IT was marked to be one of the biggest announcements of the Premier League season at Ewood Park.

No, not a major signing but the launch of Rovers new strip. That was until the humble football fanzine stepped in and grabbed the exclusive for itself, thanks to a bit of cunning and access to the World Wide Web! The latest edition of fanzine 4000 Holes hit the streets around Ewood Park this month, giving fans without the 'Net a chance to catch a glimpse of what the new kit, part of a £4 million deal with sports giant Uhlsport, will look like.

Editor Ian Ferris said: "Every one has known there will be a new kit for quite a while, but no one knew what it would look like. Because the club didn't reveal it we just presumed they hadn't finished making it.

"But when the club held a question-and-answer evening with Colin Hendry, someone asked him about the new kit. He squirmed a lot - and now we know why! He had been modelling the new kit and been sworn to secrecy about how it looks."

According to the pictures which appeared in 4000 Holes, and others seen on the Internet, Rovers keep their traditional blue and white halves, with the only major change being a return to the V-neck collar. The away shirt is a combination of yellow and blue, with both designs available in the much requested long-sleeves.

A spokesman for Rovers said: "Our policy is to keep the home kit for a minimum of two seasons without changes, and keep the away strip for one season."

To look at the full kit, log onto http://www.brfc-supporters.org.ukaw

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