arbitro

I really enjoyed that. With our penchant for letting teams back in the games at Ewood this season the third goal for me was crucial and took the pressure away in that respect. As much as I have criticised Mowbray I have to credit him with his decision to play Dolan down the middle. I thought that up against the monsters centre backs he would have struggled but he was really good and they just couldn't handle him. I thought Buckley, Travis and Rothwell looked really good too but Ayala for me was our best player. Being totally honest I doubted whether he had the ability and desire but so far he has been our best player by some way. Brereton getting a hat trick will once again earn him the headlines but today was really about the collective. Note to Swag - get them deals done for our out of contract players. Potentially four of our starters could walk away in a few months for a pittance which would be ridiculous.

https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/allardyce-and-souness-named-in-football-bung-report-6590816.html It's strange you dislike Allardyce because he allegedly took bungs but you praise Souness who allegedly did the same. Neither allegations substantiated by the way.

Conversely Gav the FA never brought any charges and there was no police involvement. I remember really looking forward to watching that programme thinking finally there would be concrete evidence of wrongdoing and that evidence would open a can of worms and expose wider misdemeanours in the game but there was no evidence provided by the BBC, in all honesty it was much ado about nothing. Plenty of innuendo and suggestion but no firm evidence. Innocent until proven guilty?

https://news.sky.com/story/kent-care-home-which-lost-50-of-residents-to-covid-advised-on-channel-4-drama-to-show-reality-of-what-we-faced-12417118 A footnote to the C4 drama Help.

I think the genuine Rovers supporters will feel for the genuine Burnley supporters should your club endure what we have had to for nigh on eleven years now, or even go the way of Bury. If it happens don't expect the football authorities and other clubs to sympathise and offer support. At the mere whiff of a European Super League the government, football bodies, pundits and lots more were up in arms. When an institution from a northern town is thrown to the wolves by shocking ownership (ownership by the way sanctioned by some of the aforementioned) these people are nowhere to be seen.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/19601943.tony-mowbray-blackburn-rovers-had-bin-possession-based-style/ I would love to know who the players were that convinced him to play a possession based game last season. Elliot aside I can't think of one. Whilst we were third in the possession 'table' I think most of that possession was in areas where opponents were happy to let us have it and play ten yard passes along the back line ad infinitum. In my view it's as close to an admission that Mowbray got it horribly wrong last season.

Anybody who likes a really good drama should download Help which was on 4seven. It is set in a Liverpool care home during the at the start of the pandemic. Another reason to watch it is because of Stephen Graham and Jodie Comer. It's Graham at his brilliant best.

Take the seats out of the Directors Box to make a standing area and make the freeloaders who frequent it pay for tickets. 😁😁😁😁

I really don't know anymore Gav. You wrote with certainty that they are aware of all the decisions but I would be extremely surprised if they are aware of the contract situations. I agree they would have been informed about the STC but I genuinely think the contract issues are kept in house.

I don't know if it still applies but because of Covid there was a blanket ban on players posing with supporters for photographs of giving autographs. That said on Saturday at Barnsley several players gave their shirts to kids in the crowd. I'd give the club a call and ask the question.

I just wonder sometimes if the owners are aware (or even care) about what is going on at Rovers. We are going to potentially see millions of pounds worth of footballers walking away in June and we might get a pittance for one of them in return. I dread to think what the cost of replacing them will be against potential transfer fees and what new players will be demanding. I'd wager in the scheme of things it will cost us infinitely more to replace them than re engage them on new terms. Where is the curtain twitcher in all this, the man of mystery and intrigue. Is he reporting back that we have a bloke masquerading as a CEO who has failed in every aspect of the job. The man isn't fit to sweep the car park never mind calling the shots.I FOW.

Excellent post, one of the most succinct I have seen for a long time.

You are absolutely correct and that has been said many times by many people on various threads but I was trying to keep this about Waggott.

The question has been asked before but once again can anybody name one thing that has improved at Rovers during Swags tenure? Nuff said.

Wasn't Waggott supposed to be 'looking into' arranging free buses from various locations around the county? From memory it was to be an experiment to gauge the level of interest.

I think this is also the type of match which attracts the 'casual' fans who hardly ever go either home or away. I already know several of these who have borrowed season tickets, booked hotels and are looking forward to a good night out more than the actual match itself.

Sad news indeed for one of the English games most natural goal scorers. He fought off some demons to enjoy his life again and the Saint and Greavsie programme was part of a footballing Saturday ritual. RIP Greavsie.

It's another point towards staying in the Championship but I have to say Barnsley were there for the taking. We were quite solid defensively and restricted Barnsley to very few chances but our attacking play left a lot to be desired and poor finishing when we did actually create something. There wasn't a great tempo to our play and lots of misplaced or wrongly weighted passes. Brereton was more Brereton than Diaz again and Poveda didn't really contribute too much. Dolan was frustrating as he did some really good things and then spoiled it with a poor final pass or wrong decision. Travis was our star man in my opinion with lots of tackles and decent distribution. Overall I wasn't too disappointed with a draw but it was well within us to have taken all three points.

AFC Darwen are selling home shirts in adults sizes today. The price is £25.

Garrett was sat in the stands with his family.

I agree Matt. We met a group of fifty something Bolton fans when we were coming back from Millwall recently. They were really upbeat about their future and full of praise for their new owners. Meanwhile back at Deadwood...........

What a great, graphic image that is. A real indication of how football was before all seater stadiums.

Trust me Nixon is talking bollocks.

All the best in your new job my friend. It's not something that particularly interests me but clearly there is a market for it so knock yourself out 😁😁.

It's a bit like PMQ's when Johnson just doesn't answer questions but blathers on about something he thinks has done well. Parliament protocol forbids anybody pushing him too hard for answers but this is the Fans Forum where he should be held accountable and made to answer questions.