If not a disastrous result considering recent wins Saturday certainly saw a disastrous performance by Blackburn Rovers. Not for the first time on the road this season that the players have performed in such a shoddy manner and those issues really need to be dealt with. I expect stability between now and the end of the season with no major concerns but excitement is not exactly hitting new heights. No surprise with the current owners still in charge.

Most of the discussion from Saturday is based on an incident which ultimately proved to be fatal. The full details as of last check have not been released but quite obviously a supporter (named as John Taylor) was struck on the head by a heavy object obviously causing head trauma to the extent it proved to be fatal.

Now I don’t know whether it was an accident or fighting amongst Rovers supporters. If it was fighting then obviously there is no limit to the negatives transpiring from that. If it was an accident then it is still incredibly stupid to throw heavy objects around in a crowded concourse.

There have been problems at away games this season. I have become increasingly disillusioned mainly due to the tedious parochial obsession which seems to dominate every chant. There have also been racist chants and reports of fighting amongst Rovers fans. Hence the possibility considered above which ultimately caused the fatality being due to fighting amongst Rovers fans.

I don’t really know whether John Taylor himself actively participated in the disruption (some would say hooliganism) which took place. If he was an innocent bystander or more involved makes no real difference from my standpoint. It is still a dreadful thing to happen and I won’t pretend to imagine the depths of devastation his family must be feeling.

Someone said on another board that football is just a pastime and life and death is far more important. Well football to me is more than a pastime but it certainly isn’t more important to me than life itself. This is a terrible statistic (I don’t know how many fans have died at premier league matches this season) which is going to lead to terrible publicity for Blackburn Rovers once the full details come out. Not that John Taylor as a human being should be referred to as simply a statistic but numbers speak volumes. 1 death especially caused by drunken fans as appears to be the case is 1 too many.

It certainly does not give this whole family club tag (of which I’ve said before there’s no such thing) any merit. Racist chants, infighting and now this hardly emphasises high family values.

Not checked whether the national media have gone into great depth yet though local media should shed more light on what occurred in tomorrow’s Lancashire Evening Telegraph. Some people with a persecution complex have already braced themselves for heavy criticism. Unfortunately it will be fully deserved especially if one of the 2 likely scenarios (either an act of pure malice or a stupid accident) are revealed to be the cause.

No doubt some sort of tribute will be arranged at Ewood prior to the upcoming game in midweek. Fans are talking about a minutes silence and already floral tributes have been laid on Ewood grounds.

John Williams has spoken out and left his condolences as the public figurehead at the club. Personally I think a lot of the condolences left on the internet are simply empty gestures. I mean who really cares if someone says RIP on a message board of mainly faceless individuals? Its the politically correct thing to do certainly but it has no real depth or meaning attached.

I hope the fans display a solid, unified public tribute at Ewood for the upcoming premier league fixture. Cards and floral tributes too have far more meaning than faceless message board sympathy ever would. That will mean more to the family of John Taylor (though scant consolation I expect) than faceless written condolences on forums. Hopefully the opposition supporters will not let themselves down and I have no reason to believe that would be the case.

Our owners of course have said nothing as far as I know. Not a word or a statement. What else could be expected from them?

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