THERE are two times in the football season when supporters become preoccupied with little pieces of paper.

Those pieces of paper are otherwise known as the fixture list and, while these days they get horribly amended with Sunday switches and lunchtime kick-offs and other such nonsense, they are precious.

At the start of the season, they offer such thrills and excitement as a trip to South London in late October, a ten-mile jaunt to offer season's greetings to our Lancashire neighbours, and best of all, a New Year's Day stroll down to see our other 'neighbours', the ones living in Norwich!

Now, with all those journeys behind us, the bedraggled strips of paper get another airing. Fans pore over them endlessly, looking at all possible permutations as the season reaches its climax.

For many Rovers fans, the season reached its peak on Sunday, but the rumours abound that even better days lie ahead!

But if Graeme Souness' team is going to achieve the ultimate reward, where will the crucial points come from? Will we slip up at Stockport? Can we hammer Huddersfield? What about Wolves?

For all our bravado, we football supporters are a pessimistic bunch.

No matter what happened in the last game, we gloomily envisage a banana skin against the Blades and slipping on a wet fish at Grimsby.

But, no matter how despondent we make ourselves, the fact remains Rovers could scrape into the second promotion berth. And, if it does, where will it happen? On our home turf at Ewood (in which case it will be the Portsmouth match)? Or in some corner of a foreign field?

If it's the latter, I only hope it isn't at Gillingham. Our last match of the season. Our longest trip. Our smallest ticket allocation (more or less). And all that wear and tear on the nerves!

Actually, it could be that Rovers win gold (or a silver that's just as good) neither at home nor away. Bolton play two of their last three games the day before we play Portsmouth and Preston.

For what it's worth, I think another 10 mile trip might be the decider. Preston, four weeks tomorrow.

But here's something else to ponder, echoing my fellow columnist's financial fears.

We all fervently hope it will be Premiership football at Ewood next season, but what'll it cost us for that pleasure?

Better start saving up, I reckon!