Mine all started to go at 4 years of age. The eldest started off in Nuttall Street and by the time I had three to take we'd moved to the Family Stand, free STs thank goodness. When to start is difficult. My eldest started going because someone suggested if I thought i was going out every other Saturday and leaving two under 4s with their mother I could think again. By the time he was six it was 92 and we all know how things were then. It wasn't a problem The two elder boys never complained but would get a bit bored so you need to take other things to occupy them. The youngest took years to become a Rover and it wasn't until he was around 11 that he really got into it. Last night he was begging to stay up for MOTD and we had a great time sitting together watching that win. Perseverance works! The problem with leaving it until they have a real understanding or interest is the influence of Man Utd, Chelsea etc. Going through the "Why can't I support Man Utd?" period is hard work...........but you can beat it into them eventually!! The best thing is to try a game and see what his reaction is...........

With any luck YES! I do have one complaint though..........I'm not used to staying awake on a Saturday to watch the footie

Morten Gamst Pedersen tra la la lala Might just watch MOTD tonight................and again tomorrow Oh happy days

Certainly hadn't escaped my notice colin. More evidence that very cheap tickets for the youngsters would help. On the basis of wednesday night the club don't need all the expense and fuss of trying to attract schools, just make it £3 a ticket for children. There were clearly lots of groups of friends in the BBE. Mind you I can see the regulars enjoying that

Must admit to being concerned about him as well ................

I thought I was right. At the moment it's a 3.00pm KO

Agreed. I've been really incensed this week by how this has suddenly become the hot topic with all the media. Football fans have been telling anyone who would listen (in other words other fans) where the problems lay for at leats 2, if not 3 years. Of course this is the problem as well - it's now a "hot topic". We will be treated to some window dressing and that will be it. BTW - agree with the rest of the post CK. £10 for Wigan and £1 for the kids. Absolutely, lets pack Ewood and really see out the old year in style. Have to admit I thought it was at their place on NYE

I was expecting that one as well

I said this to the bloke who sits next to me on Saturday but haven't mentioned it on here for fear of ridicule! He really does look just like a young Beckham, if he has half the talent we are on a winner. On the basis of the two games I've seen I feel we have a really good player on our hands.

Good game. Impressed by Huddersfield who played well throughout although Rovers were not seriously troubled till it went to 2-1 and then Bellamy settled things with his second. This was an entertaining match that we controlled from the start. Friedel - his usual self Neill - didn't notice him much so he must have been OK Gray - started nervously and his distribtion was poor in the first half. Seemed happier in the second Nelsen/Zurab - could be a good combination Savage - much as we expect, too many misplaced passes Emerton - brightish start, then faded away Tugay - good game, nothing outstanding but competent Dickov - largely anonymous Bellamy - very good game, took his goals well and provided a constant threat Bentley - good game, I think this lad is going to be very good. Just needs a few more games. Much happier, role on Saturday

Without wanting to stray off topic that's a good point and I'm glad someone else has noticed it. There are a significant number of members whom we observe visiting but who rarely post.

If goes to extra time and penalties I'll probably miss the beginning of Lost Sincerely hope this isn't an omen. Let's get the job done in 90 minutes lads.

Thanks philip, that helps. Amazing what you forget, Tugay's shot had passed out of my mind completely.

It will come as a shock to you that I don't find that difficult to understand, in fact I already knew it. Back to the question, seeing as thenodrog doesn't know the answer. What constitutes a shot at goal in match statistics? As there were clearly not 21 of the type described above.

In all seriousness, do we know how a "shot on goal" is defined for the purpose of these statistics?

I don't have a clue what you are referring to their thenodrog.

OK that's three more for BBE tomorrow night! I expect you lot to behave as I've promised the youngest we can go on the BBE. No drinking, no swearing please

I think most of us are wondering about the twenty shots on goal - I don't know what the statos definition of a shot is but it's somewhat different from mine. Generally I'd say a shot should involve some effort by the keeper or a defender to prevent a goal. We certainly didn't have 20 shots using that definition. Shay Given didn't have to make a single save from open play. The three best efforts were MGP's free kick, Savage's saved free-kick and a Jansen header kicked off the line. After a couple of days to ponder all this I now realise why I'm so upset about the bar codes result. Spurs game to town, riding high and with the media talking about the wonderful job Jol is doing. He dropped three first choice players thinking Rovers would be easy. We leathered 'em. OK it was 0-0 but I left feeling very satisfied with the team performance. Great, when is the next game? Nearly a month later, next home game - that's another issue altogether - and it's Newcastle. We have the following factors - Shearer, Owen, Souness, home debuts for Bellamy, Zurab, Bentley plus one would imagine the rest of the squad had something to prove to Souey. Newcastle were the PL's most depressed side, in tatters, injury list as long as your arm etc, etc. They were like lambs to the slaughter. Half their away support stayed at home, now what does that say? Did we go at in the way we did against Spurs? No. We huffed around, conceded a goal, heads dropped and got stuffed 0-3. I cannot understand the mentality of these players. They know they can do the job but they seem to think that once in a while is enough. It isn't. If we had played as against Spurs and got beat 0-3 fair enough, but that isn't what happened. Oh bugger they've scored, that's it then, time to pack up and go home.

Radical thought, get the players to practise: Ball control Passing Tackling Crossing Shooting Afterall they do consider themselves to be PROFESSIONAL footballers

OK fair do's den I'm not happy...about Wednesday.

That's unfair den. This my 25th consecutive year with an ST and I have NEVER decided to miss a home match before. Other than a misguided sense of loyalty, I can think of no reason to go. Why misguided, well lets face facts while the club may care if I'm there or not it doesn't make one jot of difference to the team. Sunday was just another link in a long chain of missed opportunities - big game comes along and Rovers blow it. When was the last time we actually PERFORMED at Ewood when it mattered? Right now the last one I can recall was Utd in the relegation season. Make no mistake Sunday was a BIG game - Newcastle United, Souness, Shearer, Owen, Bellamy, Zurab, Bentley - and we blew it again! My son has told me he wishes he hadn't bought an ST because "I could have used the money for so many other things". He's NINETEEN years old and he's had enough. He's 19 and isn't going to Huddersfield so he can work an extra shift at the pub - to help pay back the loan for a SEASON TICKET Ironic or what, missing a home game to earn money to pay for the ST!!!! This club is in so much trouble ....................... If there is the rumoured 500 in the ground and 3-4000 from Huddersfield it might just drive the point home.

One point not raised about yesterday's game; I thought Souness showed respect to the club and players by staying on the pitch to shake hands at the end of the game. It would have been very easy for him to congratulate his own side and ignore the people he had worked with for 3-4 years.

Thinking only of this season, I thoroughly enjoyed the Spurs game. Against Newcastle I had expected more of the same, which is the main reason for my disappointment. The team can entertain us v Spurs Freidel, Neill, Todd, Nelsen, Matteo, Emerton, Reid, Tugay, Savage, Pedersen, Kugi v Barcodes Freidel, Neill, Zurab, Nelsen, Gresko, Mokoena, Reid, Bentley, Savage, Pedersen, Bellamy Forced changes: 2 Manager's changes: 3

When he's drunk or when you are?

I posted elsewhere that a drop in support starts with the away fans and filters through to the home support. It takes time though. It's about two or three years back people first started to mention a drop in Rovers away support, and now we are seeing the very serious decline in home attendance. .....and after today all the talk and ideas in the world won't have any effect. JW may well decide to stop spending money on promoting ticket sales as it will cut costs for the club.