Goalkeeper.

[den]

A few people have shown interest in a discussion and vote, for rovers best ever team. It should be fun, quite interesting and create a bit of a diversion from the day to day events down at Ewood.

What we are trying to do is allow the members on here the opportunity of voting in, position by position, a team of players from all the era's of Blackburn Rovers - past and present.

We have a short list, drawn up with the help of members on this site. The biggest obstacle to it being the REAL greatest team, is the fact that a lot of the members have never seen some of the players from, say, the sixties or seventies. What we need, to try to put forward the case for these players , is the input from the members that DID see them. If any of those members wish to put forward a special case for their favourite player, then please be sure to put that forward in the discussion.

Ideally, the discussion should see people putting forward the reasons why, for instance, Lucas Neill is the best ever rovers right back Hopefully, those reasons will be properly considered .

we will see how it goes.

The admin/mods will decide on the nominations to be voted in. [someone has to do that].

The team will play in a 4-4-2 formation.

So, the nominations for the greatest ever rovers goalkeeper are:

1 Harry Leyland 1956-1961 total app 188

2 Fred Else, 1961-1966 total app 221

3 Roger Jones 1970-1976 total app 277

4 Jim Arnold 1979-1981 total app72

5 Terry Gennoe 1981-1992 total app334

6 Tim Flowers 1993-1999 total app 214 England International

7 Brad Friedal 2000- still at club USA International

These nominations are open for discussion for the next few days. After that, they will be put to a vote.

[SouthAussieRover]

Bobby Mimms should have been in there for helping us out of the old second division.

[Seggie]

To Me it has to be Between Tim Flowers and Brad Friedal. Reason being they are the reason why we have won 2 Trophys in the last 10 years. First we have the Fantastic V.E Day performance From Tim and then we had The Worthington Cup Final performance from Brad.

Leaves me with a problem so how can I split them They have both been consistent performers for Rovers and Both have been True professionals so does it come down to the fact that Tim Flowers couldn't kick the ball without it going out for a throw in.

Tim Flowers is and was my all time Rovers hero in fact I still possess My printed Tim Flowers Keeper Top because I can't bear to get rid of it. Thing is Brad has proved himself on the BIGGEST stage of them all in the World Cup.

I can't split them for anything so we have to look at the teams in front of them Tim had argubly the greatest Rovers team ever in front of him. Brad has had all sorts of misfits play in front of him and kept the most clean sheets in the Premiership when we finnished 6th

So I have to go for Big Brad Friedal with Tim on the Bench pushing hard for his place

[den]

My opinion? I know that Harry Leyland was very popular. He was the keeper in the F.A. cup final. Likewise Fred Else was excellent.

Roger Jones was signed from Bournemouth and was an England U21 keeper. He gave one of the best ever performances by a rovers keeper that I've ever seen. He kept out Bolton Wanderers almost single handedly at Burnden Park. Any one else remember that.

Jim Arnold was one of the most agile shot stoppers ever to wear the rovers colours.

Terry Gennoe - a legend. Got better and better as the years went by.

Tim Flowers - top man, but possibly not the best keeper. Although took top spot in victory at ewood night. A vital performance in a vital match.

Brad Friedal - Seemingly doesn't have a weakness. Maybe a little earlt to vote Brad as the top keeper ever.

So, I reckon it has to be --- errr, very difficult. Maybe I'll take a little time to pick between Jones, Gennoe and Flowers.

Then again, Friedal and Flowers played at the top level. Does that make them better keepers?

[Drakefyre]

For me, it has to be between Gennoe and Friedel. Gennoe was the keeper during the ascent during the top flight, and Brad has proven himself as a difference-maker in many games these past few years. I don't think there's any doubt that Brad Friedel is the best keeper to ever play for Rovers skill-wise, but whether he makes it into the Rovers all-time team over Gennoe and his 12 years of service is a tough call.

[Tom Pringle]

Yep, between Brad and Tim for me. Mainly because they're the only keepers i've seen play for us and worthy of being in the all-time best eleven.

[laughatthedingles]

Tim for me, he did it from day 1 right until the end, Brad was world class 2 seasons ago, but not as good last season, some may argue flowers had a better team infront of him but for me flowers as the keeper, closely run by brad who should be on the bench.

LATD snr (my dad) says that Gennoe and Flowers are dead heats for his no1.

[Brownie]

When have Rovers ever had a keeper in the PFA Team of the Year ?

Has to be Friedel, as good as the likes of Gennoe,Arnold,Jones,Flowers and Bradshaw were.

No John Butcher !? ( Shurely some mistake Ed ?)

[Al]

Got to be Roger Jones Best I've seen in 50 odd years at Ewood.

[Manchester Blue]

Having not had the benefit of 40 years watching Rovers I asked my Dad who was a keeper and he said it was Flowers followed by Jones.

I've been going 20 years and I've not seen better than Friedel. Flowers was great but not brilliant apart from the odd game. Mimms was ok and Gennoe was average.

Freidel for me every time.

[Kennysuperbuyer]

Roger Jones. Abrilliant all round keeper. Tim Flowers was a good shot stopper but his positional sense for free kicks was a weakness. By the way does anybody know what happened to Roger Jones.

[Kennysuperbuyer]

My opinion? I know that Harry Leyland was very popular. He was the keeper in the F.A. cup final. Likewise Fred Else was excellent.

Roger Jones was signed from Bournemouth and was an England U21 keeper. He gave one of the best ever performances by a rovers keeper that I've ever seen. He kept out Bolton Wanderers almost single handedly at Burnden Park. Any one else remember that.

Jim Arnold was one of the most agile shot stoppers ever to wear the rovers colours.

Terry Gennoe - a legend. Got better and better as the years went by.

Tim Flowers - top man, but possibly not the best keeper. Although took top spot in victory at ewood night. A vital performance in a vital match.

Brad Friedal - Seemingly doesn't have a weakness. Maybe a little earlt to vote Brad as the top keeper ever.

So, I reckon it has to be --- errr, very difficult. Maybe I'll take a little time to pick between Jones, Gennoe and Flowers.

Then again, Friedal and Flowers played at the top level. Does that make them better keepers?

A spot on post den.

[RoverDrake]

John Filan was much better than Flowers.

[tcj_jones]

Now i havent had the advantage of 40 years but Filan wasn't even in the same league as Flowers. Flowers was an excellent keeper, better then Seaman, Walker, James and now Robinson in my opinion and deserved more England caps.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Got to be Roger Jones Best I've seen in 50 odd years at Ewood.

Totally agree.

If I could choose from any of them in their prime to be between the sticks next week against the Arse, I'd have more confidence that Sir Roger would keep them at bay than anyone else.

[Cocker]

Flowers for me

[92er]

I think it's either got to be someone who played at the top level for us, or went on to play there for someone else. Harry and Fred could be counted in the first category but there have been better. I think Flowers was excellent in his prime but I also think Friedel in his prime-before last season was even better. If Bradshaw had gone on to play for England we could have considered him and even the guy who went to Derby,under Clough,before he'd played for the first team(Mosseley?).

I think Roger Jones was superb but he wasn't tested at the top level for us.

[American]

I probably wouldn't say Brad, as he had one spectacular season, but the others have been good, not great.

Interesting fact I heard last season: Flowers has given up more Premiership goals than any other keeper.

[92er]

I think it could be Brad because it's one area we haven't really had many outstanding players.

[bob fleming]

Best keeper?

Well I've only seen Gennoe, Mimms, Flowers and Friedel really. Sure you've had a few others in-between but they never really made the No1 jersey their own. We've had some fantastic keepers in just the period of time I've been watching Rovers. When you consider some of the other names den has short listed I think it's fair to say that this is one position where we've been blessed over the years (just to totally disagree with 92er ).

It's a really tough call but purely for the very fact that we weren't in the top flight, the fact that he stopped with us and gave us so many of his best years I'll say Terry Gennoe. He was incredibly consistent.

Friedel probably gave the best ever season I've seen from a keeper for us but I just don't care.

"Gino! Gino! Gino!"

[USABlue]

Roger Jones, by half a length over Brad. Brads flaws, positioning at times, coming for the ball/narrowing the angle a huge man such as Brad should be using that to full advantage.

I can't remember a keeper who could catchand hold a ball as well as Roger could, I have seen full length diving saves where he did not just parry the ball but he would actully catch it and hold onto it.

Still, maybe biased from my time watching as Roger was always playing for us at lower levels, not the top flight.

[92er]

At the time Roger Jones came to us we wondered how we had got such a good keeper.He was excellent-except when he got the colliwobles over Easter during the promotion season.But he didn't make it at the highest level.Friedel not only has played at the highest level for us, he has contributed to winning a cup and keeping us in this Division. I accept his current form is not as good but I still think he's the best keeper I've seen for us.

[Scotty]

Friedel for me as well. Gennoe was superb for years in the 80's at a lower level, Flowers was superb during the 90's, but Friedel is the only one who's been world class.

His form two seasons ago wasn't just the best I've ever seen from a Rovers keeper, it was the best I've ever seen from any keeper.

[ABBEY]

ginnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

love the guy got me tickets and was an awsome keeper with a shuffle before a kick.

92er?no good keepers at ewood?you must be 12 or blind!

weve ooooozed class keepers....in my time,just about remember jones...but arnold ,gennoe ,mimms ,flowers etc ALL CLASS there is no way you can differ.even butcher had something....not much come to think ofd it.I remember us having a trialist lol who was yugo ?hungarian?before all imports started at a testy or pre season game cant recall which ,but even he looked good

[RevidgeBlue]

I can't remember a keeper who could catchand hold a ball as well as Roger could, I have seen full length diving saves where he did not just parry the ball but he would actully catch it and hold onto it.

Excellent point USA, that is one of my my abiding memories of Sir Roger as well. Must have had superglue on his gloves. Unfortunately catching the ball and holding onto it as opposed to punching it seems virtually non existent these days.

Might be largely to do with the ball. Was speaking to Terry Gennoe some years ago and expressed the opinion that Tim Flowers whilst an excellent keeper maybe didn't command his 6 yard box as well as he might. Terry dis agreed and said when he was playing opposition players just used to hoof 50 or 60 yard balls straight down the pitch which were meat and drink. He was of the view that in the Premiership especially with the lighter balls crosses came in so fast from all angles you simply didn't have the time.

I digress. Sir Roger for me by a hair over Friedel.