I've had my suspicions about this player for some time, all going back to the 3-0 nil hammering at Burnley - remember that picture where Tella is holding the three fingers up to his face? Can you imagine someone like Glenn Keeley, Kevin Moran, Hendry or Andy Todd letting that slide? Tella wouldn't have been on solid food for six months. He's a bang average Championship defender - the odd good game, like last week at Leeds. Captain material in a struggling team scrapping to stay up? No chance.

Thanks O2G!

I'd be really grateful for a bit of local knowledge for travelling down to this one. Work patterns and the college timetable of my lad mean that going on the coaches is a non-starter, so I'm going to drive down early afternoon, park at a tube station on the outskirts and go from there. Previously, Cockfosters was always a good bet for Arsenal/West Ham but ideally i'd like somewhere over the M40/A40 corridor. Can anyone suggest a good spot? Alternatively, in the past I've also parked at Luton Parkway and caught the fast train to St. Pancras. The trains run back from St. Pancras quite late, so returning after the game shouldn't be an issue. Would this be a reasonable alternative to dodge any potential M25/circular Road issues?

Andy Payton been blocking the toilets again?

Cautiously optimistic with this appointment. I had resigned myself to a Pardew/Pulis type arrangement so it's more relief than anything. Fingers crossed him and the new DOF have a decent book of contacts to play the loan market.

It's really schoolboy stuff for such an organisation!

Apparently the ticket office is open on Saturday - I rang on Thursday afternoon in a panic after receiving the e-mail and the lady I spoke to confirmed there was a mistake (!) in the e-mail.....!

From memory, I think it was 2-0 at the time of the missed pen - and we scored the third just after they had pulled the goal back (was it Eddie McGoldrick?) Even more galling was that fact that Howard Gayle had been absolutely lethal from the spot that year.

We visited on the Friday inbetween Christmas and New Year - early evening, about five o'clock. The place was absolutely packed and the restaurant area was fully booked for the evening. I'll certainly try again, but I'll be booking next time! On the flip side, we ate at the Craven Heifer at Kelbrook, which wasn't bad at all.

I'm by no means a racing expert, but I always found "Newsboy" in the Daily Mirror to be pretty good. I wouldn't worry too much about the stakes on the course bookies - most usually start at £2.00 nowadays.

The Summer of 2001 I think. Basically a huge fall out between local Asian youths and the Whites. An ex-policeman friend who was working at the time of the riots believed there were a number of problems for the cause of the riots (they also happened in Oldham and Bradford around the same time) but one of the reasons is that the Asians attacked a pub where BNP meetings were regularly held.

Cheers Ozzie, fond memories of that Boro game - it was my first on the Blackburn End. I was a season ticket holder in the Nuttall Street stand and I went to this game with a pal from School. For some reason I will always remember Ian Miller's "nonchalant" celebration after the third goal. You would have assume he was a 20 a season man

The Clog and Billycock/Three Fishes do a fantastic fish & chips.

Me too, 29 May, Cup Final weekend. Be nice to be able to combine the two.....

I seem to recall Paul Wilkinson (terrible haircut BTW) went to Everton after Grimsby, didn't do a great deal and then had a reasonable career with Forest and Boro. Anyway, keep up the good work Ozzie. Looking forward to the report of the Friday night cup game against United - was that the fifth round?

Tony Ford and Paul Wilkinson, there's a couple of names from the past. Didn't we make a punt for Ford when Mackay was in charge?

If there is any truth in that story, you certainly have to admire his Brass Neck!

It was a supposed "Appeal" from the manager at the time, Don Mackay, to cut down on swearing from the BBE. Didn't do much good.

Classic example of the Andy Kennedy dance after the 4th goal!

Excellent link, although I wish the highlights would have shown Andy Kennedy's silly little dance after his goal. I seem to remember a section on "Kick Off" dedicated to it on one episode... Off topic, but does anyone remember the Watford game the following season (the late kick off and pelting a young David James with applause bars) when he scored for Watford, did the dance in front of the Blackburn End, and his goal was disallowed?

Quote from McCarthy in todays NOTW: "I think I've paid my dues. It's not like I owe them my life or they owe me. They brought me to the EPL and I am extremely grateful for that." "But I would love to play in the Champions League and Blackburn are probably not a team who can offer that opportunity." There is a link to a video interview of their website.

Thankfully, Elton Welsby escaped in the nick of time.

Indeed he was. Apparently he was caught "red handed" in a gay porn cinema when a fire broke out.....alledgedly.

I dislike the pair of them. Selhurst Park, May 1989. Say no more.

One of the best receptions I can recall is for David Mail, whose wife sadly passed away from cancer about the time he left for Hull. Anyway, good luck to Lucas, if someone wants to pay him 60k a week, thats their look out and i'm sure most people would find it difficult to resist. But does anyone else think its a little disrespectful of Lucas to give the statement he did to the Aussie newspaper talking of being "blown away" by the ambition of West Ham when he still (technically) remains a Rovers player?