[Archived] Lucas Neill

[AggyBlue]

Has there actually been any player that hasnt been booed by the Ewood faithful on his return?

Many players have been back and had a rousing reception.

Usually players that have been sold by the club without asking for a transfer. That doesn't happen too frequently these days, financially the club doesn't need to sell to survive like they used to do.

[mike at picture]

Was Matt Jansen booed?!

or kevin gallacher?

I just don't get you guys. WHam is the perfect place for Lucash to go- he's not going to do any damage to Rovers' ambitions there.

Anyway, thanks Lucas. The posts by RB over the past 3.5 years about you have made your sojourn at Ewood an entertaining one.

And you are a very good if rather inattentive footballer. Lots of great moments and some horrible howlers along the way.

You'll get booed when you come back to Ewood but it will not be deserved.

why wont it? greedy, disloyal, Billy Bigtime. Sounds like good booing material to me. cant wait!

[Florida Rover]

Yes Roger Jones! The entire ground sang his name Roger Jones! Roger Jones! for a large part of the match although he was playing for the opposition. That is how much he meant to us! Great keeper and a great guy.

Was this when he played for Stoke?

Was this the match?(dredged up from Soccerbase but no teamsheets for that day)

English Division 2 (old)

Blackburn 2 (0) - 1(0) Stoke

on 22-10-1977

[jim mk2]

He remains an athletic midfielder/right wing half converted into a full back with an appalling defensive positional sense and general inability to make a legal tackle.

:

Same applies to Emerton : he'll struggle when a good winger runs at him. We need a new right back.

[Ray-Von]

One of the best receptions I can recall is for David Mail, whose wife sadly passed away from cancer about the time he left for Hull.

Anyway, good luck to Lucas, if someone wants to pay him 60k a week, thats their look out and i'm sure most people would find it difficult to resist. But does anyone else think its a little disrespectful of Lucas to give the statement he did to the Aussie newspaper talking of being "blown away" by the ambition of West Ham when he still (technically) remains a Rovers player?

[mattyc2422]

Will be sad to see him go. Whilst I was a Rovers fan long before Lucas arrived, he was a player that all Aussies could really relate too. Mind you, every player has his worth and we need to be sensible with our pay packets. If we can get a quality young RB in ala Warnock, I'll be happy.

[Jordan]

are y09u wachin lucja neil beating psk at pr evi - we hate no way

[AxesFirstTouch]

Didnt think Text language was allowed in this board?

[dave birch]

are y09u wachin lucja neil beating psk at pr evi - we hate no way

And this, from the Rovers fan of the year?

Sorry, Jordan, you don't make the grade. I admire your efforts in going to all the Rovers games, but this , well Words can't describe....

[Jan]

Didnt think Text language was allowed in this board?

I don't think it's text language! Isn't there a filter which either translates this to human, or stops Jordan posting when he's had too many??

[Jordan]

I don't think it's text language! Isn't there a filter which either translates this to human, or stops Jordan posting when he's had too many??

Me and pks hvbe juset has a tequille for breakfadst nad now goone win the cup withg blackjburn on pro evo

[Time Hole]

I don't know if this has been mationed before, but since Neill has "supposedly" agreed a deal with West Ham, but we've not had a bid from them. Isn't that classed as tapping up??

[Eddie]

We gave him permission to talk to West Ham. The clubs are in negotiations and believe that an agreement will be reached, they simply haven't got there yet.

[thenodrog]

Neill has been honest in his intention to play and give his best as captain and player whilst still declaring that he will leave when his contract is up. So now he should continue with his honesty and declare that he has gone to WHU simply because they are willing to pay him more than anybody else.

btw I guess Gollum's opened a can of worms and I would imagine that his office will be besieged over the next few days by the agents of WH's players demanding parity. It might just backfire on them if jealousy sets in in the dressing room.

[Fife Rover]

Was this when he played for Stoke?

Was this the match?(dredged up from Soccerbase but no teamsheets for that day)

English Division 2 (old)

Blackburn 2 (0) - 1(0) Stoke

on 22-10-1977

To be honest I can't be sure of the actual match details, but Roger was certainly playing in goal for Stoke, and it was his first return to Ewood after leaving. I also seem to feel that it was a fair bit after he left us to go to Newcastle, but could be wrong about that. It sure was an emotional occasion though!

[soul boy]

Was this when he played for Stoke?

Was this the match?(dredged up from Soccerbase but no teamsheets for that day)

English Division 2 (old)

Blackburn 2 (0) - 1(0) Stoke

on 22-10-1977

Remember one time stoke 1 up & roger dropped two clangers,2-1 rovers f/t might even have been his last ewood visit.sang his name all day.SIR roger jones,SIR roger jones.

[roversmum]

Neill has been honest in his intention to play and give his best as captain and player whilst still declaring that he will leave when his contract is up. So now he should continue with his honesty and declare that he has gone to WHU simply because they are willing to pay him more than anybody else.

btw I guess Gollum's opened a can of worms and I would imagine that his office will be besieged over the next few days by the agents of WH's players demanding parity. It might just backfire on them if jealousy sets in in the dressing room.

That thought occurred to me too, Drog. It's not going to be easy for Lucas. The press have labelled him greedy as well and he won't live that down for some time if at all.

[92er]

Remember one time stoke 1 up & roger dropped two clangers,2-1 rovers f/t might even have been his last ewood visit.sang his name all day.SIR roger jones,SIR roger jones.

I am sure it was this match-Stoke had a young Garth Crooks playing for them-he missed loads of chances and they should have beaten us easily.

I remember a Stoke fan in the away Directors' box telling me how much bigger they were than us and we were doing well to keep it to 0-1.

How times have changed.

[RevidgeBlue]

Yes Roger Jones! The entire ground sang his name Roger Jones! Roger Jones! for a large part of the match although he was playing for the opposition. That is how much he meant to us! Great keeper and a great guy.

I didn't realise, or had forgotten about this, but according to that Harry Berry book, when he was transferred to Newcastle in 1976 because we needed the dosh, he had a knee condition which prompted Newcastle to put in an appearance based clause.

They then refused to select him and we never even received the fee! (Despite appealing which we lost!) He then went on to make over 200 League appearances elsewhere!

Sounds like it's not just in recent times we've been shafted by "a clause!"

Sir Roger was unlucky I think to be around at the same time as the likes of Banks/Shilton/Clemence and to be playing in the old third division at a time when it received zero media exposure in comparison with today.

I'd argue he was better than Friedel, but he was certainly in a different class to today's contenders for the England jersey such as Robinson and James. He'd be a shoe - in for England keeper if he was in his prime and playing today.

[SuperStella]

I reckon all rovers fans should print off a few sheets of these and cut out, then throw at the West Ham home game:

http://www.hasbro.com/monopoly/money/$10.up.pdf

[92er]

I didn't realise, or had forgotten about this, but according to that Harry Berry book, when he was transferred to Newcastle in 1976 because we needed the dosh, he had a knee condition which prompted Newcastle to put in an appearance based clause.

They then refused to select him and we never even received the fee! (Despite appealing which we lost!) He then went on to make over 200 League appearances elsewhere!

Sounds like it's not just in recent times we've been shafted by "a clause!"

Sir Roger was unlucky I think to be around at the same time as the likes of Banks/Shilton/Clemence and to be playing in the old third division at a time when it received zero media exposure in comparison with today.

I'd argue he was better than Friedel, but he was certainly in a different class to today's contenders for the England jersey such as Robinson and James. He'd be a shoe - in for England keeper if he was in his prime and playing today.

As a result of the situation with Newcastle, in which we were literally shafted because of the Roger Jones scenario, we ended up being stopped from doing transfers for some time: the Newcastle chairman was also very high up in the Football League. Gordon Lee, who had been our manager and who left us to manange NU, agreed with his chairman that Jones was not fit- then Sir Roger went on to make all those appearances elsewhere. I lost respect for Lee after that.

I thought Jones was an excellent keeper, despite his nervousness as we headed for promotion, but I think he was slightly on the small side, which would have cost him in the top division.

[thenodrog]

I didn't realise, or had forgotten about this, but according to that Harry Berry book, when he was transferred to Newcastle in 1976 because we needed the dosh, he had a knee condition which prompted Newcastle to put in an appearance based clause.

They then refused to select him and we never even received the fee! (Despite appealing which we lost!) He then went on to make over 200 League appearances elsewhere!

Sounds like it's not just in recent times we've been shafted by "a clause!"

Sir Roger was unlucky I think to be around at the same time as the likes of Banks/Shilton/Clemence and to be playing in the old third division at a time when it received zero media exposure in comparison with today.

I'd argue he was better than Friedel, but he was certainly in a different class to today's contenders for the England jersey such as Robinson and James. He'd be a shoe - in for England keeper if he was in his prime and playing today.

Simon, We all know that Roger Jones was a cracking keeper but if he had been as good as our misty eyed memories would have us believe then he would not have.....

1. Signed for BRFC

and

2. made all those appearances for us. He would have played all his career in the top division.

Good keeper and one of the best that I have seen at ewood since the days of Fred Else BUT in no way was he even fit to be mentioned in direct comparison to Brad Freidal!

imo Brad was MoM yesterday at City and he is having another cracking season! In fact I have him down as still one of the top 3 in the Prem. And it absolutely beggars belief that a couple of years ago there was a thread on here suggesting that he was past it! And it beggars belief more that there was plenty of support for the instigator whoever it was!

Edited January 21, 2007 by thenodrog

[Fife Rover]

Simon, We all know that Roger Jones was a cracking keeper but if he had been as good as our misty eyed memories would have us believe then he would not have.....

1. Signed for BRFC

and

2. made all those appearances for us. He would have played all his career in the top division.

Good keeper and one of the best that I have seen at ewood since the days of Fred Else BUT in no way was he even fit to be mentioned in direct comparison to Brad Freidal!

imo Brad was MoM yesterday at City and he is having another cracking season! In fact I have him down as still one of the top 3 in the Prem. And it absolutely beggars belief that a couple of years ago there was a thread on here suggesting that he was past it! And it beggars belief more that there was plenty of support for the instigator whoever it was!

Just one thing wrong in your logic there Theno; Jones was signed by Rovers from another 3rd div side (Bornemouth? from memory) He was an Englandunder 23 cap at the time as well.

I do however agree with you that Brad is probably a better all-round keeper, but I would argue that there is/was not much in it.

Edited January 21, 2007 by Fife Rover

[RevidgeBlue]

Simon, We all know that Roger Jones was a cracking keeper but if he had been as good as our misty eyed memories would have us believe then he would not have.....

1. Signed for BRFC

and

2. made all those appearances for us. He would have played all his career in the top division.

The answer lies in the total absence of media exposure in those days Gordon. If we were in Division 2 now and unearthed a keeper like that he'd be gone to the Prem inside 6 months.

And, yes, good to see Brad back to something like his best after letting his performances slip well below their usual standard a year or two ago.

[thenodrog]

The answer lies in the total absence of media exposure in those days Gordon. If we were in Division 2 now and unearthed a keeper like that he'd be gone to the Prem inside 6 months.

And, yes, good to see Brad back to something like his best after letting his performances slip well below their usual standard a year or two ago.

I think that you do scouts of those times a diservice as every other player of quality that we had ended up playing in higher divisions pdq.