In the Net

Due to health issues, I spend a lot of time in the house, and there are actually some people on here who are capable of having an open minded exchange of views. I'm not fixated on attendance figures, so have no idea.

I'm amazed by how much some of the posters on here know about Rovers, regarding facts and figures.

Providing a new stadium was not within DC's remit or skill set, whereas LJ was taking about his area of expertise (or maybe not)

Evans and Nicholson have not refused new contracts. Coutts triggered another year on his contract by number of appearances Rodman is likely to remain with the club Brown and Pitman were surplus to requirements before the end of this season. Elliot Anderson - obviously moving on to Championship, or fighting for a place in the Newcastle squad. Taylor - same as Anderson, returning to home club Connolly - out of contract with Cardiff, had not played first team football before signing for Rovers, may well sign a contract here. Spence - has only played 6 games, will return to Palace Clarke - has only played 7 games due to injury. Not sure if he will be offered a new contract Jakkola - 2nd choice keeper, injury prone. Likely to move on, as Jed Ward has been part of the first team set up for most of the season Thomas - not sure if he is out of contract with Barnsley. Came to Rovers to be closer to his family, previous mental health issues. Has flourished under Barton's management, may well like a permanent contract here. Whelan - JB wants him at Rovers next season. I guess it depends on how long he is prepared to go on living away from his family. Several players chose to move down from League One to come and play for Barton, so are capable of playing there again. Barton seems to have good contacts for loans, so those who are leaving may well be replaced in the same manner - although, I doubt that we'd get another Elliot Anderson, he was a different level. No idea what next season has in store - interesting times ahead.

How did you get on playing in European competitions in 2021? I must have missed those results, but I remember Mr Johnson saying that he envisaged that you'd be at that level within 5 years.

Sounds as though they're still using unpaid interns as researchers.

How did you reach that conclusion?

As I said, I don't blame Northampton for looking at a complaint, most clubs would these days. Teams in the position which Scunthorpe were in have to look after themselves, no doubt some of their better players will be off now they are non-league, and you would expect the manager to want to look at the competence of other players at the club, and identify the priorities regarding which positions need recruitment from elsewhere. He's been doing this for at least 4 games - were you all up in arms when Mansfield beat them 4-0? That result affected the promotion race. The same situation sometimes happens mid-season, if a team has a big FA Cup tie they will look at resting some crucial players from the preceeding game - if they lose that game it affects where other teams will finish in the table. It's not all down to the last day. Where do you draw the line - let the EFL pick the teams for the last month of the season?

How do you come to that conclusion? Scunthorpe have been playing younger players for the last 4 games - has anybody complained? There is an EFL ruling re. the make-up of teams from March onwards, and Scunthorpe kept within those rules. The pitch invasion was actually a hinderence, as we had the momentum at that time, and looked very likely to score again - do you honestly think that the sort of morons who ran on actually have the brain capacity to plan something in advance? The older Rovers fans in that area were trying to stop people running onto the pitch. Maybe Northampton should look at themselves, why didn't they keep going for it, instead of changing formation to try and protect the scoreline? I don't blame them for having a go with the complaint, a lot of teams would, it seems to be the culture we live in now - on a personal and professional level.

Yes, he knows his stuff, I was quite surprised that Andy Goldstein seems quite clued up on the lower leagues too.

Surprised that it isn't on there already! I've lost track of what colour his blood is, blue, green, tangerine ...... ?

No chance - he definitely needs Championship football, Millwall seem to be the favourites to get him.

Whereas other morons deliberately injure police dogs at matches Shame on all of them, whomever they purport to support.

I presume that you protested very publicly about the signing of Danny Simpson at the time?

Thank you for all the laughs on here this season.

Apologies - @slartibartfast is right, I'm getting a bit chopsy lately!

Due to health issues, I'm knackered after yesterday, so the internet is my only form of entertainment today. I've read everything else, so had to resort to scraping the bottom of the barrell.

The pitch invasion was not a help, we had the momentum at that time, and I'm sure that we would have gone on to score an 8th without the interruption in play, whereas Scunthorpe appeared to have re-grouped when play re-started and the worry was that they would score. Bit rich you mentioning this, remember Coventry v City in the 1970's? Scunthorpe have been playing younger players for several games, Mansfield beat them 4-0 and I didn't hear anybody complaining about their line-up, although Mansfield were also involved in the hunt for an automatic place. Still, everybody loves a conspiracy theory.

The team are being led out onto the pitch by a 5 year old boy, Oscar Cridge, who was born with cerebral palsy. He has lived his life in pain, and was unable to walk, but fundraising enabled him to have a complex operation, which is not available on the NHS. He's been working hard on his re-have for two years, and he will be walking out with the team tomorrow - a momentous day for him and his family, for reasons which are nothing to do with football.

As far as I know, the two previous games were sold out - capacity is around the 9,500 mark, but does vary slightly, depending on how the South Stand is set up - how many seats have to be netted for segregation etc. The capacity has been reduced (not of our chosing) to around 9,500 this season, the former away terrace, which was used by home fans for the previous 3 games, looked rather sparsely populated compared to previous season's when there was a "full house" of away fans on it. Even the players have been restricted on tickets for this game, so there certainly aren't unsold ones knocking about. I think Scunthorpe are bringing around 280, so I'm expecting something around the 9,500 figure again. Capacity did used to be over 11,000 at one point, a fair bit of income lost over the last few games, compared to past seasons - not that we were often at capacity, of course!

Ooops - I'll get back to the kitchen, I know my place. ? Never been described as "edgy" before - I rather like it. My feet are firmly on the ground, - it ain't over 'til it's over, I still have nightmares about the 2nd leg play-off at Northampton.

I missed the Court verdict - have you got a link?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but none of the reasons are due to ground being deemed unsafe. I believe that a few Safety Advisory Groups have been flexing their muscles since Covid - must have too much time on their hands with all that working at home. There is a stipulation this season that people are not allowed to stand pitchside, as the front walkways have to be kept clear. I don't really see the point of this, as the walkways have always had enough space for people to use them safely, even with a couple of rows of kids/short-arse people standing right at the front. I believe that there was also concern about people standing on the yellow lined areas on the terracing, they seem to think that reducing the capacity will create more space, and stop this happening - wishful thinking. Obviously the newest tent will have reduced the capacity since we last had a sell-out game, although this is being removed during the summer, and reverting to terracing. No idea why any of you are bothered about our stadium or capacity, when you have your own state of the art gaff.

"For no proper reason...." - try the Safety Advisory Group advising the Local Authority regarding the stipulations of the licence. What sort of brain thinks that a club would deliberately reduce their capacity level, in order that they can sell less tickets for matches? ?

If Port Vale do get the automatic spot over us, so be it, I would not begrudge Darrell Clarke some success this season.