Has anyone else had a recorded message at home from Mark Hughes reminding them of the season ticket offer? I was in London yesterday and it threw my wife for a while! It did, however, allow her to write me a note saying Mark rang while I was out!

This is bad news for all of us hoping to get local pubs from showing Rovers matches live on foreign satellite channels... http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article357239.ece

this is the original article in the Independent with a bit more info http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/ne...ticle357006.ece

BBC have just announced that Mark Hughes has shook hands with Tugay on a new one year deal, so perhaps we have a bit more time to find and develop his successor.

Presumably, though, if Arsenal win the Champions League but finish 7th or lower, then only the 4th and 5th placed teams will go into the UEFA Cup? I know it's unlikley at the moment given Arsenal's form but you never know...

Mark Hughes has just stated on BBC1 that a Champions' League finish is a possibility and one they will be going for. The interview is also available on the club website. For me it's a bit optimistic but full marks for being willing to admit they arre going for it.

If I had a list with both Bryan Adams and Phil Collins on it I'd be ashamed to publish it....

You can assess the quality of the journalism by the statement that "sources close to the club say attendances are down to 21,000". I can't imagine how much digging Bose had to do to extract that gem....

Top review again Bob. Just one piece of really exciting news you missed. Last week it was announced that Condoleeza Rice will be coming to Jack Straw's Blackburn constituency later this year. Given that when Jack went to Alabama, Condy's home state, last October he went to watch her local college football team and said that he wanted her to come to Ewood, I assume that we can expexct a royal visit early next season. The good news will be that all the CIA goons and media types should put about 1,000 on the gate alone, although it might be tempered by a forest's worth of articles in the Hovis, cobbled streets, grim up north stereotype. I can hardly contain myself.

Particularly given that the injury was nothing to do with Jay's tackle anyway - he just fell awkwardly, like Smith on Saturday.

From the BBC website they are: - Todd 1.78m 5' 10" Nelsen 1.80m 5' 11" Khizanishvili 1.85m 6' 1"

Don't be too hard on his time at Plymouth. he signed and very shortly afterwards the manager who signed him, Bobby Williamson, was sacked, so he never really got a chance.

Clearly a real fan if he's been to that many. Actually I suspect that Rovers may not have played at 85 of the current other 91 grounds, but no doubt there's someone out there who knows? I can only manage a modest 53 of the 92 (including Ewood) although I have been to both old and new grounds at a number of clubs and even 3 in the case of Bristol Rovers (although only to a rugby match at their currrent ground).

Yobo has been playing for Nigeria at the African Nations Cup, but they were knocked out at the semi final stage, so he may well be back for Saturday.

I wouldn't if I were you. Being a family enclosure won't stop there being some rich langauge and you will still have to pretend that you're Baggies fans. That could seriously confuse a nine year old. I would go for seats with the Rovers fans. If it's not sold out you should be able to move around a bit if you get stuck behind somone who won't sit down or stop cursing.

The coverage just finished on ITV was laughable - MUTV would have been more balanced. Savage was painted as the guilty party tonight for Smith stamping on him, Van Nistelrooy kicking him and then running his studs on his head and then Ferdinand clipping him round the ear. Will be there be a big fuss about dirty United as we got last April in Cardiff? I don't think so...

The logic for this would be perfect, except that a 0-0 score will see us knocked out on the away goals rule (after extra time). We have to score at least once to win...

I've always found the best plan to be parking at the tram park and ride at Eccles (just off junction 1 of the M602) and taking the tram in from there. Cheap fare and can get clean away on the way back.

My brother had to take my nephew to the toilet late on in the West Ham game and they missed kuqi's winning goal. I'm thinking of bribing him to go again at key times!

Just got back from Ewood and the queue had almost gone. They said they had been very busy all day and it looked like their early day prediction of 20,000 tonight would be well beaten...

Certainly I'm going to have to go down to Ewood now as I need 3 extra tickets for tomight and the wait on the phone is about half an hour....

According to Everton's website there will be a small number of tickets available at Ewood so presumably they should have c7,000. On that basis I would hope for c24,000.