EXCLUSIVE By PETER WHITE

JACK Walker has told manager Brian Kidd and the Ewood board: I want Blackburn Rovers back in the Premiership this time next year.

And the man whose backing helped to build a championship team just four years ago has vowed he remains committed to the cause.

That will come as a welcome relief to the thousands of Rovers fans who staged an incredible display of support, despite the anguish of relegation to the Nationwide First Division following last night's goalless draw with Manchester United.

A battling performance was, in the end, too little too late. But Mr Walker, who responded to the scenes by making an appearance in front of the fans, was clearly deeply moved by their demonstration.

Most relegations are accompanied by demos of a different kind and the club can only draw strength from the reaction of their fans.

Chief executive John Williams said today: "Jack Walker has told Brian and the board that his support remains undiminished and that he wants to be back within a year.

"That is our intention and I am not setting myself up for a fall by saying that. We know we are going into a very difficult league.

"There will be lots of meetings and discussions over our strategy in the coming weeks but we are not holding inquests.

"We are not dead, we are wounded.

"There are lessons to be learned from the past. We have to learn from them but we must not live in the past. "It is crucial that we hold the fan base and the business together and, if there was any encouragement to be taken from last night, it came from our supporters. They have been absolutely superb.

"There were a few tears around and we are aware of how bitterly disappointed everyone will be as reality sets in.

"But those scenes were probably unprecedented and the fans have to believe that when a man like Jack Walker says he aims to come straight back, he means it."

Much has been said about money, with the manager stressing that you cannot simply throw pound notes at a problem to solve it.

But Mr Williams expanded: "We are aware that it is a balance and we have to get that right.

"It is no co-incidence that Manchester United and Arsenal have two of the biggest wage bills in the country. "We are starting now with the aim of bouncing back next season. We are not underestimating the task in front of us but no-one should mistake our intentions."

It will certainly not be easy. Ashley Ward, who has now suffered two successive relegations, warned: "No matter how big a squad you have or how good a team you are, you are not just going to go into that league and waltz around some of these teams.

"They make it difficult for you.

"But if you can get round that and realise every game is going to be tough there is no reason why we cannot sew it up."

Rovers' Academy (under-17s) final against Manchester City has now been switched from Maine Road to Ewood, because of City's involvement in the promotion play-offs. The teams will meet in the first-ever final on Tuesday night (kick-off 7.30pm).

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