Preview by Eddie For a first home game of the season we face a Fulham side that has changed little during the transfer window from the side that we played in our last game of the 2003-2004 season. Apart from losing perhaps their best, if not certainly one of their most influential players, they have had a few relatively minor comings and goings. Perhaps the one piece of good news is that this year we need not fear the chance of Andrew Cole scoring a goal against his old club. Our encounters will Fulham over the past few seasons seem to have always turned out to be significant, and are almost always good indicators of the state of our season. Just last year our 2-0 away win was the turning point in our fight against relegation, the time when Souey’s Sissys turned into Hughes’ Heroes. While our emphatic 4-0 win at Craven Cottage a couple of seasons ago was when Souness’ side perhaps reached its greatest point, and the only game any of us will remember Hakan Suker for. In many ways though, our clubs are the total opposites of one another. Though we can both consider ourselves to be two of the smaller sides in the division, based on fan base, stadium and media coverage, they are the flashy Londoners and we are the unassuming boys from Lancashire. When promoted they claimed that they would soon be challenging the likes of Manchester United for the title, we just hoped that we would stay up. Harrods United have always been the slick team, nice to look at but never quite fulfil either the potential or the hype. We go about our business and no one really cares, apart from when we’ve done something horrible like upset an arrogant Portuguese man. Hopefully this season we can continue to separate ourselves from the likes of Fulham, teams who are exactly what the media and the rest of the Premiership would like them to be. We may not always be pretty, nor pack the stadium, but hopefully this year we will see a continuation of what we achieved last term, and that would include getting results. See fans views and predictions HERE

Its no suprise now, why Derbyshire didnt play for the reserves Monday

Well to be honest, I thought very hard about not renewing my ST. I did in the end, hoping that this season I would get value for money, with some entertaining football. If clubs like Rovers cant provide value for money in the form of entertainment there will be an ever decreasing decline in attendances, as fans choose to be sellective in games that they want to watch. eg when one of the big clubs come to town.

yes, stuwilky

Hang on, I thought Bellamy didnt join up with the Welsh Squad because of an ankle injury.

Well it looks like Jansen will be fit to play sooner than Bellamy.

Seldom has one football supporter influenced a Football Club’s history to the point that he was and is still adored by his team’s supporters, not because of the money that he pumped into the club but because he was one of them, a working class supporter that brought their dreams alive. Jack Walker who had watched the Rovers from the terraces as a schoolboy, shared his dream of putting Rovers back on the football map with his fellow supporters, shedding tears of joy when his and their team lifted the Premier league championship in 1995 and tears of grief when Rovers was relegated in 1999. Regrettably Uncle Jack as he became known to the fans, passed away on the 17th August 2000, missing Rovers full fill his promise of a return to the Premiership the following May. Jack Walker may have put Rovers on a sound financial footing, but more than that he is remembered as Blackburn’s greatest supporter, who once said what every other supporter feels. "If they don't win then I am bloody miserable on a Sunday." For more about Rovers Greatest Supporter click the link to There's Only One Jack Walker

Rovers summer signing from Newcastle, Craig Bellamy has withdrawn from Toshack's Welsh squad to play Slovenia on Wednesday due to an ankle injury. With Dickov suspended after recieving a red card against West Ham and Matt Jansen still recovering from the injury he recieved in the Espanyol friendly, news of Bellamy's injury could result in Rovers having a shortage of experienced strikers for Saturday's home game against Fulham.

Rovers 3 Birmingham 3 Rovers scorers. Johnson 2, Douglas. Birmingham scorers. Kuqi, Kilkenny, Painter. Rovers lined up:- Enckelman, Barr, Gray,Douglas, Harkins, Nolan, Sakali, Flitcroft, Johnson, Garner, Byrom. Sakali (Treacy 45min) Match Report

Read the book, seen the video got the T-Shirt. Haven't we been here before. It's been said time and time again, that to be a Rovers supporter, any optimism should be removed at birth. During the build up to the season, the positive vibes emanating from Ewood Park had infiltrated the immune system of Rovers supporters and they had started to suffer the symptoms of optimism, something that is not normally associated with anyone who favours the blue and white. After all the hype of aiming for European qualification, Saturday's performance against West Ham was a big disappointment and unacceptable. In his post match comments, Mark Hughes stated. "At this level you need eight, nine or 10 players playing well to get results. We didn't have anything like that, which is why we got beaten. That won't happen again." Well Mr Hughes, performance like that by the team, should never have happened in the first place. Click here for Fans reaction, starting on page 9.

WEST HAM August 13th 2005 Kick Off 1500 Boleyn Ground Match Preview by ozziejones I`ve only just sobered up from the semi final in Cardiff and it’s a new season, and blow me the third ashes test match should still be being played at the time of the kick off, although some have there doubts it will last till Saturday afternoon… Anyway, during the close season the general feeling and outlook amongst Rovers fans for the season 2005-2006 has taken a significant turn for the better. At the end of last season, most of us were thinking...safety acheived, good cup run, beat the dingles again...could have been worse. But the general opinion was that the next season was not something to be looked forward to, bearing in mind the style of play adopted to overcome the turgid relegation battle. A distinct lack of goals, a 4-5-1 formation and the lack of any real pace in the side meant most matches were endured rather than enjoyed, a chore necessary to obtain 40 points by any means sooner rather than later. And we were relatively happy, so long as the points and results kept on trickling in. At christmas time, the situation was fairly bleak, no goals, no pace, no defence and no prospects. But by the end of the transfer window, two players had been brought in and although we didn`t know it then, they were to change the course of the season for us and turn us into one of the hardest teams to beat. Indeed, we became one of the hardest teams! Scrooge had visited Ewood at christmas, and sparky put a blue and white shirt on him. The leaky defence dried up, teams suddenly had to play well to beat us, and a thin veil of optimism descended over East Lancs. Safety was acheived fairly easily in the end,and Rovers even managed another trip to Cardiff. Then it was time to re-group and take stock. Then during the summer, when it appeared our no.1 transfer target had fallen through, Sparky pulls off a stunning coup in securing the services of Craig Bellamy from Newcastle. Cost approx 3/5s of a Crouch. Suddenly, we have a team that doesn`t let goals in and a whippet up front with a fantastic eye for goal, and everybodies happy. Probably. So, two and a half months after a dismal defeat at home to Fulham in the final game of the season, it all starts again at the Boleyn Ground tomorrow. Hold on to your hats folks, its gonna be an interesting nine months. For a team that play in Claret and Blue, West Ham have a fairly decent reputation. Never won the league title, but three FA cups and a couple of European wins is certainly not a Newcastle-esque return. Locals also talk about the time that West Ham won the world cup in 1966(They supplied Peters, Moore and Hurst for the winning England team). Matches between rovers and the Hammers seem to come round fairly frequently. Goals are not usually a problem either...5-4, 8-2, 7-1 , and many other goal fests feature heavily down the years. West Ham of recent times, well the stadium used to be a pretty intimadating place to go-the crowd right up to the pitch, almost on top of the players in some parts. The ICF of the seventies, and dark, murky back streets round the ground concealing who knows what terrors that the east end fog keeps to itself. My expectations of the day are a pretty boring game, and no chance of a win. But our record in opening day fixtures, particulary against teams recently promoted from the league below, and particulary against teams begining with W is quite good. So, there you have it. The first preview of the season. Things can only get better eh? Time to dash.... Ozz. Read More - Click Here

snap John

Both have been training this week, and unless theres a late reaction will play.

Bet you wish you'd put money on it.

Wigan 0 Rovers 2 Rovers Reserves kicked off the season with 2 – 0 win against Wigan Athletic last night (Wednesday) thanks to first half goals from Jemal Johnson and Eddie Nolan. Teams Wigan Res: Croll, Johnson, Waterhouse, Edwards, Roberts, Stephan, Middleton (Samuel 67), Joyce, Hazeldine, Litchfield (Smith 80), Owens. Subs not used: Heywood, Saunders, Montrose. Rovers Res: Drench, Kane, Taylor, Douglas, Harkins, Nolan, Sakali (Treacy 70), Byrom, Johnson, Derbyshire, Gray. Subs not used: Fielding, Jones, Barker, Stopforth. Link - Match Report - Rovers Official Web Site.

he go 2 in the league against arsenal at ewood in the league as well. and 1 against liverpool.

Those who went to Grimsby might have a better opinion.

Im not having a go either USA, but those who saw him on Saturday may dispute what you say. Fair enough he was ruled offside, but Matt didnt know that, neither did he stop to think, when he collected the ball and went round the Espanyol keeper, and as we all know the keeper had to revert to hacking Jansen down.

16 goals in our first season back in the Premier, without a regulatr partner for most of the season. Dont forget the goals in the Worthington Cup. History at Rovers .............................Apps sub Goals Total.......................177 (55) 57 League ..................149 (46) 44 FA Cup.....................12 (4) 4 League Cup..............13 (4) 8 European/Others.........3 (1) 1 Profile

Its early days Chesh. What is significant, when you see him being interviewed now, there is a sparkle in his eyes. Where as previously he had a far away look in his eyes. ps Did anyone notice his joke to Wendy after the match on Saturday. Something on the lines of People must have thought he was after another sick note.

Lets not get to carried away with our pre season results, West Ham havent lost a pre season game either. West Ham Pre Season Results Note they also made a draw with 1860 Munich. Could be a nervous start to the season for both teams, resulting in a goal less draw.

(philly rover this is not intended as critism of your comment.) Yes, but to be honest, apart from those who are interested in european football, how many people would have heard of Espanyol. Lets be honest when some european player is mentioned in the transfer section of this site. unless its one of the famous clubs, how many have actually heard of the european team that the transfer target played for, let alone the player. A lot of the members of this site are well educated on european football, but how many could have named an Espanyol player. An attendance at a friendly or testimonial is very much geared on the popularity of the opposition or the personalities involved. What was there about Espanyol that would attract people from Blackburn to watch them......bearing in mind there was an Ashes Test match being televised live. Another impact on friendly attendances. is the fact that many supporters gear there summer holidays, to ensure they dont miss the actual start of the season.

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Emerton !!!!!! conspicuous to a point that I dont remember anything of signifant

In answer to Florida Rover. Kuqi didnt do his airoplane celibration dive. With a gate of 5600 approx the atmospher wasnt there and no chant really errupted for Kuqi. Espanyol didnt cause the Rovers defence much trouble resulting in The Axe having a solid but unspectacular game. oops apart from a tackle from behind on an Espanyol player on the edge of our box in the first half. The Jansen incident looked nastie, with the keeper charging in, but I dont think the keeper went in with malice in mind.