Three posters have been posting views I profoundly disagree with and whose rantings on a thread about the horrific events in London last week I find odious in the extreme. No doubt they were all for hanging any Irishman they could get their hands on and mass evictions of all Roman Catholics when the IRA was bringing terror to the UK for thirty years. Whilst all this drivel is being pushed here, it seems to be increasingly apparent that a lady from Oswaldtwistle is one of the victims and that she was known to some members of this board. My deepest sympathies go to everyone affected by the horrors unleashed by the perpetrators of the four bombs. Not letting the bombers win means not siding with the views of AESF, blue phil or thenodrog.

Those tables look too much like this year's. I will settle for this (guessing the impact of the transfers not yet made): 1. Liverpool 2. Chelsea 3. Arsenal 4. Middlesbrough 5. Man U 6. Rovers 7. Everton 8. Bolton 9. Spurs 10. Villa 11. City 12. Pompey 13. Newcastle 14. Fulham 15. Birmingham 16. Charlton 17. West Ham 18. Wigan 19. Sunderland 20. West Brom Champions League: Celsea

No but McCarthy will be.

I am hopeful but not certain about Bellamy. I am as certain as anyone can be about football that Newcastle are headed down down down until they fire Souness. Shame we don't play them twice in the first five games next season....

Unfortunately referees do read that garbage. My great fear is that our reputation will go before us. Perhaps if we avoid any trouble in the pre-seasons, Sparky should let it be known he would be pleased to win the Fair Play award (ie not a target but at least change people's thinking a bit).

...and the bottom of the black and blue burn Mirror article quoted on here. Just seen Lee on the official site saying enigmatically it is closer to £3.75m than £5m.

Nothing like allowing time out for a cruciate ligament injury when calculating the averages, eh Souey? Anyway, Bellamy averaged a goal every three games for the Toon. Not the best but in a full season makes him worth 12 to 15 goals and I will be reasonably happy with that. Of course if he continues his Celtic form of two goals every three games, I'll be ecstatic.

Use the scroll back facility on your PC and then read the previous posts. Just had a look at Bellamy's Celtic performances. Seems he scored 8 in 12 appearances including one hattrick but had a very high number of assists credited to him. On the basis it looks like he needs to have the right sort of clinical finisher next to him. Nightmare visions of Andrew Cole misses to return to Ewood?

No difference given that three of his sons are fronting the whole thing. Steve Coppell has said he cannot see how the Glazer numbers work in the League Managers' Association Newsletter. Meanwhilst Rio Ferdinand is holding out for an additional £20K per week. Ordinarily I would say his cheek is beyond belief after the drugs test fiasco and continuing to be paid by the Mancs but as Glazer is the paymaster- go for it Rio.

...and how many innocent Irish people would we have murdered by the state as opposed to releasing them pardonned and innocent several years later?

Corporal Carrot- what a superb little rant. Really made me proud that Rovers have so thoroughly wound up the Brum. No mention that Bruce offered £1.25m more than us and still didn't get him? Ah well, go back to writing petitions against Lee Bowyer. On the financial side, getting Bellamy for a bottom line £3.75m, a reduction in wages and a one year sell-on clause of £6m- what a deal! I knew Newcastle were there for the taking over Bellamy but it appears they handed him an extra £300K to get him out. Souey, you are still a Rovers hero!

It seems I'm not the only one who struggles to see how the Glazers can make the Mancquistion work. ...and this guy runs a business school and is a Manc.

I was thinking a heavyweight Stead.

That looks a sensible clause- I like the way it only operates next summer which could make for a nervous time next year if we don't come 4th or above. At least Bellars won't be in the shop window at the world cup. Two other good things- Bellamy has taken a wage cut to come to Rovers and will only make the amount he made at Newcastle (£2.5m a year) if Rovers do well and he scores a certain number of goals. Bellamy scored 42 in 128 appearances for Newcastle so was more prolific than I thought despite not being used as an outright striker there.

The Australian cricket team has been as unexpectedly bad as the Lions are in NZ. One will recover and I doubt it will be the British egg chasers.

Brilliant post Tris.

Random thoughts here: - what are the details of the first year get-out clause? I am pretty sure Rovers will have protected our financial interests but still curious. - Bellamy is no clinical finisher but he can score from anywhere around and in the box which makes him a real threat to any defence. The Rovers front line has suddenly become a headache for opposing defenders rather than for our own fans. - the weapon of his pace only works when the right ball is delivered in the right place. Savage can deliver those as can Amo and Gresko, Toogs certainly can, Neill Axe and Nelsen can sometimes, MGP might be able, Reid possibly, Emerton probably not, Thompson will be too busy going round in circles and Flitty is incapable and Matteo is best not trying. Picking up on Hughes' jigsaw pieces comment, I wonder if we will see an in and out of midfield players now to give us more ability to exploit Bellars' pace? - I don't see him as the 1 in a 4-5-1 formation or am I missing something? - Does anyone see a Dickov/Bellamy front line working together? I could see Bellamy/Kuqi operating very well in many circumstances but not as an automatic first choice being a bit predictable whereas Bellamy/McCarthy, Bellamy/Cole or Bellamy/rejuvenated Jansen look very tasty propositions. - Hughes' huge challenge will be discipline. Rovers have a reputation already and refs will be handing out cards for the fun of it just because they see a blue and white shirt. - Once again, Rovers' big day is over shadowed by national tragedy. - The perception of Rovers both by our own fans and the press and opposition should be changed by this signing- but probably won't be.

Sky News have just said at least 45 dead.

Thankfully just heard from my wife- she was nowhere near the incident and is just confused and having to walk. Seems to be six bombs on the tube and one on a bus. Doubt this has anything to do with the Olympics and everything to do with G8/ Iraq.

If it was blowing monitors, the tube is completely bust. All the motors will be fused on every car- it will be months before London is operating again. Seems to be a very well researched inside job.

1) My wife was travelling up to central London this morning and I cannot reach her 2) The explosions seem to be between Edgware Road and Aldgate on the metropolitan line and thankfully she would not be in that area at that time 3) All telephone lines are jammed- its the same effect as 9/11; for two days it was easier to ring Afghanistan than anywhere in the USA at that time. 4) So if you're trying to London, it is a function of busy lines- try e-mail or skype

Great victory for a great city. Absolutely fantastic outcome and I've been walking around with a happy smile all day (well since I heard the news). AESF- let me know when you want a lesson in economics as opposed to the cobblers you've just posted.

I doubt that the attitude of the Rovers' board on Premiership status and desire for success has changed at all over the past five years- however, the current management speak is very different to Souness' Funny that Rovers did qualify for Europe and win things whereas Newcastle under Souness.... As for staying at Ewood for another four years, he might have lasted another four games and he might not. Elsewhere in the interview there's a telling comment from Souness about the need to buy a new team at Newcastle.

Unimpressive because most answers are already available on this MB: 1) JW was relatively under paid in comparison to meast Premiership CEOs. If the move to Executive Chairman was in part a move to make sure he is kept at Ewood then a well-deserved rise would not be unwarranted IMO. Look at the 05/06 accounts for details- by law Rovers have to publish them if we are still a PLC at that time. 2) Again look at the accounts and you will see that the only paid directors are messrs Williams and Finn. 3) Why would that happen?- it is already been explained that for Coar to sit on the very influential bodies he is a member of, he has to be a director of a Premiership football club. Coar's position is invaluable to Rovers- the influence he has in the game is something money cannot buy. 4) Very clearly, his time and focus will be away from Rovers- see Duff's Minder's comments from his contacts inside the FA for instance. But we can be sure that his knowledge of what's going on will be available to fellow-Rovers board members (specific NDAs excepted). He will be operating on those committees with the interests of the club's board which is the raison d'etre of him being there very much in mind. 5) Probably

Very unimpressed AESF- you can do better than that.