Rostyn Griffiths

Just a couple of minor stories involving Rovers coming out of the press over the last couple of days.

Former youth striker Rostyn Griffiths has joined former Rovers teammate Robbie Fowler at Australia’s North Queensland Fury.

The 21-year-old English born but Australia youth team capped player’s contract ran out at the end of the season and he hadn’t done enough to make it at Rovers.

All the best from The Rovers Return Rostyn.

Rovers have ended a long association with Morecambe by moving reserve games from Christie Park to the 10,000-seater Leigh Sports Village.

The state-of-the-art complex, home to Leigh Genesis Football Club, managed by Gary Flitcroft and current employers of Rovers legend Matt Jansen, will host reserve matches for the coming season.

The move sees the reserves playing a little bit closer to Blackburn, Morecambe is about 35-miles from Blackburn whereas Leigh is about 25-miles away.

Roque Santa Cruz has said he didn’t cause trouble at Ewood in orchestrating his move to Manchester City. Sorry Roque, but that’s bullshit.

And lastly, footballing twat Joey Barton will not be heading to Ewood. Two word. Thank God!

Matt Jansen, left, with Leigh manager Gary Flitcroft

A story that made me smile. Matt Jansen, a Rovers legend, has been signed by Gary Flitcroft, another former Rover (a good servant and player but wouldn’t call him a legend).

Flitcroft is currently manager of Leigh Geneses, who play in the Unibond League Division One North, and has signed his former teammate in a player-coach role.

It’s been heartbreaking to see the decline of 31-year-old Jansen who, when on the brink of the England team while playing the best football of his career at Rovers, fell of a motorbike in Italy, threatening to curtail his career altogether.

He managed to come back from that injury and work his way back into the Rovers first team, but could never recapture his form and was released. Since then he’s been on the football scrapheap and it’s great to see him getting back into the game, even if it is at a low level of the football pyramid.

Another one that made me laugh is the report that Rovers are trapping feline trespassers to our Ewood Park ground who may soil the surface of the newly relaid pitch or the stands.

If you click the link and look at the story, my favourite part is the response of some readers who really seem ridiculous. A Midas, from Burnley, sums it up:

“Under what legislation are they trapping someones property and sending it to Colne? Whose checking up on thier actions to ensure they aren’t just bagged and dumped in the canal?”

I forgot we’d been taken over by Don Corleone!