Similar for me over in Pembrokeshire. Enjoyed Swansea earlier in season, couldn't make Cardiff and had Bristol in my plans. Weather forecast good and going for a walk with my better half now feels like the right option. Started watching in the mid-70's so it's not the fact we're in the Championship and struggling - it's the feeling that the people at the club don't care. In the mid-70's to late 80's even if some of the decisions made weren't great you always knew (or at least believed) that people cared and were trying there best for the club. Same when John Williams was running things. That's the difference now. Not sure I'll even be able to bring myself to do the 10-hour round trip for the Burnley game - and that would be the first home game against them I'll miss since I started watching in 74.

Probably because Sky don't like draws!

Fair enough Tyrone - I take your point 🙂 At least no-one is suggesting Hornets winning the Challenge Cup in 22 didn't happen 😉 Maybe I didn't express it in the way I meant - I was trying to say how the name of a competition doesn't make it any more or less valid, at least until the nature of that competition starts to change significantly. Between 91/92 and 92/93 only the name of the competition had changed in any meaningful way as far as I can remember. Once clubs could start spending the money we can see the effect in the numbers a few posts back. The way the money is distributed at the top levels now, does mean that the Premiership is harder for a non-establishment (i.e. not rich!!) club to break through - only Leicester have managed it since we did. And, as the stats above show, the financial aspect of our achievement has been somewhat overstated to suit other people's narrative (agendas?). Jason Wilcox, Mark Atkins, Tony Gale, Ian Pearce, Robbie Slater, etc. - hardly millionaire players. What Kenny did was target the key areas needed to supply Shearer - and bloody hell did it work!!

Having started watching League football in the mid-70's, of the Lancs town teams Burnley were undoubtedly top dogs, with Blackpool and Bolton still doing ok (indeed Bolton were on the rise for a brief period) with Rovers just starting to recover and Nob End in a similar state. All had regular top division football in recent memory. I was brought up to support Rovers but not to 'hate' the rival clubs. When we played them of course I wanted to beat them but could respect and enjoy watching the other teams when not playing them. One of the best games I've ever seen live was Bolton v Newcastle 3-3 cup-tie in 76 when I wanted Bolton to win as they were 2nd division at the time (and the 2nd replay at Elland Road was fairly memorable as well when it was pay on the gate and we just got in having abandoned the car 3 miles away from the ground!!) OK I'd have a laugh at the expense of my Burnley supporting schoolmates (I was vastly outnumbered by them in Rossendale then so had to be a bit careful!!) Maybe supporting a non-league team at the time, and mixing with supporters of several league clubs in the process, gave a different sense of perspective? As to who won what and when - you can only beat what's in front of you - any trophy at any time deserves respect. Burnley won the league a year before a great Spurs side won the double - seems like a fair achievement to me. We won 5 of our 6 FA Cups at a time when there wasn't much competition but I was furious to hear that there were moves to remove them from the record because 'it wasn't really a valid competition at the time' For example, I despise many things about Leeds United - but the fact they have 'never won the Premier League' as though it is a stick to beat them with - when they won the same competition the year before, with (mainly) the same teams and before the SKY money had any real effect - is rewriting history in a way that Stalin or Chairman Mao would be proud of!!

Anybody mentioned Joe Craig yet? Seem to remember going to a Lancashire / Isle of Man / Anglo-Scottish Cup (who knows!) match at Blackpool. Happened to coincide with Glasgow Holidays. Blackpool must have been amazed at the higher than normal attendance!

I still occasionally shout it when I see a particularly classic example. I get some strange looks at Hakin United and Haverfordwest County!!

Agree we shouldn't be writing Dack off and that he would offer something different - particularly in games when we go behind and need to prise open a deep-lying defence. However- tbf to Chaddy - I don't agree with you that playing 26% of the time is 'barely playing'. That works out at 23 mins per game. That's nearly as much as Griezemann is playing at Athletico 😉 (and, yes, I do know the reasons for that 🙂)

Definitely not Andy!! Unless the ex-Dingle has returned!!!

Glad to see you take the joke Longsiders 😀 Especially considering the irony that I'm Rossendale born and bred and been subject to the odd jibe or two over the years!!

I'd bite your hand off for a frustrating draw! Not literally of course - I'd never be able to swallow 6 fingers 🙂

Bobby Svarc - came with Jim Smith from Colchester

Showing my age that I can remember playing them 😬

All Rovers v Orient games end 0-0

I'd airbrushed that Port Vale game out of my memory. Was truly dire!!

Most games towards the end of late 70s and early 80s seasons (except promotion / relegation ones of course) Love them or hate them but the playoffs have massively reduced the meaningless games from Feb onwards!

Went to a Sports Quiz at the Rossendale branch of the Supporters Association. Peter White was running the quiz and fed John Radford a stream of horse racing questions. Clear where his priorities were by that stage of his career!!

Lots of players in the early / mid-80's being mentioned who did good service but rarely mentioned or remembered - John Millar being another

Craig Skinner is one of those who came in at a similar time to Lenny Johnrose, Jason Wilcox, etc. Left as part of the Walker revolution I guess. Can't remember what happened to him after he left Rovers

VAR would have ruled out the last goal as Jansen was just offside!

Done - was interesting having to think about it!

Alex Binnie ended up playing non-league in Rossendale - definitely for Bacup Borough and possibly for the late lamented Rossendale Utd. Still can't believe the first football team I ever saw doesn't exist anymore!

Had him in my fantasy football team - along with Neil Shipperley at Chelsea (another 'next big thing'). Suffice to say I didn't win anything!!

How has Dack played?

My Dad died the week before Uncle Jack - so always a poignant time for me. So many shared memories between the 3 of us!

At the time my dad was fuming about Speedie / Shearer! He'd been away seeing family and hadn't seen any of the early games for Shearer and I was arguing with him about the merits of the signing. First game my dad saw Shearer play was Norwich at home. At half-time he turned to me with a big grin on his face and the words 'he'll do'! It wasn't so much the chipped goal - more the way Shearer ran through their centre-half twice to set up Wegerle's goals.