JACK Walker today appealed to all Blackburn Rovers fans to get right behind the team in their bid for promotion.

The Ewood owner pledged that, even if Rovers failed to reclaim their Premiership place, he would continue to back the club "101 per cent" next season.

And he admitted that could cost him another £15 million to go with the £100 million he has already invested, without looking for a return.

In a heartfelt plea to all Rovers supporters as the club prepares for tonight's crucial game against Norwich, Mr Walker sent an open letter to them via the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

"Following the game with West Brom I feel compelled to write to you as a group to express my disappointment.

"While the majority of you supported the team, I believe the manager and players were let down by the booing and catcalling of a minority.

"I, like you, also thought it was a lousy game. But, just think, when was the last time we had a bit of luck?

"Tony Parkes, Terry Darracott and the players are trying their hardest. Just look at the last nine home games, six wins and three draws.

"Since Tony took over we have one of the best returns in the division having moved up from 18th. He has achieved 32 points from 18 games.

"I know you want blood, the same as myself. I would like to remind you, the supporters as one, that Rovers means everything to me. "I have invested £100 million and am not seeking a return.

"With your increased help we can still make the play-offs.

"If we don't get promoted I will still be 101 per cent behind the Rovers next season.

"For everyone's information, that could cost me another £15 million.

"So I want you all to show me tonight at the Norwich game that you will get behind the team with one voice.

"I believe you will, thank you - Jack Walker."

And Mr Walker's appeal was backed up by Rovers skipper Garry Flitcroft, who pleaded with fans to cheer the team all the way to promotion.

Flitcroft felt he should speak out following last Saturday's crowd reaction.

There were jeers from disgruntled fans, despite Rovers claiming their second successive win.

A third successive victory in tonight's crunch match against Norwich would leave them just three points adrift of a play-offs spot as they continue to recover from an awful start to the season.

And Flitcroft believes Rovers can reclaim Premiership status but only with the fans behind them, not on their backs. He wants them to turn up the temperature and put the heat on Norwich, not their own side.

"We are all in this together, because we all want the same thing - the players, the management and the fans all want to be back in the Premiership," he said.

"With 14 games left, I believe we are in a great position to get a play-offs place but, if we are to get there, we all need to pull together on and off the field.

"The booing can affect the confidence of some of the younger lads in the side and what we really need to try and do is to make Ewood a cauldron that other teams don't want to visit.

"You know just what visiting managers will be saying in their team talks and you can bet it will be the same for Bruce Rioch with Norwich tonight.

"He will be saying that, if they can hold us for half an hour, the home fans are going to get on our backs.

"It would be great to see him proved wrong. On Saturday, the fans were booing the two substitutions, yet the two lads who went on were tremendous for the team.

"I know it wasn't pretty but we still managed to pick up the three points and that is what matters most at the moment.

"The run-in is under way, we're ready to go for it and, if the fans can get behind us as they have in the past, then it will give everyone a lift." Rovers' revival under Parkes has been most noticeable at home and tonight offers them an opportunity to make it three successive League victories for the first time in more than two years - since December 1997.

"We need to win home games. We have seven left and we will need to win most of them,"said Parkes.

"There are teams who are five and six points above us and they are not going to lose too many games.

"We were 18th in the league when I took over, so what the fans are expecting is probably a little bit too high at the moment.

"It takes a lot of games to claw points back on teams who are above you and that's what is happening at the moment. Everybody has to be patient, it doesn't happen overnight."

Rovers are expected to choose from: Kelly, Grayson, Dailly, Broomes, Davidson, McAteer, Flitcroft, Frandsen, Duff, Ward, Jansen, Blake, Gillespie, Peacock, Ostenstad, Dunn, Johnson, Harkness, Miller.

Rioch hopes skipper Matt Jackson will be fit after he had stitches in a head wound. Craig Fleming (thigh injury) hopes to return, Mike Milligan is available after suspension, but Cedric Anselin is still struggling with an ankle problem.

They are expected to choose from: Marshall, Kenton, Mackay, Jackson, Fuglestad, Sutch, Carey, Russell, Llewellyn, Roberts, Dalglish, Fleming, De Blasiis, Forbes, Green, Milligan, Wilson.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.