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maybe now. but i can assure you and many other who reminise about the lever end in the early 70's that without this group of 20-30 lads it would have been "taken" more than the two occasions ( Chelsea and utd) than it was. Bolton used to run most of the time in those days when they came up against the big un's as it was always seen as a matter of numbers. Some of these in breds were the foundation of bolton being a particular unpleasant place to visit.

Aye they ran us everywhere in their relegation year. Trouble was your average bolton lad was 17-19 whereas they were 21-23. plus they outnumbered us 3-1 which in the day of the mass "ooh - altogether" spartan thrust always had the upper hand. Still it steeled the later 80's generation into standing firm.

Spot on! I reckon Wiggin would have been at least 4 points worse off and us 4 better. We loaned the wrong keeper.

just wondered, with it being a quiet sort of night whether there were any posters from Little Lever? Being an ancient sod from the 70's I understand that now the pubs that are in are now the New Inn and Henighans whearas it used to be the Queen Anne, Hare & Hounds and the Jolly back then when the pre mentioned two where owd fuckers tap room pubs. Any how if anyone knows or knows the the whereabouts of the 524 bus crew of those times let me know. They were me (Benny), Andy McCarthey, Ste Settle, Ste Rourke, Kevin Heyes, David Exton, Tryke (Michael) Exton, Michael Grogan, Alan Williamson (Williie) Brocky, Mark Williamson ( who used to shag his fit young german step mother et al + a few other who might feel agrieved that i have forgot em! Those lads laid plently of Doc Mart leather on plently of faces. God we took some pastings form Chelsea, Millwall and others on our travels as 14 - 19 year olds in 74- 79 but we paved the way for the more "organised" in the 80's. Let me know as I have lived away since 87.

Just heard that there is a public sector strike tomorrow, 100,000 teachers, nurses etc. First i've heard, wots all that about?

Fcuk! i'd forgot about those, i went to play non league and sunday league footie in the late 70's as one more conviction would have meant time, so i suppose I saved for 7-8 seasons before i came back.

Can't answer this question properly. Not read through the thread but it would be interesting to take each year since i first properly going regularly in 72/73 and know it as a % of income be it spending money or wages since, That would be the true indicator and it might be a lot more than I want to know about.

Aye I thought that about Stoke a few years ago, then Swansea and Norwich. Not much difference then than a bunch of average Premier players low on confidence

Serious problem in Blackburn, even that hand wringer of hand wringers Jack Straw spoke about it a couple of years ago but was given short shrift by the "community" and the PC brigade of his own party. My daughter is in the upper sixth of an all girls school in Blackburn which has quite a few girls of Pakistani descent. They tell her its because the gangs of lads cannot have any sort of relationship with Pakistani girls due to the strict muslim edicts, so they scout around for young 13-15 year old impressionable white teenagers. The Pakistani girls in the school refer to the gangs as " The Paki boy gangs" with disdain.

Therein lies the answer. The state of boxing, but in particular the Heavyweight division is now so crap that people are being taken in by stage managed out of ring altercations that lead to subsequent contests being promoted. I used to love this sport and used to defend it to the hilt when the hand wringers came along whining about banning it every time some one was badly hurt. This sort of promotion leaves the sport no defence, and it can no longer claim it installs discipline into wayward young uns when they are prepared to sink to this level to make dosh.

I understand exactly were you are coming from and have sympathy, my biggest downers were as follows and each one was worse than the last, there were other disappointments mingled in between or after but either I could see them coming a long way off or they never affected me as much as i had other things such as marragies, divorces, affairs, work related stuff, house moves and sales etc going on at the time. 1976 West brom pipping us to promotion after we had been in the top 3 all season 1977 Losing the semi of the league cup home leg after doing the hard work away 1977 Forest pipping us when we lost our last two home games From 1979 played non league football and sunday league football for the next few years to do somat else as others have recommended. Tis good advice I came back in the mid to late 80's after my footie career was curtailed by cruciate ligament damage and started to suffer again: 1991 play off loss to tranmire at wembley 1992 loss away to Soton in the 5th round of the FA cup 1994 loss at home to oldham in the FA cup 1998 loss away to Chelsea reserves that relegated us - which hurt the most and for me was was the final straw. After that day i sat myself down and gave myself a self psychiatric redaction using many of the suggestions already mentioned. The disappointments still came but they only hurt for the day in question or the morning after. Keep telling yourself its only football and make sure it does not become the only thing you think about.

Came away from Wembley utterley confused as to how he could play 442 which was in reality 424 given the way our wingers were ignoring their defensive duties. But It was Wigan at home after Xmas when it dawned on me that not only was he completely tactically inept but he was stubborn with it. Most of his signings were not up to life in the premier league. Given that we already had some poor players from the previous regime and our best two players injured, this compounded a grim situation. Only Norwich and Swansea struggling with QPR which most expected could have papered over the cracks.

First match 1967 v Liverpool on the embankment watching Franny Lee in the league cup. BWFC since then. Anyway I live up these parts between Blackburn and Burnley and know a few seasoned fans and a few employed at both clubs. I just have a lot of sympathy given what Kean and his pals have done to them.

You have got to have a sympathetic streak for villains then. This guy was employed by the agency who advised the Venkys to sack allardyce, was then appointed by the Venkys on the advice of said agency hamstringing the guy who gave him a job, was given a extended contract on the advice of the same agency when the team was in the bottom 3, sold all the senior players then bought a number of players on the books of guess which agency??? including one player who was a relative of one of the agency owners. Throw in a Drink drive conviction and a tactical nouse that makes Coyle seem like Fergason and I would say the natives have something of a case. Oh and I forgotlast week he blamed the heart attack of one player for the ref failing to give them a pen that in fact he says cost them a match and hence their premier league status.

Because quite simply they are not fit enough to play the "tippy tappy" pressing game that most of the Premier league teams cottoned on to after onto watching Barca defend in last years CL final. A team does not have to be as talented as them to do the defensive shift they put it, only organised and FIT enough to do it.

Was in the pub last night up here with my Burnley supporting mates. Coyles tactics are oh so familiar to them. FFS 2-0 up with 20 mins to go!!!! As has been mentioned there is no defensive coaching only 8 a sides. Thats why we could not hang on. We have now lost the draw at Stoke as a result that would keep us up. We have had more chances than any other season of struggle in this league. Only 2 points from Swansea, West Brom and Fulham at home is the real sickener! but a1-0 last minute goal at stoke will save us so its possible given Stoke might be on the beach!!!