ROVERS season ticklet holder Mark Hall is not allowing relegation to keep him away from Ewood Park - even though he lives in America.

Mark, who was pictured on the front page of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph the day after his heroes were relegated, lives in the US state of Maine. But he refuses to allow the disappointment of relegation to the Nationwide League keep him away from his heroes, or dull his love of the beautiful game.

Mark has followed football from afar since childhood and started supporting Rovers, thanks to a Lancashire penpal.

But he first got the opportunity to cheer on Rovers from the terraces eight seasons ago, after a chance meeting with Langho couple Ian and Cath Sutton, in an American bar.

Mark said: "I work for a brewery in the States and an English couple came in our pub and I got talking to them. It turned out they were from Langho and I couldn't believe it when they said they were Rovers fans. They invited me over to a game and now I stay with them every time I come over."

Mark hasn't looked back since then and now has a season ticket for Ewood Park next to all his new-found pals, who are Blackburn born and bred.

This season he has seen his heroes play Everton and West Ham, saw Roy Hodgson get sacked after the Southampton game, watched them in action against Newcastle, Spurs, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest and, of course, cheered on the crestfallen players after they were relegated against Manchester United. He said: "My family and friends think my life revolves around football, but it is more than that. I've made some great friends in England and even if Blackburn Rovers ended tomorrow, my friends would still be there."

But his love of the game doesn't stop at Ewood Park. Mark is also a season ticket holder at Cobh Ramblers, in Ireland and sponsors Accrington Stanley player Billy O'Callaghan's kit.

He is so fanatical about football that he is even considering a career change and moving into sports marketing - over here.

He said: "I've been to interviews at Chelsea, Arsenal and other football teams, without success, but I'm still keeping in touch with Blackburn Rovers marketing department and the Football Association."

Mark has also launched a United States Rovers Supporters Club from his home in Portland, and he now has 23 members from across America.

He said: "Football is such a fantastic game and the atmosphere at Rovers' game against Manchester United was unbelievable, even though we had been relegated.

"But the best thing about supporting Rovers is all the fantastic people I have met in Blakcburn."

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