IT WAS odd, on signing up for a cabinet-making course at Burnley College, and making a shopping trip to Turf Moor and buying a Clarets' shirt and socks, and then donning them to suddenly experience forgiveness from all the Burnley fans.

Walking through Blackburn town centre with the Claret and Blue on, a late drinker couldn't believe his eyes and ran back into a bar. Some Blackburn folk turned away. Others looked on, bewildered.

I wondered why I had not been lynched yet. But, of course, all the Rovers fans' were at Ewood.

A Rovers supporter in Claret and Blue had the freedom of Blackburn town centre.

Why not get together, Rovers and Clarets? Swap shirts, hug each other and forgive the past.

Let's party together and sing. Wouldn't Jesus have walked among the Clarets' crowd in a blue and white halved shirt and vice versa? What have we to fear from man?

Let's get it together.

B L WALSH, Calgary Avenue, Lammack, Blackburn.

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