EWOOD defender Stig Bjornebye today braced himself for industrial action after the threat of a players strike moved a step closer to reality.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor last night took the unprecedented step of issuing strike notices to all Premiership and Football League clubs warning that industrial action will take place the weekend after next.

And, though Bjornebye still hopes a settlement can be reached in the next 10 days, he is ready to give the union his full backing.

"Everyone hopes it doesn't get to a strike," said Bjornebye, Rovers' PFA delegate.

"But we've made our stand and I briefly spoke to Gordon Taylor at the weekend and hopefully things will move in the right direction before it gets to that."

Bjornebye has played a leading role in helping to galvanise support behind the PFA in his role as a member of the union's management committee.

And, though strike action would bring the game to a standstill, he insists the action is fully justified given the swell of support in last week's secret ballot.

"The ballot speaks for itself -- the turn out was over 90 per cent and we got 99 per cent of the vote," said Bjornebye. TURN TO PAGE 58 STRIKE: From back page

"I think the problem for the general public is the total picture hasn't come out and it's not about Premier League players who earn a lot of money asking for more.

"It's more about the 50,000 former members who need help with various physical and social problems.

"And it's about the 75 per cent of 16 year olds who sign professional contracts who then find themselves out of a job by the time they are 21.

"So the PFA is about a lot of things but, basically, it's aimed at the people who need them -- not the David Beckhams or Michael Owens or even the current Blackburn players.

"There's a lot more to their work than people could imagine and it's important everyone understands that."

As for the depth of support at Ewood, Bjornebye declined to give any clear indication of the percentage of players who voted for strike action.

But he insists it is an issue which has provoked strong feelings amongst the Rovers camp.

"It was a secret ballot so I'm not really in the position to be able to say exactly what kind of support Blackburn Rovers have given.

"I can only say again that 99 per cent of the people who voted, voted for the strike.

"But I think this is an issue close to everyone's heart because we know what kind of demands exist in the game.

"And all the people in the game won't make it and won't make a living out of it.

"These people will have sacrificed a lot, like education, to devote 100 per cent of their time to the football club.

"And it's those people who'll then struggle if they don't make it and need help getting re-educated at the age of 20 or 25.

"So there's a lot of people out there who need help and it's important we make a stand."

Rovers reserves are in action against Bradford City at the Bradford and Bingley Stadium tonight (kick off 7pm).

Rovers striker Marc Richards has been named in the England Under 20 squad for tonight's friendly against Portugal at Southampton's Friends Provident St Mary's Stadium.

Richards -- a product of Rovers' Academy -- is currently on loan at Second Division Oldham Athletic.