NON-LEAGUE SOCCER: Patt's happy to sit on the fence

MOST people at Ewood Park this afternoon will not have to think twice about who they are supporting.

The task is a little more arduous for Mark Patterson however, a Rovers fan who pulled on the blue and white before spending five happy years at Bolton.

What's more, the fixture has been a stalemate since 2001 - when Rovers dished out a 4-1 drubbing at the Reebok - while just one point and two places separate them in the league.

Little wonder that the current Chorley manager is not prepared to pick a winner and is planning to turn out for his reserve side rather than venture to Ewood.

But he is sure that the first to get their nose in front today will be the first past the winning post.

"It's a massive game for both clubs," said Patterson. "Big Sam will be hoping to maintain that gap between them.

"He'll fancy his chances going down to Ewood. If they can keep a clean sheet then I can see them pinching a goal with the amount of match winners in his side.

"But Blackburn will be looking to put one over on Bolton," he added.

"Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke look to be getting back to their best. Blackburn have match winners too and I think they are a better unit than Bolton.

"I think that whoever scores the first goal will win the game but I'm not going to make a decision on who.

"I'll have to do a Trevor Brooking and sit on the fence on this one."

It is no surprise to hear the no-nonsense midfielder take the diplomatic option as he still has friends at both clubs and 12 years of happy memories.

Patterson, born and bred in Darwen - where he still lives - joined Blackburn as an apprentice in 1981, and signed professional terms for the club two years later. He made his first team debut as a substitute against Manchester City in September 1983, and became a first team regular, dislodging Noel Brotherston on the left wing.

He scored seven goals in his first season.

In 1987, he was a substitute in the Rovers side as they lifted the Full Members' Cup at Wembley.

But the emergence of Scott Sellars -who also played for both Rovers and Bolton - meant his first team opportunities were limited, and he left for Preston in June 1988.

Patterson had started 98 games for Rovers, scoring 22 goals along the way.

It was his eye for his goal which had attracted the Lancashire neighbours, and the midfielder weighed in with 19 league goals in just 55 games before moving to Bury in 1990.

The goals continued to flow at Gigg Lane - 10 in 42 games - and that convinced Bolton to make their move.

It was at Boundary Park where Patterson really enjoyed his football, and in 1993, he helped the Trotters to promotion from the old Second Division.

In June 1996, it was a bizarre case at Turf Moor as Patterson signed for Burnley, and was pictured with boss Adrian Heath with his Clarets shirt. But he never actually played for game as Sheffield United swooped to take him to Bramall Lane.

Patterson then got himself more clubs than Jack Nicklaus, as spells at Southend, Bury, Blackpool, Scarborough, Leigh RMI, Accrington Stanley and Rossendale followed.

But it was his memories at Blackburn and Bolton that will always live with him.

Amazingly, due to their league status over those years, he only ever played in one derby game.

"I played in the game in '95 at Burnden Park and Bolton won 2-1 that day," said Patterson. "It was the first derby for 12 years and there was a fantastic atmosphere.

"But I also remember the games I went to when I was a kid and there was always a great atmosphere then.

"I've got many memories after 7 good years at Blackburn in the old Second Division but then I moved onto Bolton and had probably the most successful years of my career there.

"I've got a massive soft spot for Bolton but Blackburn are still my first team, though I probably know more people at Bolton now than I do at Blackburn.

"I'm delighted to see both now established in the Premier League," he said.

"It's a testimony to Sam and to what he has done, getting loan players in and getting the best from them.

"I played with Sam at Preston and Phil Brown at Bolton so I know they're both winners.

"Tony Parkes is a great ambassador for Blackburn. I remember when he was coach and he taught me lots about fitness. Even in his late 30's and 40's he could get around a bit."

Patterson added: "I think Graeme Souness has done an excellent job for Blackburn.

"He has had a manager's nightmare with injuries and players who've dipped in form but if you look at the table they're only seven or eight points from sixth place and I still believe they can finish in the top six."

Now Patterson is putting his experience with such coaching luminaries to good use as he develops his own management career with Chorley in the Unibond.

"I stepped into management earlier than I wanted to," admitted the 38-year-old. "My plan was to be a coach for four or five years first but things come up.

"First I spent 12 months at Scarborough but then came back home to manage at Leigh.

"I mean no disrespect to Leigh but there was no ambition there. I didn't get a great deal of help and the money was tight so I decided to move on to Chorley.

"I wanted to shake things up. They were in a bad spell for four to five years but people here now realise that things must change.

"Some players jumped ship and some I had to ship out. It's difficult, but there's more stability within the club now that the players understand what I want from them.

"Our target is to get in the top 13 so we'll be in the Premier next year," the Chorley boss added.

"There's great potential here and I believe that in three or four years we should be pushing for the Conference.

"I have great belief in my own coaching ability, I'm improving all the time, and in three or four years I think I'll be ready to step into the league.

"If you have no goals and no ambitions then you might as well just give up."