Definition Aryan adjective relating to white people from northern Europe, especially those with pale hair and blue eyes, who were believed by the Nazis to be better than members of all other races (from Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

Anyway whatever I do find your comments in the last sentence odd to say the least. I suspect that Morph would be offended because of the associations of the word Aryan with the Third Reich and Nazi Germany. It would certainly be the first thought that came to my mind.

Abbey I have btyahoo and I was going to say I don't have that problem with photos But I just tried it and your right it can't be done. This has only just changed as I've done this to post images before. The way round it is this. Use Internet explorer to find your pics and then link from there. On the e-mail thing I usually just type or paste in the URL and it works fine. That silly little hyperlink symbol doesn't seem to work.

Michael Singleton for the defence Which is precisely what the vast majority who attended the game know to be the true nature of the chanting.

The police have stated they are launching a criminal investigation. The Chief Super is travelling TO Birmingham tomorrow to interview Yorke. I'll give you £1 to 1p that if he wanted to talk to a fan it would be the fan who did the travelling!

PRESS STATEMENT FROM BRFCS.com Blackburn Rovers fans abhor racism in any form and if the alleged incident is proven to be racist all Rovers fans would support any action the club feel necessary in relation to the perpetrators. As ordinary fans we feel the media are presenting a sensationalised view of the incident. While none of us can provide an accurate, detailed account of the incident none of the 3000 plus fans whom are members of BRFCS.com have reported hearing or seeing any racist abuse taking place during the game. It is true Dwight Yorke was loudly booed from all sections of the ground, this abuse was very accurately summed up by David Sullivan of Birmingham City who said it was directed at his apparent lazy attitude while at Ewood Park as a player. Many of us saw two fans gesticulating at Yorke who then confronted those fans. Stewards ejected one fan from the stadium. The person ejected from the stadium was wearing a football scarf from another club and may not even be associated with Blackburn Rovers. We should like to praise Karen Brady and David Sullivan for their measured responses to this incident, these are in direct contrast to the reaction of their manager Steve Bruce. Remarks made by Steve Bruce, who was at least half the pitch length from the incident, are factually incorrect; for example Dwight Yorke was not at Blackburn Rovers when we won the Worthington Cup. We should like to remark that Blackburn Rovers acted to eject the individual concerned within a matter of moments; clearly demonstrating the club were in control of the situation and not prepared to tolerate any serious form of misbehaviour. As Rovers fans we know that racism has no place in football. As individuals we do not tolerate such behaviour and are 100% behind the club in its many efforts to widen the supporter base to include Blackburn's large Asian community.

Thank you Philip

Karen Brady is due on Five Live in the next hour. If someone can listen and report that would be very useful.

It seems none of the admin/mods team was around last night. This morning I have taken a very unusual step and removed a total of 19 posts from this thread which have only a passing relevance to the topic. A series of insults and remarks where exchanged between two members which had any of the team been around would have been nipped in the bud immediately. Personal insults, as everyone knows, are not tolerated on the MB. I'm not happy to have done this but I think it's in everyone's best interest. All the posts have been saved for reference if necessary. If anyone has a problem with this please PM me. Right now what we need is Rovers fans telling the world we are not racist rather than showing the world we can squabble amongst ourselves with the best of them. There are a few very important facts about the Yorke scenario, in my personal view: 1. Only one fan on here was aware of anything resembling racist abuse. 2. It would seem only two fans were involved in the incident. 3. No one can say for sure if this was racist or not 4. The club acted immediately to eject a fan for making obscene getsures 5. Point 4 gives Blackburn Rovers a better record on racism than the Spanish FA, police, stewards etc. Support your club - tell the truth.

Yes. He got a dead leg in a challenge with Melchiot.

I think David Dunn should be congratulated on his game today. He played well, didn't run around trying to prove anything and above all when he scored in front of the BBE his celebration was very muted. Well done David. Good to see the applause for him when he was subbed. I was a bit late, did he get a good reception?

Yorke was foolish to chose the BBE to warm up, especially when he would know that most away teams warm up at the DE and the reception he was going to receive. I can't recall such a cacophony of boos greeting a player at Ewood as he came on the pitch. If he was subject to racist abuse I condemn it but I heard nothing around me, albeit we are in the FS. Amongst all the booing he must have very sharp hearing to pick out anything at all.

Stead has failed a fitness test and Jansen starts, otherwise the same as City last week. Pedersen and Gallagher are on the bench. Right I'm off to EP see you guys later.

Perhaps you're just getting older ? It happens to us all eventually ! Probably true jim.......anyway it's time to wrap up, get out into the cold, wet, Lancashire afternoon and head down to Ewood.

I think it was blue phil who posted on the lines of "if it wasn't for the kids I'm not sure I'd go". I'm in the same situation, I shall continue to go because I don't want to disappoint the kids. If it was just me? Well I'm not sure. The day of the City game was beautiful here, in the morning I found myself wishing I wasn't going to the game because it was beautiful day for cycling.

Hi Tris. I've certainly enjoyed my copy of The Observer for the last four weeks. I'd agree they are anti-Murdoch etc. My distaste for the gentlemen is based on four factors: 1. His stable, that I have had access to, is largely made up of pap. I'm being very calm about this, a question I have never had answered: Outside of sport name a quality production from the Murdoch Empire? 2. Titles Murdoch purchases are dragged down to the lowest common denominator resulting in a loss to serious journalism 3. I very strongly object to media attempts to manipulate and influence government. I appreciate all media are guilty, to an extent, of this action but I feel Murdoch is the worst. I would expect this to concern you Tris? 4. The UK media, in all forms, responds to the nastier side of our character. I feel the role of the media is to inform, educate and entertain - young women's breasts don't need to be included, nor does the latest antics of the Beckhams. Back to the footy - your figures make a convincing arguement but I don't feel we can view TV in isolation to the general malaise which is growing amongst fans. As a fan I now find myself in the strange position of only being interested in Blackburn Rovers and the occassional big story. It's rare for me to watch or read anything connected with football, years back I would devour the weekend papers and make a point of watching all I could. MOTM is on the box at the moment as the kids still watch it - I haven't been in the room. In my view TV and the media is largely responsible for this situation through over-exposure of a product. In my youth staying up on Saturday night for MOTM was a treat I had to earn. In my less than rational moments I will blame Murdoch and Sky for this. Why? because I'm still passionate about a game that I believe is being destroyed. I feel the the Sky money was the catalyst to begin this destruction. I'm trying to seperate things here - it is the Sky money not the Sky organisation. Why? Well I'm sick to death of: 1. Over paid footballers who believe they are gods 2. The media reporting of every sexual, drug related excess 3. The heavily biased media reporting of all things MU, Chelsea etc 4. The outright lies and untruths that are reported 5. The pathetic, childish actions of those who should set the standard. For example the recent MU/Arsenal thing. Here we have intelligent men (e.g. Ferguson and Wenger) reducing themselves to gutter level by their scholl boy reractions. I've lost all respect for anyone associated with those clubs. Much as I admire their football I hope they win nothing. Ultimately you can trace all of this back to one thing - money. It's true money and real professionalism was desperatley needed by the game when Sky came along. The problem is we only got the money and a mask of professionalism. Do I make more sense now? I object to Murdoch on a political and intellectual level; Sky TV on a general quality issue; Sky money because it has been used so badly and is ultimately going to destroy the game. It coud have been anyone's money. This week my reaction to the Spain/England thing was to shrug my shoulders and think so what. I'm saddened to find myself ignoring (and therefore condoning? ) racism. When I analyse this, and I truely hope I'm right, I feel my reaction is against the hysterical outcry in the UK media. This was not our problem yet the papers devote pages to it, Five Live even ran a phone-in for pity's sake, the Prime Mimister gets involed. All to whip an environment for every English fan to wallow in self-righteous indignation at the appalling behaviour of the Spanish. Yet some of those same fans will happily spend two weeks in the Costa del sex/drugs/drink behaving in a manner that makes me ashamed to be English. Do I make sense and do you understand a little of why Im and I think thousands of others, are beginning to turn away from the game we love?

This whole problem basically comes down to communication and Rovers lack a competent individual(s) to carry out the task of dealing with the media and the fans. The shame is this very, very simple job is done so badly. It only requires people to study the truth, to know who can and who cannot be trusted with information and then to publish the real story, not some sanitised version of the issue, If one explains matters in simple English we know where we stand. On the other hand if you use journalists or provide them with information you will never get a simple, true account of anything. As for those wringing their hands in the LET and elsewhere? Currently we cannot complain about the team and the manager for obvious reasons so that leaves us with: JW Standing/Stewards/Police The Board The Caterers Away tickets I doubt many of those wailing in the LET have been to Ewood in years. It's another over-reaction from a Blackburn public who do not want to support the club as they are happier moaning.

This is the man that runs/owns the "French" style place in St George's Street, Chorley. Has a house in Florida?

Blackburn Rovers long-serving coach Tony Parkes has spoken out regarding his recent dismissal from the club urging fans to get behind the team. Following his shock departure Tony Parkes has issued a rallying call to all Rovers fans urging them to support the team's struggle to climb the table and avoid relegation. Speaking openly on recent events and reacting to local media and fans' criticism of the club, Parkes commented "The club needs the full support of everyone as the team strives to push on and climb up the Premier League. I feel sure that with everyone pulling together that will happen." Reports in some media sources suggest almost open rebellion amongst Rovers fans. However a recent poll on this site suggests 72% of fans support Mark Hughes in his desire to restructure the back-room staff (only 16% objected to the move, the rest either abstaining or preferring to let the results show if it was the right decision). Equally though many fans were unhappy at the manner in which the news was leaked to the press. Read the discussion here Every fan knows Tony Parkes is at heart one of us, a Rover through and through. He went on to comment further "I would like to make it absolutely clear that I have no axe to grind with the club. I also feel that the club has suffered unfairly over the past few days. Rovers have been great with me and I have many, many happy memories which can never be erased. I want the fans, who have also been fantastic towards me, to know that I have no animosity whatsoever toward the club and that I will always hold Rovers very close to my heart" The Rovers board have already offered Parkes a Testimonial Match which promises to be an excellent night for both Rovers fans and Tony Parkes, "I would like to thank the club for the award of a testimonial and I am already looking forward to that occasion next Spring.” It's to be hoped the club line up major opposition for this game which will be Ewood's chance to show it's support for a real legend. Come Sunday it's back to business in the PL; it's to be hoped the chorus of "He's blue and white, he's dynamite, Tony Parkes" will be rapidly followed by "Sparky Hughes blue 'n' white army" Source PAPR

Just as a little addition to my post above. Listening to Five Live's sports pages review this morning, and I loosely quote from both reports: "The Sun is reporting Rio Ferdinand was ready to walk off the pitch against Spain. He went on to say it isn't the players decision but if Sven called us off I would have gone" On Granada TV (10.30pm local news) Rio Ferdinand interviewed in the studio, on camera: "Until I came off in the 63rd minute I was not really aware of the problem. I was sat on the bench looking around and thinking 'What is going on here?' The main trouble was coming from right behind our dugout" We can conclude either: 1. Rio Ferdinand has given two conflicting interviews, in which case he is dishonest 2. The Sun prints untruths and is dishonest.

If you mean the one right behind Albion Mill, on the canal (sorry, cut) about 20 yards away from the bridge that is the one I'm talking about. I think it's going to be or perhaps is already a pub, bistro etc. Must say though that when I looked before the last home game not much seemed to be happening. In which case the owner I spoke to could have been on about The Navigation. I'll have a look on Sunday.

It's the one at the back of Albion Mill. You get to it from LBR by turning down the hill on the bend on LBR. Used to me a night club I think and has just be re-opened by a guy who also runs a restaurant on George Street in Chorley. Can't remember the name at present He was telling me abot the place a few weeks back, but I hadn't realised it was already open. He is very interested to attract fans on match day, also very keen to know what fans would want to eat. I suggested chicken Balti

I think Tris is saying if there was no demand the football would not be broadcast. Fans PREFER to spend the cash on drink and watch the game in the pub which is a more worrying scenario than the simple "there's too much footie on TV" Of course Scotty is right there is too much footie on TV but don't ignore the fact the media in all forms have killed the goose which laid the golden egg. We are bombarded by complete and utter tripe from TV, radio, internet and print. 99% of the detail is irrelevant or downright untrue. Couple this with the appalling standard of journalism applied in these media forms - for example the tabloids, Talk Sport, Century Sport etc. - and it's so obvious why many fans are turned off the beautiful game. Five Live's excellent discussion programmes covering sport in general are often well worth the listen. The strange thing is those very same journalists who write rubbish in the tabloids have intelligent and articulate comments to make on the radio. Now I wonder what this says about Murdoch, his empire and other publishing organisations. Manipulation? Heaven forbid.

Isn't the plan to fill Ewood rather than Villa Park?