I must admit for some reason I’m not looking forward to this season a fraction of the amount I was last season (even though feared a mid table bottle job). Maybe it was being a big fish for once. I don’t know. But I must remind myself of where we are now vs where we were on my only trip to Portman Road opening day fixture in 2012. I remember it was sweltering hot inside the ground and I’d driven down purely to boo Steve Kean. The porcine toad walked to the dugout after the match had started. As a side note don’t usually drive to games and after that don’t think I ever have or will again. After left the m62 it was pretty much 3 solid hours of a-roads. I thought at the time pretty much every single away day for an Ipswich fan must be an absolute bloody mission. So all in all a 9 hours round trip to boo a bald drunken delusional lying buffoon for 10 seconds.

Blimey. Was that the 3-2 vs Everton? Seems a lifetime ago.

Pretty grim record at Ipswich. Had a little look and the last time rovers won at Portman road was 1994 (Sutton, sherwood and Shearer). Since that win drawn 5 and lost 3. In fact only 2 wins since 1954 the other being in 1988 (sellars and ainscow). And I say 1954 because site looking at only goes back to then. I fear a rude awakening on Saturday. Looking at the teams in the division and ones which may be winnable, we have quite a few at the start so must hit the ground running.

Yellow reminds me of the kean era. I’ll pass

As a side note really don’t like the kit. In my opinion the blue is too weak, odd dots in the numbers and that logo does indeed look like the top profile of a toilet.

Who did dack put on his backside?

When he bowled kholi in the ODI at headingley I jokingly said he’ll be picked in the test team now. And here we are. It seems every decision the ECB make undermines first class cricket. From bizarre scheduling of cc games in April to make was for t20 in peak months, capping players who retire from domestic red ball cricket, railroading teams to play unfit players, the unfathomable 100 balls 10 ball overs city tournament (as if 40 balls less than t20 will have folk stampeding into grounds), rinsing counties for hosting test cricket, etc. When it comes to cricket and football I think the governing bodies are singing off the same hymn sheet

I’d be astonished if there’s 2 grounds closer together. I’d also be surprised if, outside of London, the same town has hosted England in 3 different grounds.

Many on?

That’s about the shape of it. Also someone was saying if Lancashire qualify from the t20 north group and get a home quarter final draw then it might not be at Old Trafford because Liam Gallagher is playing few days earlier. Or if they do play the pitch will be destroyed like it was after that bombing benefit concert.

Angry Lancs fans you say. Well I’m one of them. Pathetic AGAIN. Off work this week so went along. More fool me. Having got them on the ropes on day one and let it slip we still had chances. Key moments yesterday were dropping Bairstow on 22 and then jos getting out last night removed all hope really. Jimmy was coming in off a half length run up to bowl medium pacers wasn’t great to see. I appreciate he’s coming back from injury but if he wasn’t fully match fit Mennie should have played. It’s not Lancashire’s job to get players ready for England. I expected better from England’s leading test wicket taker and a Lancastrian playing Yorkshire than that. It was also brain dead sending in Livingstone this morning with a fractured thumb with so many to get. I recall fairbrother coming out at Lytham when we needed about 10 but we today needed over 100. All in all looks like 3 relegations in 6 years. One win from nine championship fixtures paints a very bleak outlook when we’ll have to win at least two, possibly three, of Surrey at the oval, Worcester Southport, Somerset at the county ground, Yorks at skeletors lair, Hampshire at the ageas bowl just to stay up. Oh and if 3 pts wasn’t poor enough that’s been reduced to 2 for a slow over rate. Well done lancs.

.

I think the Australian is Wayne Riley. I found the whole sky commentary team poor. No one likes the grammar police and I’m certainty not perfect but their use of English was terrible all tournament. It’s perhaps nit picking but I lost count of the amount of times the leader was on say -6 and someone else would go to -5 and they would say “he’s now within one shot of the lead.” That’s not within one shot at all, it’s exactly one shot off the lead. This is also creeping into football commentary as well. 2-1 they’ve pulled it back to within one goal. That was just the tip of the iceberg. Also, when Tom Morris won the Open “there were less people to beat.” I know they meant fewer people and ordinarily these things really don’t bother me but when broadcasting is their profession I do expect better.

Classic panicshire. Pathetic

Hameed has been out playing no shot 4 out of last 5 dismissals. We’re playing with 10 men with him. 2nd xi clearly no standard judging by the scores he’s getting so either needs loaning to a division 2 side (who in their right mind would take him) or putting out to pasture. 18 months of shite.

Deidre officially pulled out of domestic red ball cricket to concentrated on white ball stuff. Presumably Rafiq is fit as played on Friday and deemed not good enough if this lad has been signed for a game. 192 all out.

Looks like winning 1-0.

I don’t like it. Not least of all not backing your own. But this lad is only in Warwickshire’s 2nd xi so hopefully he won’t pull up any trees. Lancs signed mustard on loan few years back and a seamer from Derbyshire I seem to recall at one stage so not blameless ourselves. ps. Livi injured his hand so hopefully doesn’t rule him out of the batting line up

What a hat-trick in the roses match. Root, Williamson and Bairstow!! In terms of test rankings doubt there’s been a better hat trick ever. 3rd, 4th and 16th ranked test batsmen.

I know. It’s going nowhere. I’ll concede that I may never need a vcr again but the rovers stuff is sacrosanct.

I must admit I’ve not been enjoying sky’s coverage of the open and specifically the 3 day Tiger Woods love in. It’s one thing to show every single shot he makes but showing live footage of him warming up and leaving the course is pretty disrespectful to those better than him actually playing. Mcilroy had a pretty tough looking bunker shot never saw that because tiger woods was going to sign his card. No doubt more of the same today. Tricky putt, etc, for cuz but let’s cut live to tiger scratching his nose.

Got orders to clear out the garage of “junk”. So saved a few mementos. Appreciate its nothing to do with pre season but thought would share my trip into the past.

Didn’t know was biggest normal game attendance outside of London. So yeah the attendance was 22,515. But as capacity currently at 26,000 with the temporary stands there was still 3,485 empty seats for a game they claimed on the tannoy vs Derbyshire was all but sold out. I think for t20s outside of roses they expect to get 8,000. 50 overs is very poor where 1,100 turned up vs Durham on a sunny Sunday (likes of Somerset treble that). Cc probably 1,000 ish as well although with scheduling don’t get to many of those.

I wouldn’t say failed as was effectively run out by livi but agreed nice to see local lads doing the business particularly against a strong Yorkshire side. No excuses about their stars on international duty this time.

Great win but unexpectedly nerve wracking at the half way stage. Midway through their innings they were going well but only at 80 so needed another 97. Even then I thought we’d win by 20 minimum. There isn’t half some faffing about in all forms of cricket. Any excuse not to play. It stopped raining about 5:45 but there was no hint of taking the covers off or mopping up standing water on the covers. Just before 7 announced the toss would be 7:15 and no play until 7:45. So by the start hadn’t rained for a full two hours. Ground staff look like they’re on a council job but when the umpires and players aren’t in any rush to start either why crack on. Also disappointing to see swathes of empty seats. Not just people on the concourse but big blocks of clearly unsold tickets. They talk up the limited availability and persuade people the only way they’ll get in is hospitality where they really want people. ‘Tis the Lancashire way.