I WISH to extend to Jack Walker and his colleagues my heartiest congratulations on achieving the dismantling of a championship winning-team in a period of four years.

The result was manifest recently with the sight of a Liverpool team demonstrating the gulf that exists between a Premiership side and the Rovers.

What of the future? The bookies suggest that the first division championship is a formality, yet Brian Kidd clearly knows better when he refers to a "massive re-building job."

When is this job to start? In May, we were told that many of those deserting the ship would be replaced.

However, following the reported Jersey meeting between Walker and others, everything seemed to change.

We were then told through your columns that, perhaps, one or two players might arrive. Clearly only one person laid down this policy and it is ridiculous to suggest that Kidd is suddenly satisfied. We then had the unedifying situation that with days to go to the start of the season, Rovers were desperately trying to find a strong, experienced centre half and a much-needed striker with pace.

Sadly, the errors of omission made in 1995 when we had our finest chance of recruiting top players, are being repeated.

No one is more grateful than I am to Walker for all he has done for the Rovers.

But unless Kidd is given absolute authority over the budget for players, it is all going to be "pie in the sky."

C R JAMES, Dun Croft Close,

Clitheroe.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.