The pies have it at Ewood!

Now, in 1997, the same thing has happened again, only this time it was at the hands of a different United - Cambridge United. They have pushed Rovers into second place in the Best Away Football League Ground competition!

The survey, compiled by John Ladd, one of the country's most travelled football writers and author of the ABC Guide to Football Grounds, visited all 92 league grounds in the country to decide which ground he thought was best to visit as an away fan.

He looked at atmosphere, attitude of the club, food, pubs, fanzines, banter, treatment of away fans, cost of admission and pies.

And, according to John, Blackburn's Ewood Park is the second best ground for away fans to visit.

John said of Blackburn's very own theatre of dreams, Ewood Park: "Blackburn are a premiership club and have a premier ground to boot.

"All mod cons have been introduced to Ewood Park since Jack Walker took charge, but they haven't gone so far as to see fans as just a number.

"There are good concessions and excellent facilities for away supporters, those in wheelchairs and the visually impaired."

Rovers picked up 92 points out of a possible 100 - just one point behind lowly Cambridge United's Abbey Stadium, which can lay claim, according to John, to making the best bacon butties in the country. John added: "As a team, Rovers have been slagged off for unashamedly spending their way to success, but this is the acceptable face of corporate football."

Only one other Premiership club finished inside the top ten - Newcastle United. Manchester United finished 18th with 86 points, on level points with second division Preston North End.

What do you think of Rovers' admission prices and the cost of food, programmes and fans' treatment. Write to: The Editor, Blackburn Citizen, Newspaper House, High Street, Blackburn, Lancs BB1 1HT.

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