Why have you earned your Rovers Stripes?

[Rovermatt]

I think any of the newer fans, surrounded all their lives by Liverpool and United supporters (that in itself is a test of one's resilience), did well to sustain their support throughout those two years in the wilderness.

Admittedly we don't appreciate what it was like in the  pre-Walker era yet the contrast with our glory years was stark and painful.

As someone who rarely if ever had or has the opportunity to visit Ewood and refresh any waning interest in the club, my allegiances were severly tested (perhaps more than others) in those two years. Yet what was the alternative? To switch teams? That should never be an option.

Peanuts in comparison to the above tales of following our glorious Rovers I know, but still that's my take on it.

[1864roverite]

as Abbey would probably vouch in the 80's travelled all over with the lads in tranni vans racking up hundreds of miles visiting haunts like shrewsbury,wrexhm and the likes and enjoying every bloody trip, win lose or draw.

spectacular highlights of a long career following my beloved blue and whites involve the abandoned game at cambridge, falling off the bridge at shrewsbury into he muckiest river ever, being part of the rovers hordes who took the bee hole end at dingleville,sponsoring the matchball against shrewsbury at ewood and getting @#/? with alan ainscow.

in later years finishing my shift on my RN ship at 0800hrs whilst in Gibraltar, legging it to the airport with 8 pack, flying to london, few beers in covent garden then off to wembley for the full members cup final, winning then having to pay 38 quid to get back to the airport in a joe baxi before getting back to gibraltar 30 minutes before the start of a 18hr shift !

2nd leg of the play off final at palace was the same except i flew from cyprus and got seriously @#/? with a bottle of champagne that I had bought to celebrate promotion !

the day at Bristol when pne let us down badly. I dont think I had ever been reduced to tears before bu this was the first time !

All of the away games in our promotion season, every game of the play offs, the final versus Leicester is memorable for other reasons.

every Pl game bar 3 since we got there (due to weddings/holidays), the most memorable of these is whilst doing the video for my sisters wedding in cheshire. I was listening to the Rovers/spurs match whilst videoing the speeches with an ear piece in my radio, as Shearer scored the clinching 2nd goal all you can hear me over the speeches is shouting YESSSSSSS shearer 2-0, a memorable speech if anything more than complemented by me telling the 300 guests the score up at ewood !

the promotion clinching winat Preston whilst in their main stand, very helpful stewards kindly took us to the Rovers end at half time !

The worthy cup run, every game, every minute and every goal. The curry pies at cardiff washed down with about 20 pints. The night at the Spurs based hotel where we cleared the bar of every yid around !

and finally the sad passing of our great leader, being able to be there in Jersey on the day of his funeral was special and a day that will never be forgotten.

So I think I have earned mine    

[Timmy]

Crewe away on a cold and damp november evening in 1999

the result: 0-0

Being the only rovers fan in the student union during 1994-95 season

Braving the man city fans, bburn end last game of season 2000

[Drummer Boy]

Any play-off game in the 80's - those who were there should be given life membership

Plymouth away '92 - major weekend with what seemed half of Blackburn determined to drink Torquay dry

Several dodgy games (and receptions) at Huddersfield

Barnsley at home 0-0 mid/late 80's we were lucky to get nil - all of us singing "give us a goal" to lennon's "give peace a chance" as Roevrs embarked on a mighty run of throwing a seemingly impregnable position at the top of Div.2

Three of us surrounded by several dozen Leicester fans in London '92 - I thought we were going to listen to the match in the local A&E!

Away at the Den - early 80's - the piano stopped playing when we walked into the pub - not intimidating, more like bloody frightening.

1995 - set off from work in Preston, drove to a meeting in Hampshire (Farnborough), did the meeting, drove to Yeovil for a meeting the next day, booked into the hotel, drove over to Loftus Road, arrived for kick-off, we all panicked, Tim "the pimp" Sherwood stood at the corner flag made out to smoking a "fag" telling us all to chill, Sutton scores, pressure back on merchandise united, job done, drove back to Yeovil, did the meeting next morning, back up to Accy - knackered, but simply a matter of duty. Several people at work questioned my travel arrangements but not too closely.

1992 - midweek game against Notts County - working in Scotland. Contrived business trip in Manchester, hired car, drove over, we lost (2-1?), drove back no flight until next morning - straight to work - "donald ducked".

There are probably others, but it's good to read of others mad plans and diversions just to watch 22 men kick a patch of leather around .... and somehow satisfying in this far too serious world of ours.

[Paul]

Any play-off game in the 80's - those who were there should be given life membership

Saw them all except Chelsea and Derby away. Some how I think Ewood was the place to be for that second leg. Wandering around the pitch unable to relax for a moment.

For the Swindon game for some reason I had to drive to Norwich for a meeting in the morning, then drive to Swindon and then back to Chorley. Seems a long time ago now.  

[Stoneage Kit]

I don't know about stripes or whether earning enters into things but here goes anyway. As an eight year old, watching  Dennis Westcott - yes I can remember him, just. Following, via radio and newspapers, no TV highlights then, Rovers progress to the '51 semi-final. Paying 1s/3d (8p) addmission to the old Riverside. Seeing Rovers wallop Middlesbourgh 9-0 and latter that season,Tommy Briggs score his seven goals. Standing behind the goal as Peter Dobing put Rovers ahead in the '58 semi. Being part of a 53,000 crowd at Ewood, more than once. Queing for three hours on a freezing monday evening for a ticket to see a sixth round tie with Liverpool.

The other side of that coin is the twenty year gulf from '72 to '92 when Rovers dropped off my radar screen. Outside forums like this I know nothing of Keely, Genoe or Garner.

It's great to see the club in such good shape after the mess it got into a few years ago. I was one who doubted the wisdom of appointing Souness; it's nice to be wrong sometimes.

[Blueboy Downunder]

spending thousands of ££££'s flying from my home near melbourne australia to see my beloved rovers.

flying into europe to see the lads in competition for the 1st time.

not going to bed until 4am almost every weekend for the past 12 years, listening to coverage on the radio and internet, aswell as staying up all night when we played games during the week.  

dyeing my hair blue and white when we got relegated

ROVERS FOREVER