If Hughes doesn't play a full strength team I shall begin to doubt him. This match, win or lose, is an opportunity to sort out some problems, perhaps even try 4-4-2. Hughes must play his best available 11.

Until 4.00pm I was going to go, plan was to buy tickets on the way home today. I've never deliberately missed a home game; only family events have ever stopped me going to Rovers. For the moment I'm not going, by choice. I'd like to think it's a protest but it's probably not as moral as that, I really just can't raise any enthusiasm at all. I feel ghastly at the thought I'm chosing to stay at home........which may eventually force me to go. Is this what it has come to?

I'm way past being angry just disappointed, despondent and depressed. I really thought we'd win this one. Stats on here suggest Rovers 21 shots, Newcastle 4. Don't be fooled apart from the two first half free kicks and Jansen's header kicked off the line we did not create a single scoring opportunity. Where Sky have found another 18 shots from I don't know - perhaps they're on a bonus from JW to help fill the ground? This is the worst Newcastle United side I've seen at Ewood and we couldn't beat them. We didn't dominate for 60 minutes as some suggest, we just huffed and puffed around the pitch because Newcastle are so dreadful. This is a team just asking to be beaten and we lost 0-3. The bloke next to me had come from Ireland with his lad, the next father had brought his son for the first time. Both stumped up £42 for the pleasure. You can forget Wednesday lads, I've got better things to do.

That would depend on if the ST holders did their sums, but I agree on the face of it this would irritate ST holders: ST prices for one adult and one junior (per match = average for Adult + Junior): CIS Matchday £15 + £5 = £20 per match PLUS £2 booking fee = £22 CIS Outer ST £250 + £85 = £335 = £17.60 per match BBE Upper ST £385 + £70 = 455 = £24 per match BBE Lower ST £410 + £85 = £495 = £26 per match If one includes the discount an ST holder can get on the programme (is it £1.50?) the prices are very similar. I haven't factored in the Loyalty Discount because I don't know what it is, but it would probably bring the prices to roughly equal. I suspect you're right though the majority would look at it and be upset. Then of course there would be the whole question of the value of buying an ST in the first place. One thing that occurs to me is could an ST be more expensive? Arguably the benefits of an ST make it worth more than a match day ticket: Guaranteed match seat Guaranteed cup tickets Priority on away tickets No weekly hassle to buy tickets etc. I buy STs mainly because it spreads the cost, reduces the hassle and ensures I see every game I want to be at. The cost is not the main consideration.

I only need glasses for reading - trouble is it's for my own hand-writing these days

Twas just one of those moments that made me laugh out loud

Very true, I'm not criticising it just observing. Checking Everton's prices it appears for the Wigan game (I'm assuming this is the one referred to) the prices would be between £43 and £46 on three sides of the ground but excluding what I presume to be the two "best" stands - the Main and Park Stands.

Very hard to argue with those figures philip. Those prices are available in the CIS and JW sections closest to the Darwen End. Question might have to be: Why are people unaware of this? Would it be better to offer these prices in the thick of the home support? To sit with the majority of home support would cost £30 and put us in sixth spot behind Everton

That list is just a cut and paste from here I happened to be reading it on Friday to check the last time Newcastle won the league. Don't want to be rude paddy but it doesn't count for much. Both clubs have a great history and proud tradition but right now we are doing nothing more than making up the numbers in the PL. I have to say Newcastle do themselves few favours with all this great club, great fans nonsense - the reality is, like Rovers, you're just another average PL club that will win nothing, along with another 19 sides.

Thames Valley Royals anyone?

Well I've been chewing it over and I really have to go. In fact I think this could be more fun than some PL fixtures. It's the cup, no replay so both sides have to go for a win, the boys want to go on the BBE so that settles it. Staying away is just impossible, though I'd be sweating if it was more than a tenner.

It's doing fine thanks theno. It was never intended to be the club's salvation so please don't saddle us with that one.

There's a theory that if you sit a monkey in front of a computer for long enough it will eventually be able to write Shakespeare.

Bellamy to haunt Souey?

It was me. I feel it's about perceived value, the product is widely available in countless different forms, consequently it's perceived value is plummeting like a stone. The average cost for our family, four STs, is £12.50 per game, it isn't worth much more than that....and if I really thought about it I'd say a game should not be more than £10 for adults and £5 for kids. If asked to stump up £30 on a Saturday, I simply wouldn't. I will not travel away because I refuse to pay those prices. Too many people have taken a living out of football, press, radio, TV, agents, players, sponsors, shirt manufacturers. Everyone of them has devalued the game by contributing to it's over-exposure and their ever-increasing demand for money has fuelled the problem. Now the paying customer is saying "ENOUGH" - if the clubs don't react very quickly, like NOW, it will be too late. Where is the value in £30 for a ticket to watch Wayne Rooney? I'm asked to line the pockets of ignorant, uneducated teenagers who don't know how to behave. I simply won't. This is what is destroying the game. Players like Rooney aren't worth tuppence to football. If Bellamy doesn't perform in the first month I shall have much the same to say about him. Clint Eastwood's immortal line springs to mind - "Don't pi55 on my back and tell me it's raining" Now interestingly I am ready and waiting to go to Wigan. Not even considering what it will cost. Why? Simple. It's unique. First visit in the PL, holiday time, local derby, crowd should be bouncing, Dave Whelan etc. etc. Wigan will be a bloody good day out. Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge, I'm just not interested, you blew it sometime ago with your arrogance and belief the fans would pay anything to watch their team. So I'll pay for something special, but give us the same old tat and I'll give you a tenner, tops. Football was once unique. if you really wanted to see your team, Liverpool, Utd whoever, you had to go to the ground. Now you can experience the whole thing with a better, comfier view plus surround sound on your home-cinema set up while enjoying a couple of beers.

Contrast this with Phil Gartside, Bolton chairman, live on Five Live an hour back. Confronted with a Leeds fan talking about football crowds in general and citing: Player arrogance Facilities Price Lack of competitiveness Over exposure Gartside responded with the usual "good entertainment, competitive pricing compared to the rest of the PL, good facilities, good food etc" at Bolton Wanderers! and went on to say "maybe my good friend Ken Bates is charging you a bit more than Bolton" After reading Murray's comments I felt quite encouraged, listening to Gartside I felt there is no hope of change. Very interesting all the fans who called in, except the scouser, cited all the points we made. Even the Sun journalist was making sense on the lack of competitiveness etc. One thing is clear - the PL don't need to research this, the answers are all here.

Followed Alan Wright up the M6 in an enormous Mercedes X5 - reckon he was sitting on at least three cushions.

Met the first team at the ground on several occassions when doing mascot and other stuff but that doesn't realy count. Seen Paul Warhurst, Colin Hendry, Kevin Gallagher and David Dunn in Next Generation, Chorley at various times. Also the whole Bolton squad at same place but that was training so is a bit different. Razor Ruddock in Wheelton Village Hall at the local PTA disco - fish, water, out! Ken Beamish leaving the Millenium Stadium, had a quick chat, he was beaming! Terry Venables sat behind me in the Family Stand when it first opened and he was England manager. Nicky Reid lives in our village, see him frequently, good bloke. My wife has met numerous player's wives through her job, and a number of players from years back.

Here is a man talking sense and acknowledging what we all know: Premiership Spending: surviving on a shoe-string It's well worth reading the netire article but here's a key section from Richard Murray, Charlton Chairman: While Saturday's game is a sell-out, season ticket sales at the Valley this season are down by 1,500 to fewer than 19,000. "It's the first time in our experience that sales have fallen," Murray said. "We wrote to our season-ticket holders to ask why. There were three reasons. Firstly, they were disappointed by our poor end to last season and felt it was a rather uneventful year for us. Secondly, only nine of our 19 home matches kicked off at 3pm on a Saturday, which meant that some people weren't able to attend every match. "Thirdly there was the Chelsea factor. Journalists say that it's better that there are now three clubs at the top rather than two. We don't see it that way. There's now only one club at the top. Our supporters feel the Premiership title is cut and dried already. "You also feel that each year the three clubs that come up will be the ones most likely to go down. For the first two or three years after you go up you're just happy to stay there, but once you've been there for five or six years fans start wondering: 'Where do we go from here?' We were really chuffed that Everton finished fourth last season, just to make a change." and as I was saying earlier in this thread: If the big three went away and the TV money was halved, the average Premiership salary would be £10,000 a week rather than £20,000 a week. Fine. What are these players going to do? Are they going to go and get jobs as postmen instead because they're 'only' going to be paid £10,000 a week? Of course they're not." and the league would be more competitive Does Murray think that the Premier League's best chance of a secure future would be if the big clubs left to play in a European super league? "Well it would mean that the likes of Charlton, West Ham, Aston Villa or Tottenham could win the league again - which is what brought us all into football in the first place. It would be nice to feel Murray's views reflect those of other PL chairmen

One very real fear for the likes of Rovers is the next TV deal. IF fans refuse to pay the big four's ticket prices they clearly face a significant revenue loss. Arsenal, Chelsea, Man utd (Liverpool?) must be questioning their income from Sky at around £20m and be considering how they can sell their TV rights individually. I'd gamble this is the prime consideration to increase revenue in the face of falling attendance - they won't drop the price until it becomes utterly unavoidable. Should this happen the small clubs will be shafted. We hear a lot of talk about football needing to compete with other leisure activities. It makes me think about the real value of a match ticket. Football no longer has any unique selling point - I'd say a ticket is worth £10, maybe £15 for a big game, IF the clubs are serious about arresting the declining attendances. It's about perceived value and at £30-£50 a game there are plenty of other activities with an higher perceived value. For one thing a good meal in a decent restaurant with your wife!

I'm struggling with that one. Looking forward to this, it always seems to be a good game with Newcastle. Rovers to win 2-1.

Did you go this game? I have to say it was one of the most entertaining games I've seen at Ewood in months and did a lot to restore my faith in the side. My only frustration from this game being I have to wait until Sunday to see the Rovers again. I posted to this effect earlier and still feel the long gap between fixtures is not helping. After Spurs I was waiting for more, I expect others are too, but now I've waited, and waited, and waited......all the enthusiasm built up from that game has ebbed away.

Biography of George W Bush.......who I now know has the same birthday as me.