Derby highlights counter James's 'ugly' jibe (From The Bolton News)

Derby highlights counter James's 'ugly' jibe

10:10am Friday 20th November 2009

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“I WOULD hate to see Blackburn versus Bolton this season, it would be one of the ugliest games of football for a long time.”

Not the words of Alan Hansen, Mark Lawren-son or any of the other armchair pundits, but rather those of England keeper David James, who chose the bizarre backdrop of his Portsmouth side’s 3-2 defeat at Fratton Park in September to launch a surprising attack on the Lancashire derby.

‘El Classico’ it might not be, but given the defensive frailties shown by both sides this season, it would be a brave man who forecast a goal-less draw.

Both sides have leaked 19 goals in their last six games and there have only been four stalemates in their last 30 meetings, stretching back to the early eighties.

Add to that a frightening tendency for neither side to end a derby with 11 men and at least one penalty to be awarded over 90 minutes, and James’s claim starts to look ropier than his white 1996 FA Cup final suit.

It is fair to say the match has blown hot and cold in recent years.

While last season’s 0-0 draw at the Reebok passed by without incident, few will forget the return game at Ewood Park, if only for the after match fall-out.

And results have mainly blown cold for Wanderers when played at the Reebok.

It is now nine years since Gudini Bergsson, Michael Johansen and Eidur Gudjohnsen supplied the goals in a 3-1 win back in the Championship.

Since then, territorial advantage has hardly mattered a jot, with Rovers’ 4-1 home victory last February the only example since both sides won promotion back to the Premier League.

Perhaps that explains why the game has sometimes enjoyed a lukewarm press, even in its own backyard.

While most Rovers fans prefer to cast their scorn at neighbouring Burnley, many Wanderers die-hards look upon Manchester United, Bury or even Wigan Athletic as their chief local rivals, often depending on which side of the town you call home.

But the promise of cheaper tickets, following an admirable agreement between both clubs to reduce admission for derby days, is likely to crank Sunday’s atmosphere up a notch.

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