ANDY NEILD reports from Germany

FROM the moment I was told I would be covering Rovers pre-season tour I have been inundated with requests from people volunteering to carry my bags.

At 3.15pm yesterday afternoon I wish I had taken someone up on the offer.

Standing in the middle of Strasbourg airport my worst fears suddenly came true.

I had got there in one piece but where was my luggage?

What had promised to be a dream trip suddenly took on nightmare proportions and as the afternoon wore on things quickly went from bad to worse.

I'd had it all meticulously planned.

Pick up a hire car, get directions to the hotel, drop off my bags and get myself to the game....just in time to link up with Rovers fans prior to kick-off.

But my military operation soon descended into a scene from Dad's Army as the woman behind the car rental desk said they had no record of my booking, had never heard of my hotel, and hadn't a clue had to get to Bahlingen.

Don't panic Captain Mainwaring!

Eventually things finally got sorted (apart from the suitcase which as you read this is probably in Katmandu) and after countless wrong turns I finally arrived in the German outpost with just five minutes to spare.

But my venture was nothing compared to that of a gang of staunch Roverites who travel everywhere with the club.

The leader, Paul Astley, organised Rovers away travel but he came a cropper together with three of his pals.

Bahlingen itself is so tiny it doesn't warrant a mention on most German maps. So when they spotted a Balinger near Stuttgard, they thought they had hit the jackpot. They got there in plenty of time, even found the town's football ground, then disappeared to the pub, safe in the knowledge that they had got their bearings.

However, it was only when they reappeared just prior to kick-off to find the place in total darkness that the penny dropped and they quickly realised they were some 50 miles away from the proper venue.

By the time they eventually arrived they did manage to catch a glimpse of Rovers new kit but it was only as the team were walking back into the dressing room seconds after the final whistle.

Of the the 200 or so Rovers fans who did find it, which included two supporters who had made their way from Finland, they were pleasantly surprised at what they discovered. The town of Bahlingen itself is no bigger than Whalley and the ground was quaint and of a similar standard to Accrington Stanley.

Before the match, Graeme Souness took time out to chat with fans as the club's catering corps made a roaring trade banging out bratwurst.

And once this serious stuff was over, supporters mixed freely with the players before they disappeared into the clubhouse to demolish plates of spatzle and salad -- a traditional German dish delivered specially from a neighbouring restaurant. So was it worth the effort? Debs Herkins from Blackburn, said: "Its been brilliant.

"When you watch Rovers in Blackburn you don't get the same contact but here we've met Graeme Souness and we've had a chance to chat with the players and everyone is so friendly over here the atmosphere is amazing.

"We've had a lot of fun and we even played the locals at darts before the match."

Her boyfriend, Gavin Buck of Blackburn, agrees: "English fans got a bad reputation abroad but everyone here has welcomed us with open arms. Its been incredible."

One person who felt slightly disappointed, however, was Daniela Frahm of local paper Zeitung Zum Sontag. She said: "I was expecting a lot more from Blackburn considering the amount of money they have spent but I thought they are fairly ordinary. But I am proud at the way Bahlinger stood up to them and it was just refreshing to see both sets of fans getting on so well."