TIM Sherwood was set to celebrate a special milestone against Chelsea at Ewood this afternoon - his 200th full League game for Blackburn Rovers.

And the skipper can also be rightly proud of the fact that he has played more Premiership matches for the club than any other player.

Sherwood has been a model of consistency since Rovers became founder members of the Premier League in 1992 and, having cost just £500,000 from Norwich earlier that year, the midfielder has proved outstanding value for money.

Now aged 28 and approaching the peak of his career, he would be worth millions in today's transfer market but Rovers aren't interested in cashing in.

The player himself is hoping to clock up many more appearances and see Rovers enhance their chance of honours over a difficult spell which starts today.

"What matters is to keep them going and make a lot more," he said.

"We have some big games coming up with Chelsea and away matches at Arsenal and Manchester United.

"But we have been doing well and, after Chelsea, I think it might suit us being away to the other two. We won't be expected to do much there and there won't be any pressure on us." At the other end of the scale, young James Beattie's excellent form with the reserves is pushing him closer to contention.

Manager Roy Hodgson said: "A player like Beattie is very much in the reckoning, as is James Thomas because we only have two centre forwards available at the moment.

"We are very satisfied with his form and we are hoping he will turn out to be a good player.

"He has a lot to learn, he knows that. But he also has some very good qualities which we are trying to develop."

The Football League have confirmed an approach from the Premier League, with the possibility of promotion and relegation cutbacks being mooted. But they are likely to fight any threat to promotion prospects.

Roy Hodgson said he wasn't really in a position to judge but he believes promotion and relegation must continue in some form or things could go stale.

"It's a difficult one. The problem with the Premier League is that clubs make big investments and to go down is very costly," he said.

"But you do need a promotion-relegation system and it should not be a team that finishes sixth in the table being promoted (via the play-offs).

"As it is now, the last three should go down and the top three up. I have believed in that all my career."

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