I loved Price. Did we sign him twice?

A round with Alliss. Pro celebrity golf at it's finest in the seventies.

As someone has staged, he would have been better keeping the meeting to himself, if he wasn't prepared to share anything. Before he went, I was thinking that he would fire some hard hitting questions at him and report back on here as to what his fidnigs were. Instead we know nothing more than we did beforehand. Really, what was the point?

Quite the opposite. He was very impressed with what Steven had to say. So much so that he isn’t answering any questions about his meeting. Money was spent on the pitch though and things look good. He also told him how many season tickets have been sold.

I played in the same West End team as Gary. We had an appearance at Ewood in 1987 in the combination cup final. Same year as Rovers win in the FMC.

I have no idea why we were so worried. Steve Waggott is a good guy and the pitch is fine. What can go wrong?

Yes Ted died at a young age. I think it was motor neurone that he died from though, not MS. He did bravely carry on working, after his diagnosis too and fought in typical fashion, right to the end.

You probably know a couple of my mates then. Sean Mulligan was probably a pupil when you were and a teacher is a great mate too, called Gary Strickleton.

I am. I was there from 1976 to 1981. Knew Ted very well too. What years were you there?

And of course avoided making a push for promotion and a few more bums on seats.

It simply makes no sense to let him go, if we are talking about protecting the finances of the club. Signing players, even on a free, is good business for agents I guess, but I hope my suspicions are wide of the mark.

I know and neither was I. It seems to be a false economy though, refusing to increase the wages of players, who have become established and played as many games as Lenihan and Nayambe. Some obviously rated them and even a £1m transfer and the same wages, for a replacement, could mean and extra £10k per week, still leaves us in the same position financially.

2 year contract at £15k per week plus a £2 million transfer fee equates to £35k per week. How much was Nayambe being offered?

Is he having talks with us again? I thought he had gone and that was it to be honest.

I didn't know John, but suspect he will have known the late Ted Cooper, if he was prominent at Blackburn RUFC. He was a teacher when I was at school and was rugby mad.

Has he provided any feedback? I noticed he was quoted on the Phillips contract and claimed it was done. No wonder people are getting a touch concerned.

Is Nayambe still without a club? I thought Boro had signed him.

Mahoney obviously didn't work out, but if we need to increase the budget on wages to keep Phillips, surely it makes sense to do so.

I spoke to one of the coaches a few months ago and he said he ahs never worked with a set of youngsters as good and expects big things of quite a few.

Cheers. I didn't know and have to say that's very pleasing to see.

I went to the UEFA cup game there a few years back. It was pretty good natured that night, including a couple of Celtic fans taking me and a mate in a home pub for a couple of pints.

Big seasons coming up for Wharton & Buckley. I hope to see both do well and become valuable assets to the club. If I was making decisions, I would be speculating and offering them extended and more lucrative contracts now.

Looks like we can carry on making other clubs richer, if we have a 3 year guaranteed category 1 academy. Imagine how proud we will be, if City, UTD, Spurs and Liverpool all have our Academy graduates playing in Europe for them.

I know a lad who does exactly the same for Everton. It is big business if they can steal a player for a pittance, from a club who have spent their time being nurtured and trained. It is beginning to hurt Rovers this and a solution needs to be found.

I did have a business enquiry from another one of our youngsters, a while ago, who is now in the first team. Salary was a fair bit more than £1k per week, but you are right, we need to offer something more tempting when we have a prospect like this and clearly have others sniffing round. No easy solution I know, especially with FFP, but in my view, a more relaxed approach under FFP rules could work. I get the need for clubs to stop over spending, but there needs to be perhaps some sort of an exception, like the money spent on facilities, not being counted for FFP. We have a grade 1 academy and are clearly producing a steady stream of youngsters, so losing them to the big clubs is simply heart breaking.