[Archived] Study on football in Lancashire

[Guest Wen Y Hu]

A sports journalism student from the University of Central Lancashire is doing a magazine supplement and is collecting fans' views on football in Lancashire. Here are the questions prepared for the Rovers fans. If anyone would like to take the time to answer all or just some of them in the usual way (just quote this post and type in your answers below each question), I'll send the answers on.

1. What did being promoted back to the Premier League in 1992 mean to the fans of the club?
   
2. What did winning the Premier League mean to the fans?
   
3. Were there any specific players who you felt were important to winning the Premier League?
   
4. How did the fans feel about relegation from the Premier League in 1999 just four season after winning the league?
   
5. What did it mean to the club and the fans to regain promotion to the Premier League after the death of Jack Walker?
   
6. What did winning the League Cup mean to the fans?
   
7. When the Venky's first showed interest in Blackburn Rovers what were the fans initial feelings?
   
8. How did the fans feel about the sacking of Sam Allardyce?
   
9. When Steve Kean was first installed as temporary manager what were the fans feelings?
   
10. Did the fans ever believe Steve Kean was going to be just a temporary manager?
    
11. What are the fans current feelings regarding Steve Kean?
    
12. Who has been the most important player for you this season?
    
13. Is there a particular youth player you can pick out as being a future star?
    
14. Do you think the club can avoid relegation?
    
15. What improvements do you think need to be made for the club to be move forward?
    
16. What do you want to happen to Blackburn Rovers in the future?
    
17. How do you think these goals could be achieved?
    

[Al]

A sports journalism student from the University of Central Lancashire is doing a magazine supplement and is collecting fans' views on football in Lancashire. Here are the questions prepared for the Rovers fans. If anyone would like to take the time to answer all or just some of them in the usual way (just quote this post and type in your answers below each question), I'll send the answers on.

1. What did being promoted back to the Premier League in 1992 mean to the fans of the club?
   It was a great relief after just missing out for several seasons. I remember feeling excited at meeting the top clubs.
   
2. What did winning the Premier League mean to the fans?
   Just the greatest feeling of my sporting life.
   
3. Were there any specific players who you felt were important to winning the Premier League?
   Obviously Alan Shearer but it was a great team performance by a bunch of players put together skilfully and quite cheaply by Kenny Dalgleish.
   
4. How did the fans feel about relegation from the Premier League in 1999 just four season after winning the league?
   Extreme disappointment.
   
5. What did it mean to the club and the fans to regain promotion to the Premier League after the death of Jack Walker?
   Great relief after the disappointment of relegation.
   
6. What did winning the League Cup mean to the fans?
   It was good but nothing like the Premier League Championship.
   
7. When the Venky's first showed interest in Blackburn Rovers what were the fans initial feelings?
   Hope that it would prove to be a move out of the doldrums under the uninterested Trust.
   
8. How did the fans feel about the sacking of Sam Allardyce?
   Surprise that it was done without the appointment of a recognised manager.
   
9. When Steve Kean was first installed as temporary manager what were the fans feelings?
   Shocked that a proper manager had not been identified before sacking the 'safe' Sam Allardyce.
   
10. Did the fans ever believe Steve Kean was going to be just a temporary manager?
    Yes.
    
11. What are the fans current feelings regarding Steve Kean?
    The worst manager ever to manage a football club anywhere. Dishonest and the enemy of the supporters. He has systematically and deliberately lied to the media and the supporters to keep his well paid job.
    
12. Who has been the most important player for you this season?
    Paul Robinson.
    
13. Is there a particular youth player you can pick out as being a future star?
    Probably Hanley.
    
14. Do you think the club can avoid relegation?
    No.
    
15. What improvements do you think need to be made for the club to be move forward?
    A proper manager, a proper management structure and money invested for the manager to spend as he thinks fit.
    
16. What do you want to happen to Blackburn Rovers in the future?
    New owners who know the game and appoint a proper manager even if it is in a lower league.
    
17. How do you think these goals could be achieved?
    The current owners must realise that they cannot run a football club with their level of knowlege and investment and have the good grace to sell at a reasonable price to someone who can.
    

[Majiball]

A sports journalism student from the University of Central Lancashire is doing a magazine supplement and is collecting fans' views on football in Lancashire. Here are the questions prepared for the Rovers fans. If anyone would like to take the time to answer all or just some of them in the usual way (just quote this post and type in your answers below each question), I'll send the answers on.

1. What did being promoted back to the Premier League in 1992 mean to the fans of the club?
   Meant nought as we'd never been in the premier league before, in fact no-one had.
   
2. What did winning the Premier League mean to the fans?
   Ecstatic great achievement considering where we were 5 years prior.
   
3. Were there any specific players who you felt were important to winning the Premier League?
   Shearer, Hendry, Flowers.
   
4. How did the fans feel about relegation from the Premier League in 1999 just four season after winning the league?
   I cried in work and went home.
   
5. What did it mean to the club and the fans to regain promotion to the Premier League after the death of Jack Walker?
   Don't get me wrong I was very happy but part of me felt it was a bit hollow without him there to see it.
   
6. What did winning the League Cup mean to the fans?
   Dunno spent most of the day stuck in snow trying to get down from Scotland and got there with about 45 left. Good day.
   
7. When the Venky's first showed interest in Blackburn Rovers what were the fans initial feelings?
   Change is bad, lol. You always take people at there word and ye that's it really.
   
8. How did the fans feel about the sacking of Sam Allardyce?
   Shocked.
   
9. When Steve Kean was first installed as temporary manager what were the fans feelings?
   Odd why wasn't McDonald given it? That's the norm, oh well he's only temporary.
   
10. Did the fans ever believe Steve Kean was going to be just a temporary manager?
    Yes and I still do.
    
11. What are the fans current feelings regarding Steve Kean?
    His record speaks for itself, I don't need too.
    
12. Who has been the most important player for you this season?
    Pass.
    
13. Is there a particular youth player you can pick out as being a future star?
    I hear this Phil Jones bloke has something about him.
    
14. Do you think the club can avoid relegation?
    Yes it's still mathematically possible but highly unlikely on current form.
    
15. What improvements do you think need to be made for the club to be move forward?
    Time travel would be good but barring that New owners, New manager, New beginning.
    
16. What do you want to happen to Blackburn Rovers in the future?
    New owners, New manager and Sky to go bust.
    
17. How do you think these goals could be achieved?
    Hitmen most likely as rumors abound that Rovers have several interested potential buyers. However the Chicken Overlords don't wish to part with their 'baby' as they haven't finished having their wicked way with it yet. So Hitmen to shoot them dead then we can swoop and take back our club. New manager would then shortly follow although I'd be tempted to 'test' my hired help on him first.
    

[Andy]

What did being promoted back to the Premier League in 1992 mean to the fans of the club?

It meant a long-awaited return to the top flight and becoming one of the founder members of the Premier League.

What did winning the Premier League mean to the fans?

Everything.

We shared Jack Walker's passion, vision and elation when the trophy was finally lifted.

I think on the day of us winning the trophy Rovers fans must have gone through every possible emotion known to football fan!

Were there any specific players who you felt were important to winning the Premier League?

Shearer, Hendry and Flowers will be the obvious names, but it's important to remember the large contributions from the likes of Gale, Atkins, Berg, Ripley, Sutton and Wilcox.

How did the fans feel about relegation from the Premier League in 1999 just four season after winning the league?

Devastated - and again we shared Jack Walker's feelings, particularly those of us who were at the match and saw Uncle Jack shed a tear on the big screen, after the Man Utd game.

However, there was a general feeling that, being a well-run club with a Rovers supporting owner, we'd be back.

What did it mean to the club and the fans to regain promotion to the Premier League after the death of Jack Walker?

There was a big feeling of 'let's do it for Jack', so it was great to regain our Premiership status.

You can say what you like, but as a fan of an English club, nothing beats being in the Premier League.

What did winning the League Cup mean to the fans?

It was an amazing achievement and one which we're thankful to Graeme Souness for.

For Rovers fans of my generation (mid-to-late 20's) it represented a second major trophy in 10 years and although some people will play down the League Cup, try telling that to us Rovers fans who were celebrating lifting the trophy inside the Millennium Stadium!

When the Venky's first showed interest in Blackburn Rovers what were the fans initial feelings?

Excitement that we'd finally found a genuine buyer, as it was deemed that we were heading in no real direction under the Trust.

Venky's certainly said the right things in the beginning and the vast majority took them on their word...

How did the fans feel about the sacking of Sam Allardyce?

There was a minority who were happy, as they had never taken to Big Sam, but for most of us it certainly started alarm bells ringing.

Why sack a proven, accomplished and excellent manager for a club of our stature, size and resources when we were in a very, very comfortable league position?

When Steve Kean was first installed as temporary manager what were the fans feelings?

As a temporary manager, with the prospect of a real manager being appointed, I think the feeling was indifferent.

I went to his first two home games after taking temporary charge and it was very clear even then that Kean had no idea how to manage a football team. Sadly it was a sign of things to come.

Did the fans ever believe Steve Kean was going to be just a temporary manager?

Yes, initially.

I don't think anyone could/would believe that anyone would be so stupid and naive to appoint a 3rd-rate coach as first team manager of a Premier League football team...

What are the fans current feelings regarding Steve Kean?

Absolute despicable man and an even bigger failure as manager.

He has constantly lied and twisted situations for his personal gain and has seemingly taken a sick enjoyment in winding up the Rovers fans.

Most importantly, he has shown nothing but incompetence as manager of Blackburn Rovers.

Who has been the most important player for you this season?

Difficult to pick anyone other than Yakubu.

To score 17 goals as a sole forward for a relegated team is pretty phenomenal.

Robinson, Hoilett and Hanley have done generally well this season too.

Is there a particular youth player you can pick out as being a future star?

I think Grant Hanley has gone from looking like a League 1 player to a potential Premier League defender this season and is finally starting to show why Academy staff always rated him higher than Phil Jones.

Do you think the club can avoid relegation?

Not now.

Our best and final chance was to sack Kean after Xmas, but Venky's chose not to and are now reaping their 'rewards'.

Based on Kean's overall tenture at Rovers, we stand no chance of now staying up, considering the opponents and rivals run-ins.

What improvements do you think need to be made for the club to be move forward?

SACK KEAN!

Woeful doesn't quite cover it.

Sacking Kean would see an immediate upturn in results and atmosphere around the place. The fans don't like him and most of the senior players can't stand him.

Further down the line, Venky's either running the club as proper owners (ie investment, showing an interest, understanding the requirements of owning a football club) or selling up to somebody who will.

What do you want to happen to Blackburn Rovers in the future?

To spend a season in the Championship, shedding the excess (Kean, Anderson, Ribeiro, etc) whilst obtaining a young, talented manager and making an immediate return to the Premiership.

If Venky's could manage this, whilst managing club finances, the would go a long way to making the current situation more acceptable for fans.

How do you think these goals could be achieved?

Well, by being ruthless and having the backbone to make the decisions that need making.

The sooner Kean is away from our club, the better.

[m1st]

A sports journalism student from the University of Central Lancashire is doing a magazine supplement and is collecting fans' views on football in Lancashire. Here are the questions prepared for the Rovers fans. If anyone would like to take the time to answer all or just some of them in the usual way (just quote this post and type in your answers below each question), I'll send the answers on.

1. What did being promoted back to the Premier League in 1992 mean to the fans of the club?
   Speaking for myself, it was unbelievable. To see Tony Adams leading out Arsenal for the first League game at Ewood in the top tier of English football in 26 years was a day I simply never thought I'd see dawn.
   
2. What did winning the Premier League mean to the fans?
   This one was totally euphoric at the time; it's meant even more in retrospect because we're still one of only four clubs who've done it.
   
3. Were there any specific players who you felt were important to winning the Premier League?
   A centre-forward whom I've called "Iscariot" every time I've discussed with Geordie friends his desire to leave us days before the start of a season in the vain hope of winning medals with his home-town club.
   
4. How did the fans feel about relegation from the Premier League in 1999 just four season after winning the league?
   This one felt gutted; but not as low as I'll feel in 2 or 3 weeks' time. In 1999, I felt sure Jack would get us back to the Premiership before the parachute payments ran out.
   
5. What did it mean to the club and the fans to regain promotion to the Premier League after the death of Jack Walker?
   Can't speak for the club; to this fan, everything.
   
6. What did winning the League Cup mean to the fans?
   I've rarely had a better day; everything went right.
   And, for one like me who comes up with totally meaningless stats, it meant that I could claim that we were [still are!] the only club to have won one or other of the major Cups in each of the 3 Centuries in which professional football has been going in this country. Plus, it was particularly sweet to hear the Spurs' fans whingeing on the radio on our way home.
   
7. When the Venky's first showed interest in Blackburn Rovers what were the fans initial feelings?
   This one felt optimistic; I actually believed they knew what they were taking on. How naïve can you be?
   
8. How did the fans feel about the sacking of Sam Allardyce?
   This one's first reaction was total incredulity.
   
9. When Steve Kean was first installed as temporary manager what were the fans feelings?
   The news was texted to me by a Wolves' fan; my first reaction was, "Steve Who?" I'd never heard of a League manager called Steve Kean [still haven't!]; I presumed he must manage some Scottish team.
   
10. Did the fans ever believe Steve Kean was going to be just a temporary manager?
    I did on the afternoon he was appointed. I couldn't believe that the new owners would trust the management of the playing side of the club to somene with no managerial experience. Again, how naïve can you be?
    
11. What are the fans current feelings regarding Steve Kean?
    I think he's a classic example of the "Peter principle", which holds that in a hierarchy, members are promoted so long as they work competently. Eventually they are promoted to a position at which they are no longer competent.
    
12. Who has been the most important player for you this season?
    Yakubu.
    
13. Is there a particular youth player you can pick out as being a future star?
    I don't live in Blackburn and haven't seen any of the youth team games so am not in a position to answer this.
    
14. Do you think the club can avoid relegation?
    Not a snowball's chance in hell.
    
15. What improvements do you think need to be made for the club to be move forward?
    Assuming that the owners don't sell us to someone who has more of an understanding of how professional football works in England, we need to start with an acknowledgement by them that they didn't realise what they were taking on; followed by a solemn promise by them to make available the amounts of money we were led to believe they were going to make available when they bought the club. That should accompanied by a re-structuring of the club so that it's a stand-alone division of Venky's with its own CEO who reports to the Board of Venky's on developments. Oh; and the present "manager" should be sacked and replaced by a proper manager.
    I think the following opinion, given by a Norwich City fan who had replied to some questions I'd put on their website captures a lot of what we need.

    I wonder if Steve Kean is one of those people who is a great coach-but who lacks that certain something that makes you a Manager as well. I think the two roles are, for the most part, mutually exclusive.
    We had it with John Deehan, a superb coach but didn't cut it as a Manager. I think Kean as a strong number 2 to a "traditional" manager (manager first, coach second) would work very well for you - you look at someone like Mick McCarthy, always the Manager but not so much the coach, likewise Terry Connor-great coach, but is he a Manager?
    As for your owners-well, put it this way, better there than here. As with so many owners, they see a business not a football club. When that side of things suffers, so does the football. You need a strong CE who will hold the Venky's at bay and emphasise that without a strong football side of the business, there isn't one

16. What do you want to happen to Blackburn Rovers in the future?
    I'd love us to be secure back in the Premier League.
    
17. How do you think these goals could be achieved?
    See the first paragraph of my answer to "What improvements do you think need to be made for the club to be move forward?"
    Ideally, I'd like us to be sold to someone like, but not as wealthy [or as profligate with their wealth] as, the present owners of Manchester City. They seem to have a sensible structure, in which one of the "suits" [not the manager of the football team], reports back to the owners on how things are going and the Mancini-figure gets on with his job of delivering that success on the pitch.
    

[EwoodDawn]

Sorry if sentimentality creeps in - I'm an emotional so and so at times.

[*]What did being promoted back to the Premier League in 1992 mean to the fans of the club?

It was enormous - like the Holy Grail had been found and brought back to Blackburn. There was a palpable lift about the whole town

[*]What did winning the Premier League mean to the fans?

Delirium, paradise.

[*]Were there any specific players who you felt were important to winning the Premier League?

Shearer, obviously but the beauty of that squad was that they played, as the cliche goes, as a team - as if they all knew that they had important roles as cogs in the efficient machine. So 'less glamourous' players like Super Atko, Ian Pearce and Tony Gale seemed rubbed shoulders with the 'big signings' without anyone batting an eyelid.

[*]How did the fans feel about relegation from the Premier League in 1999 just four season after winning the league?

Devasted but hopeful. Many said at the time that we were too good to go down and that should have been the case. So I really didn't think it'd be too long before we got back up again. The first Championship season was a bit of a shock to the system and a time when everyone got accustomed to our transfer ins and outs and approaches of certain Championship defences! But we had Souey and some cracking players, plus some not quite so cracking players who at least showed passion, so there was definitely hope for season 2...

[*]What did it mean to the club and the fans to regain promotion to the Premier League after the death of Jack Walker?

It was both wonderful but also heartbreaking that he never got to see it.

[*]What did winning the League Cup mean to the fans?

Well, my first child was born just over nine months later - I think that probably tells the story!

[*]When the Venky's first showed interest in Blackburn Rovers what were the fans initial feelings?

Thank goodness there was someone other than the shady character revealed on BBC 5Live. They seemed willing enough, so it was a case of OK, let's see what they have to offer... I think there was a certain anticipation. We weren't expecting miracles because we all knew it had taken so long to find a buyer but I was hopeful. There wasn't really any reason not to be because I, like most other fans, knew nothing negative about the Raos back then.

[*]How did the fans feel about the sacking of Sam Allardyce?

Shocked and dismayed. I have to be totally honest - when Sam was first rumoured to be coming to BRFC I was totally against it - hoofball and all. However, realism set in. I thought Sam and BRFC turned out to be a good match - he knew how to get us way beyond safety. Plus sometimes we did play some great football and had some cracking cup runs. He had a great rapport with many fans and players - a spade was a spade with Sam.

[*]When Steve Kean was first installed as temporary manager what were the fans feelings?

Personally I was not happy - he was a nobody: completely untested at this level and therefore risky to say the least. At that time I thought that BRFC still had enough clout to attract a decent, more experienced replacement and it seemed foolish to me not to at least try to bring someone in.

[*]Did the fans ever believe Steve Kean was going to be just a temporary manager?

Hmmm, not sure - maybe in the very early days. But once he'd been appointed til the end of season 1 I began to doubt it. And when he survived the early protests this season, the doubts grew enormously. And when he survived Bolton I knew he was unfortunately our 'Teflon'.

[*]What are the fans current feelings regarding Steve Kean?

Insert any adjective that expresses a complete lack of respect, admiration or shared values. I do not enjoy feeling as though I'm being at least mocked, if not lied to. This is how I feel after reading/watching many Kean interviews - to the extent that I've stopped doing so.

[*]Who has been the most important player for you this season? Yakubu

[*]Is there a particular youth player you can pick out as being a future star? Not yet - some little signs are there but I think the circumstances surrounding this season make it unfair to judge very young players. Only when we've seen them in a balanced, consistent, settled side with effective tactics deployed, will we know for sure.

[*]Do you think the club can avoid relegation?

Unfortunately, no. I respect the players but don't trust the manager to select the best team or to employ the best tactics.

[*]What improvements do you think need to be made for the club to be move forward?

Kean has to go (surely that's a given?) or the crowd will always be hostile to him on a weekly basis, through resentment of him being responsible for nearly and then properly taking us down. We desperately need owners who show real concern not just for the club and the team but also the area (It's glaringly obvious to people living in Blackburn that relegation will lead to job cuts and businesses struggling if not going bust. Some would have us believe that formerly successful industrial towns like ours in the north of england are potential tinder boxes in the current economic climate - let's hope to goodness that the decline of BRFC is not a match.). I'm afraid if Venkys try to claim that they care about Blackburn now, they will not be believed, due to so many of their previous statements turning out not to be true.

[*]What do you want to happen to Blackburn Rovers in the future?

1) A buy out from intelligent, successful, efficient but also passionate business people who know both the game and the town (and all its history). 2) that they will somehow keep us solvent without borrowing scary amounts in the near future. 3) that they slowly and carefully build on this for the long term future of the club. I don't want disastrous takeover after takeover as Pompey have seen.

[*]How do you think these goals could be achieved?

At the moment I really don't know. The stubborn refusal to sell from the Venky camp is risible and entirely incomprehensible, as is the obstinacy in hanging on to Steve Kean.

[mark1875]

A sports journalism student from the University of Central Lancashire is doing a magazine supplement and is collecting fans' views on football in Lancashire. Here are the questions prepared for the Rovers fans. If anyone would like to take the time to answer all or just some of them in the usual way (just quote this post and type in your answers below each question), I'll send the answers on.

1. What did being promoted back to the Premier League in 1992 mean to the fans of the club?
   It was enormous. A 26 year exile was ended and just in time to join the newly formed premier league, it wasn't just the place to be, it became where clubs needed to be. I think everyone knew back then that this wasn't just a promotion, it was just another stage of a fairy tale which would see our dreams fulfilled.
   
2. What did winning the Premier League mean to the fans?
   It was the dream most football supporters never see. My dad had never seen it until that day, My Grandad never ever did and it's highly likely our next generation/s of supporters will never see it. A once in a life time experience is exactly what is was and it meant the world. Nobody who was alive on the 14th May 1995 will ever forget the outpour of relief and joy from that day. Amazing season.
   
3. Were there any specific players who you felt were important to winning the Premier League?
   Obviously Alan Shearer was the best of his era, Colin Hendry was Colin Hendry but it was still 'a team'. From the back to the front, the work rate matched the quality and even the 'less glamorous' players of that team where playing like they never knew they could do.
   
4. How did the fans feel about relegation from the Premier League in 1999 just four season after winning the league?
   Relegation is relegation, it's heartbreaking. I remember it clearly, we actually played well enough to win on the night. The full time whistle felt like a disaster, people stood in disbelief, then the big screen zoomed in on Uncle Jack, with tears trickling down his cheek and his dream in shatters. The feeling of disbelief in the stands turned to grief, people stood crying side by side. It never really hit me until i arrived home, where i just sat in the garden for a couple of hours staring into space wondering where it went wrong and where we go next. A couple of days later Uncle Jack said he'd sort it and we immediately knew we'd be back.
   
5. What did it mean to the club and the fans to regain promotion to the Premier League after the death of Jack Walker?
   That night at Preston will live with me forever. The club belonged in the big time by now, we ended the season in some style! It was tinged with a slight sadness because Blackburn's greatest supporter who had ensured we kept the platform to come back, was not there to see it, yet what better tribute could we possibly have gave him? We came up with a very promising team and the future was looking bright again.
   
6. What did winning the League Cup mean to the fans?
   Again similar to winning the premier league, 74 years without a major domestic trophy meant a generation of supporters had never shared this feeling, we were being spoiled. The whole campaign had been great, the bright point of a terrible season, we sat 18th in the Premier League and went into the final that February as firm underdogs and came out deserving winners. It was a great day out, performance and result and off we were into Europe and it was time to get used to it for a little while.
   
7. When the Venky's first showed interest in Blackburn Rovers what were the fans initial feelings?
   I think most fans were positive airing on the side of caution. They had money, we needed investment and had waited along time for someone to come along and buy us. On the flip side we knew nothing about them, there were early reports in Sunday papers that they were linked to a sports agency wanting to use the club as a "revolving door for talent" and their lack of footballing interest/knowledge was of some concern. As the takeover happened, on paper they sounded good! all they had to do at this stage was follow their promises us with actions, right?
   
8. How did the fans feel about the sacking of Sam Allardyce?
   Well this was a split decision among supporters. There were firm people in support of Sam, his results spoke volumes, he had saved us from relegation, delivered a top 10 finish in the following season and we were sat with little worries at the time of his sacking. On the other side of the fence, his football was boring, his tactics were frustrating and sometimes we won 1-0 and came off feeling like we had lost. I was no big fan of Sam but i was content with him being manager, albeit frustrated at times too. Did i want him to go? Not really, Was i upset he had gone? again, not really! My big issue with it was the timing of it, it didn't make sense.
   
9. When Steve Kean was first installed as temporary manager what were the fans feelings?
   Instantly it was 'why Steve Kean and not Neil McDonald'. Who was this Steve Kean and why where our owners already calling him a "positive thinker" within 3 days of Sam's departure?. Something did not sit right with most fans here and the worries began to set in.
   
10. Did the fans ever believe Steve Kean was going to be just a temporary manager?
    At the beginning i think yes, however it quickly, very quickly became apparent that this bloke was going to be given the job till the summer at the very least.
    
11. What are the fans current feelings regarding Steve Kean?
    He is the most unpopular manager ever to manage in the Premier League. over 89% of supporters (going off the poll on here) want him gone even if we perform a miracle and survive. He has survived 7 months of protests, he has made digs at supporters, he has been caught out lying on numerous occasions whilst trying to explain players' absence from the squad and has a completely abysmal record at the job he is employed to do. 'An absolute disgrace' is a kind way of summing him up for me.
    
    
12. Who has been the most important player for you this season?
    Think it just has to be Yakubu, without his goals we would probably have gone along time ago.
    
13. Is there a particular youth player you can pick out as being a future star?
    Adam Henley has had to come in on a couple of occasions and has played very well, i think he will go on and become a star given the chance. The youth team has made the final of the F.A Youth Cup so there are numerous players in there who are going to have a chance of progression.
    
    
14. Do you think the club can avoid relegation?
    Absolutely no chance. 12 months ago we all knew that if Kean did not have the head start we would have gone down then and people predicted that given a full season to himself this would happen and he didn't fail to deliver. We have been shocking, Kean thinks we can go and get the results "because we won at Old Trafford and drew at Liverpool" sorry Steve but if football was based on this terminology then we wouldn't be down the bottom would we? It is just as bad as his statement in October that "it's good to be playing spurs because all our points have come against London teams" Its childlike ramblings from a mad man at the best of times.
    
15. What improvements do you think need to be made for the club to be move forward?
    The answer to this is simple, we need the owners to sell the club to somebody who cares. There is now nothing Venkys can say or do to make up for the damage they have caused and the contempt they have treated supporters with.
    
16. What do you want to happen to Blackburn Rovers in the future?
    I want the above, this isn't the Blackburn Rovers we know! I'll watch my team play regardless of what division they are in, i just want to be able to enjoy watching them again, where as supporters we feel that we actually matter to our club.
    
17. How do you think these goals could be achieved?
    By Venkys leaving the club and taking Kean with them! It's the only way because this football club needs a full clean out from the ownership, right through the boardroom and down to the management before it can even begin to move forward.
    

[K-Hod]

A sports journalism student from the University of Central Lancashire is doing a magazine supplement and is collecting fans' views on football in Lancashire. Here are the questions prepared for the Rovers fans. If anyone would like to take the time to answer all or just some of them in the usual way (just quote this post and type in your answers below each question), I'll send the answers on.

1. What did being promoted back to the Premier League in 1992 mean to the fans of the club?
   Absolutely everything.
   
2. What did winning the Premier League mean to the fans?
   A dream come true, though I was only 11 at the time, one of the best experiences of my life.
   
3. Were there any specific players who you felt were important to winning the Premier League?
   Flowers, Hendry, and obviously Shearer.
   
4. How did the fans feel about relegation from the Premier League in 1999 just four season after winning the league?
   Sad, but knew that coming back was a possibility thanks to Uncle Jack.
   
5. What did it mean to the club and the fans to regain promotion to the Premier League after the death of Jack Walker?
   Again, everything, we reached dizzy new heights we could never really have dreamed of thanks to his cash, I don't think you can ever be too grateful to Uncle Jack.
   
6. What did winning the League Cup mean to the fans?
   A huge achievement, considering we were such underdogs, and Spurs expected to turn up and they'd win.
   
7. When the Venky's first showed interest in Blackburn Rovers what were the fans initial feelings?
   Cautious, but thought if they had some cash and they were willing to put it in, I wasn't going to argue.
   
8. How did the fans feel about the sacking of Sam Allardyce?
   I was never his biggest fan, but I still maintain his role with Rovers was his most successful in management considering the resources (or lack thereof) available to him. I thought it would mean us appointing a manager that was a 'bigger name' at first.
   
9. When Steve Kean was first installed as temporary manager what were the fans feelings?
   It was a stop-gap, and that we would get a proper manager before long so not too concerned.
   
10. Did the fans ever believe Steve Kean was going to be just a temporary manager?
    Initially yes, but it soon became clear something was not quite right.
    
11. What are the fans current feelings regarding Steve Kean?
    Hatred.
    
12. Who has been the most important player for you this season?
    Yakubu.
    
13. Is there a particular youth player you can pick out as being a future star?
    Not sure, been impressed with Henley and Josh Morris in the times I've seen them play, sure they'll get a lot of game time next season.
    
14. Do you think the club can avoid relegation?
    No.
    
15. What improvements do you think need to be made for the club to be move forward?
    New owners, return to the old hierarchical structure, new management team, new players, notice a theme?
    
16. What do you want to happen to Blackburn Rovers in the future?
    At this moment, just for there to be a club with that name I can continue to support, such has been the damage done.
    
17. How do you think these goals could be achieved?
    New owners. It's too far gone for them to turn it around now. Lie after lie has removed any ounce of trust I may have had in them.