I wasn't aware of any changes either made or impending. I concur with your second sentence and would like to see the whole Sky gravy train derailed. When I see average Joe's earnings £100k plus on a weekly basis it makes me puke.

For those old enough to remember the most level playing field was when gate receipts were shared. The incentive for clubs like Rovers was getting into the First Division and playing the big clubs away and getting (after expenses) 50% of the gate money. The big clubs didn't like this so, with the backing of the Football League the rule was changed so visiting clubs got nothing. I have a real fear that sooner or later history will repeat itself and the 'big six' will take a bigger share of the pot primarily because of their box office appeal. I read that the lowest ever Sky audience was recorded for the recent Cardiff v Burnley match which kind of bears this out. Contrast that to Man Utd or Liverpool and their global appeal. Christian Purslow was the Liverpool Chief Executive who went public and actually used Rovers as an example of why Liverpool should get more money. There will be strong resistance from the PL and member clubs but I think the threat of the elite clubs leaving for a European or Global league will put the fear of God into them.

Was it one of his teammates? I remember the Altrincham team from that era full of hard men but King was the daddy. If I remember correctly he smashed Ossie Ardiles in the first minute when Altrincham played Spurs in the FA Cup.

The well known player wouldn't be Johnny King of Altrincham would it Tyrone?

Hopefully this is precautionary and nothing serious. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45850784

I've said before on here Nick that Rovers should tap into the fan base for ideas and initiatives. I know of a few on here who have the intelligence, acumen and love of Rovers to bring new, fresh ideas. One of the best managers I ever worked for set up an initiative named Manufacturing Improvement Teams. For the time they ran they saved hundreds of thousands of pounds and generally made the company better and safer. There teams were made up of mainly process guys, the people actually on the coal face.

Two interesting articles on the LT website today. https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/16977685.what-could-tempt-rovers-fans-back-to-ewood-park/ https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/16977901.rovers-season-ticket-holders-on-why-they-continue-to-sign-up/

I agree Leonard. His arrogance was in believing that after one season of success the lapsed fans would come flooding back forgetting the previous six seasons of virtual purgatory engineered by the owners. So he stupidly puts the prices up and closes the Darwen End. I get the impression he sold this warped vision to the Indians during the summer visit and he is fearful of being questioned by them when he visits them in November. John Williams valued the advice from supporters and put quite a lot of this into practice. Whilst Waggott meets with fans groups regularly does he listen to them and value their input?

He was talking about his calf which was the injury that kept him out for a few games. I was wracking my brains and I can't remember Mulgrew going off injured during a game under Mowbray. His injuries have been when on International duty or in training. He was taken ill before the away game at Northampton.

I think the media hype (led by you know who) portrayed Kean as a forward thinking, innovative coach who would turn us into a Lancashire version of Barcelona. Some fans were duped by this and for some as you say Andy it was a case of ABA (anybody but Allardyce).

BBC News this morning announced John Terry's appointment as Assistant Coach before they even mentioned Dean Smith's appointment as Head Coach. The limelight and media infatuation will undoubtedly be on Terry rather than Smith. Whether that's a good thing or not only time will tell. Heaven help us when Villa play Derby.

I once heard a journo on Sunday Supplement that Nixon can throw a hundred darts and one might hit the bullseye. Such is the esteem his colleagues hold him in.

Nixon seems to have a real downer on Rovers probably something to do with the journalistic arm he threw around Kean and Coyle in an effort to try and dupe us into believing that they were any good. Arguably they were the two worst managers in most of our times following Rovers. His own stock has fallen to such a degree that he is almost inventing stories which the majority of us think are in the realms of fantasy. I can't believe that Radio Lancashire give him airtime and that people follow/converse with him on Twitter or read his red top columns. He is a washed up hack. Dack might be sold (as might any player for the right price) but Nixon has no more idea about this than any of us.

Charlie nails it for me: https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/16966728.charlie-mulgrew-lots-of-negatives-for-rovers-to-work-on/?ref=mr&lp=4

West Brom ticket prices announced today and they should be congratulated for their sensible pricing. Hopefully we will sell out particularly after the recent Bolton and upcoming Swansea extortionate pricing. https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2018/october/ticket-news-west-brom-a/

Winning football matches is primarily why Blackburn Rovers exist. The vast majority of things that happen at the club are generally governed by results. Today was a cause to feel good as we won at a ground that has been a bit of a graveyard for us for some time now. However winning doesn't preclude any criticism and I defy any Rovers fan of sound mind to tell us they didn't envisage an equaliser. Our best period of play was up until we scored and then we slowed the pace down, misplaced passes and were getting caught in possession. The chat at halftime was that we wouldn't see to much of the action at the end which we were behind and how right we were. In all honesty I was baffled by this change in mindset as I honestly thought we could have comfortably got another goal if we pushed forward. Instead we sat back and invited pressure. There are times when we really get put through the wringer by Mowbrays teams and today was one of them. Mowbray used 'win ugly' in his post match interview and he was bang on the money. With three tough matches before the end of October today's win was vital but I would love to coast home in the last ten minutes of a game without having my nerves shredded.

That's pretty much why I suggested Armstrong rather than Graham to make us less one dimensional. I think Mowbray just needs to be smarter today. Dack or Armstrong up against Lowe could yield some free kicks in dangerous positions.

We need some real intensity in our game today and we need to be at it from the start. Mowbray had intimated that we may sit in and play on the break judging from his comments about Bolton's style of play. If that is the case we will need to be compact, disciplined and keep our shape. If he does adopt this approach I would be tempted to play Armstrong down the middle in the role he played at Hull. He at least can get in behind and his mobility against a lumbering Bolton defence could be key.

He went off injured in the pre season match at Accrington at the end of July and hasn't played since. His parents were sat behind me at Accrington and I heard his mum saying he was holding his groin again just before he came off.

But he couldn't possibly have been a target could he given that he only became available so late in the window? His sudden availability must have made him the main target st the expense of other. I would have thought if Mowbray rated him so highly he would have enquired about his availability before Forest circulated his name so late in the window.

I understood it as we only bid for Brereton in the last hour of the transfer window when Forest circulated his name. As it was far too late to get a deal done the pursuit carried over into the loan window. If he was a summer target why wouldn't a bid have been placed early in the window? My impression is that he was a panic buy when other targets didn't materialise.

Pretty much my thoughts about the contrasting styles home and away. And how bloody long did Brereton take to tie his boot laces?

Sheffield didn't do anything different in this game than they do every week. You are making it sound like they changed tactics and systems when we did to stop us playing. In every aspect of football they were better and Mowbray looked forlorn on the touchline as the realisation hit home. After Saturday we have Leeds, Swansea and West Bromwich. We'll do well to get a point from those three.

He's easily licked though ?.

The honeymoon period is well and truly over. The scoreline flattered us as Sheffield played around and through us for long periods. We were lethargic in and out of possession, we were taking two or three touches when one would have done and I lost count of the bad first touches almost every player had. Mowbray has been making lots of noise about the spirit and whilst it's an asset you need some quality to go with it. Sheffield had both in abundance and I don't think they'll get an easier three points. I will be delighted when we get to fifty points.