Rovers 5 Plymouth 2

[USABlue]

I am surprised this one has not been mentioned it was one of the biggest turn arounds of emiotions over the course of 45 minutes I can remember, (err barely remember)

2-0 down, Beamo sky's a penalty and we think it's all over. From utter dejection to totall elation.

[den]

The best atmosphere I ever experienced, up until VE day that was.

Mike Hickman got two, I think. What happened to him?

[blue phil]

Yep , I'd put this game in my top 3 or 4 matches without a doubt . Tremendous game between the top two clubs at that time in the old Division 3 , and there must have been 5,000 visiting loonies from Plymouth who created a top atmosphere and caused a lot of aggro down town if I remember correctly ....

[USABlue]

Yep , I'd put this game in my top 3 or 4 matches without a doubt . Tremendous game between the top two clubs at that time in the old Division 3 , and there must have been 5,000 visiting loonies from Plymouth who created a top atmosphere and caused a lot of aggro down town if I remember correctly ....

387649[/snapback]

I remember early morning reports of bother from the Argyle fans, went to the game with a bit of trepidation, all was quiet on the way to the match. Got on the Blackburn End and could not get near my usual spot A lot of very unsavoury looking characters, it seems the early morning invasion was a call to arms for every hardcase in Blackburn.

[RevidgeBlue]

Great minds USA. I was also going to start a thread for this as one of my best 4 or 5 Rovers games.

Huge gate for the time, huge travelling support. I was sat on the front row of the Nuttall Street with my dad and a friend of his who never usually went.

Behind us we had some middle aged Plymouth fans who thoiught it hilarious to bellow "Bye Bye Blackburn" at us to the tune of "Bye Bye Blackbird" They weren't nearly so vociferous by the end.

Plymouth had probably the hottest striking partnership outside the top flight, and probably better than some at top level in Bill Rafferty and a very young Paul Mariner.

Accordingly the game began disastrously, 2 down after about 19 minutes then we even managed to miss a penalty. All seemed lost.

On the stroke of half time Don Martin sidefooted home from close range to make it 1-2 and give us hope and in the 2nd half Mike "the rock" Hickman completely terrorised the Plymouth defence with a Shearer like performance to transform the game as we eventually ran out winners 5-2.

The only game I've seen at Ewood to compare was the 4-2 Derby play off game.

Unbelievable even now.

[jim mk2]

Apart from a stonkingly good match, my greatest memory of that day was Ewood a sea of green and white of the Plymouth fans. I found most of them very pleasant and determined to have good day out. Those around me took defeat well and shook hands after the match.......

........ which is more than can be said by some Rovers oiks who thought my friend supported Plymouth and tried to pick a fight with him walking back into town. Unfortunately, in the 1970s there were plenty of cretins wearing blue and white scarves.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I was at the back of the Blackburn End for this, in the middle of the gap. The atmosphere before kick-off was the most intense I have experienced apart from VE Day; a combination of top of the table clash, having lost 2 weeks ago at Plymouth; their thousands of fans in t'Darren End, and the stories of their early morning mayhem in the market hall - no doubt all clamouring to get at the sarsaparilla stand.

The low after 30 mins was even lower than the Derby play-off, and the high in the second half was even higher for me. No second leg to face etc - this was it, we were going to go up for sure after crushing them 5-2. If we had lost this game, Lee would have gone anyway, we wouldn't have attracted Bald Eagle and we could well have never risen up again.

The only thing it lacked was a goal of the decade to match Mike Newell's in the Derby game (why there isn't a statue to this man I'll never understand) but Don Martin's goal was quite special and Mike Hickman did a Speedie.

Post the relegation in '66, I think this game, Derby and VE day are head and shoulders above any other home games, and I feel blessed to have been there for all three.

[Drummer Boy]

I was at this one - it was one of those occasions when the crowd did the team proud. Atmosphere was electric and, after the shenanigans of a number of Plymouth fans running onto the pitch only to get yanked into the Riverside and presented to plod, I have a vague memory of everybody invading the pitch at the final whistle in a moment of sheer joy.

That team showed real character that day - we needed to win to get the championship and the boys came good - it was my first season as a Rovers fan and this was just what was needed to put BRFC firmly into my blood.

[IAN57]

Nice one USA. This was a terriffic game.

Big crowd and an electric atmosphere.

And special memories for me. I'd just come back after living abroad for 3 years.

A mate I had left behind was a plymouth fan. I sent him every cutting and report I could get my hands on. Never heard from him since.

Great great game, it had everything. Despair, hope, great goals and total elation.

Hickman, (goals 3 and 5) left Rovers for Torquay early in the following season.

[rogerjonesgloves]

I remember early morning reports of bother from the Argyle fans, went to the game with a bit of trepidation, all was quiet on the way to the match.  Got on the Blackburn End and could not get near my usual spot  A lot of very unsavoury looking characters, it seems the early morning invasion was a call to arms for every hardcase in Blackburn.

387658[/snapback]

I remember a WPC dragging two hefty lads out of the Darwen end by their hair. I was in the Riverside Stand and at 0-2 a Plymouth fan stood up and tried to goad Rovers fans. An apple missed his head by inches, didn't see much of him after half-time.

Great day-as was the 2-1 away win at Bury-next game?

[RevidgeBlue]

Looking it up in the record books the game (Feb 15th) wasn't as close to the end of the season as I thought.

But it was the catalyst for a 15 game unbeaten run which didn't see us lose again until the third last game of the season. (That game was the 2nd in the sequence.)

We pipped Plymouth to the Championship by one point. 60 to 59.

[1864roverite]

aside of the scoreline I have one abding memory from this game - a good slap off my mum for breaking my flask

caught on camera in the Riverside swinging my Rovers duffel bag around after one of the goals

I tried to explain to my mum that I had simply dropped it until the goals appeared on Gerald Sinstadts footie show the following day when I was clearly shown in action

the spank was well worth it

[Paul Mellelieu]

I thought that Don Martin missed the penalty.

The large numbers of Argyle fans was due to a Plymouth coach company putting on free or very cheap travel to celebrate a anniversary of something or other. The green spray paint in the town centre was witness to the Devon invasion for years to come.

A super day for t'Rovers.

[waggy]

this is the 1st time i have visited this section off the board,and this is my all time favourite rovers game.i used to do a milk round in the morning finishing at 1pm,walked from larkhill to town to meet my mate.

my mate turned up with his cousin from looe,green and white scarf on.i must have been 13/14 he was a monster 19ish,with his very tasty bird.he told us that plymouth had took blackburn.well we were only young but nobody takes blackburn we said.we did half nine this morning

going down bolton road,was brilliant massive mobs of blackburn battering every plymouth fans they could see,pubs were chogger anf 19 year old monster from looe was ashen faced.

we ended up having to walk him to the darwen end,foolishly we paid in there took a beating and walked back to the blackburn end,along the cinder track-much to the annoyance of my form teacher who was in the nuttal street stand and gave us detention for a week,

the game started we were at the front off the blackburn end,waiting for any devon pixie's who dared to enter the blackburn end

i was born in the blackburn end

i was born in the blackburn end

knives were made for stabbing

guns were made to shoot

if you came in the blackburn end

we'll all stick in the boot

2 down in no time,my mates older brother made a one man assult from the blackburn end,right across the pitch before being detoured into the last section off the riverside by the police.

the next 70 mins was the best i ever experinced at ewood,i'm sure we kicked to the blackburn end 1st,as we ended up in the nuttall street next to the darwen end taunting the argyle mob.

after the game there was total mayhem as rovers fans took revenge,for the mornings events,battered a few myself,happy days

[Ewood Spark]

Easily the greatest ever football occasion I have attended. And that includes all the Dingle bashings I have witnessed.

[mick hickmans wig]

remenber when stevy elliott did his one man pitch invasion,i bet with mick wiggins he would knock 4 out before he was arrested

[trs]

A true classic!

Can still see that heaving mass of green and black on darwen end.

[Roversider]

Several memories of this, easilly my favourite game .....

Trouble kicking off before the game thanks to the hordes of Arg ai ull dumped well before kick-off in Blackburn so their coach drivers could get a break (tight gits could've had two drivers per coach).

Mick Hickman scoring, grabbing the ball out of the net and sprinting back with it to the centre spot. He had the heart of a lion, perhaps not the most skilful player but on the day a hero.

Seeing the most amazing comeback I've experienced from a team in Blue and White.

Five goals! Gordon Lee's team were not goal machines that season but what a defence.

And for those who weren't there and don't know what it meant on the day, the tears of joy streaming down the face of the old man standing a few feet from me on the Riverside. Everyone was hugging each other whether stranger or not.

What a game!

PS Didn't Bobby Saxton and Jim Furnell play that game, I remember Furnell but Bobby I'm only guessing at.

[cloggyjimmybrfc]

aaaaah,yes argyle!..what an absolute cracker of a game,i was about 14 then and a skinhead(hehe)..top kick off before and after the game and durin the game(remember the argyle flag gettin burnt in the nuttall st?think the early evenin telegraph showed the t@ssers beatin a old man up in the middle of the town centre at daft o clock in the morinin..thrillin game to watch..what a comeback!couldnt wait for the gates to open after the final whistle!needless to say it was a war on the ewood car park and all over the a666..weh hey! :ph34r:

[Claytons Left Boot]

Thought I would bring this one back to the top.

My mate's dad used to run a butchers shop in Little Harwood. On this particular Saturday morning he was there bright and early helping his dad prepare the meat. When I say early I mean 6am. He rang me all excited to tell me Little Harwood was swarming with Plymouth fans who had come up on the overnight train.

As has been said, I too remember the green paint all over the show and which actually remained in places for years afterwards. The funny thing was, there were a few PAFC's sprayed here and there but the scrumpy suppers must have been jumped because by evening BRFC seemed to be everywhere but also sprayed in green.

I also remember getting to the top of the steps on the Blackburn End and seeing the mass of green opposite. What an atmosphere. Two down in no time and Don Martin missing a pen. A goal pulled back by Beamo just before half time, goal line clearances, a goal disallowed and a remarkable second half fight back by Rovers made this a game never to forget. One of the best ever and at that time in 1975 definitely the best in my time following Rovers, both on the pitch and on the terraces.

Rovers : Jones, Heaton, Burgin, Metcalfe, Hawkins, Fazackerley, Beamish, Oates, Hickman, Parkes, Martin.

Plymouth : Furnell, Hore, Burrows, Saxton, Green, Delve, Randell, Johnson, Mariner, Rafferty, McAuley.

When you've just been beaten by a Greek pub team a bit of nostalgia works wonders.

[MCMC1875]

Furnell, Saxton & Randell ring a few bells.

[Yeadonblue]

brilliant reading the messages on this game, brought back memories of what footbal meant, shouting and singing on the terraces of the blackurn end,, definately one of my best games over the last 40 yrs, this and the away days to burnley in a tranny van full of nutcases from the Toll Bar, fantastic games, usually lost my voice after so much singing

[nilisecundus]

I've been absent from the forum for a long ti,e and it's graet to see this match on this thread. My great memory of that fantastic day was of skipper Mick Heaton stopping as many players as he could from leaving the pitch and getting them to applaud the fans,particularly us in the riverside. Great win, great comeback, great fans. It'll take some hell of a game to move it from it's number one slot in my mind.

[winstonsmith]

'You're gonna get your f***ing heads kicked in'

The Blackburn End didn't sound too happy as I eased my way through the turnstile. I was living in Newcastle at the time and due to missed train connections I was about half an hour late getting to the ground. Although there was a big crowd in the BBE, I managed to see my 17 year old brother who filled me in on the news of how Plymouth had gone on the rampage through the town centre attacking pensioners and women and children and how Rovers had got some of them back and how they would face a mighty retribution after the game - oh, and Rovers were 2-0 down and had missed a penalty. I was not too happy now either.

FFS!! This was the big showdown between the top two teams in Division 3 and we were blowing it big style. Plymouth!? Who the f*** were they? Wrecking our town. Someone said they had even come up to Little Harwood. They were taking the p*ss and we were taking it lying down. We were the famous Blackburn Rovers. Hell fire, we had won the Cup three times on the run, for God's sake!

We had to get up off the floor and FIGHT BACK. Come on, get f***ing stuck in you @#/?s| We had to avenge our martyred dead - well the pensioner who had her shopping knocked over in the Market Hall at least!

Just before halftime Beamo pulled one back. Thats more like it.

The second half went by in a blur. We were attacking the Darwen End I think and pandemonium had broken out all around me as we equalised and then 3-2 4-2 5-2. It could have been more as Rovers absolutely battered them. Two each for Hickman and, of course, the great Don Martin. We had come back from two down to beat the title challengers to go top.

To the tune of Manfred Mann's 'Mighty Quinn', we were in the Blackburn End singing-

'Come on without, come on within,

You've not seen nothing like Don Martin'

If that isn't heaven, it comes bloody close!

[m1st]

Looking it up in the record books the game (Feb 15th) wasn't as close to the end of the season as I thought.

But it was the catalyst for a 15 game unbeaten run which didn't see us lose again until the third last game of the season. (That game was the 2nd in the sequence.)

We pipped Plymouth to the Championship by one point. 60 to 59.

Pity it wasn't the day before - had it been, I bet the sub-editors on the sports pages would have used the phrase "St. Valentine's Day massacre", although it certainly didn't feel like that for most of the first half. As it happens, it was the day of the 5th Round of the Cup; and, speaking from memory [it's nearly 37 years ago - aaagh! ], the BBC was contracted to show F.A. Cup games, rather than League games, on MotD on those Saturdays.

Otherwise, I'm as sure as I can be that it would have been on MotD because, speaking from memory again, the BBC's contract with the Football League in those days required them to feature a limited number of games from the lower Divisions. And it was 2nd vs 1st [at the kick-off, anyway!].

I remember wandering round the town centre in a state of euphoria after the match and going to the house of an older, die-hard colleague and interrupting his and his wife's Saturday tea because I just needed to re-live the game!

Happy days!!