EWOOD chief John Williams today revealed fans are throwing their full weight behind Graeme Souness's Rovers revolution as season-ticket sales look set to soar above 16,000.

After the euphoria of promotion, Rovers have been inundated with enquiries about tickets since details of the new packages were first announced last month.

And Williams believes sales could top the 16,000 mark come the big kick-off in four weeks time -- the highest number of tickets sold since the championship season.

"Working on present estimates, we hope to have sold 16,000 season tickets by the start of the season, compared with 13,000 last year and 15,000 from our last season in the Premiership," said Williams.

"If that happens then we've got to be delighted because it shows that the fans who were with us with during the Premiership have come back and more.

"I think the record number of season tickets ever sold was back in the championship season of 1994-95 when we sold something like 18,500 to 19,000.

"So if we get 16,000 then those will be the highest figures since we won the title.

"And we may even find that when we come to the half season ticket sales in December we could even exceed that number, providing we are still doing well." Sales are generally up at most Premier League clubs with the newly-promoted teams like Rovers showing the largest increases.

Yet, despite that new surge of support, the Ewood-based club are still relatively poor relations when compared with the rest of the Premier League.

Manchester United lead the way with a whopping season-ticket base of 40,000 and another seven clubs are likely to boast figures in excess of 20,000 come the start of the season. It's for that reason that Williams insists it's vital Rovers continue to expand their own fan-base if they harbour dreams of becoming a real force.

"Although we're happy with the way things are going, I'd still like to build on that and we need to build on that if we want to remain a competitive force.

"Ultimately, I don't see why we can't build that up to 20,000, providing we continue to be successful.

"But we need to push those figures up, for instance, if we want to develop the Riverside."

Meanwhile, Eyal Berkovic's hopes of a move to Ewood now appear to be dead and buried following the arrival of Tugay Kerimoglu.

Israeli international Berkovic is desperate to end his Celtic nightmare and had hoped to link up with Rovers following a loan spell with the club at the back end of last season.

But Tugay's arrival now appears to have put paid to that with the Turk, skipper Garry Flitcroft and England Under 21 starlet David Dunn all set to compete for two places next term. "Central midfield was an area in which we were short of competition last season but now Tugay's arrived, we've got that," said Souness.

"Garry Flitcroft was outstanding for us last year but we were asking him to do a slightly different job for us to what he was used to.

"He handled that admirably, though, even if it meant stifling some of his own play as a result.

"But with Tugay here now, that might free him up to get forward more.

"Then, obviously, we've got Dunny as well who had a terrific season for us last year in midfield too.

"So we've now got various different options in there and it should keep everyone on their toes."

ROVERS today denied fresh talk of a move for Benfica wide-man Sergei Kandaurov.

The Ukranian international is reported to be available on a Bosman free but he is not a name on Souness's shopping list.