This has been doing a few rounds in the pubs around Bburn for a year or so: NO NAY NEVER There’s an ale house (the usual)…. And it’s oh nay…. I showed him a trophy so shiny and bright, and stevey’s eyes opened so wide with delight. I told him, "We won cups and shields of the best, I'll take you down ewood and show you the rest." CHORUS He went back to Burnley, confessed what he’d done, and asked them to pardon their prodigal son. but burnley’s 5000 are packed in turf moor, they’ll still say there were 10000 more CHORUS I’ve followed the rovers for many a year, And I’ve spent all my money on tickets and beer. still burnley’s 5000 are slumped in the turf, they’ll tell you that they’re the best fans on the earth.

i htink anyone who has kept goal at a reasonable standard will recognise that: the position from which lampard took his free kick (and pederson took his at utd) is one, where 9 times out of ten a head will be put on the ball once delivered into the area. the keeper cannot afford to assume the ball will continue its flight. any keeper in the world would have done what freidel did ie maintain his position in the centre of goal. having said that, i would agree that freidel is not as good as three seasons ago, when he was brilliant. i also think that we are currently still comparing goalkeepers with the vast amounts of top keepers from the 80s. i feel the ony difference is that the balls are now less predictable in their flight leading to keepers' indecision.

Fully agree with that. You basically echo what i was getting at when starting the thread. By keeping the DE and BBE uppre stand shut, we are (sort of) reducing out capacity to 25000. if our crowds are hovering around 20000, the ground feels more full. in my opinion the atmos would be better. i know lots of people who don't go to rovers anymore (even some diehards from 80s) for many reasons, but one being lack of atmosphere. Also, backing up a previous post about the drummer. We will never have any songs if the drummer orchestrates everything. Even when a song starts the drummer drowns it out and everyone gives up. Think the drummer should be used in (very) small doses and for starting a chant and then shutting up. It's time we got back to being proper football fans again!

Thanks for the reasoned reply (rather than jumping up all defensively). LIke i said, it was a suggestion. I just feel that when you look arond the prem at grounds whose capacity is smaller than ours, yet virtually full (eg Portsmouth), the atmosphere is good. AT PRESENT we have a stadium which is too big and I think fans/players etc MAY benefit from a better atmosphere generated from areas, closer to the pitch, being fuller. Maybe.......maybe not.

That'd be heaven, stood under the old bbend. Also, it may be defeatist if our short term aim is to have the ground full. It really isn't going to happen any time soon, so in the meantime lets have a place where people get a buzz of an atmosphere around the pitch. The upper tier can be open if/when needed.

I noticed the Bburn end top tier was shut at last night's game v leeds. I reckon that this should be permanent policy for all games including prem games. I realise that it can't be done this season due to season ticket holders in there, but would suggest that the family area could exist in future in the jack walker upper bburn end side. i was sat in the rivreside v leeds and although there were only 15000 on it felt more compact. the bburn end upper could then just be opened when needed. part of the buzz about going to football is feeling surrounded by supporters and at the moment we just seem spread out all over ewood. this may help to enhance the atmosphere (allied with the removal of the drummer) when the ground isn't full.