Right wing

[den]

Early days, but we need someone to put forward cases for Rippers and Douglas, come on guys!

[bazza]

I haven't time to give a long account of Duggy.

How many of you intend to overlook Duffer for the left spot?

How will you be able to explain to your grandchildren the magic of Duffer when they wont have seen him play? Oh yeh, there will be video and DVD recording to show them but how will it look to their modern game?

Well I can tell you that Bryan Douglas was equal to Duffer if not better.

A Blackburn lad who remained faithful to the club throughout his career and is still with us now.

He played outside right for Rovers and England, then moved to inside left to fill a vacant position. A totally brilliant player. It was said of him "He could turn on a sixpence". It was a shame that he didn't receive the recognition he deserved because of being in the shadow of Tom Finney who IMO was the greatest ever player in the world.

VOTE DUGGY

[MCMC1875]

Two gloroius Ripley games.

Palace (a) Aug 1992 3-3

Did he score before Shearer's double? (His goals were few and far between).

Man Utd (h) 93/94 (?) 1-0 (?)

Played a peach of a long ball (50 yrds?) from right back to Shearer outside box who stormed past Pallister before scoring that gem in the Darwen End.

Edited October 15, 2004 by MCMC1875

[bellamy11]

I'll have a go for Stuart Ripley then.

Stuart Ripley was one of Kenny Dalglish's best signings as manager of Rovers. If I'm not mistaken, he was also the first. Plucked from murky Middlesbrough, Ripley was hardly high-profile in the English game at the time. It can actually be said that even during our Championship-winning season he was hardly a widely acclaimed player by the fans of teams around the country.

His strength was in his directness. He had a job to do - to supply crosses for the SAS - and he did this with great consistancy. Both Shearer and Sutton were fantastic in the air and could score powerful headers from practically anywhere in the box. They couldn't do this, however, without a steady stream of service from the two wide men - Wilcox and Ripley.

Stuart will be widely remembered for what would seem like a trademark Rovers move that occured countless times in the 90's - Hendry would win the ball and play it on to Sherwood. Sherwood would look right to Ripley. Ripley would bomb down the right flank and whip the ball over to one of the big two in the box, and that player would score yet another Rovers goal. Not a worldwide name, but essential in this chain that was so important to Rovers.

However, Ripley never got the international recognition that he probably deserved. Steve McManaman was preferred on the right hand flank - his tricky skills and floppy hair an irresistable combination for Terry Venables. On only his second appearence for England (again the memory may be letting me down here) he famously pulled up with a hamstring injury just minutes after coming on as sub. This sealed his role as McManamanaman's understudy - he had come in for some criticism from "highly knowledgable" pundits for even being in the team in the first place.

I do doubt that McManaman could have been half the player for Rovers as Rippers was. His game relied on doing his job. This job was to supply the goalscorers. He rarely chipped in with goals himself. He did score some for Rovers, notably in the 1993-94 season, but this was never really part of his game.

I doubt Ripley will win - he doesn't have the international credentials of a Bryan Douglas. He never went on to play for Man United or any other great sides battling for honours. He didn't get sold for millions of pounds, and he never married a spice girl. However, nobody can deny he was crucial to Rovers in the most important and fondly-remembered season in their modern history. Would we have won the league without Stuart Ripley on the right? I doubt it.

[den]

thought we were a similar age den?

Oh, the cheek. I'm just a pretty old looking 43, I'm certain you're much older than that.

[Cocker]

I am 25 so I grew up watching Ripley. For me he was really exciting to watch and when I went to Simon Garners Testimonial Ripley was the one I wanted to watch the most

[ykims_com]

I've never seen a winger so effective as Ripley at hitting crosses into the first defender. Shearer made him look good, when Rippers did finally managed to get the ball in the box, Shearer inevitably scored.

Other options

Howard Gayle?

David Thompson?

But for me its got to be Douglas.

[Tris]

George Donis

Case closed, abandon the vote

[AussieinUk]

Brett Emerton please.

it never stops...

Better than Gillespie, I'll admit!

Ripley for me. Look forward to some of the tributes.

aye.. ripley for me as well (but, hey I'm biased by age and geography)

[Hughesy]

Stuart Ripley.

He was a key part of our success in 94/95

[philipl]

A few thumb nails:

Bryan Douglas. Even though I saw him at the end of his career after he had been clattered many times, he was the consumate silky skilful footballer. The ball did as it was told for Bryan and the rest of the football was in awe of him for more than a decade. Over 500 appearances for his one and only club- his home town. 35 caps for England, 7 of which were won in World Cups. And a thoroughly nice guy. He gets my vote.

Mike Ferguson. Signed from Accy Stanley. An extraordinarily skilful and strong player. In many ways a fore-runner of today's professional- he would have been very much at home in the Premiership. Moved onto Aston Villa where he gave many years of excellent service.

John Connelly. Signed from Man U for £60K with some of the money from the Mike England transfer. Was in the 66 World Cup winning squad playing one game. A more than useful operator= on his day was unstoppable and could provide slide rule accurate crosses at will.

Windy Miller. An absolute flyer. Regularly destroyed second and third division fullbacks. Had a tremendous shot on him. Remember a cracking goal at Craven Cottage where he picked up a ball on the half way line,caught the Fulham rearguard for speed then surprised the keeper with a 25 yard blast- a bit of a trade mark Windy goal. Was a very handy source of supply for Garns and he and Noel Brotherston made for an awesome wing pairing in the early 80s and a lot of hugely entertaining football.

Gordon Taylor. Went a very long time without scoring for Rovers but managed to crack the woodwork at regular intervals and leave defenders winded on the ground who had the temerity to get in the way of his thunderbolts. Was past his best when he joined from Brum (where the white fronted Brum shirts made him look like a cuddly toy- never svelt) but he and Waggy made for golden oldies on the wings in the mid eighties.

Stuart Ripley. Had enormous misfortune- both with injuries for Rovers and England then a ridiculous long run without scoring. An outstanding member of the team which went 4th 2nd 1st in the first three years of the Premier League, quick and direct and a lot more skill than given credit for. I am sure Kenny told Super Stuart Ripley just to go out and do his tricks running up and down the half way line to terrify the opposition in the warm up. Certainly worked a treat at Swindon where the crowd were spellbound and the Swindon players nervously abandonned their kick around and just stood and watched! Stuart's misfortune to be up against the all time great, Bryan Douglas.

Howard Gayle. A huge favourite, one of those players who was everybody's pal even if he missed a penalty. Any other player who missed a penalty as badly as the terrible scuffed effort against Palace would have been demonised for effectively loosing us promotion back to the top division (we would have gone 3-0 up in the play-off final) but not Howard. Not the most gifted and not truly a winger but a thoroughly genuine player.

Jimmy Mullen. Was he right or left wing? What a super star- a more complete wing performance I have never seen from a Rovers player and that includes Duff. Got very badly injured after six games and never recovered but deserves his mention here.

A word for John Aston, whom we signed from Luton. Aston was a major factor in Man U beating Benfica to lift the European Cup in 68 so was well past his best in his two spells at Ewood but despite lacking the pace, could still pass accurately, cross sublimely and was rarely bettered in close quarters with a full back.

Edited October 15, 2004 by den

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

Stuart Ripley.

He was a key part of our success in 94/95

A wonderful crosser of the ball at his peak, and an integral part of our Championship winning season - but the following year, in 95-96, he had a poor season.

In the early stages of Roy Hodgson's reign he initially regained form and played well, before later going off the boil again.

For me he wasn't consistent enough during the whole of his Rovers career - and you have to say that his goalscoring record for an attacking player was pitiful for a couple of seasons.

Total appearances made for Rovers (League and Cup games) 228, Goals 16.

Not entirely relevant, as it doesn't relate specifically to Rovers, but Ripley's poor goalscoring record continued after leaving Ewood - 61 appearances for Southampton and just one goal.

My vote's going to Duggy.

Although Bryan was before my time, I'm sure some of our more senior venerable board members will testify as to what a great player he was.

As Bazza said:

I can tell you that Bryan Douglas was equal to Duffer if not better.

A Blackburn lad who remained faithful to the club throughout his career and is still with us now.

He played outside right for Rovers and England, then moved to inside left to fill a vacant position. A totally brilliant player. It was said of him "He could turn on a sixpence".

Keith Gillespie - Blimey!

[Scotty]

All I can say is that I urge the younger members to look up some info on Bryan Douglas before you vote.

My dad kept a Rovers scrap book for about 3 years that covers the time around the 1960 cup final appearance. Reading the match reports now Douglas stands out as being a star week in week out. He'll get my vote.

After saying that I used to like Ripley. Not only was he skillful, quick and an excellent crosser of a ball, he also had a terrific engine and could run up and down the pitch all day. His defensive work was just as vital to us during the Championship season as his attacking work.

The only other contender for me is Brotherston but, as others have said, I remember him primarily as a left winger.

[Al]

Stuart Ripley was indeed a good winger but to compare him to the brilliant, ledgendary Bryan Douglas is to compare Bobby Mimms to the great Gordon Banks.

There is just no comparison. If Bryan Douglas does not get into this team then the whole poll will be shown up as a waste of time.

In the early days there were two players in the reserves who looked good enough to take the vacant right wing spot. One was Bryan and the other one, who is probably also good enough to be in this team, was Roy Vernon.

Vernon was the first one to get the chance and was absolutely brilliant.

Unfortunately, just as we thought we had a world beater, Roy was cruelly taken away to do his national service. Oh hell we thought, but we need'nt have worried, step up Bryan Douglas. Every bit as good and probably better due to his sharp footballing brain.

For anyone who never saw him he is probably best likened to a right sided Damien Duff. Maybe a tad better. (Imagine the two of them on opposite wings. Wow!)

He had the ability to have the ball under control in an instant and could beat a man on a sixpence. His favourite and probably most devastating move was to take the ball right up to the goalpost on the byeline. The goalkeeper had no choice than to cover his near post and Bryan would look up and pick out a Rovers man with his back pass (all along the ground). The lucky guy had the easiest of tasks to slide the ball home. Although best known as a goal maker he also chipped in with his share of goals too!

He was then picked up by England and quickly given the name 'Black Douglas' by the Scottish because of the devastating effect he had on their team every time he played against them.

Later in his career he moved to attacking centre midfield where he developed a superb through ball to either Fred Pickering or Andy McEvoy, but that is a different position and a good case could probably be made for his inclusion in there.

VOTE DOUGLAS. You know it makes sense.

[den]

Very impressed with the contributions up to now. I'm trying to pick out the fuller versions to highlight in red. I'm also trying not to be biased, so if there's a post that you think stands out and isn't highlighted, let me know.

Keep your memories/recollections/presentations coming.

[speeeeeeedie]

My age and experience makes me remember Ripley, an excellent player for BRFC. Knew his role did it very well, never stopped running and provided plenty of goals. But for a great player it has to be Brian Douglas, my dad and grandad go on about him, some of the plauydits already on here say a lot about him. Le Saux made it on to this team on the strength of the younger vote (of which I am one - yonger poster, not a Le Saux voter) and Douglas doesn't, serious questions need to be asked. With the regular pining by some that people sell out for leaving clubs to move on, Douglas' achievements should ring truer with them.

[Jan]

Most of me wants to say Rippers. He was a hero of mine and also was one of the defining factors in showing me how far we'd dropped. (anyone else remember him on the wing at the Garner Testimonial? Even retired he was better than our cruddy players)

However it just has to be Bryan Douglas I think. Never saw him, but the tributes are so glowing that much as I loved Rippers, I know there is a better player out there.

[MCMC1875]

Den

Better get the voting started before everybody starts changing their mind.

[frosty]

There can only be one winner-

Stuart Ripley

[trawdenblue]

In the whole of football history, there are only 2 Rovers players who have scored more than 10 goals for England.

Alan Shearer is one - Bryan Douglas is the other. Say no more.

[AlanK]

I`m with Bob.

Memories of Windy on the right and Noel on the left.

It will have to be this Douglas chap though I guess.

[1864roverite]

I would suggest immediately a case for Rippers but I have to agree although I did not see the great Douglas play for Rovers there is a history behind him and he truly is a legend for the Rovers.

Cant decide.

[BRFC4EVA]

I think its difficult for the younger generation like myself on who to deciede to vote for. In my lifetime of course, Ripley has been the best player, but do i choose him above Douglas who has got such great reviews from the older guys and sounds a Blackburn legend?

Someone says he still goes to Ewood Park and is a Blackburn boy, one of us then that'll do for me Douglas it is!!

[jim mk2]

There can only be one winner-

Stuart Ripley

There speaks the voice of experience.

To anyone who does not vote for Bryan Douglas, the greatest player to wear a blue and white shirt, I hereby give warning that I shall personally come round to their hovel and stand on their heads.

[jim mk2]

It will have to be this Douglas chap I guess.

That Pele chap (whoever he was) wasn't a bad player either.