Clearly the result is the most important thing so I'm delighted with three points we just didn't deserve. I thought Barnsley outplayed and out fought us. The mediocrity and ineptitude of Bennett, Bell, Armstrong, Travis and Gallagher was alarming. Slightly better than them were Tosin, Lenihan, Dack and Holtby. Mowbray was embarrassing as we were being overrun in the second half as he prowled around with his head bowed and hands behind his back looking absolutely clueless. His body language bore the look of a man who didn't know what to do and the result masks the truth of how tactically awful, disjointed and lost we looked. A 35 year old Danny Graham has dug his manager out of an abyss today as he changed the game. The old football adage of taking a team as far as they can has never been truer after what I witnessed today. I'd be devastated if I was a Barnsley fan as they pretty much played us of the pitch in the second half. The bold move by their manager with his double half time change should have been rewarded with a win. We absolutely won't be as lucky again.

Moving the debate on I agree with you but the abolition of proper reserve team football has had a hand in this. Before the under 23's there was a perfectly good system that gave games to players who couldn't get into the first team, players coming back from injury and promising youngsters. For the youngsters in particular they could be up against international players and seasoned professionals. Quite simply I do don't believe players are challenged enough by this standard of football. I refereed in the old Pontins League and the top teams always had experienced players on the pitch. Players with lots of medals and honours were happy to play to get back into the first team. They did the hard yards, tackled and wanted to win. For many academy graduates now it's a mindset and they simply being paid decent money to effectively makeup the numbers in training.

He conveniently doesn't mention Mulgrew leaving or sending out three centre halves on loan or the fact he had to replace a left back who he signed who isn't good enough. It's a classic deflection tactic. He is insulting our intelligence now. I'd have far more respect for him if he admitted his errors.

As much as I think he needs replacing the reality is that, unless he resigns we are stuck with him. The power base he has built at Rovers has him firmly at the helm and the autonomy he has will make it nigh on impossible for his subserviants to do anything. The Indians haven't got the foggiest about what a shambles the club really is and their failure to appoint a real Chief Exec (as opposed to the managers mate) is going to see us in another relegation scrap on their watch. Mowbrays inane ramblings in recent times demonstrate he has run his course. Managers who constantly defend themselves are usually out of ideas. Once again the tail is wagging the dog as we crash and burn.

He has surpassed himself with that nonsense.

There is a precedent here but only this IDC know why they came up with such a lenient punishment. Their findings and decision making should be made public. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/middlesbrough-rocked-by-three-point-penalty-1283330.html

The Independent Disciplinary Commission were appointed by the EFL so who exactly are they appealing to? The farce goes on. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50516578

Coming on to replace that other expensive wide striker no doubt.

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2019/november/preview-manchester-city-u23s-h/ No mention in this article of Brereton playing for the under 23's tonight whilst Chapman, Davenport and Samuel get name checks. I wonder if he'll be on the bench tomorrow?

Things like this really annoy me. We are paying this waster having extended his contract whilst Ewood Park, the pride of Blackburn Rovers is falling into a sad state of disrepair. Waggott mentioned the cost of cleaning recently (I can't remember the actual figure) but maybe if deals weren't given to players who can't deliver the money wasted on them could be put to better use.

Promotion to the PL, Carling Cup win, several European adventures. I don't believe we will see any of the above whilst these people own us.

JHRover issued a challenge the other day for anybody to name one area of the club where we have seen an improvement in the last nine years. That includes ALL aspects of the club. I can't think of any.

I don't know where he studied. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Balaji wanted him to take over the running of the club but I can't be totally sure.

I was told that Balaji's son has been to quite a few games recently and is taking an interest. The person who told me reckons he's only about 18.

If they were staying locally I'm certain that the local hotels and bars welcomed them with open arms. Rovers do their upmost to make them unwelcome. I'm looking forward to January when hopefully the security at Ewood is consistent and makes the Nobbers sit down. And their 'searches' actually find something illicit rather than searching my eight year old granddaughters backpack making her feel like she is doing something wrong.

I was thinking about him last Saturday at Elland Road as the Leeds fans eulogised him in a song about scoring in the San Siro. Hopefully he makes a speedy and full recovery.

I don't think Nobbers fans will feel disenfranchised like thousands of Rovers fans through a combination of persistently being let down by the club hierarchy through stand closures, ticket surcharges and a host of other things. Throw in the likes of Kean and Coyle And the shady characters who effectively stole from us. And the common denominator in this is the awful owners we have suffered for nearly a decade.

I give you.............Ben Brereton. ????

I don't remember them selling records but only a couple of shops away was Tony Charles Records. I played for a football team he started called Charles Athletic and he bought us track suits with the name on the back. He also bought us the full Admiral England kit. This made us targets and we usually got kicked from pillar to post. He also played cricket for one of the Darwen teams and was equally generous there.

I think the Rovers director was perhaps his son. The one in your link died in 1928. A quick search indicates that Johnny Forbes Sports Outfitters closed in 1972 when the town was bring redeveloped.

I think Johnny Forbes was a Rovers director. There was a J Forbes listed in the programme and I always assumed it was him.

I know - I was there but for anybody who was too young an explanation would have helped. I'm sure I twagged it for the afternoon but a cryptic school mates on here reckoned we were given time off. I also remember the late Kit Napier scoring a hatrick and a healthy crowd.

That's too cryptic mate. I think you need to tell the story ?.

I don't know if you are old enough to remember Johnny Forbes' shop in Blackburn. They had stock in dark brown wooden drawers all neatly labelled. I remember my parents buying my first Rovers out for me from there. Being in the shop and getting that kit was something that has stuck with me. There was a similar shop in Darwen called County Sports which sold pretty much anything from fishing tackle to Airfix models. Mick Heaton was a partner in a sports shop in Darwen too. It traded under the name of John Harrison Sports but Mick was a sleeping partner.

Thanks for the report Ian. It's pretty much his I saw it. Pretty much the last bastion of authentic sports shops I remember was David Pratt in Mill Hill. If he didn't have what you wanted he would go his best to get it for you.