SOCCER nut Bill Toland is a man who can drum up the support of thousands of Blackburn Rovers fans.

The 36-year-old season ticket holder has been adopted as Ewood Park's official drummer!

Bill has been entertaining home crowds in the stadium's Blackburn End by beating his own drum this season.

And Rovers bosses were so impressed they bought him a new one so his booms could be heard around the ground.

Delighted Bill, of Accrington, said: "A steward came up to me a few weeks ago and asked for my seat number.

"I thought I was in trouble for playing the drum and they were going to kick me out so I gave them my friend Dominic Lee's seat number!

"Then Dominic rang me saying he had received a letter from Rovers inviting him to join a band at the Sheffield game. I thought it was a wind-up. "But I went along and security handed me the huge drum and asked me to bring it back at the end of the match.

"It's a heavy piece of equipment though and I've nicknamed it The Beast. My knuckles are black and blue after hitting it for an hour-and-a-half.

"But it's great getting the crowd behind me. When I started watching Rovers at the age of 14 I never believed I'd be the centre of attention like this."

Dominic, also of Accrington, added: "Bill's like a kid with a new toy. The home crowd love it but the away fans have told us where we can stick the drum!"

Stadium manager Mel Highmore said Bill had proved a big attraction at the ground.

"But we would like to apologise to those sitting around him because by now they must be deaf," he joked.

"Euro '96 really brought home the importance of atmosphere in a ground and Bill's certainly adding something extra at Ewood.

"We've bought a marching band drum so the thumping can be heard by everyone here."

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