A fan's-eye view from Ewood Park, with Phil Lloyd

THERE are those who would have us believe that football is under threat. It is in danger of being usurped by a pernicious and dangerous group - women!

Now I'm only partially qualified to speak on this subject. My wife's interest in football has never extended beyond a nervous enquiry as to how Rovers have done, to gauge my likely Saturday evening mood.

During her last appearance at a Rovers game (in 1973!), she wanted to know why, if I knew that Tony Field was going to put his penalty to the right, the Notts County keeper dived the other way?

I've had more success with my offspring. Elder daughter attended her first match aged two, and later turned out for the Rovers' girls team.Her mood when we lose is even worse than mine which, for a football-daft father, represents a pinnacle of achievement.

Younger daughter has been an avid season-ticket holder in the Family Stand for a few years now and we're hoping to transfer her under the Bosman ruling to the WalkerSteel Stand this summer.

Take it from me, ladies can be just as committed football followers as men, and usually less offensive with it. Most understand tactics, often better than the blokes, who prefer 'the simple game''. And don't think that football humour is wasted on the female of the species either. It was a member of the fairer sex that told me about the pub team manager who bragged that his new defensive formation was modelled on that employed by many top-flight professional outfits. After they'd conceded nearly 100 goals in their first dozen matches, someone told him that their version of the flat back four was missing something - the letter 'l' !

What has all this to do with goings on at Ewood? Not a lot, except that you only had to look around during Saturday's stale draw against

Middlesbrough to see how much the home crowd has changed.

The girls and ladies who have been attracted to watch football welcome all-seater grounds, less violence, loos that work and aren't a health hazard, better catering.

What they don't want is being pandered to. So, no supporters' knitting

competitions, no 'vote for the player with the best legs' and definitely no half-time performing dog demonstrations.

The female supporters' voice must be heard. They don't threaten the grand tradition of football, they like it as it already is!

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