My shirt arrived earlier and many thanks to Ian and anyone else who was involved in the procurement of these. When I opened the package my mind went back to a day around sixty years ago. A bus ride from Shadsworth into town, a walk from the Boulevard, through Thwaites Arcade and into Johnny Forbes shop. My mother spent some of her hard earned money to buy me a Rovers kit, almost identical to the one I got today. I couldn't wait to get home, get changed and go and play football on the pitch at Shadsworth Junior School. I felt a million dollars and from that time I was hooked. Thanks again to all involved. If I knew how to post a picture of it I would do it. 😂😂

https://www.pnefc.net/news/2022/november/blackburn-rovers-tickets-to-go-on-sale-monday/ 700 tickets for the upper Darwen End are now on sale to Nobbers but there are 600 unsold in the lower tier. I'm not sure how that works.

I don't often watch/listen to full time match analysis by the 'experts' in the studio but something I heard last night resonated with me. A young lady (Danish I think) said the the Spanish style of play was boring. She said what millions are thinking and saying but for some reason many 'experts' won't. In fact some are embarrassingly patronising about it. I have sensed a seed change in this World Cup though that quite a few countries aren't afraid to play long passes or have their goalkeeper kick it long.

This penalty taking style which is in vogue at the moment is bloody infuriating. It makes the player look good when he scores but missing makes them look stupid. The Spain manager said his team have taken a thousand penalties in training to avoid a penalty shoot out defeat. That worked out well.

One word - iconic.

Bassey the Ajax centre half was signed for a reported £25m from Rangers.

Has anybody heard if Ayala was injured as he went off at half time?

The issue for me is that the officials are happy to allow VAR to make a big decision as it takes the pressure away from them. In Rugby League when a decision is referred to the video referee the on field referee has to commit himself to a decision and that is heard by the supporters. In football the on field officials are non committal and happy to pass the buck.

VAR found wanting again as a Uruguayan deliberately stamps on a Ghanaian. For some reason VAR is reluctant to get involved for violent following or serious foul play.

It really is awful when a player tries to be clever as he strolls and stutters up to the ball. It just makes it easier for the keeper. And it looks like the shocker is going to cost Ghana now. As you say just belt the bloody thing.

Rovers 1-0 up in 5 minutes through Szmodics (against Hearts that is).

You are making an assumption there my friend but I believe that players have a code of conduct and standard of behaviour that they should adhere to. Barnes' comments are irresponsible and could well propagate trouble in March. As for likening Dack's misdemeanours (for which he was rightly punished) to drink driving then you really need to think again. Barnes could have killed somebody whilst Dack was a knob.

The drunk driver Barnes has been charged for referring to us as Bastards in a Sky interview after the recent game. Hopefully they hammer him with a fine and suspension. https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/ashley-barnes-faces-potential-fa-action-as-fallout-continues-from-burnleys-win-over-rivals-blackburn/

His error was the prices he charged for season tickets in the summer. In the article he talks about understanding the economic situation for people and then kept prices the same. Still on £300k a year and getting into games for free it doesn't really impinge on his finances too much.

Why bother with such a curt reply. Explain why you disagree by all means but a nonsense response like that doesn't do you any favours.

Thanks Andy. I wasn't aware that Bob had passed away. It's a few years since I saw him and he didn't seem in great health but he was happy to stand and chat football for a while. Did you know he was a Bournemouth supporter?

I was having a look at the upcoming fixtures and was that our next Saturday 3 pm game is at Rotherham on January 14th. The last 3 pm kick off on a Saturday was November 5th at home to Huddersfield. That's over two months without a regular kick off time which is eight games in total.

The best way to beginning some from of redemption from Tomasson and the players is to batter the Nobbers whilst playing some quick, intense and progressive football. In reality though I expect his cautious, slow and over playing football we have seen too many times this season. However the only thing that matters is the result and in fairness he has ground out a few so far but the Dingle debacle has seen him lose lots of the faith I had in him.

When Barcelona did it they had players who didn't need more than two touches and had great speed of mind. The sheep who are trying to replicate this simply don't have the raw materials to do it hence too many touches and ponderous in possession. I do feel that the tide is shifting a little as some of the World Cup teams are going longer, playing on second balls and percentages. Hopefully Tomasson realises our limitations and tweaks things.

Forest have been given an initial allocation of 4,319 tickets for this match and fully expect to sell them. The article I saw doesn't say whether more will be available if needed.

In the latest edition of the excellent Turnstile magazine (produced by Rovers fan Chris O'Keefe) there is a copy of a Football League Review from around 1970 and Rovers are the club in the Ground Call feature. Alongside the usual ground capacity statistics it has what was at that time record receipts of £13280 from an FA Cup match against Manchester City on 1969. The attendance was 42315. As a real enthusiast for such statistics I remember such publications as Rothmans Football Yearbook when every club published their record receipts but that was in the days when there was no hospitality which now would probably skew the figures. It would be interesting though to know on a game by game basis what Rovers take.

It's interesting that even on those early plans the Riverside appears to have been unchanged and the houses on Kidder Street remained.

I don't know if this has been posted before but it's worth a watch.

The Americans have the measure of England tactically. Southgate is doing a fair impression of Tomasson here with the inane passing and walking football whilst the Yanks are playing through the lines with pace.