The Rovers Return

I’ve been asked to try and get this going at Ewood (substitute Houston Oilers with Blackburn Rovers) by an American reader on Twitter @getshandsy

What do you think?

It’s been a night of Hollywood-style glitz and glamour at Rovers Return towers, where our judges have finally chosen their winners of this year’s awards.

It’s been a tremendous effort by all concerned at Ewood this season, but here are those that have stood out from the rest:

Player of the season

Contenders – Chris Samba, David Dunn, Steven N’Zonzi, Gael Givet

Although Rovers gave this award to Steven N’Zonzi, The Rovers Return’s award goes to man mountain Christopher Samba.

Samba has been consistently excellent this season and I expect transfer rumours about him over the coming months. He also stood in as captain while Ryan Nelsen was out and did an excellent job.

Young player of the year

Contenders – Steven N’Zonzi, Martin Olsson, Nikola Kalinic, Phil Jones

Steven N’Zonzi takes this award. After his bargain basement signing from French nobodies Amiens, the Frenchman played more games than any other outfield player for Rovers and was a very consistent performer, chipping in with a couple of goals along the way – one of which was that screamer against Everton. Read more »

Everyone knows where they were when Kennedy was shot. When Princess Diana was killed. All Rovers fans know exactly where they were when we won the title – so where were you when the Dingles’ dream finally ended.

I was in the Hare and Hounds on Blackburn Road, Oswaldtwistle – my local – where, with 20 minutes to go we were serenaded with The Final Countdown by Europe, counting down to the relegation party. At full time we were treated to blasts of My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion, Hillbilly Rock by Marty Stuart and Down Down by Status Quo, among other relegation-themed classics.

I had earlier asked Rovers fans to tell me where they were when Brian Laws’s hapless gang dropped out of the Premier League.

moodonthepitch: At home in New Orleans folding laundry.

MarpleLeaf: I’ll be with my Burnley-supporting wife )

tonypreece: At home, working and watching Sky Sports News while teaching the kids ‘We’re having a party when Burnley go down’.

ninjathunder: In Tesco purchasing celebratory beers for the party. Read more »

Just as well none of the inbreds could read, they may have got upset

True Rovers fans old enough to remember, will never forget this infamous photograph.

Rovers, then in Division Two and having just been bought by millionaire Jack Walker, chartered a plane to fly over Turf Moor, where Burnley were in the process of losing a Division Four play-off against Torquay United, trailing a banner saying: “Staying Down Forever, Luv Rovers, Ha ha ha.”

In some ways, Burnley fans may feel they got the last laugh. They definitely proved they would not be staying down forever.

However, with West Ham winning today, Burnley are all but down. Barring a miracle that includes them beating Liverpool tomorrow, their honeymoon is over.

Indeed, those who ‘Dared to Dream’, might as well resume the lifelong nightmare that being a Burnley fan usually is.

Anyway, going back to the banner, there is a rumour that another banner has been chartered to help Rovers fans to celebrate the relegation party in style.

As with winning the Premier League, where all Rovers fans will remember where – if not at Anfield – they were.

Where were you celebrating the Burnley relegation party in 2010?

Jack Straw in The Ivy in Blackburn. FROM THE TIMES

Found a nice article about Jack Straw’s affliction to the Rovers in The Times.

I’ve always liked Straw. I’ll admit to being biased as I am a Labour voter. But I do like the man.

I’ve met him a couple of times. Once in the run-up to the last General Election when I was doing my A-Levels at Blackburn Sixth Form College and he, along with the Liberal and Conservative PPCs for Blackburn, came to a Question Time-esque event with students of the college.

My speed camera-related question was not chosen.

But Jack creamed the opposition in the debates. In fact, the bloke from the Liberal Demcrats looked as if he was going to puke for the majority of the time he was there.

Mr Straw engaged with the students and answered their questions properly, without patronising us.

I later discovered that, before I gave up my old season ticket to go off to university, he sat just a few rows behind my Dad and I in the  Blackburn End lower tier.

Although he’s not from the area, he’s adopted the town as his own, and admits to having fallen in love with the club.

Trusupporter recently featured a video of him on the eve of the East Lancashire derby, in which he described his love of the town and the club.

Anyway, heres that article:

Politicians cannot resist being associated with the beautiful game. Just as the spotty teenager hopes to feed off his handsome buddy, politicians believe that the aura and the passion of football can do them a favour. That is why Gordon Brown likened the economy to Wayne Rooney’s injured ankle. And that is why Tony Blair mucked around with Kevin Keegan.

But what about the politicians who are true fans? Can football help them to win the election? Read more »

Download and listen to the latest in the series of Rovers podcasts.

From The Marple Leaf:

Ever wondered who should be in a team made up entirely of Blackburn Rovers players who you wouldn’t let near your daughter? Confused as to who Rovers fans should vote for in the election? Have 2,500 people ever had more fun inside a football stadium than on March 28 at Burnley? And did you see Chris Kamara miss that sending off at Portsmouth? And do you really know what #bbtacf stands for on Twitter?

Then wonder no more. The new Blackburn Rovers Podcast is now ready to download. Contributions from Stuart Grimshaw, Jon Hindle and some berk from Marple.

It’s here. Download it, let me know what you think.

Another bargain

Rovers have unveiled season ticket prices for next season and it makes good reading once more.

Last season, we had the third cheapest season tickets in the top four divisions, with only Stanley and Huddersfield cheaper.

Today, the prices have been put up on Rovers’ official website:

Adult prices only

Blackburn End – £209
Riverside – £209
Jack Walker wings – £315
Jack Walker centre – £365
Darwen End – £150 for 16 matches (exc Man Utd, Liverpool and Man City)

Put into context, I’ve had a scout around to see how much some other sides are charging next season:

• Bradford City (League Two) £250
• Port Vale (League Two) £289
• Shrewsbury Town (League Two) £379
• Mansfield Town (Conference) £230
• Walsall (League One) £360 Read more »

Fingers crossed these don’t all get taken down for whatever reason. Thanks to those responsible for the videos. What a day!

Read more »

David Dunn is blue and white!

Thirty-one years. That’s a long time in football. That’s a long time full stop. In Burnley, it must feel like centuries.

April 14, 1979 was the day our beloved neighbours came out on top in the East Lancashire Derby, running out 2-1 winners in a season that saw Rovers relegated to the Third Division.

Also on that day:

• Art Garfunkel’s Bright Eyes was number one in the charts.
• James Callaghan was Prime Minister.
• Barbara Castle was still (just) MP for Blackburn – Dan Jones was her Burnley counterpart.
• The big news was the new President in Uganda, Yusufu Lule, following the departure of tyranical dictator Idi Amine.

Yesterday’s hate-filled derby game effectively relegated our rivals, not that we care much. The primary chant being “We’re having a party when Burnley go down,” but in truth, I’ll be disappointed not to be playing this fixture next season.

Rovers were the better side from start to finish. Yes, our goal was the result of a very dodgy Mike Dean decision. But the awarding of a penalty for Martin Olsson’s dive was just considering we were denied a goal for an offside that wasn’t just minutes earlier.

It was assumed among the fans that a red card would be imminent for Brian Jensen, but apparently the referee couldn’t tell if it was Jensen or Mears that had clipped the Swede, so no cards were shown. Read more »