ROVERS boss Tony Mowbray has sympathy with the Plymouth Argyle fans who face a 600-mile round trip to watch their team at Ewood Park tonight.

EFL Chief Executive Shaun Harvey revealed ‘conscious scheduling’ did take place to allow for more local weekend games.

But Mowbray said: “I don’t know the logic of that, football is a game for the people.

“There are clubs that people’s families have supported for generations.

“Plymouth will have people that have to go to the game, who haven’t missed a game for years and years and they probably have work the next day so it’s probably costing them not only travel and their ticket, it’s costing them a day’s money because they won’t get back until 4am.

“Have I got sympathy? Of course, I’m a football fan and have been all my life. I can’t understand the logic of it personally but if someone has indicated it’s deliberate then it’s disappointing for the Plymouth supporters who have to make that trip because they go and watch their team home and away.”

Plymouth arrive at Ewood without a league win since August but the Rovers boss added: “They have been coming out on the wrong side of some tight games.

“I don’t see any 5-0 thumpings in there. They will come and make life difficult for us.

“They will have a threat on set plays and counter-attacks.

“They have some athletic players and Graham Carey who scored a fantastic goal at the weekend, a player I know from my days at Celtic.  He was a young boy coming through and what a left foot he has got.

“Are they dangerous? Every team is dangerous in this league.

“There is a heightened intensity about the way they play when they come to this league and they play at home to Rovers with their stadium half full of Rovers supporters. It gives them a lift and some extra intensity which we have to deal with.”