SO terrific and tremendous was Blackburn Rovers' Worthington Cup final triumph -- their first major trophy for 74 years -- that the crowds returning from Cardiff found the atmosphere back home crackling with joy and excitement.

Even on the Monday and Tuesday afterwards the town was still buzzing -- with everyone eager to proclaim the side's success.

And isn't it a shame that we have not been able to celebrate this historic win this week in the way that the fans expect -- with the team touring the town in an open-top bus to show off the cup or with a party at Ewood Park for the fans?

But Rovers have put festivity on hold -- so they can concentrate in their fight to stay in the Premiership. They will organise something at a later stage, they say.

And with the side plunged into the relegation zone, there's no dispute that survival is the No.1 goal this season. The game at Bolton on Saturday is so crucial that the Rovers coming back from the Reebok with three points in the bag will be just as precious as the Cup. And let's hope that their 2-1 triumph over Spurs in the Worthington final has given them the boost they need to see out the season as winners.

Even so, vital as these concerns are to the club and their fans, has not a magic opportunity been lost? Surely, a celebration of the Cup win could have been held on Monday or Tuesday when the party atmosphere was alight -- even if it only amounted to just a one-hour tour of the town-centre by the team in an open-top bus.

Whatever the club has in mind to mark the Cup triumph at a later stage, a lot of the impetus has now gone. But at least they are going to do something. And why not make it happen next Tuesday when Rovers are next at home -- with a celebration that matches the historic occasion of their Worthington Cup win and one that dispels the myth that we are a dour lot in these parts?