Goodison Park has been a happy hunting ground for Rovers over the years. I remember us winning there 4-2 and 3-2 in successive seasons in the mid 1960s when Everton really were one of the top clubs in the country. Mind you, we were pretty nifty too with Douglas, Clayton et al in their pomp. Alan Bradshaw scored two goals in one of the victories but failed to achieve much else and left the game to become a schoolteacher. The hard work on the training ground is really starting to show now and confidence is rising as the players start to believe in themselves. Well done Mark Hughes.

Excellent result. Hughes had Everton in a tactical straitjacket. I've never seen a Rovers team work so hard.

Same story in the red tops. Hughes quoted as saying that "they will be discussing his future at the end of the season". Bye bye Matt.

Present it to that nice Mr Williams. I'm sure he'll pay it personally out of his overinflated salary.

When the argument is lost, the inadequate resort to abuse. I wouldn't have expected anything less.

Kindly provide some quotes and a source to go with your nonsensical mutterings. (PS ... at least yeast is a living organism - what remains between your own ears obviously ceased all activity some time ago) On radio 30 minutes ago, talking about the delay in setting the date for the Leicester game, JW said " The delay gives us effectively one day less to sell the tickets. However, we should be able to cope. We have learned from the mistakes when selling the Burnley tickets. We've learned the problems of the ticket office opening hours, the inclement weather [i'm not sure what he means there, maybe the fact that thousands of people had to queue in the freezing cold, or maybe the weather caused technical problems] and this time the season ticket holders will have their own window" So there were mistakes made last time. The biggest one, was putting over 20000 tickets on sale from day one, causing tremendous queues on the phones and at the ticket office. This isn't stamping feet and shouting from the hill tops to complain about the club, simply the recognition that the way it was done last time was unacceptable. Well done JW for recognising that. Can't see where anyone should apologise there. Which is also what he said to me in a telephone conversation yesterday. Nonsensical eh eh ??

Laughable post from the former brewery worker who clearly has yeast between his ears. Williams has admitted that the club made mistakes this week and got it wrong in many aspects of its tickets operation. Hopefully, those mistakes won't happen again ... but on past experience I wouldn't bet on it.

Over the two games both Rovers and Burnley showed themselves to be well-organised teams made up of journeymen players (Pedersen excepted). The difference is that our journeymen are just that bit better than theirs. The "gap" perceived to be closing by Burnlery supporters is in fact as wide as the last time the teams met. Rovers would still beat Burnley nine times out of ten.

The link requires registration. Can you copy and paste ?

I noticed that too. Is it a first for the club ?

A touch generous to Gallagher. He is lacking so many of qualities needed in a modern striker; he does not have the strength or technique to play with his back to goal, he is not a good passer and does not bring his team-mates into play, he does not take defenders on and try to beat them through either skill or pace, he is not a great header of the ball and he is not a deadly finisher in the penalty area. So the question has to be asked: what is Gallagher for ? A career in non-league football with Great Harwood beckons.

You are. Really ? I thought I was complaining about poor service.

Since when has asking staff to man a telephone, take supporters' credit card details and reserve a seat, been a hare-brained scheme ? In the words of Yosser Hughes, "I could do that".

And what happened to your customers who did not receive the service they expected ? Took their custom elsewhere no doubt. Customer/client relationship is hardly the same as the supporter and his football club. Fans will always be loyal but they are not compelled to attend matches, and if there is difficulty obtaining a ticket then in all likelihood they won't bother trying the next time. I doubt if anyone is "shouting from the rooftops". After hanging on the phone for hours they are probably extremely grateful just to speak to a human voice.

Thank you for saying it far more eloquently than I could. Paul, read and inwardly digest. You might learn something.

Why only those limited opening times ? To ensure that every tickets is sold and fans are not on the telephone for hours on end the ticket office should be open 24 hours a day. Pathetic.

Well said. Years ago I saw Jack Marshall sweeping the terraces after a game ! Johnny Carey used to to muck in cleaning the dressing room. Work to be done so the management helps out. If the club asks for criticism it is going to get it, and in this case it deserves it.

Missing the point. Supporters are making legitimate points about the way the club is run. For the price we have to pay it's not good enough and adds an unnecessary sour taste to the enjoyment of the occasion. Ticket problems at Ewood are nothing new - remember the 1960 Cup Final ?

With all due respect you ought to be and so should everyone else. Multi-tasking and a flexible workforce is a manadatory requirement in most work places these days - with a small staff such as the one at Ewood I would have thought it essential. Even Mr Williams might get his hands "dirty" occasionally. All hands to the pumps in the areas of greatest need ! So if needed you can nip down to the printing works and run off 3 million copies of the Sun (or its cousin the tabloid Times) ?? I think not. Multi-tasking and a flexible workforce is a manadatory requirement in most work places these days - with a small staff such as the one at Ewood I would have thought it essential. Read it again before making stupid comments. Another pint of Guinness please.

With all due respect you ought to be and so should everyone else. Multi-tasking and a flexible workforce is a manadatory requirement in most work places these days - with a small staff such as the one at Ewood I would have thought it essential. Even Mr Williams might get his hands "dirty" occasionally. All hands to the pumps in the areas of greatest need !

Good post. Exactly the point I was making earlier. Not exactly "rocket science" is it, but then Williams is paid £400,000 plus a year so he must be good at something.

Send Williams your phone bill. He might get his overpaid lazy arse in gear next time.

I really do sympathise. The club have scored yet another own goal over this. Send John Williams your phone bill.

The Guinness drone is defending the indefensible as usual but he's right on one thing for once - it isn't rocket science. As soon as the whistle blew at Turf Moor the management should have been organising the club staff (including other departments) to work in the ticket office 24 hours a day. This is a unique match and it requires the club to do something out of the ordinary, which it patently has been unable to do. Perhaps they'll be geared up properly for the next time it happens 45 years hence. Yet another example of management failure at Ewood - take a bow the man at the top, John Williams.

This is all ######. It's the biggest game for years, a local derby, massive interest, the ground should be full with punters getting all the tickets they need. The ticket office should be open from 6am to midnight every day in the run up to the game and the same for the Leicester match if we beat Burnley. So what if the staff are overworked ? - that's why they're there. They've got a whole summer to have a rest.