Don’t Cross Me!
Rovers played out a 1-1 draw with Stoke City in our only home pre-season friendly. It was a rare visit to the Blackburn End instead of my usual Riverside seat this time. But what made things more unfamiliar was Rovers playing in their new turquoise away shirts.
Being a hot sunny afternoon, I had to blink a few times to get accustomed to this strange shade of greeny-blue. My mates and I all agreed the colour was turquoise. Reading the black letters on the shirt proved even more difficult to my waning eyesight. We all agreed red is far more effective on top of blue and white. At least there was no mistaking the new kit sponsor’s zebra.
Unfortunately zebras only come in shades of black and white. Apart from the ones who didn’t manage to escape from hungry lions. But having a red and white zebra on the shirt might not have gone down well with squeamish Rovers fans. Blue and white zebras are a strange concept and could become quite distinctive. But they might be seen as frivolous and probably not something our new kit sponsors may wish to be associated with.
But it looks like zebras might be replacing chickens as the creatures we’ve been associated with over the last few years. Our first three opponents in this new Championship season, like us, are also linked to birds and animals. Cardiff City, who we open the season with, has always been known as the Bluebirds. But their Malaysian owner not only changed their kit from blue to red, he now wants to rename the club Cardiff Dragons.
Cardiff fans have taken a lot of stick over the years due to their ‘Soul Crew’ hooligan minority. But their refusal to succumb to Vincent Tan’s attempts to destroy their club’s culture has received admiration from many fans across the football community. At the other stadium in their city, Welsh fans of the oval ball are often seen waving aloft blow-up sheep. This time they can play with blow-up zebras
A week later we trot across to the Lancashire coast for a local derby at Blackpool. We play the donkey lashers, who are going through their own tales of woe at the watering hole. Ironically, their most famous visitor came from Blackburn. He was called Albert and was swallowed by a lion. Let’s just hope it’s a good away day for us Blackburners this time and three points for Rovers. Our four legged friends keep their pyjamas on and earn their stripes at the seaside.[ebook_store ebook_id=”590″]
