Left back

[bazza]

Of course Sir Keith became a Claret in his latter playing days but despite his Blackburn upbringing managed to impress even the footballing afficiandos (sp?) at Turf Moor.

I agree with you ,Jim, that an all star Rovers team should include Newton but looks like it wont.

He was very, very classy but Eckersley beats him into 2nd place for left back.

One of my favourite film clips is of Newton playing right back for Burnley and scoring a superb own goal. It really is one of the best I've ever seen.

Just to even things up I've seen Bill Eckersley put a penalty kick well wide of goal. (Jonathan Stead style)

He was Rovers regular penalty taker and "never missed". He did that once and I saw it, It was at the Darwen End.

Edited September 23, 2004 by bazza

[tchocky]

Den if you remember, can you add one to Eckersley and subtract one from Le Saux when you count the votes? I knew the minute I voted that I had picked the wrong one..

[den]

Den if you remember, can you add one to Eckersley and subtract one from Le Saux when you count the votes? I knew the minute I voted that I had picked the wrong one..

Just so everyone else knows, I can't do that Tchocky - I don't have the capability.

[MCMC1875]

If Eckersley fails to win this, never mind the Asian vote, Rovers should actively target the over 55's, a rapidly growing market, in order to redress the balance.

[bazza]

If Eckersley fails to win this, never mind the Asian vote, Rovers should actively target the over 55's, a rapidly growing market, in order to redress the balance.

[philipl]

I completely agree MCMC.

Le Saux was very good but hardly the stuff of legends.

Bill Eckersley is one of the all time greats of this or any English club and it will be a sad reflection on our message board if a player who disgraced the club so badly in Moscow gets voted into the list of all time greats ahead of Eckersley.

[bellamy11]

Completely disagree there philipl.

It isn't surprising that many people are voting for Le Saux because 95% of the people here saw him play for us and he was bloody good. I voted for him because in a situation where both players had their merits, I had seen Le Saux a good many times, and this gives me evidence. I may have thought Eckersley was a complete hacker. I understand that he wasn't, but are you REALLY that amazed that a messageboard which is predominantly made up of people aged under 50 are voting for a player they associate with a title win and who they've seen play more?

I can understand a case for Crompton, and had no hesitation in voting for him as best right back because it was so obvious that nobody else held a candle to him. This is far less cut and dried, and hence its better the devil you know for me.

I'm guessing this will be a recurring theme throughout the team, because its very hard to go with paragraphs of text over players you've seen week in, week out. These are the problems with democracy, don't get worked up about it.

[MCMC1875]

I completely agree MCMC.

Le Saux was very good but hardly the stuff of legends.

Bill Eckersley is one of the all time greats of this or any English club and it will be a sad reflection on our message board if a player who disgraced the club so badly in Moscow gets voted into the list of all time greats ahead of Eckersley.

Excellent summary phillipl.

The vote is surely a reflection of the modern medium which we are using to communicate!

[thenodrog]

Bill Eck was of course a legend but unfortuntely I never saw him play.

Keith Newton is the best full back of em all imo but I only recall him playing at right back for us. (Btw daft Harry Catterick playing him lb for Everton and because of this him being selected to play lb for England in the 70 world cup just illustrates his quality.........(and the lack of judgement of so many on this mb).

So on the basis of that and my own interpretation of this poll as a sort of schoolyard pick your team from that lot basis I select Le Saux.

I am being totally serious when I say that I can think of no English team since the 60's and no ENGLAND team for that matter that would have boasted two better full back's than a combination of Newton right back and Le saux left back!

[dave birch]

....but then, theno, you never saw Bill, did you.....

edit: He was good.......

Edited September 25, 2004 by dave birch

[Dr Rich]

Fifty one per cent voting for Le Saux merely reflects the age of those on the board and has nothing to do with the ability of the candidates.

And if Bill Eckersley or Keith Newton win that also will merely reflect the age of those on the board and have nothing to do with the ability of the candidates.

What's clear from the age of the people voting for the respective contenders in these polls is that everyone, including myself, thinks more highly of the players whom they saw when they first started watching Rovers in their youth, than any others who played before or have since.

A perfect example of this being yourself Jim, to please you it seems the resulting greatest Rovers team ever would have to consist of Rovers players entirely from the sixties and seventies, when you first started watching Rovers. Newton, Clayton, Douglas etc. Whilst all very fine players in their own rights from what I've heard and seen, I don't see that they are that far above the other contenders for the greatest eleven Rovers players of all time. Having said that I'm 99% sure Ronnie would not be bested by Tim Sherwood, if something that laughable happened I might even start to agree with you.

As regards the characters of the players, this poll is to find Rovers greatest ever left-back , not the greatest man ever to wear the blue-and-white who happened to also be a left-back.

[den]

I remember there being a few raised eyebrows recently, at the results of a poll, run by Man U, for the best ever Man United player. Eric Cantona won It. Now that is a result of the majority of fans never having seen Charlton, Law and Best.

Graeme Le Saux beating Keith Newton for a full back position wont alter any of Jim's, or anyone else's memories.

At the end of this best ever team poll, we will have something to put onto record, the views of the majority of fans, on this site, at this time.

It's worth giving the votes a bit of consideration, because we can't run a poll like this for many, many years.

[Al]

I remember there being a few raised eyebrows recently, at the results of a poll, run by Man U, for the best ever Man United player. Eric Cantona won It. Now that is a result of the majority of fans never having seen Charlton, Law and Best.

Graeme Le Saux beating Keith Newton for a full back position wont alter any of Jim's, or anyone else's memories.

At the end of this best ever team poll, we will have something to put onto record, the views of the majority of fans, on this site, at this time.

It's worth giving the votes a bit of consideration, because we can't run a poll like this for many, many years.

Graham Le Saux beating Bill Eckersley is an absolute disgrace and apoor reflection of the members of this board if they cannot appreciate p[layers who they have not seen.

Le saux let the club down on many occasions and does not deserve mention.

[Tom Pringle]

Le saux let the club down on many occasions and does not deserve mention.

Thats a bit over the top.

[Scotty]

Le saux let the club down on many occasions and does not deserve mention.

Thats a bit over the top.

It's a mile over the top. Al, just because you have a certain opinion it doesn't mean everyone has to agree with you. Stop taking it so sodding personally.

[Dr Rich]

Eric Cantona won It. Now that is a result of the majority of fans never having seen Charlton, Law and Best.

I'd rather say it's the result of the vast majority of Manchester United fans not having a clue about the game of football. Cantona was undoubtably a very important player for them in becoming the club they are now, and from that point of view may be regarded as doing more for the merchandising plc than Best or Charlton did.

Let's not forget though, George Best at his best ( ) was magnificent, at his worst he was a disgrace, and on average? Very much like Diego Maradona being suggested to be the best football player ever, there is no doubting that the Maradona's performance in the 1986 World Cup was one of the greatest displays of footballing talent ever, but he wasn't up to much in the US in 1994 was he, apart from being thrown out of the competition in disgrace?

Would have to agree that Bobby Charlton was a class apart from Cantona though, World Cup winner, 759 appearances for United and he's still at the club to this day. At any other club I'd be surprised with the result, but not at Glory Hunter Limited.

[thenodrog]

Graham Le Saux beating Bill Eckersley is an absolute disgrace and apoor reflection of the members of this board if they cannot appreciate p[layers who they have not seen.

Le saux let the club down on many occasions and does not deserve mention.

Yeah but maybe why you did not vote for Johnny Forbes Al!

Anyway I should think that 50 votes (at this point in time) over 40 years after he finished playing is one hell of a compliment to the man, and one that he would prob be overjoyed with. I doubt Le saux will receive as many votes 40 odd years from now.

[Parasyte]

a poor reflection of the members of this board if they cannot appreciate players who they have not seen.

So what, we should vote for players we've never seen play? Why of course. What was I thinking?

[American]

For ALL TIME greats, yes you should. It's not a poll for the greatest in the last 10-20 years.

[92er]

How could Bob Crompton have got any votes if only people who'd seen him could vote?

[jim mk2]

In terms of ability, I'd vote for Le Saux, but is this the only criteria?

Unbelieveable.

If ability were the only criteria (or longevity, or loyalty, or honesty, or character), Le Saux would be bottom of the list and Newton and Eckersley near the top of it.

Le Saux's lead in this vote is a farce and makes the whole exercise a waste of time.

[MCMC1875]

In terms of ability, I'd vote for Le Saux, but is this the only criteria?

Unbelieveable.

If ability were the only criteria (or longevity, or loyalty, or honesty, or character), Le Saux would be bottom of the list and Newton and Eckersley near the top of it.

Le Saux's lead in this vote is a farce and makes the whole exercise a waste of time.

Absolutely.

I could make a case for Alan Wright coming above Le Saux and he doesn't even appear on the list.

[jim mk2]

... Newton, Clayton, Douglas etc. Whilst all very fine players in their own rights from what I've heard and seen, I don't see that they are that far above the other contenders for the greatest eleven Rovers players of all time.

Condemned by his own hand, showing the extent of his footballing knowledge and his understanding of Blackburn Rovers history.

Nil.

[Alex Rover]

In terms of ability, I'd vote for Le Saux, but is this the only criteria?

Unbelieveable.

If ability were the only criteria (or longevity, or loyalty, or honesty, or character), Le Saux would be bottom of the list and Newton and Eckersley near the top of it.

Le Saux's lead in this vote is a farce and makes the whole exercise a waste of time.

Unfortunately Jim, most people share my opinion that you can only vote for people you've seen play. A large proportion of the members on this board are below thirty years. Despite the favourable write-up's from older family members and history books, how could I vote for Newton or Eckersley having never watched them play.

Le Saux was, at his Rover's playing peak, arguably the best left back in the league, playing for a very successful team and performing well as a regular for England. I can't see how he could be near the bottom of this list.

[American]

So I guess you can't say that Hitler was worse than Saddam, as you never saw Hitler in action.