I recall a joke from an early 90s copy of 4000 Holes which said ‘I’m not coming back until they’ve won the 1960 FA Cup final’, writes Simon Smith.

In amongst the attempts and reasons to entice folk back to Ewood the club now only have free tickets (impossible), cheaper and better beer/food (unlikely) or trying to regenerate players into peak Damien Duff, Alan Shearer, Tugay and David Batty (our scientists are working on it) as options.

It’ll never be 1995 again. It won’t even be 2010 again.

As those dispiriting returns of David Bentley and Roque Santa Cruz proved, the past is a nice place to visit but has no home in the modern day.

As I mentioned last week, 18 months ago was an era away.

So much has changed and the vast majority of it for the better.

I tell people this all the time; your £300 a season does not go to the owners. It pays a cleaner or a waitress for 10 weeks.

If you are making a stand against the owners then I respect your standpoint.

Do not wear a hair-shirt for the sake of it though. There is joy to be had at Ewood.

The current situation is one of the club’s own making.

A huge stadium that was built for longevity in the top flight. The rudderless period between winning the Premiership and being relegated in 1999 cost Rovers 10,000 fans and the Steve Kean catastrophe 10,000 more.

In a smaller stadium the diehard fans would drown out the lowing of the moaning minority.

Seeing the stadium brings back memories of better days and no doubt is not a happy place for some fans to be.

But all deeds are dust and once the past is swept away there is a new Rovers to support.

Come back to the club, you who waver. With your support and tolerance Rovers can be a top club again.

It’s still YOUR club, OUR club. Long after all the employees have gone it’ll still be ours.

Keep a watch on your assets.