I, for one, am not in touch with the local "lads" and what they may be planning for next week, I am worried as I do not want to see my club assocciated with violent headlines. The match timing could make this almost inevitable. I've enjoyed reading the friendly banter in this thread and been concerned by the image some have presented to visitors to the site. It is worth divorcing oneself from the game occassionally and trying to read through another set of eyes. Burnley fans visiting this site as guests are almost being invited to prove their reputation next week. Think about ALL the consequences for Blackburn Rovers if that happens. I've posted this twice and say it again. On Sunday we parked beside the bus station, walked to the ground with Burnley fans, sat amongst Burnley fans, talked to Burnley fans. It was no different to being at Ewood. With my accent I stand out in Blackburn let alone Burnley, I spent the match texting updates to Australia and photographing the Rovers. Fans around us showed nothing but consideration for my son, the local Burnley radio commentators simply got up and moved, leaving all the equipment behind, when told they had our seats. The banter between police and fans was the same as Ewood. Walking past the Rovers coaches before and after there was not a single incident or bad word aimed at us, meaning us as Rovers. I saw nothing, other than the idiots we all saw, to suggest the vast majority of Burnley fans are anything other than football fans. Just like you and me. On here at least one member, a Rovers fan, has admitted criminal damage. I would ban him/her from the site forever. I was ashamed when I saw the linesman picking up objects, I hope those fans are identified and given a life ban from Ewood. Fortunatley something that could have been highlighted by the media was overshadowed by three individuals invading the pitch. It really is time people grew up - in Burnley and Blackburn. ....and there was something strangely refreshing about being in an old football ground

Great to hear ticket sales are strong. It's all a question of half full or half empty glass for me. As everyone on the database is able to purchase tickets I am delighted to hear the demand is very strong. The message you are hearing means the telephone queing system is FULL, that means 100 people on the line. If it means Ewood is full the longer the queue the better. ST holders have till close of business Thursday to claim their seats. Why not just sit back and wait till the rush has died down?

I can't imagine there will be a problem with tickets, just the early rush. I'm not even going to try until tomorrow. ST holders have till close of business Thursday to claim their seats. Everyone on the database can buy from 9.00am today until close of business 28th February.

Before things get out of hand please use this as the replay discussion thread. Cheers

Hell will freeze over first

Couldn't have asked for a better draw. Now lads get out there and beat Burnley and we have a fighting chance of making the semis.

Spot on Glenn. If the crowd was as flat as has been suggested I hope everyone who bought tickets for a part-time mate realises the impact it has. I had a good day yesterday but I'm still really irritated by the ST holders who bought tickets for fans who, under the club "rules", were not entitled to them and prevented the regular support from getting tickets. I hope every one of those fans now buys their mate a ticket for the replay and we fill Ewood to the roof.......somehow I very much doubt it though. I hope to be surprised next Tuesday.

Blackburn Rovers home replay versus Burnley will not be shown live on the BBC or Sky. The matches chosen for broadcast that week are Tuesday 01 March the Sheffield United-Arsenal replay at Bramall Lane will be shown on BBC2. Whilst the next day Sky Sports will screen Tottenham's visit to Nottingham Forest. No doubt the club will be hoping this decision will help to drive ticket sales and build towards a full house. With tickets priced at £20 Audult, £10 Senior Citizens and £5 Juniors and the fact this may be the last East Lancashire Derby for many years every Rovers fan should be at Ewood next Tuesday.

No it isn't. Tuesday 01 March the Sheffield United-Arsenal replay at Bramall Lane will be shown on BBC2. Wednesday March 2nd Sky Sports will screen Tottenham's visit to Nottingham Forest. So the only place to see this is Ewood Park.

I was speaking generally....this thread is full of long quoted posts. nothing aimed at any one individual.

Sat in the Bob Lord stand we were clearly Rovers fans. There was no hassle and we chatted briefly with the Burnley fans around us. No problem at all. Equally I could see a lot of the other stuff that was going on.

Can we just mention excessive quoting makes the MB very difficult to read and wastes a lot of space. The point of quoting is to refer to a post and comment, it isn't necessary to quote the post immediatley above a reply. cheers

BurnleyFC 4eva - your posting permissions have been removed and your post deleted. We will put up with some language but not anyhting like that. Goodbye.

The replay between Blackburn Rovers and Burnley will be at 8.00pm, Tuesday 1st March. Tickets go on sale to ALL supporters with a data-base history of purchasing tickets from Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday 22nd February. Season Ticket holders have until close of business on Thursday 24th February to claim their own seats. Prices in all areas are: Adult £20 Senior Citizens £10 Young Adult Season Ticket £10 Juniors £5 This is an ALL TICKET game and no tickets will be available on match day. I guess this means you must get a ticket by close of business on February 28th.

Looks like I'm first back from the Turd. We had seats in the back row of the Bob Lord right on the half way line. When we arrived two of the Burnley commentators were sat in our seats, so they had to move. Fantastic view - GAV we even had our own shelf to lean on. Surrounded by Burnley fans Tom and I decided to keep very quiet - though the lad in front of us kept sneaking pictures of the Rovers support!! Taken lots of pics that I will upload later. View of the match? Well my stomach churned for 90 minutes, nerves not worry. Apart from the last 15 minutes and maybe the last 10 of the first half, I don't feel Burnley worried us at all. Brad had one good save to make and gathered the ball comfortably low down at the near post. Every Rover looked head and shoulders above the opposition, the pitch played a part in keeping Burnley in the tie as we found it difficult to play and create chances. MGP had a great game, Savage was everywhere, Emerton was clearly geed-up though he faded towards the end of the first half before coming back in the second. The defence looked solid, won most balls and at the end hacked away anything that looked dangerous. I didn't like the way Nissa went forward a lot in the last 10-15 minutes as it seemed to leave a gap that wasn't being covered properly. The midfield where prepared to battle and seemed to pick up a lot of the loose balls. Savage did leave his foot trailing an awful lot. The Dickov free kick wasn't a penalty. The last foul took place on the line or just inside but the referee made it clear he first allowed play to go on and then awarded the free kick on the spot of the original foul, which was outside the box. Good decision, I'm sorry to say. I felt Rovers, player for player, were far superior to Burnley and on the Ewood pitch, with a little more space, time and a decent surface we should create the chances to win this tie. On the day the draw was the fair result. Haven't seen the video yet, but I get the impression this was far better to watch live than on the telly. To the Burnley fans, Thank you. I think the number of pics I took, and the direction of them, made it obvious who we supported. There was no hassle, at no time did I feel worried. Cheers.

See you all when we get back.............if we get back

Longsider - today is for football fans. Both sets of supporters can show the country what real passion, in a real derby is all about. Have a great day....but not TOO great. Come on you Blues

Today is the day, the most eagerly anticipated game for years. The morning has dawned bright and cold with a beautiful clear blue sky. Since just after 1.30pm, January 31st Rovers and Burnley fans have been counting the minutes, chasing tickets, bantering with each other, recalling famous victories, grasping at every reason as to why we will win……and now kick off is just hours away. Thousands in Blackburn don’t have tickets, thousands around the world will have to rely on radio, TV and internet to follow the game. Defeat is unthinkable as the Rovers stride out on to Turf Moor for the tie of the round, perhaps the competition, to renew the intense rivalry of an East Lancashire Derby, THE Derby. To while away the hours here are views from the Rovers camp, along with links two a couple of Sunday papers: Simon Garner “I won’t be going to Burnley, I find I’m not very popular in the area! But I’ll be watching it on television and cheering on MY team” © LET Mark Hughes “I’ve played in the Manchester derby, the Liverpool derby, the south coast game and Barcelona v Real Madrid and the match against Burnley is right up there with them” © rovers.co.uk David Dunn on the win at Turf Moor, “I don’t think some of the lads in our squad really understood what Blackburn and Burnley games were all about………I kept trying to tell them………it was only when we were in the dressing room two hours before the game and could hear the fans roaring that it started to hit home to them” © LET Ronnie Clayton "Wembley, Old Trafford, Highbury, Villa Park are great places to play football but you can’t beat the special feelings and adrenalin associated with a packed Ewood Park or Turf Moor and a match against the old enemy” © LET The Observer The Independent Come on you Blues Join the pre-match discussion here

7am! I've been awake since 3.30, hardly slept a wink! Knackered already

Leicester win, Soton/Brentford draw. Good one waggy

.....out of the mouths of babes and sucklings. DaveyB has summed up the whole issue superbly

That will suit us

Cheers Sam...that was what I expected to find. Got me flask ready

I don't feel that can be a surprise as in some ways the decline in ST sales and attendances is almost impossible to understand. The club would probably handsomely reward any fan who could turn up with the answer. Jim has commented about Leicester before and I feel he is very close to the mark. Rovers fans are not born, they are made. Some people, like me, don't/didn't have a footballing parent to introduce them to the game, I only became interested when I went to secondary school. These days kids have some understanding of footie far earlier and become Utd fans from a very young age. Rovers have to combat this in the local area, we have to grab these children BEFORE they start to worship false idols. Where I believe Rovers go wrong is that few, if any, of the communoty schemes result in children regularly attending Ewood. Any of the local initiatives Rovers introduce should include regular free seats, the places are empty anyway. The odd free ticket doesn't make a Rover, but constant reinforcement would do so. Aside from the kids the only other method to increase attendance is to improve the quality on the pitch. I know so many disillusioned ex-ST holders it's frightening. They simply don't go because the last 2-3 years have been awful......and it will take a while to get them back again. I'd be happy, and still by STs, if every empty pair of seats went to parent/child for £10 total until the ground was bursting at the seams.

Bob Lord for us........at least we won't be in there two hours before and an hour afterwards