Waking up on March 9, I opened my laptop and started writing my match verdict from the disappointing defeat to Derby County the previous day, with Rovers reeling after a 3-0 defeat.

They could have moved in to the top six with a win, a late John Buckley red card rounding off a frustrating afternoon all round.

But there was always the next game to put it right, Bristol City, one of Rovers’ rivals in the bid for a top six finish, were due at Ewood that weekend and with three points, the picture would look much rosier.

Fast forward a few days though and the picture became uncertain, not about Rovers’ play-off hopes, but about the home game with the Robins going ahead.

On Thursday morning it was very much business as usual, Rovers conducting their usual lunchtime press conference, but as the hours passed, the EFL’s decision to say ‘game on’ was looking increasingly perilous. Then, on Friday morning, came the news that matches were suspended until at least April 3.

Just like a long international break then, we thought, but as the seriousness of the coronavirus started to take hold, the re-start date for the season became something of a distant dream. One month on, it feels further away than ever as the threat of the COVID-19 shows no sign of abating.

Lives are being lost, the frontline healthcare staff are being pushed to their limits, the social and economic impact of the current lockdown starting to take hold with job losses, cuts to industry and a long road to recovery.

As stated before, thinking about football and sport in general at this time feels selfish, but in the same way, what better way would there to lift spirits than being able to flick on the television and see sport of any kind.

I mean, the Belarusian top flight has become particularly popular at this time.

We’ve come to realise what we appreciate about sport and Rovers in particular. The club aren’t immune to the pandemic, take away matchdays and you take away a vast proportion of Rovers’ income.

Life for most of club’s 220 plus employees is dictated to by what happens on the pitch. Retail, marketing, commercial and media departments, through to accounts, kit men, chief executive and secretaries, their weekly tasks often revolve around results on a Saturday afternoon.

Then there are the fans, those whose weekend can be ruined by a disappointing defeat or spirits lifted to a unique high after three points are secured.

Rovers have begun showing re-runs of old matches, an ‘On This Day’ page has become a staple of the Lancashire Telegraph, and we’re thankful there’ve been plenty of good days to enjoy looking back. But what we’d give to have Rovers back.

I miss the friendly faces of the car park attendant, the stewards handing out the press passes, the ladies in the press room asking how you are.

I miss five minutes before kick-off, walking out to see the stadium filling up, feeling the atmosphere build, the tension grow, and that’s only in the press box. I miss whacking my fingers against my laptop keyboard to the tune of Insomnia by Faithless.

I miss the routine that Rovers brings, a week often consisting of Monday morning press conference, Under-23s at Leyland that night, Tuesday night matchday, a Wednesday writing up the events of the night before, then the Thursday press conference to preview the Saturday afternoon game.

The fixture list feels more like a diary, anyone wanting to know where I am need only take a look at where Rovers are playing.

I miss the face-to-face interaction and debate, the endless failed team predictions, the chatter over a brew and in the press room pre-match, the random stats and facts collated ahead of kick-off.

I miss shaking my head at the often bizarre, sometimes controversial, decisions of the officials.

I miss Nyambe’s marauding runs down the right, Travis thundering in to tackles, the excitement of the crowd as Armstrong sets off in full flight. I miss the calmness of Stewart Downing, cherishing possession like a precious commodity.

I miss the unpredictability of what the 90 minutes can serve up.

I’m sure you miss your pre-match routines, meeting the same people at the same time in the same place. You probably even miss the bloke behind you whose views often contradict your own.

Maybe you’ve not missed it as much as you thought, this lockdown period giving you a different perspective on life. But Rovers is a constant to many, those feelings will be back, in time, and those very things that used to drive us to annoyance will do so again.