First centre half

[92er]

Don't know. But Tony Gayle had a reasonably good first half to the championship season and nearly always speaks up for us in the media.

[Alex Rover]

what no Darren Peacock on the list?!!!!!

it's a disgrace!

Already done the joke mate..

Stop it, you're killing me.

[RoverDrake]

I'm basically a chilled-out entertainer.

[LeChuck]

I'm basically a chilled-out entertainer.

No, you're a ######.

[RoverDrake]

I'm basically a chilled-out entertainer.

No, you're a ######.

With fellow supporters like you, who needs opposition.

[92er]

We all need to be pulled down a peg or two. That's why we post.

[Al]

Oiks lead but it seems that the correct two will be elected albeit in the wrong order.

[jim mk2]

Can we get it straight - is the team 4-4-2 or 3-5-2?

I cannot believe that those magnificent club stalwarts, Derek Fazackerley and Matt Woods, have just one vote between them.

[bob fleming]

I was going to vote for Faz, Jim, but you talked me into voting for Mike England. I don't know what more I can do for you Jim, I really don't. In fact I despair.

[den]

Do try to keep up Jim

[den]

For anyone voting who hasn't read the player reviews, it's worth reading these articles:

Mike England

Henning Berg

Colin Hendry

[Ossydave]

I voted for Graham Hawkins, just because I can.

[BRFC4EVA]

I cannot believe that those magnificent club stalwarts, Derek Fazackerley have just one vote

Thats 2 now, although ive grown up in the hendry, berg era i just couldnt resist voting for Fazackerley, all the effort he but into BRFC.

[Rovermatt]

Hendry every time for me. While I'm unable to relate to previous greats, as Jim will often remind us, I'm pretty sure I know class when I see it. Hendry was a fantastic player, a supreme competitor and a Championship winning centre-half. He may not have played for us when the crowd all wore winter jackets and tweed caps, but he was pretty damn good nonetheless.

Edited October 4, 2004 by Rovermatt

[bazza]

I'm coming in very late on this. I haven't voted yet so don't know what the score is.

Billy, when I started watching Rovers we were crap and had centre halves such as Holt and Holliday.(Sounds like a Monty Python sketch, doesn't it?) Then we bought Willie Kelly from Airdrionians. He was a brick wall and did the same job for us as John Macnamee years later.

The problem I have is distinguishing the classy players from the rock solid dependables.

Hendry is the best of the latter.

The ones who, IMO, oozed class were England, Moran and Henchoz and, to a lesser extent, Allan Hunter.

Of the three youth cup winning players who made it to Rovers first team in the 1950's the reverse order of brilliance was Pickering, Newton, England. Mike England is head and shoulders above all others mentioned so far for this position so my vote will go to him.

I expect Hendry to win the poll,though.

I'm making up my own team of players who don't win. So far my team is:-

Else; Newton; Eckersley. I might just get Mike England for my central defender. If so I shall be well pleased. At this rate my team could maybe thrash the "elected" team at the end.

So please, you youngsters, don't vote for Douglas and Clayton!!

[den]

Bazza, we're going 4-4-2 so Mike England looks like getting in as one of the two central defenders. John Coddington might be available.

Now listen guys. I'm in absolute turmoil here. I can't sleep and wont do until we've sorted this problem out. You all should know that we were going to elect one central defender, then from the same squad, minus say Colin Hendry - if he wins, have another vote for the second centre half. It's probably not necessary as the top two C.H's are so far in front, they should probably just both go straight into the side.

However, it is possible, that a second vote, for the second centre half could show an absolute turn round in the voting.

Any comments?

[den]

  Mike England is head and shoulders above all others mentioned so far for this position so my vote will go to him.

and there, for the oiks, is a man who knows his football. Like almost everyone who has seen them all, he knows who was the best, by a long way.

[92er]

I fully understand your dilemma but I think it will make little difference, especially as Hendry is likely to win. If England were to win, the argument would be to partner him with somebody to complement him rather than to replicate him,but if Hendry wins England must be chosen as the other one as he's the best.

[bazza]

  Mike England is head and shoulders above all others mentioned so far for this position so my vote will go to him.

and there, for the oiks, is a man who knows his football. Like almost everyone who has seen them all, he knows who was the best, by a long way.

Den, if you were a referee I'd say you were biased.

[den]

  Mike England is head and shoulders above all others mentioned so far for this position so my vote will go to him.

and there, for the oiks, is a man who knows his football. Like almost everyone who has seen them all, he knows who was the best, by a long way.

Den, if you were a referee I'd say you were biased.

Yes, I am. with good reason Bazza.

[bellamy11]

  Mike England is head and shoulders above all others mentioned so far for this position so my vote will go to him.

and there, for the oiks, is a man who knows his football. Like almost everyone who has seen them all, he knows who was the best, by a long way.

Den, if you were a referee I'd say you were biased.

This is true.

Den, I appreciate your frustration at the younger people not seeing/knowing about England, but must every post advocating him be followed with your Parliamentary-style "here here"?

[Dr Rich]

I voted for Mike England, for two reasons, one good arguments put forward for him, and two I don't regard Hendry as that brilliant a player, although granted he was one of the most effective players we ever had. A distinction which will probably come up again when we're faced with Douglas or Ripley for the right-wing slot.

Maybe I should change though, the old codgers seem to need something to moan about. I find the notion put forward by those 'more enlightened' members of the board that all Rovers best players were supposedly from the 60's or 90's ridiculous. Granted they probably were better than those in the 70's, 80's and now, but what exactly did the 1960's team win then? It wasn't more than the 1880's team, the 1910's or the 1928, yet apart from Crompton those players get barely a mention, yet they've won more than all these players we've never seen who are supposedly the best players our club has ever had. Hypocrisy reigns supreme.

Den, I think as it would be setting a potentially dangerous precedent to do otherwise that you'll have to run the second poll, I fully expect England to win that one, if he doesn't win this one that is.

[den]

  Mike England is head and shoulders above all others mentioned so far for this position so my vote will go to him.

and there, for the oiks, is a man who knows his football. Like almost everyone who has seen them all, he knows who was the best, by a long way.

Den, if you were a referee I'd say you were biased.

This is true.

Den, I appreciate your frustration at the younger people not seeing/knowing about England, but must every post advocating him be followed with your Parliamentary-style "here here"?

Bellamy, don't take me too seriously. There's not one ounce of frustration at the younger people. In fact, the way that players such as Crompton and England are doing in these polls, when no-one has seen Crompton and very few have seen England, is proof that the younger members on this site are very broad minded, when it comes to selecting their team.

[den]

Den, I think as it would be setting a potentially dangerous precedent to do otherwise that you'll have to run the second poll, I fully expect England to win that one, if he doesn't win this one that is.

I hear what you say Dr. That is my fear as well.

[Hanks]

mike england for me and in a perfect world he would have colin hendry beside him. neither of them could hold a torch to faz in terms of service to the club but he wasn't in the same class on the pitch as the other two (and for that matter allan hunter but he didn't even make the shortlist!!)

in response to dr rich the 60's team didn't win anything but they did make it to the top of div 1 before selling pickering to one of our main rivals everton. from the 1960's to the arrival of uncle jack we were a selling club and that is why we didn't win anything not because of any lack of quality on the players part.england, newton and pickering all went for record fees for there positions at the time so they couldn't have been that bad eh?