Just a liitle throwaway number - inspired by the Souness line the other day when he said "You've got to laugh or else you'd cry". Most of you will know that the line comes from the Tom Hark song - the tune of which is undergoing something of a resurgence in football grounds - having been popular back in the eighties. Easy lyrics - and if anyone wants to suggest changes, feel free. We're Rovers daft We all know why You have to laugh Or else you'd cry Blue and White Till the day we die We're Rovers daft And we all know why Catchy, easy - maybe too simple. What say you ?

Jas - typical Celtic supporter - refuse to admit you're wrong regarding previous posts yet bum your gums when things are going well. Here's a short summary for you. Europe: You've carried a certain amount of fortune as Rovers and Vogo definitely had chances of scoring an away goal at Parkhead. You've no chance of lifting the EUFA Cup - the first decent side to score at Celtic Park will progress to the next round. YOU : "Top of the league and there to stay" you said. I warned you that Celtic cant cope with wingers (McCann destroyed you again) and Gers would win. We Did. I said McLeish had sussed you out - he has. I said "O" Neill couldn't accept defeat - he didn't as his "astonishingly brilliant" comment made him a laughing stock. That's why folk on here are getting @#/? off because you just come on to rile the locals but make no attempt to comment on other Blackburn threads - like I do. Come back, Jas when you can admit you were wrong - and I expect to hear from you when you fail to progress beyond the Eufa quarter final stages. Oh yeah, McLeish v O Neill - played seven - lost none - easy

It was painfully obvious that the town of Blackburn was ill prepared for the visit of such a massive Celtic support- although I think it's unlikely that they will be so unprepared next time. I'll start by pointing out that when Celtic (and Rangers for that matter) travel to important Euopean games, some supporters will tank themselves up throughout the day. We witnessed various fans drinking at Southwaite, on buses and in the town early on and obviously some of them will be in a state of drunkenness when kick-off time approaches. That's the nature of some Old Firm supporters although it has to be said that the majority of fans make-do with a few pints and then head for the game. I suppose normally at Blackburn matches, Rovers fans would not bat an eyelid at a couple of drunks but you have to remember that Celtic supporters travelled in their thousands last night and I'm afraid the culture shock of seeing so many fans suffering from the effects of drink must have been a real eye opener for the Auntie Doris's who sat near me in the Jack Walker stand. Before the match, we queued up to get into the Moorings. The five of us were surrounded by Celtic fans and the banter was good (although I did have to change the tune on my mobile and also didn't mention that three of us supported another Glasgow team - not Partick !) While we were waiting to get in on a one in - one out basis, two of the biggest looking monsters I've ever seen, both Blackburn fans - one with a terrible scar on his face, attempted to walk straight in. No one was arguing, not even the bouncers. However, the Police arrived and escorted the guys to the end of the line - a clear case of the authorities doing their job. Can I just add that the sight of three barmaids clearly harassed and rushed off their feet proved to me how local businessmen can under-estimate a sudden influx of customers. I have to say that I didn't think the Moorings was overbusy given the fact that the queue outsude was always over fifty-sixty long. We were served within five minutes and had plenty of room to find a corner to stand in - in stark contrast to Glasgow where the bar is packed and you have to basically hold your drinks shoulder high as their is so little room to move. In my opinion, the manger of the Moorings could have made a fortune by employing more staff and allowing more customers in. The staff would still have been hard pressed but the benefits would have been worthwhile to the owner. As I've said - they couldn't cope with what I thought was a busy - but not crowded - group of thirsty fans. I saw a few drunks but no trouble outside the ground. I was at the very left of the JW stand and did see some Celtic fans getting attacked after Larsson scored. I also saw the guy who needed four or five policemen to hold and handcuff him before he was led away. The truth is they shouldn't have been there and generally it only results in the fan being escorted from the ground - it's not often you see violence though - anger, yes, but usually home fans just call a steward and the resulting ejection is enough to calm folk down. Stewarding in England is a farce - in my opinion. In Scotland, stewards face the crowd and don't watch the match. They certainly don't chat away to each other, are regularly visited by their superior to gage any problem or incident that could/has occurred, and know that help is available should the situation get out of control. I agree with those who said youngsters shouldn't be asked to steward such highly charged games. I also thought the reaction of stewards and Police was slow when the guy in the Rangers strip ran towards the Darwen Road End - we loved that. I've heard various viewpoints about the Ewood atmosphere and how some Rovers fans don't get behind the team - but nothing prepared me for what I heard last night. Although my mates sit in the JW stand, they are very vociferous - like me. Yet I was shocked when I heard comments such as " Oh, there's a helicopter" " OH look - a sea of scarves" "Look at him - oh my - he's actually resisting arrest " ! I should add that they were all pensioners but come on - this was during play. Fair play to the lads in the Blackburn End stand who tried to get the atmosphere going - even if the Souness song got a little monotonous towards the end. Oh, and if you were in the JW stand and you heard guys with Scottich accents shouting "Come on - get behind your team" - that was us. Apart from the result, I enjoyed the day out. Met my old mates, had a few drinks and a laugh. Top night. As for Alchemist - Gs. I don't think you were at the match - part timer - so don't come on here and spout nonsense at what has been good natured banter up till now. Pete, Jmc and Jas have all contributed to decent views and points on this forum - pity you couldn't do the same. You are wrong though, alchemist, when you say there wouldn't be a welcome for you in Annie Miller's - come on in - I'm waiting with the blowtorch and the pliers....

Thanks Paul. It wasn't just flung together. I tried to make it rhyme like the U.S anthem - where in the first verse the second line rhymes with the sixth and the fourth with the eighth (I think). Better keep to myself the one about Tugay and Blue and White's Turkish Delight - full of Eastern promise :

Seems strange that you should ask for songs and yet when someone takes the time to reply you can only muster an expletive ! As for the right tune - it's just about bang on and I would suggest you either don't know the Star Spangled banner or you've made up your mind that no outsider will receive any recognition. I never claimed it was great but I think it's okay - and as I said, the tune fits in fine... Now Eddie - lets hear your tribute to Friedel...

The trouble with suggesting new songs is that you are open to ridicule - still, it has never bothered me before ! Thought I'd try and compose a song for Brad Friedel to the tune of the American national anthem Star Spangled Brad Oh say can you see In this great Rovers' side For how proudly he stands That is Blackburn's Brad Friedel USA's number one Wears the stars and the stripes And we Rovers will rise To our fantastic keeper And everyone knows That his class always shows In unbeatable form While protecting his goal And say is that Blackburn's Brad Friedel being bra- ve As he dives at their feet And pulls off a save That's all folks.....

I've just read that warning, Jordan. I take it that only applies to Blackburn fans buying tickets for Celtic supporters and not for outsiders who'll be sitting with the home fans and cheering on Rovers ?

The point about Rovers' supporters missing out on the big game is a valid one - but it's been happening for years at every club. Three of us are going down to cheer on Blackburn as we occasionally do - it's a little arrangement we've got with our Blackburn mates - we visit them and they in turn enjoy the odd day out at Ibrox. I sympathise when I hear someone misses out but then I look at the ticket allocation - Celtic getting almost a quarter of the ground while Blackburn received a twentieth of the allocation at Parkhead - and suddenly I don't feel so bad. There's no doubt in my mind Blackburn could've given Celtic 3000 tickets and comfortably sold out the ground and although it's a shame that some regulars might miss out, there will always be fair weathered supporters who obtain tickets - in this instance it's the three of us... P.S - When I say fair-weathered supporters, I mean in the Blackburn sense. We are regular supporters elsewhere...

I double checked all the comments before I added the forfeit about Bairds, the Squirrel etc - just to be on the safe side ! Totally agree with your comments regarding Leckie although I feel he hates the Old Firm equally. No matter how well Rangers or Celtic have performed in certain European games over the years, he'll always concentrate on songs/chants or the odd idiot in the crowd. As for MarkBRFC Could be worse - I could waste my time typing one line questions and adding smilies just to increase the post tally

One hundred per cent correct, Dr Rich - that's exactly what I said. Come on, Pete 1888, I would be slaughtered if I suggested Celtic fans only sing Y.N.W.A in Old Firm games. Grand Old Team, Dont take my Larsson Away, Cheer up Advocaat, Only one Pierre (last season) Soldiers Song (away) Athenrie - I know the reportoire. I stick by what I said. Everyone knows that a large away support helps the atmosphere - something that's lacking at Ibrox and Parkhead unless it's an Old Firm Derby - There's no doubt in my mind that When Rangers and Celtic play Kilmarnock, for example, the atmosphere peaks with S. the Best and Y.N.W.A and goes quieter from then on apart from the occasional burst of noise.

I never claimed to be a neutral, SMc Celtic - just decided to share some of the comments made from North of the Border with the Blackburn supporters which would be of particular interest to them. It may surprise you - and Flopsy for that matter - that all those comments are true and almost word for word. Sources were as follows. Fans comments - phone-ins to Radio Scotland, Radio Clyde, Record Hotline, Leck him have it (Scottish Sun) Sunday Mail and one from Rob McLean's column. Souness - Tam Cowan (Record) Bill Leckie (Scottish Sun) The Game - Record, Scottish Sun, Sunday Mail : Players - Sunday Post, Sunday Mail, Record, Scottish Sun. I've kept all cuttings and cassettes in case you still doubt me. If you can prove I made some up, I'll wear a Rovers shirt, go to either the Hoops, Bairds or Squirrel Bar in the Gallowgate and sing Rule Brittania. I'm not mad so believe me - the sources are genuine enough although I'll agree they are selective. As for your point about Sutton and Lennon - most supporters would argue that Celtic were not allowed to play to their best rather than your suggestion that they under performed. Sorry, but that's the way it looked....

A lot has been written and spoken about regarding Thurday's match. However, it's fair to say that most Rovers fans will not have had the opportunity of reading the views or hearing comments made by the Scottish Press and Fans. I thought you might like to read some of the things that have been said during the past three days : The Press - About Souness Even though his dapper Tom Selleck moustache has disappeared (I believe it was last spotted at a Village People tribute night) Graeme Souness undoubtedly still has style - and it stands out a mile. Forget the £3000 dark blue Italian suit that put Martin O'Neill's Matalan trackie bottoms in the shade - what about the fashionably late entrance at Parkhead on Thursday ? With typical Souness swagger, the Blackburn boss explained the 30 second delay by shrugging his shoulders and saying "I was taking a P**S" : Graeme Souness knows how to make an entrance. And how not to. He'd known 55,000 warmed up by teatime cocktails were baying for him to come out and watch the warm up so they could slaughter him right down to the soles of his Guccis. So he didn't give them the pleasure. Even when the teams appeared there was no sign. The Captains tossed the coin - nothing. They started to think maybe he'd bottled out and stayed in to watch it on telly. They should have known him better. About 30 seconds into the game, he swaggered out the tunnel in his immaculate dark blue suit, went towards the away dugout, hesitated, and turned towards Celtic's and shook hands with Martin O'Neill. Say what you like but the man's got style. Beside him, O'Neill was an over-age ball boy in grey windcheater and black football socks tucked into tracky bottoms. A few minutes on and the Blackburn fans are chanting his name. He turns to them, and applauds them back. Then he thinks, let's wind up the locals. So he applauds harder. And harder. And takes a few steps down the pitch and punches the air with both fists. Feels the hook sink deep into the fish's cheek. All around the stadium, they're on their feet, giving him the V's, cursing, screaming. He stops applauding, turns back to his bench and laughs his head off. Job done : The Press - About the Game Sharper, faster and much more skilful than their lacklustre opponents, you quickly realised exactly why Souness wants the Old Firm in the English Premiership - to ease his own relegation worries : Were my ears playing tricks or did Celtic fans really indulge in a power of disgruntled booing and jeering ? What are they like ? They moan incessantly about the need for more competition. And what happens when that's exactly what they get ? Well, it would appear they just can't hack it: Damien Duff showed Didier Agathe that it's not just pace that counts, but a change of pace. Garry Flitcroft won the midfield square -go. Little Tugay passed them to death : Thompson immediately ripped in a free-kick only for Friedel to save and Rovers fans to taunt "Are you Burnley in disguise?" : If i'm raving about Rovers that's because I was impressed about how they went about their business : The Fans : Celtic should forget any ambitions about joining the Premiership after that display. As for Lennon being voted man of the match by the sponsors - I just couldn't believe that: One-nil is a better result for Graeme Souness' team than Martin O'Neill's and now we'll see the difference between Celtic going down for a testimonial and for a real game: Souness didn't need to take the @#/? out of Celtic - his players did that for him : I'm a neutral but I thought Graeme Souness' entrance was different class : They are saying down here that Celtic would only be good for the Conference or Gaelic Football after that display : I think the final score showed that the Old Firm would do really well in the Premiership and it's about time they played there. They've proved they can compete with the top English teams : Souness might be a B*****D - but by God he's good at it : What I can't believe is the attitude of the Rangers fans in my local pub who were supporting Blackburn : It was nice to silence the Parkhead crowd as we played them off the park. I was proud of the way my team performed : If this was a Premiership game, Celtic would've taken three points : When did Graeme Souness become a master tactician ? He has been sacked by Liverpool, Benfica, Southampton, Torino and Fenerbache : I think Celtic will get "Gubbed" when they go to Blackburn : The Players Garry Flitcroft : It was men against boys, and we were the men : Neil Lennon : The way Blackburn played was an eye-opener for our players : Chris Sutton : We got a bit of a pasting in the first half and we were lucky to get out of it with a good result : Graeme Souness :It was a breeze for my players. Not many teams in Europe could come here and control the game the way we did. Any neutral would give us that - we were never under the cosh : There you go - some amusing, serious and silly quotes. That'll do - phew !

Totally outclassed, outplayed and second to every ball. Well seeing it was Halloween. Sutton was a ghost, Larsson the Invisible man and the rest of Celtic team made Nick whathisname from the Berings Bank look positively innocent. Blackburn's passing was excellent but probably too intricate in the final third - always looking for another pass when they had already opened up the defence. Celtic were made to look ordinary given the way they can play. I realise the object of the game is to put the ball in the net - that's fair enough - but at least let those Celts admit they were lucky. Larsson is quoted in one of today's newspapers as saying he showed Souness. Showed him what, exactly - that he can take the odd half chance ? We knew that before but I'll bet some English viewers now think that's all there is to his game - and judging by last night's performance, who can argue ? When Rangers were winning title after title, Celtic played some great football under Tommy Burns - creative, flowing football and a joy to watch at times - yet they won nothing. Rangers would soak up the pressure and hit on the break - not pretty to watch but effective. Yet, all we ever heard was the excuse of "You were lucky, Celtic played the better football". That was true but let it be true now. Use your old argument and apply it to last night. Finally a quote from a St Mirren site today " Anyway, wasn't it fun listening to the supposedly best fans in the World being outsung by 3000 Blackburn fans singing "can you hear the Celtic sing" ? Most clubs would start singing to prove a point, none of that from the Celtic fans. And that was just one of the comments. Celtic supporters are noisy against Rangers, noisy when singing Y.N.W.A and that's it. And that point was proved last night in arguably their second biggest game of the season...

To even suggest that Parkhead is comparable (ok Mr Wordplay ?) to Beruit - as U/Felt Blue did - indicates that he has no knowledge of living in the real World. His question hardly merited a sensible response so I decided a humorous reply was in order. Obviously you've undergone a humour bypass recently. I have lived in the Glasgow area for thirty five years and believe I am entitled to my own opinions regarding the City. I would suggest that if you have not seen any or many (which one is it Mr Wordplay ?) then maybe it's time to leave the comfort of your living room for once and try the Real World. The Strathclyde region has the second highest murder rate in Britain so don't avoid the real statistics just because you want to paint a rosier picture for the benefit of outsiders. How do you define friendly - giving directions to strangers in streets ? When you give up your seat on a train during rush hour and an elderly woman says it's the first time in two years that anyone has been so mannerly - that indicates that Glaswegians are not as friendly as they used to be. Go to any City Centre store, hold the door open and I'll bet one in twenty will thank you. It's a fact of life that manners are in decline. It's also a fact that people go out of their way for tourists but don't have the same time for their fellow citizens. But don't take my word for it - try it yourself. I am not asking you to agree with me - the World is a changing place and people - most of all neighbours - don't have the same time for each other as they used to. New Year proves that point. I replied to U/ Blue tongue in cheek, Aldo, and it certainly wasn't my intention to start debating the characteristics of Glasgow or it's citizens. If you reply, fine, and then we'll return to the main topic - football.

Damien Duff (if he plays) will cause Celtic problems - no doubt about that. The Celtic defence is fine until someone can get behind them - as has happened this season with Lovenkrands and McCann (Rangers) and young McFadden of Motherwell. I think both attacks are well matched and the game will be decided by whose defence rises to the occasion. Celtic don't look as strong in that department as they did last season and that's where, IMHO, the game will be won and lost. Rovers have also been leaking goals but put that down to the higher standard of opposition in England rather than poor defending.

Forgive me If I'm mistaken, but I'm sure Uddersfelt Blue began this thread by asking if the Parkhead area resembled Beirut ? All I'll say is that if Yasser Arafat is ever kidnapped and taken to the wasteland between Dalmarnock and Parkhead - there will be a moment after the blindfold's removed that he'll breathe a sigh of relief thinking he's on home soil As for the figure of 47 stabbings - not sure whether it was that high but there's no doubt trouble always flares when the Old Firm get together. I won't get involved in the backslapping about " the friendliest city in the World" or rubbish remarks like " I've never seen many (if any) violent incidents " as it would be so easy to disprove those viewpoints. All I'll say is that Rovers fans have nothing to worry about when they visit Glasgow - and if it's as friendly as the reception i receive every time I visit Accrington then you'll have a great evening...