WE have the great chance to show the world what the Burnley v Blackburn game means to East Lancashire, and I really hope the fans of both sides raise the roof.

But I hope they do it in the right way.

We don’t need them chanting obscenities and spoiling the occasion for everyone else.

The game means so much to everyone and it doesn’t need spoiling by the few idiots who sadly seem to be present.

We don’t want to see Monday’s front pages being dominated by the moronic minority and that is why the fans are being inconvenienced during the journey to Ewood.

I would like to apologise to the fans for that but sadly there was no other option and it will be the same arrangements when Blackburn come here later in the season.

We certainly don’t want to see a repeat of the scenes from West Ham earlier in the season because that only spoils the occasion for everyone.

And at the end of the day, Burnley fans have waited more than 30 years for this so an extra couple of hours doesn’t make that much difference. Buy a Jimmy McIlroy brochure, read it on the way over and get ready to cheer us on to a win.

It is great to be playing the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal but this is the match the fans of both teams really look forward to.

Fans of both sides work with fans of the other and come Monday, someone will really have the bragging rights.

Normally the bragging rights only last 30 days –- but it’s been 30 years since our last win so they may just last a bit longer this time.

I know from playing what the game means.

You look at it as another match – but you soon realise what it is about and I certainly know what it is like to score the winner against Rovers.

It is really good to see both teams in the top flight and there are a lot of similarities.

Our respective fortunes have fluctuated over the last 25 years ago and it started with the late Jack Walker investing and now, and I don’t think he will mind me saying this, on a lesser scale we have Barry Kilby.

Both are local lads who are wanting to do their bit for their local clubs.

There are three types of investors, there are the locals who want to give a bit back, the ones who throw £120 million in to try and win things and the ones who just want to get their own name known and see the whole world taking notice.

Jack Walker was and Barry is right in the first bracket.