``I was advised that it would be in my interest to have somebody with me at all times. I was at a restaurant with my wife and children a few months ago and got a text message from a friend telling me to be careful. ``There was stuff going out on Twitter from an activist group which identified the restaurant so that people could confront me. I showed the text to my wife and we decided to leave straight away. ``We didn't tell the children because we didn't want to frighten them. We just said that there was a good place around the corner where we could get pudding. ``The chap who protects me is a seventh dan in karate, but he is not big or butch or anything. He just knows how to handle himself. ``It is a bit strange having him around, but there are some good things too. He is bloody interesting to talk to, for a start.'' ``I think the vast majority of fans are passionate, but non-violent, whether towards me or anybody else. I also think most of the Blackburn fans are behind me. It is surreal, though, I cannot deny that.'' As if the repeated protests aren't futile and juvenile enough, when a manager is starting to question the safety of his kids at the hands of an extreme element of his own club's fans, it's about as clear an-indication as is humanly possible that things have gone too far. You can like a guy/not like a guy, back him as manager/want shot of him soon as, but it's down-right psychopathic to follow him round town and track him on Twitter, etc.
'He's not big or butch, but He can handle himself' --