lack of upper body/head movement when he fires his own punches off but his foot movement has improved massively. You've got to remember the sheer size of these guys, smaller oppos are always likely to be a bit quicker at times. He's twice the boxer Wilder is if he didn't have that long arm power i'd don't think he have gone that far. Can't stand Fury but if he keeps his chin out the way I really wouldn't be surprised if he landed enough punches to win on points if he can keep up the pace Wilder is that easy to hit. AJ outboxes Wilder easily but will have to cop some big shots and I've always thought right from the word go he'll bulldoze Fury it only takes a few good shots and it'll slow him right down then he'll turn into an unmissible target, probably a fight we'll never see though as the Fury mob are notoriously difficult to deal with and Hearn can keep making money off Joshua whoever he fights.

There was a bit in the LEP the other night about spice heads in Preston City it's everywhere. Society has more wastrels than ever before and it's more brazen in general, druggies used to hide mostly down back alleys but not anymore they'll pop up anywhere and everywhere. Sad but if there was actually sufficient law on the streets it would get nipped in the bud a bit.

Last time I went to Pride Park there was a Greggs right outside or possibly built into the side of the stadium at the home end if I remember rightly ? Might have something to do with sponsorship and also Derby is a fair sized place so more options but then again Blackburn for it's modest size population wise is an industrial town after all.

Waggot will soon cotton on this is Blackburn not Coventry or a Borough of London things are and always have been different around this neck of the woods, he maybe needs an convo with Mr Williams. Also opening up the top tier of the DE to accommodate about 30 Villa fans when there was still plenty room downstairs ? Cost cutting only applies to home sections does it !!!!

Get the houses up and flogged and it pays for the training ground - after all the suits have had their cut and back handers of course - that's probably what they'll dress it up as. I'd never rule out something similar in regards to houses at Brockhall there'll be a few involved somewhere who've had eyes on that for years if the planning can be got around I bet and we don't need a training ground building with the proceeds ! On the football side I think PNE maybe over achieved a little bit when they first came back up with that promotion bounce etc after being in league 1 for a good few years. Finding their level now which is probably lower midtable.

Weren't they meant to be having a sniff around Armstrong ?

Not far away, big following, we know how these tend to go..... Stoke 3 Rovers 0 Heart says we might just get another 0-0 shut out though !

It used to be a big complex with many pitches i'm not sure if that is still the case. The youth and senior centres were just a few mins walk apart and i'm almost certain Hughes swapped them around at one point ?

True they should be one year with an option although I've seen cases were pally managers will then play them so they get enough games in to trigger it and annoy fans by leaving others out.

I suppose the idea of handing out the two year deals is to give ageing players a bit of stability and hope they put shifts in when required to show their appreciation. Both were probably signed as back up when maybe they could have had one year deals elsewhere and maybe more football. Both turned out pointless in the end but I think we are moving away from that kind of thing now looking at the age of the defence the other night and all the defensive/centre mids used. Experienced back up doesn't come cheap even lower down the ladder and similar from this league would want two year deals on 10 grand plus per week. The future is youth blended with ready made players who might cost a bit but will come in and do you a job straight away and last 3 or 4 years imo.

Been hearing their bull crap for 30 years, they were a sleeping giant and we are akin to Bury if it weren't for Jack, they had the invincibles then Sir Tom but we were nothing till Jack etc etc One of them once told me they'd be like Sunderland support wise if they had what Jack gave Rovers ! Thankfully just like Burnley all their wind and piss from back in the day has proven to be just that. They are no bigger nor better than Blackpool without the recent Oyston drama.

We said all these things about Armstrong in summer when Newcastle were asking 3 million so it was better to stay away. At 1.75 he's decent enough for the squad because of his pace and he will score a few. TM has talked him up in his usual way saying he can play here and there and do this that and the other when really we know that isn't the case he was always going to be used o n the wing first and foremost. Plonking upfront on his own away at Derby were your always likely to have to rely on scraps from long punts was never going to light his season. !.75 would have been better spent on proper pace on the wing but Armstrong will prove worth it over a few seasons I think. That's the way TM seems to work if you've played for him in the past and he likes you if you become available he'll sign you then find a place for you !

Floyd was the same he got one or two very gracious decisions and hand picked refs, nearly always under the WBC as well, if they have a favourite who makes them big bucks they'll do all they can to help them. That's why AJ is quite right to say to Wilder it's over here or nothing as they'll mix him a right bag over there from start to finish no way they want that belt in Europe again after Vital held it for a few years.

AKA the Preston Hairdresser or Preston ponce.

There was a lot of individual performances and antics during a certain period that really needed looking at closely, a few fondness's for cards, fouls and own goals in particular !

Dack trying to over impress a bit last night maybe seeing as Southgate was watching.

Spot on and unlike his free kick delivery his corners aren't that great.