A fan's-eye view from Ewood Park, with Phil Lloyd

THIS week's column, like Saturday's disaster of a game, will be one of two halves.

In the first half, tongue in cheek and trying vainly to feign optimism, I'm offering ten reasons why Rovers fans should look forward to next season in Division One.

1 We won't be refereed by Willard, Barry, Rennie etc.

2 We might win a local derby for once - Stockport?

3 Cheaper tickets - let's see if the Rovers Board can be really creative in rewarding the loyal supporters and encouraging new ones to Ewood.

4 It'll be easier to get a pie and a pint at half-time.

5 We'll have disposed of some players who are not what this club needs - you can name your own particular favourites for the axe.

6 I've never seen Rovers play at Walsall (getting desperate now).

7 We might actually see some entertaining football at Ewood; there's been precious little for the long-suffering fans in the past 18 months.

8 Elton Welsby will have to acknowledge our existence. (On reflection, I'm not sure that is a good reason).

9 We won't have the frustration of waiting patiently on Saturday evenings for MOTD only to nod off to sleep and miss the 18 seconds allocated to our "highlights". 10 We can expect some far-reaching changes, now Brian Kidd has finally come clean and criticised some of the players for their lack of character.

For the second half, I'm wearing the angry hat. I wasn't tearful on Saturday, I was furious. I want to point the finger at the guilty parties and since my finger doesn't stretch to Milan I'll point it, like Mr Kidd, at the fat cats in the blue and white shirts.

Not all of them, but the ones who haven't proved to the supporters by their deeds on the pitch that they care, that it hurts, that they know they are ultimately responsible for taking us down.

Nobody else.

Of course, there is another view. For many (Roy Keane, John Hartson, Billy McKinlay), football is akin to war. Napoleon once wrote: 'It is an approved maxim in war, never to do what the enemy wants you to do.' So, maybe the Forest dbacle was part of a cunning plan to outflank Southampton and Charlton.

We beat United and Newcastle and, helped by results elsewhere, complete a great escape. Simple, eh?

Or maybe, as this column and a wretched season move into injury-time, I just need a holiday.

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