In tonights Battle of the Roses, at Christie Park Morecambe, Rovers beat Leeds Res 2-1, in front of a crowd of 417. David Thompson making a welcomed return after injury managed to get on the score sheet as did youngster Johnson. Steven Reid also making a return from injury, was yellow carded. Rovers: Yelldell, Peers, Todd, Bruce, McEveley, Reid, Thompson,(Donnelly 60min) Douglas, De Pedro,(Morgan) Gallagher, Johnson. Leeds: Coyles, McKeown, Parker, Winter, Walton (Edwards 45) , Constable, Rothery (Leister), Morris (Bowler), Smith, Lennon, Kachloul. Subs: Leister, Wilberforce, Bowler, McDaid, Edwards.

Personaly I think this list is a bit unfair, the majority of clubs with the exception of Chelsea and Portsmouth, have one thing in common. Financial insecurity. Even Portsmouth and Chelsea untill recent times were in financial difficulties. Brighton have had a long arguement attempting to obtain planning approval whilst MK wasnt even designed as a football stadium. Can you imagine if it hadnt been for Jack Walker, Ewood Park would have been included in the list. 1. Priestfield, Gillingham 2. Kenilworth Road, Luton 3. Millmoor, Rotherham 4. Withdean Stadium, Brighton 5. Fratton Park, Portsmouth 6. Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace 7. Blundell Park, Grimsby 8. Ninian Park, Cardiff 9. National Hockey Stadium, Milton Keynes Dons 10. Stamford Bridge, Chelsea

Ferguson says he's not home sick and is happy at Rovers.Evening Times Link

Roy Tunks who earlier this week joined Newcastle, is to be replaced by Watford’s goalkeeping coach Kevin Hitchcock. The Lancashire Evening Telegraph are reporting that Brad Friedel is considering quitting international football. Full Story Link to LET Treatment Room Injured David Thompson, Andy Todd and Steven Reid have all returned to full training this week and are expected to have a run out for the reserves next week. Mark Bowen official website as saying: 'We have had four very physical days and they have all come through with no setbacks. They have each shown a general improvement on each day.'

OK, OK. I was thinking that Tunks had packed his Trunks and said goodbye to join the circus.

Thank you very much bob fleming. Thats just given a number of members the opportunity to bring up the old chestnut of we shouldnt have sold Duff

Rovers Chief Executive John Williams has quickly denied rumour, linking Barry Ferguson with a return to Glasgow Rangers. It had been reported by certain elements of the media, that Glasgow-born businessman Alistair Donald was set to finance Rangers by more than £10million, with Ferguson, top of Alex McLeish’s wanted list when the transfer window opens again in January. Speaking to the media and to the Rovers official web site John Williams said: “It’s news to us, we have had no approach from Rangers, regarding Barry nor would we welcome it.” "Barry is our player and we are delighted that he is. We have no intention of selling him. This is the second year of his contract, he was badly injured for much of last season and I am sure that Mark Hughes would see him as a very important player in our squad." Rovers have however confirmed that goal keeping coach, Roy Tunks has join the exodus of backroom staff who have moved to Newcastle. Click Read Entire Article for Barry Ferguson interview. "I'm not homesick"

Where has Wales gone. A bureaucratic blunder has left Wales off a map of Europe on the cover of a prestigious EU reference book. Wales has disappeared. LINK BBC ON LINE

Thanks for that philipl. Not only cant he tell his right from his left, he cant tell the time either.eg Rovers didnt score till Flitcroft came on to take control. Love his descriptive contradiction of Jansen Oh I'm sorry for our American friends if this is the standard of match reports they get.

That floodlight tale brought back the excitment of night matches. The phased switching on of the lights seemed to build up the atmosphere at night games, like a stage being lit up for a performance knowing that when the spotlights came on the performers were due to appear.

Looks like it. DONT THINK SAVAGE LIKES SOUNESS EITHER

Yes, but that means that the teams above us must be loosing

Rovers reserves lost their first game of the season, away at the Hawthorns tonight, when they went down 2-1 to West Brom. After a goal less first half when Albions keeper Murphy kept the midlands outfit in the game, Rovers conceded a goal within a minute of the restart when Albions Chambers slotted home a left wing cross from James Holmes. Rovers equalised just after the hour mark when Gallagher's pass found Jamal Johnson who cut in from the right to unleash a shot that the Albion keeper could only parry into the path of Donnelly, who blasted the ball into the back of the net from 8 yards. With the clock ticking down it looked as if Rovers would retain their unbeaten start to the season, only for Albions Elvins to volley home a winner for the Baggies 2 minutes before full time. Rovers: Yelldell, Peers, Johansson, McEveley, Morgan, Donnelly, Harkins, Douglas, De Pedro (Derbyshire), Bothroyd (Johnson), Gallagher.

Maybe here

If they merged and called the team Rovers and played in blue and white halves Id be all for it. Otherwise Id be inclined to watch Morecambe or Lancaster on a Saturday. Sorry Im getting to old and set in my ways for this forward thinking.

Craig Short hopes to be fit in time for Rovers next home game against Middlesbrough on October 16. Short is quoted on the Official Rovers web site as saying. “The injury was not as bad as we feared at first. I've been having treatment and that's gone well. I'm hopeful of getting back into training soon. I'm optimistic about Middlesbrough, but we'll have to wait and see.” The official site is also reporting that David Thompson, is recovering from his injury and is also hoping to be in contention for a return to action in the Borough game.

Thats one benifit of low attendances. easier parking.

laughatthedingles you have to forget what we paid for him or any player. Value for money on player purchase is relative to supply and demand. At the time Rovers bought Ferguson, there were a number of clubs bidding, people on this site would have soon started complaining if Rovers had pulled out of the bidding. The topic of this thread is First out of the Door, and with the standard of midfielders currently in the Rovers squad, then in my opinion we cannot afford to get rid of our best midfielder.

I cant believe some people, Fergie is coming back from a serious injury, yet he is still being undermined by some people. Deserved Man of the match yesterday.

Hey whats going on at Ewood Park, I even took the wife out and spoke to her on Saturday night. Yes I was disappointed that we didnt hold on for a win but I came away having been entertained. Hughes has been in charge for nearly two weeks and I can start to see the changes out there on the field. Not so long ago heads would have dropped when the opposition took the lead, but no Saturday the team fought back, equalised and even took the lead. Even the warm up was entertaining, they used a ball yes they did, none of this running back and fore across the pitch jumping up and down like a bunch of pregnant ballet dancers. The strikers praticed shootng at goal as well. I wish there wasnt a break next week, as I'm looking forward to see what further improvements Hughes and his backroom staff are going to do next. Last season against Villa was one of the worst games I'd seen at Ewood, this season I was entertained plus had the bonus of getting a point.and very nearly 3 points.

Unable to pay the wages unable to pay tax's. Cant exactly seeing him set up a trust fund Unfortunately it will be the true Chelsea supporters from before the Russian arrived that will suffer.

Good point, people have to migrate for employment, however it can be difficult to educate children to follow their parents team, if they cant get to watch them on a regular basis. From a personal point with so many local clubs I only had a 50% success rate with my offspring. The only way I could get my son to watch Rovers was if they were playing local, yet my daughter was quite happy to travel the length of the country with me supporting Rovers. Getting back on to the main topic, I would draw the line at paying £30 plus for a ticket on a weekly basis, and would tend to pick and choose one off games. Thats not to say that I didnt support Rovers any less, its just that finances would dictate my actions. Something that would bound to reflect on the gates at Ewood. The only way that Rovers attendances will increase is with ecconomic growth in the area, and people migrate back to the north west. The gates at Ewood are covered in another topic, so I'll stop there.

Appologies to all who failed to access the site last night and early today. This was due to server upgrading and maintenance.

I did. on page 1 of this thread There again I'm over 50 so I must be one of the old gitts.

Mike England I only ever saw him play for Spurs and Wales, so I cant comment on his days at Ewood. He could control the ball well, pass accurately and bring the ball out of defence in the days when all that was usually required of the position was to head or hoof it out of danger. His aerial ability was second to none and at that time there were some excellent, hard central defenders around. His transger fee of £95,000, when Spurs bought him from Rovers, was a record for a defender at the time. He was skilful with the ball and also had the speed to recover should a player get away from him. His strength in the tackle was obviously another asset that put fear into the forwards he had to face, but his dominance in the air could not be doubted. His service to the game at all levels was rewarded with the MBE in 1984 and he went on from being captain of Wales, to take over as manager when he finished playing. However, there was a rumour that Rovers didnt want to sell him at the time he went to Spurs and he threatened to quit the game.