From what I saw the ticket restrictions worked in that "infiltration" was at an absolute minimum given the circumstances. I only saw two fans ejected from Jack Walker lower and one from the Blackburn End. However closing half the turnstiles in the Jack Walker stand is a difficult one to work out. One thing i noticed was that the usual "old bid" make up of S/T holders in my area were almost all absent and in their place was an altogether more vocal brand of youngish to middle aged male showing that there is a wider pool of potential support than we've been attracting for some games. They're never likely to return if we can't play better than that though.

A lot of people are being far too generous. Just about everyone on the pitch was a disgrace to the shirt, the name of Blackburn Rovers, and Jack Walker. Every time a ball was played forward the Celtic player was at least a second quicker to react. Too angry to go into specifics.

Woodlands on Preston New Rd. nr. Billinge School. West View is at bottom of Revidge Rd. Dog Inn bit further up.

Anyone fancy a beer in the Woodlands/West View area lunchtime onwards before they head into town?

78 ditto. Cap and Steven, Oh dear!

I notice the Club have craftily changed the normal style of the tickets which should alleviate that problem.

Go on then you tell me, my psychic powers aren't up to scratch today. I would define "a few" as up to about 500 bearing in mind tickets haven't gone on open sale. If there are more than that has there been any mention in the local press advising people that there are still tickets available AND reminding them they can apply if they are on the database?. Can't say I've seen any but then I haven't been looking particularly.

For this specific match there was no alternative to the arrangements the Club actually made, and as such there is no disrace if there are a few tickets left.

Don't forget that the ticket office are refusing to sell tickets to rovers fans. What do you expect? Celtic didn't refuse their fans tickets, did they? Only Rovers "fans" who never went last season or this, even to Cardiff. Shame. So new fans or former fans who may have fallen off at some point are not to be encouraged?

How many empty seats are we talking? Not so many I wouldn't have thought.

Anyone who wants to go who isn't on the database. Price will also have had some effect. Two friends of mine who are S/T ticket holders in JW upper and who were looking at £32 each for their tickets didn't even consider purchasing a ticket given they could watch it for free at home /in the Pub. Strangely in my view they did however go to Walsall because it was a tenner. If I'd absolutely had to pick and choose I would have done it the other way round.

Onwards and upwards after beating celtic to morrow night.

Hi Tris good to hear you enjoyed the day!. Agree re: referee, Gillespie and Dunn but have to totally disagree with your assessment of Cole. Thought he worked his knackers off today (ditto Villa) and was our most effective player. (Not that that was saying much!) Nothing at all has gone for him in front of goal this season, and this goal the proverbial rebound off his arse on the line could well kickstart his season.

Well lets just shut down the messageboard then. Calm down. The point is that hardly any-one who the complaint is made against will be likely to read this board.

I hope the identity of the dog was witheld to save it further embarrasment.

LOL. What was he doing in the toilet with Keith Lard?

I really don't understand why so many people on here spend all their time slagging off the support of the Club they profess to support!. We should be intensely PROUD of our current level of support not ashamed of it. We do not live in a City of 1m or even 250k inhabitants. FACT: Celtic will sell out or near as dammit despite tickets not going on open sale. FACT: A massive Club like Celtic couldn't sell out their tickets without putting them on open sale. FACT: Any big City Club would have to have gates of c£250,000 to match the %age take up of the population achieved by Rovers FACT: Attendances have held steady despite a 20% hike in prices. Of course enthusiasm may have seemed greater in 1993. (although attendances are actually far better now) Top flight football was a novelty then now it is the norm. And so it should be with the infrastructure provided by Uncle Jack. God knows what people on here would say if we were getting the 6,000 attendances of the 70's, early 80's. Now THAT'S poor. Would all those moaning now have been too ashamed to support our little Club in those days? The attendances will increase gradually season upon season in the Premiership. They need tweaking rather than drastic surgery. There's no point moaning on here about it. Everyone on here either goes already or is precluded by geographical limitations. Anyone still unhappy, instead of moaning, get a friend down to Ewood as the slogan goes!.

Sorry for being misleading oz, we haven't sold out yet but I'm sure we will. What I meant was it is no mean achievement to sell out any fixture where tickets don't actually go on open sale. In line with Baz's comments above I'm not actually certain a lot of supporters are aware they can purchase tickets for big games by virtue of being on the database. IF YOU'RE ON YOU CAN APPLY! AND IF YOU'RE NOT ON AND WANT TO GO TO SEE US BEAT LIVERPOOL/MANURE IN FUTURE GET YOURSELF ON BY GOING DOWN TO SEE FULHAM/SOUTHAMPTON /CHARLTON AT HOME!

The only amazing thing in my eyes is that we can actually sell out a game on TV at Category A prices without putting tickets on open sale. (Not that that is feasible for this particular game.) Celtic of course had to do that a few days before the game to ensure a full house.

Moderation Mode Off PABBY, I'd say you owe around 16000 Season Ticket holders an apology for that insult. Words fail me....we are amongst the clubs most loyal supporters and those LEAST likely to act in this way. Are you aware any ST holder selling on a Celtic ticket faces losing their ST? On 1864's point I bought 3 extras the first day they went on open sale simply by explaining I was an ST holder and I have a histiry of buying extra tickets. Paul ... I'd say he owes about 15,500 of them an apology ... season ticket holders and idiots are not mutually exclusive though Thank you Tris, i take it that comment was directed at me. Perhaps you can then give a sensible explanation as to why a pay per match person who might regularly buy several tickets in their own name for unspecified friends should be able to purchase extra tickets, whereas the lifeblood of the Club, season ticket holders can not?

Write to or contact Secretary Tom Finn directly at the Club explaining the problem and giving details of the intended recipients. It's no wonder we struggle to sell out with such ridiculously restrictive regulations. Why should people who purchase tickets on a match by match basis be allowed to purchase extra tickets when the main core of our support, 16,000 ST holders, can't?

Well if we play like that in the second leg................. We'll have 70% possession again but lose the tie 2-0. Some great build up play from Rovers but much too tippy tappy in the final third. Trying to pass the ball into the net as we're prone to do on occasion. We have to be much more ruthless at Ewood and we could easily find ourselves having to score 3 to win. I was adamant before last night's game we'd at least score a vital away goal. Having said that, on last night's evidence you would fancy us to go through even though it was a poor result.

I'm not suggesting for a second tickets for the second leg of this tie go on open sale, just that we need to relax ticketing policy for League games. If Celtic can't sell this game out without putting tickets on open sale we are not going to sell our games out with a more restrictive policy. As far as being shafted by Celtic is concerned, several fans including Julie (aka Classy Bird on here, juetheblue2 on the official m/b) have said John Williams himself was walking up and down the queues himself explaining we had turned down the 7,200 allocation. That's gone now, the vital thing is filling Ewood for the future. Only 24 hours from Glasgow! COME ON YOU BLUES!

Marvellous, Rovers pass up a worthwhile allocation just so Celtic can put the tickets on open sale. (And yes, the Club) have usually got it right in recent times) On a more general theme the fact a "major" Club like Celtic has to put tickets on open sale just to try and ensure a sell out speaks volumes. We're not selling out at Ewood yet it's easier for the occasional fan to get into Fort Knox than it is to get into a category A game. We have to start taking a slightly more relaxed view towards ticket sales if we're going to fill Ewood. We can't keep going on about Man City for ever. And, whilst I'm not entirely in favour of the idea, I can't understand how it can be acceptable for a club like Celtic to put tickets on open sale but not apparently Blackburn Rovers. (Talking in general not for the second leg)

I fully expected us to beat Newcastle comfortably but the Arsenal result was of course a complete bonus on the balance of play. Neither of those games will have too much bearing on the Celtic tie. If we rise to rather than be intimidated by, the occasion I expect us to prove superior in every area of the pitch. A 2-1 victory both legs.