2:45pm Thursday 1st April 2010 in News
By Catherine Pye, Reporter
NEW Doctor Who Matt Smith has been invited to Ewood Park as a VIP guest after revealing he is a Blackburn Rovers fan.
And club bosses have even pledged to reserve a parking space for his Tardis!
Smith revealed his affiliation this week during a whirlwind publicity tour across the country ahead of his debut on BBC1 tomorrow.
His dad David was brought up in Darwen, and during one interview revealed he has an auntie still living in the town.
Smith, who succeeds David Tennant in the prestigious role, was born in Northampton, but he has inherited his father's love of Rovers.
A Rovers spokesman said: "This is the first we have heard of this but it is exciting news, given the profile and history of the programme.
"If the new Doctor ever wants to come to a game as our guest, I am sure we can find a parking space for his Tardis!"
Darwen has a special link with Doctor who after librarian Graham Groom staged a number of conventions for the show in recent years, which attracted stars past and present.
Mr Groom said: "I'm really looking forward to seeing Matt Smith as the new Doctor Who on Saturday.
"He has a hard act to follow in David Tennant but I'm sure he'll make a good stab at it.
"To learn his family is originally from Darwen is amazing and I wish him every success in his new role."
Rovers also count comedians Jim Bowen and Lee Mack, Justice Secretary Jack Straw, fashion designer Wayne Hemingway and former World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty among their celebrity fans.
Doctor Who begins on BBC One on Saturday at 6.20pm
Comments(37)
Vinjay
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3:08pm Thu 1 Apr 10
marghen
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3:55pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Vinjay
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3:56pm Thu 1 Apr 10
jeppo
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4:11pm Thu 1 Apr 10
wildrover
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4:14pm Thu 1 Apr 10
onlyonesimongarner
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4:17pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Celtic Rover
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4:48pm Thu 1 Apr 10
pendleman
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4:50pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Paul Cockerton
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4:51pm Thu 1 Apr 10
marghen wrote:Marghen - we didn't say he was born in Darwen.
marghen, taunton says... 9:42am Thu 1 Apr 10 Sorry, Matt Smith (Doctor Who) wasn’t born in Darwen -he was born in Northampton -he played football for Northampton FC, Notts Forest FC & Leicester City FC youth teams. He is a massive Blackburn Rovers fan because of his family connections-his father was born in Darwen, hence the confusion. . I believe one of the future Doctor Who episodes is to go back in time to Liverpool on 14-05-95! . Catherine my dear, just ask in future if you want to copy my research * note the time of the post hehe
Paul Cockerton
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5:00pm Thu 1 Apr 10
onlyonesimongarner wrote:Onlyonesimongarner: this article cannot have appeared 'word for word' elsewhere.
This artitcle appeared almost word for word on another web site last week, ( http://roversreturn. footballunited.com/2 010/03/25/doctor-who -is-a-rover/ ) and it wasn`t Cathryn Pye that wrote it As I said then, and I will say again Carl the Cat Killer was never a Rovers Fan, he always professes to be a Manc. Even when he was paraded at ewood in 95 after winning the Wrld Superbikes.
marghen
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5:07pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Paul Cockerton wrote:Sorry Paul if I gave that impression -not my intention ..I should have pasted all the quotes that were posted this morning on another thread before posting on Catherine’s piece this afternoon. I was inferring (little joke )that it was old news!
marghen wrote: marghen, taunton says... 9:42am Thu 1 Apr 10 Sorry, Matt Smith (Doctor Who) wasn’t born in Darwen -he was born in Northampton -he played football for Northampton FC, Notts Forest FC & Leicester City FC youth teams. He is a massive Blackburn Rovers fan because of his family connections-his father was born in Darwen, hence the confusion. . I believe one of the future Doctor Who episodes is to go back in time to Liverpool on 14-05-95! . Catherine my dear, just ask in future if you want to copy my research * note the time of the post heheMarghen - we didn't say he was born in Darwen. See paragraph five: "Smith... was born in Northampton."
Vinjay
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5:16pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Celtic Rover wrote:If I came all the way from Australia I wouldn't have risked train travel on the same day! Would have got to Blackburn or as near to Blackburn as possible days in advance in that situation.
Fame can be fickle, Dr Who comes on tv and announces he is a blue and the club can't get the red carpet and VIP invitation out quick enough.Pity the same can't be offered to that Aussie blue who travelled 10,000 miles recently to see Rovers play.Only for his train to brake down near Rugby and the lad missed the opportunity to see his club play live.If it's good enough for Dr Who, it's good enough for Aussie Blue!.
Gladiator
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5:29pm Thu 1 Apr 10
NICEONESUNSHINE
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5:44pm Thu 1 Apr 10
jeppo wrote:Below the belt that Jeppo......
Marghen...at last, we have found something that you have a fair knowledge about! ...are there any Dr Who message boards you could perhaps frequent??
jeppo
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5:50pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Morst
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5:51pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Vinjay
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5:57pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Gladiator wrote:Never seen any visual evidence of this but apparently he said so on Sky years ago. He might have wrestled his final match recently (though don't trust wrestling stipulations) so he will have a lot more time on his hands. Maybe he could show up at the next home fixture and give Ferguson and his players some sweet chin music : )
Shawn Michaels the wrestler is also a Rovers fan - fact
pez63
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6:01pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Miller11
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6:13pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Paul Cockerton
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6:20pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Miller11 wrote:You're welcome to drop me an email if you have a question about our coverage, want something clarified or spot an error.
Cockerton - don't set a precedent here - you'll be a busy man. Articles on here are frequently riddled with errors!
marghen
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6:23pm Thu 1 Apr 10
NICEONESUNSHINE wrote:Past contretemps are never forgotten-Oh dear!
jeppo wrote: Marghen...at last, we have found something that you have a fair knowledge about! ...are there any Dr Who message boards you could perhaps frequent??Below the belt that Jeppo...... . Dirk Diggler is without doubt, our most well known, celebrity fan...I wonder if Marghen knows anything about him????
Dynamite.
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7:39pm Thu 1 Apr 10
pez63
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7:49pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Dynamite. wrote:Work on it brother.....
Doctor Who is blue n white , blue n white , blue n white , Doctor Who is blue n white he hates Burnley .
rk18
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9:45pm Thu 1 Apr 10
pez63 wrote:quality!!! :D
Doctor Who a true blue..... Fookin hates the dingles too..... With the darleks here and the darleks there...... Barmy army is everywhere.
Lamp it!
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9:52pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Ian the Beancounter
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10:35pm Thu 1 Apr 10
onlyonesimongarner
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11:50pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Paul Cockerton wrote:Your wrong Mr Cockerton
onlyonesimongarner wrote: This artitcle appeared almost word for word on another web site last week, ( http://roversreturn. footballunited.com/2 010/03/25/doctor-who -is-a-rover/ ) and it wasn`t Cathryn Pye that wrote it As I said then, and I will say again Carl the Cat Killer was never a Rovers Fan, he always professes to be a Manc. Even when he was paraded at ewood in 95 after winning the Wrld Superbikes.Onlyonesimongarner: this article cannot have appeared 'word for word' elsewhere. As Rovers said when we spoke to them today (paragraph 7): "This is the first we have heard of this but it is exciting news..." So clearly no blog has done the journalistic work of speaking to Rovers, the BBC, Matt Smith's representatives, Darwen's Doctor Who convention organiser etc.
dg666
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3:49am Fri 2 Apr 10
mammamiauk
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9:42am Fri 2 Apr 10
mammamiauk
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9:42am Fri 2 Apr 10
cutthebull
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10:07am Fri 2 Apr 10
getrealman
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1:19pm Fri 2 Apr 10
Ian the Beancounter wrote:The MEN had it before darwenreporter found it
May I be so bold as to suggest that the source of this story came from: http://www.darwenrep orter.com/2010/03/ne w-time-lord-has-darw en-roots This article dated SIX days before the LT's!
dchana
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2:36pm Fri 2 Apr 10
blueandwhitey79
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8:39pm Fri 2 Apr 10
Stone Cold
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9:43am Sat 3 Apr 10
MartonBlue
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8:26pm Sun 4 Apr 10
Stone Cold wrote:No he actually stated he was a Rovers fan on the One Show & his Dad came from Darwen, so it is straight from the Actors mouth.
Are we all sure this is not an April fool?
That said, if it is true then it's fantastic. I just hope Rovers also invite the Rovers mad soldier who appeared on the front page of the LET a few weeks ago with one of his limbs blown off. Now that would be a magnificent gesture.
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Boris The Spider says...
3:04pm Thu 1 Apr 10
Having said that, Catherine Pye looks worth getting to know too
;o))