Our CCTV has probably been switched off to save on the running costs!

Was there that night. Sutton's goal 1-0. Seemed like that had clinched the title but then the 'mini-collapse' started! Looking at the team sheets it's almost entirely British Isles players - how times have changed!!

There can't be many teams who've gone from 20th in early Nov to 2nd by the end of the season! And a cup run where we got to Round 5 beating a Div 2 team away, a Div 1 team and taking Villa to a replay only a year before they won the League! Funnily the cup run coincided with the amazing league form. I know many other people on this forum hold the view that a good cup run can help turn form around.

It continued after that. I was at the game away at Millwall in Nov 79 where we lost 1-0 due to Keeley (I think) giving away a penalty in the 85th minute. Apart from thinking 'at least we're going to get out alive now' it seemed like we were going nowhere but the rest of the season was awesome as everything suddenly clicked. Don't know whether that means we should give Ismael the time or just that Kendall had a plan that the board could see and supported him to achieve it. Even if Ismael has a plan the current set of deadbeats in the boardroom don't have the capability or desire to back him anyway.

You could see that Eustace had a plan. We might not all have agreed with his approach - indeed some expressed that disagreement very strongly 😉 - but at least it was a plan. It had similarities with the early days of Kendall's reign. With Ismael it just looks like he's randomly throwing darts at a board with one eye closed and little idea of where the numbers are!! He might get lucky at some point but that will probably be down to the players suddenly rediscovering their fight and pride. Or doing like they did in the infamous Johnson 'false 9' game - decide to play how they want to play and fuck the manager. Unfortunately don't think most of this group have that in them.

Just read the first BLT comments - unbelievable!!!!!

Hope you meant exiting rather than executing 😉

I agree that the actions of the owners will ultimately see us relegated - highly likely to be next season. However their actions don't suggest this is their objective - if it was why did they sack Coyle? It might be that, with the current financial situation, they are just indifferent to relegation. Waggot just seems to be an effing idiot!

Thanks IraC. That covers my uni years when I only saw Rovers during the holidays and odd away games I could get to - so may never have seen him play.

I have no memory of David Glenn. Can someone enlighten me? 🙂

And just to the right of the policeman it seems that Demis Roussos was taking in a game whilst in London.

I have the utmost respect for Gareth Southgate as a human being. The way he changed the toxic culture around the team and allowed most of the players to display they are decent guys and good role models shouldn't be undervalued. If anyone heard his Dimbleby lecture on the BBC earlier this week then that can only reinforce the need for the good things he brought. However the evidence of last summer is that maybe it had swung too far the other way and the 'edge' wasn't quite there. The displays were insipid for the most part and the players didn't seem to have any spark or real hunger. One exception was Bellingham but that meant he was trying to do too much a lot of the time. I guess time will tell if those displays were all that those players can do or if the change of manager approach will take them to another level.

Totally with you there Tyrone. When I played full-back I was always looking to block those crosses as knew they were a nightmare for the rest of the defence. Shearer's goal at Anfield the day we won the league another great example.

Can I put forward Mike Newell's against Derby in the Play-Off semi-final 1st leg. Not only a great goal but one that totally changed the atmosphere and momentum of the game. Along with Shearer's 2nd against Man U in 93/94 season. In my 50 years of watching Rovers probably the two goals that I reacted to (embarrasingly?) the most! Although falling over after Marcus Bent's goal at Turd was also pretty embarrassing!!

Agreed. And the ground was named after the pub it stood behind! But people's behaviour was (generally) better then. I don't remember coming out of the pub - however pissed I was! - and making loads of noise in the way I hear it now. Additionally there is far more use of taxis now so much more and louder noise. I'm sure if Stanley have the right conversations with the council and put some mitigations in place around noise/times then a solution will be found. The direction from government is about prioritising economic growth and planning policies should reflect this.

My mum came with me and my dad on the Monday night. Only her 2nd time at Ewood and 3rd time 'watching' Rovers. 1st time at Ewood was to get me a voucher for a cup tie ticket!

The other thing those highlights show is the myth around the moneybags tag. Ian Pearce winning goal, David May equalising goal. Money spent in the key areas but bargains used elsewhere.

I was there. The relief when David May scored the equaliser was immense! Interesting to see how seriously the 'big' teams took all competitions then compared to now.

I was working in Manchester at the time so didn't go to watch in a pub. No Sky in my house so ended up listening to it on Radio Lancs. When the final whistle went at Anfield the commentators seemed to forget about the West Ham game. I remember screaming at the radio - 'has the f'ing Man U game finished????'

If anything I probably back the team more in a game I think we'll struggle in. Somewhere in my head I think my shouting louder will help the players 😉 In the Souness/Hughes era the best backing the team got was in games against the 'entitled' teams - Arsenal, Man U, Chelsea. Were the fans always confident of winning those games? Of course not but that didn't stop us giving the players great backing. Of course then we had a team with tons of fight and spirit!

Agree with Norwich fans being friendly. I went to the game where Bothroyd was sent off, they battered us but only scored one goal, and then Dickon equalised right at the death. Good-natured banter and serious chat on the train back to Ely. The fans I met seemed to have a good attitude towards away fans.

Mine was the 74/75 3rd Div championship season. Don't remember too much tbh. Was too young for away games. My first game was Charlton Ath. Started in Riverside stand and remember we all used to stamp our feet to make some noise. Moved onto Blackburn End to stand up. Once I was tall enough we finished up on the Riverside terrace on the half way line - teddy bear dismemberment a special memory!! Then back into the new Riverside stand to complete the circle.

Not sure Jason Wilcox would agree!

Think a lot of this post makes sense - until the last paragraph! What on earth makes you think RM would be a good choice. He was mediocre (at best) at MK Dons and Swansea and then managed to get Southampton to limp over the line for promotion. It's fine having a philosophy but you have to adapt to circumstances when it isn't working or you don't have the players to match that philosophy. Look at City now - Pep is struggling to manage the decline of his squad whilst maintaining his style of play but even he has adapted that style a bit to get the best out of Haaland. City go long ball much more now than they used to so that Haaland's strengths can be used. RM's arrogance seems to mean he can't / won't do that. His style would require a complete rebuild of our current squad.

Are you assuming Waggott would include a promotion bonus!