WE saw the official end of the Tony Mowbray era at Ewood Park this week.

While much has been said as to what was going on the pitch and the results, little has been mentioned as to what went on behind the scenes.

Blackburn Rovers, much like Burnley FC and Accrington Stanley, made a huge effort during the pandemic to serve the communities in whatever way they could.

Some might say this was what you might expect them to do, either through food banks or through donations and collections that helped to assist those most in need.

Beyond the football there was something else that tends to go unnoticed. Over the years I was invited to some of the local events where Tony Mowbray was also present.

During my time, having covered many local community events, I normally see the special guests come and take a few pictures and then head for the exit. Understandable, I would guess, as there are always things more pressing than what people might call ‘insignificant’ events.

On occasions I would see the special guest take time to spend several hours at the event.

On the times I did see Tony Mowbray, there was a sense that here was someone who would take time and make a genuine effort to stay as long as possible.

In one case, at a seemingly never-ending football presentation at the Grand Venue, Tony spent the whole evening watching every single award.

Even I was about to give up when it hit 10pm with the food yet to be served. The event dragged on and on but he seemed almost insistent on staying to the end so people could have their pictures taken with him.

As the evening awards came to a close there was a clamour for the kids to have their photos taken with the Rovers manager.

Every other time, at other events, I noticed the same enthusiasm.

Now, I am not saying this did not happen elsewhere but it was rare to see the level of warmth coming from the guest towards the hosts and all those who had turned out to the event.

It was best described as much like the days when the manager or player of the football club would be ‘one of the people’.

It mattered little the celebrity status or the special guest label. He was not there to tick any boxes nor to update his social media status. It was certainly something a lot of other football managers, most notably across the larger clubs could learn from.