Yeah, a bit of a balancing act Tyrone. My mrs managed to somehow get two tickets for the Celtic game without me knowing, so off we went there! Still a season ticket holder at the DW and yes, Jai Field is a quick lad and a damn good player.

Decided to have a stress free Saturday, this weekend. No thinking about Venky’s, no thinking about Tony Mowbray, no analysis of our current death spiral, no pondering of square pegs in round holes and so on. First time on Celtic Park since 2003 and, strangely, I was sat in the same seats/section as when we lost the first leg of our UEFA Cup tie that night, Henrik Larsson scoring with ten or so minutes to go. Drove into the Parkhead district of Glasgow at 1pm, no traffic queues whatsoever, plenty of free parking on nearby side streets, we actually parked up on a retail park, five minutes from the ground and sampled a pint of the black stuff in one of the many pubs on the Gallowgate. No hassle, queues or problems despite a 60k crowd, plenty of time for photos and showing my mate around the outside of the stadium. Decent seats and view, with a great atmosphere as you would expect with a 7-0 win. New manager Ange Postecoglou is doing a great job up there. He’s managed in the Japanese J League and obviously has connections because of that. Three of the current four Japanese players at Celtic are generally making the starting eleven and it shows that some real, relatively cheap, talent can be picked up if you think outside the box. Rovers take note.

Finally, another of Ewood Mill. You can just see the Blackburn End turnstiles, in the bottom left hand corner of the photo, and the first few steps of the Blackburn End terracing. Photo undated, probably 1950.

Albion Mill, near the canal, photo undated but possibly 1950. Ewood Park, in the top right of the photo, has yet to have its Blackburn End cantilever roof, so definitely pre 1960/61.

Ewood Mill, which used to be on the other side of Bolton Road, once you exit Ewood from the Blackburn End and where McDonald’s now is. You can also see the top of the ‘triangle’ where the old Blue & White Supporters Club used to be. Dated 1950. Also, the Fox & Hounds pub, bottom right.

Ewood Park, 1928. Photo taken from the Historic England website.

It certainly is Tyrone 👍

A combination of complacency and Mike Newell getting injured. He returned for the Tranmere away game and you could sense the collective relief amongst the Rovers support.

I went to that night game Dave. We took thousands and were down the side if I remember correctly. I do remember that it was on Sky and that Andy Gray commented that he’d never heard such a noise from away fans. As you say, we were beaten, and United secured the title because of the defeat.

Also, not forgetting Blackpool, another north west town club, who rid themselves of the Oyston family by supporters properly demonstrating and boycotting their club. It can be done.

😆😆 Yet the lad to the right, his shoes are remarkably clean. There’s loads to look at in the photo. The next lad to the right, both his feet are off the ground, the rattle, the laughter on the face of the lad under ‘dirty wellies lad’s’ armpit, the bloke by ‘rattle lad’s’ left elbow not looking happy at all (surely a Liverpool fan), something in the air at the back of the Darwen End against the sky and the copper just taking it all in. And what would Swag say about 93k coming through the Ewood turnstiles in 7 days? He’d deny it ever happened. Wonder if Venky’s have ever seen a photo like this and if they know such crowds were possible in those days?

Not seen this photo before. Rovers beating Liverpool 2-1 in the FA Cup, 1957-58 and young Rovers fans celebrate a goal in front of a packed Darwen End. Attendance 51,000. A week earlier, we had drawn with them in a league encounter, also at Ewood, in front of 41,789.

Shamelessly nicked from a Blackburn Facebook site. I think I’ve more or less got the players correct. The keeper is certainly Harry Leyland and, with the style of kit, it has to be 1960-61. Clayton, Leyland, McGrath?, Woods, Douglas, Dobing? Not 100% sure on Dobing. I initially thought MacLeod.

I don’t think the white shirt with the Maltese Cross has ever been in doubt.

Some good ideas there Chaddy.

Yeah, it goes on to mention ‘quarters’ in the Harry Kay book, saying that if you unstitch the shirt and unfold it, there are then four quarters, ie. two of blue and two of white. Interestingly, it states we played for a few games, in one of the early seasons, in ‘eighths,’ so similar to that of Bristol Rovers today. This kit is not shown on the Historical Kits website and I’ve never seen that referenced before.

This on the Rovers site, indicating the said meeting in the St Ledger Hotel, was on November 5th. Not clear as to whether or not this is 1874 or 1875. They certainly state that we were formed in 1875.

This is an extract from Harry Kay’s 1948 book which, again, mentions Christmas 1874 when the meeting took place in the St Ledger Hotel in King William Street. ”That night Blackburn Rovers Football Club came into existence.”

Interesting find SG. Unless an exact date can be found, I suppose it comes down to the interpretation of ‘just after.’ Seven days after Christmas Day 1874 is 1875.

If it turns out to be 1874, Gregg, just cut off your forefinger and put a ‘4’ on your thumb. Simples.

It’s mine now 😆

Rail seating at Celtic Park. Three thousand seats.

Just had a quick count up and I have 15 books on the Rovers or Rovers related. I may also have one or two at our son’s house. We certainly bought him the Michael Hodkinson book this Christmas.

This is an old book that not too many people will have. Things About Blackburn Rovers by Harry Kay (Sports Editor of the Northern Daily Telegraph) from 1948. A friend of mine bought it for me at a car boot sale. Questions and Answers/Facts and Figures type book.