I didn't much care for the self pitying figure Best cut in the latter stages of his life but now he's gone I find it extremely sad that we've lost someone who was by popular consensus one of the three or four greatest players of all time. I think the "waste of a career" bit is slightly overdone, he actually won two League titles, the European Cup and was voted Europen footballer of the year. How many can claim that? Not his fault he was eligible for Northern Ireland his international career by definition was going to be limited. As for his personal life, as a sporting superstar in an era when sporting superstars didn't exist who knows how any of us would have reacted in the face of such temptation? As FLB said he didn't go around killing anyone. He deserves to be remembered for his unique footballing talents. Rodney Marsh who knew him better than most said that he had such wonderful balance he was like a Subbuteo player, you couldn't knock him over when he had he ball. This is certainly borne out by the old video footage of hm riding challenge after challenge. Such a difference from today's "superstars" who go down if someone breathes on them. I also like his assessment of Beckham "He has no left foot, can't head a ball or tackle. Apart from that he's all right." I hate Manchester United but he's one of those rare players who transcend inter club hostilities. Farewell George - the fifth Beatle.

Yep, anti Finnish sentiment is absolutely rife in Blackburn. That's an extremely silly thing to say phillip, not one poster has ever given the merest hint of criticising Kuqi on the basis of his ethnicity. The fact however we are in December and he has scored in one game might however have something to do with it. The plain fact of the matter is that he doesn't have the first touch,control or quickness of reaction to be effective at this level. I think the converse applies. If it had been a local lad like Gally performing in such a fashion the outcry would have been deafning. I'd also wager that if Gallagher was recalled he'd find the net far more regularly than Kuqi in the second half of the season whatever any criticisms of his all round play. As for the game itself we weren't unlucky, we played well but were beaten by the better side. No disgrace there, Arsenal have now won their last 13 games at Highbury. The difference was that they could call upon Henry and Van Perse for moments of magic, we are currently relying on players who can't cut it at this level in Dickov and Kuqi.

I was interested to hear that the mighty Juventus attracted a gate of just 7000 last Tuesday or Wednesday for their last Champions League fixture at the Stadio Del Alpe. Anyone know the population of Turin? I shudder to think what the self flaggelation merchants on here would be saying if we'd done the same thing. Poor old SG would probably be swinging by a rope from the Blackburn End. Luckily for us it also shows how relatively insignificant gate receipts are in comparison to TV/place/prize money etc.

Did we defend well without Neill? Can smell AC Milan's 10 mill already.

So we can take it the same argument applies in reverse then if we're sat in 4th or 5th on the 1st of Jan some 4m quid ahead of budget.

Sorry to be a nuisance but what does meeting "bi monthly or quarterly" mean? The first would indicate once every two weeks the second once every twelve weeks.

Thanks.

They already exist as far as I know and if you contacted the Fans Forum Chairman I'm sure he'd be willing to send you copies.

Fair enough Stu. Now, any chance of an answer to my question above or like the Nationwide Ads is the information for the benefit of "brand new customers only"?

So just to clarify: What exactly have the Club committed to thus far in terms of meeting with BRISA? - How often? - What level of contact? i.e. John Williams/Tom Finn etc or another club representative such as Nick Hall? Who with? i.e. BRISA committee members only? Ta.

Don't understand where you're coming from really Don. weren't you one of the founder members of the fans Forum or something?

stu, you're doing yourself nor BRISA any favours whatsoever with an attitude like that. So the club want a reaction from some supporters over new kit options. And later tell you which one has been chosen. But want you to keep it quiet ahead of an official launch. What are you meant to do? Promptly go out and tell all and sundry?. This is starting to remind me of Life of Bryan. " **** off we're not the Judean People's Front, we're the People's Front of Judea"

No problem with any of the above Paul, just didn't see the rationale behind a secret messageboard for BRISA members. I will see if we can get you along to a Fans Forum meeting. Shouldn't be a problem as far as I can see. Incidentally when you said in a previous post the club have agreed to meet bi monthly. Meet who? The Committee? Making it rather similar to errrrr..................the Fans Forum!

1) Not strictly true, luckily for us TV revenues and premiership place monies currently dwarf gate receipts so we are protected from the effect of falling gates somewhat. That said a pound is a pound from whatever source it comes from. 2) Other places probably have got a population of far greater than 140,000 to rely upon. That's even without touching upon the Asian debate. 3) The Walker money will not "run out" The Trust fund is a dynamic fund for the b enefit of all the Walker businesses supplemented by profits from all the businesses. Whether or not the Trustees choose to reduce or withdraw support at any time in the future is a different matter. 4) Agree on one point relegation would be an absolute disaster the way the club is set up at present. 5) The Board have hardly been "pulling it off" in recent years as we have had a deliberate policy over the last few seasons of running at a substantial deficit and paying a wage bill of more than we can really afford in an attempt to finish in the top half of the table. All at the end of the day supported by the largesse of the Trustees. That policy goes pear shaped when your manager is spending large amounts and not producing the goods as with Souness latterly. Luckily Hughes seems to be producing the goods without having had a penny to spend in net terms. 6) BRISA is a great idea but let's get away from the notion that the missing fans are suddenly going to flock back because it has been set up. If we do get back to average gates of 25-26000 it will take several seasons of attractive, reasonably successful football to achieve. A few home grown players coming through the Academy would work wonders in that respect as well.

Firstly let me say that I very much hope to be there on Thursday night and to join up. If for any reason I can't make it I'll join immediately afterwards anyway. However rightly or wrongly I'm afraid the impression that is coming over quite strongly at the moment is that BRISA will be representative of the views of the membership who have stumped up their fiver and that only representations from that section of the fans will be given any credence.

Very Secret Sevenish. And the fans forum is criticised for lack of transparency.

What did JW have to say in general at the Aqueduct last night?

Sounds like he and Windy just want to sort out their severance packages?

I don't think that's the reason, as far as I know the Riverside in it's current form isn't strong enough to support all the personnel and equipment. To rectify the problem would cost a certain amount and in the past it's not been deemed a sufficiently high priority. I'd be all for it personally.

If you want to go that badly there's nothing really stopping you is there? People who don't go, criticising other people that don't go, get on my nerves.

This has to be like those sketches on the Fast Show where the woman is talking and none of the blokes are listening to her.....................................

MONEY!

Steady on BBDU we've just seen 90 minutes of scintillating football that's all! What do you want people queueing outside Ewood at 9a.m. this morning for the Everton game on December the 3rd? We've seen several seasons of unentertaining home performances under Souness and to a lesser degree, Hughes. We've also had to put up with with several seasons of Williams and Souness going on about survival being the priority, and Souness intimating that Cup competitions are unimportant. The message has been put right since Hughes took over and results have definitely improved since the Newcastle game but from an entertainment point of view I would suggest that of the games at home this season only the Spurs and Charlton games were particularly good performances. If we carry on in the same vein gates should improve, if not there's a problem, but even if that proves to be the case we just have to get on with it and thank our lucky stars that gate receipts currently form such a proportionately small percentage of our revenue. I'm not sure that for the club to openly criticise the blackburn Public is the right way to go . In fact it could be tantamount to commercial suicide.

Money. I think I read the FA were on a nice little earner for staging the game there as opposed to here. As for the game itself, utterly pointless, needlessly disrupting the season yet again as it threatens to get into full swing.

All week it's been "Fergie out" tonight the radio phone ins have been full of ManUre fans who suddenly think they're the dogs wotsits again. Although Mourinho seems to have been afflicted by a bit of RFW like sour grapes recently give me him Terry, Lampard and Duff over RFW, Ferdinand, Keane, Van Horseface and their insufferable support anyday. Although out of the three I'd sooner see Arsenal win it. And out of the four Wigan