The courtroom drama of Liverpool FC last week demonstrates beyond any doubt that football, at least at the higher echelons, is a dirty business.

It also underlines that foreign ownership, even by individuals who are mega-rich on paper, can be a curse rather than a blessing.

As the prospective sale of Rovers rumbles on, I remain very anxious about the outcome.

“Be careful what you wish for,” could prove to be a very apt saying.

While we appear to have accepted that our present owners are keen to sell, we have to hope that Uncle Jack’s legacy will ensure that they would only pass on the baton to an owner who can convince the Trust and the board that they are not coming in just to make a fast buck or rupee.

Any “growth” of our football club will inevitably be gradual and unspectacular.

As with any business, however, standing still means going backwards (or in a football team’s case downwards).

I’ve no idea how it could be practically achieved but I’d love to emulate the situation in the German Bundesliga where all but three of the clubs are majority owned by the supporters.

Is it any coincidence that the Bundesliga has the biggest attendances and cheapest ticket prices of any in Europe? And their national team doesn’t appear to be doing too badly either.

Can someone knowledgeable in football and business please start a think-tank with the aim of reclaiming our game for the people who should really matter – the supporters.

Let’s consign the Gilletts, Hicks and Glaziers of this world to the dustbin of football history.

I have to submit this article before the match takes place so as an experiment in crystal ball gazing, I thought it would be interesting to make some random but not entirely unscientific predictions just to see how many of them prove to be accurate: 1. David Dunn will start but will pick up an injury and have to go off after 20 minutes.

2. Rovers will score in the first half through Kalinic. They will then sit back and Sunderland will take control of the game and equalise midway through the second half through Bent.

3. Sunderland will look the more likely to win the game but will be rocked by a late goal from Samba.

4.Phil Jones will be named man of the match.

5. The crowd will be a disappointing 19,999.