Amen to that. Lancashire in general has suffered terribly since the war through changing economic circumstances and the disinterest of successive London-centric governments. Let's celebrate the fact that the county's football teams are in relative good health. In the early 1960s, Rovers, Burnley, Bolton, Preston and Blackpool were in the old first division and I'd love to see them all back there (the top flight that is !). With Wigan now in an automatic promotion slot and PNE looking good for a play-off place, there could be a lot of Lancashire interest (true Lancashire- not post 1974 nonsense) in the Prem next year. Just heard on BBC News that the FA have asked Burnley and Everton to answer for incidents at their grounds at the week-end.

It's going to be a case of TV detective work to find a channel covering the Rovers game overseas then.

That is a great article! Have the Rovers ever had a player who came from a more "ends of the earth" home town? Rover6 can change his signature to this MGP quotation: "In hindsight, Pedersen believes it was good for him to get a rest. He had been playing almost constantly for two years. The Norwegian season runs from February until the end of October, and he played for Tromso through the 2003 campaign, spent two months with the national side, gone straight back to pre-season, then played throughout the 2004 season before moving to England last August." One up to me because I pointed that out MGP hadn't had a break from competitive football for a very long time

FA Cup sixth round numbers: 1 Bolton Wanderers 2 Tottenham Hotspur or Nottingham Forest 3 Manchester United 4 Leicester City 5 Burnley or Blackburn Rovers 6 Southampton or Brentford 7 Newcastle United 8 Arsenal or Sheffield United Being drawn against number 4 or 6 home or away would be the best opportunity for a semi-final appearance. 8 would be a chance to repay recent QF defeats whoever wins their replay. 7 at Ewood would be a chance to set one or two matters straight. Don't fancy drawing the Wanderers just yet but it would be a chance to get at Spit the Dive. Would prefer someone else to get the opportunity of knocking out the Mancs.

The Guardian's report of the match. Incidentally I agree with the assessment that Mike Dean's handling of the game was excellent apart from the card for MGP for going down in the box. That was ridiculous as MGP used his falling momentum from the stumble to put in a cracking sliding tackle on the dingle right back who had collected the ball- not the usual action of a player feigning/appealing for a penalty! The other interesting judgement was the foul on Dickov on the edge of the area. Referee Dean correctly gave it outside but in the TV replay from the reverse camera angle, the linesman (who was perfectly positioned with a near side unobstructed view of the whole incident) did not react to the first two or three pushes and trips but clearly flagged a penalty when Dickov got floored well inside the box!

Because I was in a bar with a fully digital feed managed to see my first Sunday Pub League action for about ten years. It is abysmally bad! And the goalkeeping?

Just back from watching it (thanks to our fine High Commissioner to Malta who organised a bar to show it but who is also a Burnley lad ) Did Friedel have a save all game? Todd, Nelsen, Savage, Pedersen were immense but nobody had a bad game. We had three chances (pedersen's early header over, Dickov's ono-on-one scoop wide and Pedersen's header against Roche's head and arm) which on another day could have gone in. The noise was fantastic all game. Shame about the empty seats at the Burnley end but now we have got to fill Ewood before we rubbish them- doubt the dingles are capable of selling out the Darwen End but lets see. Word of hope- no more 5th Round draws so we can watch the replay please. Word of warning- this set of Dingles is a much better footballing side than Stan Ternent's Italian Jobload of minis. They will enjoy playing on a good surface at Ewood.

Never felt more like singing the blues, The Rovers win, the Burnley lose, Oh Rovers, You've got me singing the blues. Chin chimminee.... Hark the Herald Angels sing, The Rovers win on Boxing Day And we will sing for evermore Because of Boxing Day. What do you think of Burnley? .......... Come on go through the whole repertoire at the Turf!

That's a great line in the Mail on Sunday. Enjoy it everybody!

The Independent's offering. the Guardian profiled Frank Sinclair this morning and understandably had little to say about Burnleh.

Apples and oranges Revidge- you are not comparing like with like. The reality is that their percentage increase is well sub 10%. When there are CEs in football earning seven figure salaries (Manu and Chelski to name two), I think we get superb value from Messrs Williams and Finn. They have handled several very trickly situations superbly and I think your comment is churlish and stupid.

Little Bumley's biggest match. "virtual sell out" means the dingles are desperately trying to shift some tickets. Agent Kilby a lifelong dingle means he is selectively re-writing history.

Please note, I am making a big assumption in equating annual ammortisation (an accounting "number") to actual budgetted transfer fees. Also, I must stress the word annual- we have already spent £3.5m in January and £1.5m+ in August. John Williams in his Radio Lancashire interview talked in terms of seeing transfers in an annual cycle and club preferring to get it right in the summer rather than being forced into the January market.

Rovers first, the rest nearly nowhere. However, I always like to see the small Lancashire clubs do well (except that lot we are playing on Sunday) and equally I enjoy following English club sides in Europe (even the Mancs). From time-to-time a team plays truly outstanding football or has an outstanding player and I will go out of my way to watch them- the WBA side in the late '70s with Junky Johnstone was invariably great entertainment. Stoke were worth watching for Hudson and Sheff U for Curry and that little Argentine. In recent seasons, I'll admit to making a point of watching Arsenal if the Rovers are not being covered. Once over, I had a sneaking regard for Oxford following their 3-1 shock victory in the FA Cup over us but that disappeared when the Oxford fans unfurled a swastika flag on the Darwen End railings. Outside of England, I have always looked for Stranraers's results and had a soft spot for Dufermline Athplastic. Fiorentina and Inter (through friends) in Italy, Hanover (another mate) in Germany, Grasshoppers (Rovers' colours) in Switzerland. Of course there are clubs I detest. Wigan come into that category, Newcastle were a pet dislike long before Souness went there, used to be Hearts in Scotland but the one I now fervently wish nothing but ill-will on now is Rangers.

McLeish has said he doesn't want Amo. Reports coming out of Newcastle indicate that Boumsong has a Dunn-like career threatening injury. He's managed two games, both hamstrings are gone and he has a back problem. Perhaps Amo will end up at St James's after all.

Come on Paul, don't be so churlish- it's their first chance to be in the limelight sin ce April 1st 2001. Incidentally, can't one of those tickets from the shoebox be saved for Gav/Debs?

...and we'll give you the man advantage of picking eleven players. Dingles losing 1-0 at HT at Crewe in a pretty even match- what was that theory about games in hand?

Does the loser get to buy a ticket with the dingles?

Expect it will be very tight with Rovers just shading it and Burnley playing some surprisingly good stuff as well as scrapping like mad. However, if Rovers score early and keep their discipline at the back it could turn into a romp. 1-0 Rovers and at least one sending off.

For one Ashton is a Striker and Savage is a midfielder Philipl Well, you learn something new every day.

Not that I condone it, but Abbey is an Olympic wrestler.

Had a nightmare week-end so still have not seen the game but a great result and I really like this match report in today's Guardian. How did the Ewood Park surface stand up to being played on in the downpour? Was it a microclimate?

Two recent £3m signings out there yesterday. Should we have gone for Aston rather than Savage?

1) Somebody unblock queerdadio to make this a "proper" MGP thread. 2) MGP to score direct from a corner next Sunday? Oh ecstacy!

Just as well Scotland is in the EU as being below 75th, playing for Scotland wouldn't get the Scots a work permit these days. Are there any Scottish players regularly playing in the Prem besides Dickov, Matteo and the occasional Gallagher cameo? Are there any Scottish players in La Liga or Serie A? I think there are one or two in the Maltese Premier Division though. Lets be realistic. The Home Nations are totally anachronistic now. There are so few "Home" players playing anything above League 2 standard football (that includes a chunk of the SPL- would Livingstone beat Yeovil?), we should create a British side and let the "Scottish" Sam Allardyce specials aka "The Old Firm" into the Championship play-offs and turn the rest of "Scottish" footbnall into a feeder for the Unibond until they can find a few more locals who can kick straight.