[Archived] If You Could Change One Result In Rovers History

[nellybc]

I fancy changing the fa cup tie between rovers and pool when super atko somehow contrived to poke the ball into his own net to deny us a famous victory, and then we would not have had jimmy hill blaming the ball boys :-)

[Presty On Tour]

The home defeat by Man City in the championship year . I literally had a sleepless night after that setback .....

i'd agree on that, also the weather that night was unreal!!

[Scotty]

Although I wouldn't change the result, the injury Shearer sustained in the Leeds home match during our first Premiership season undoubtably changed the rest of the season for us. If he'd have stayed fit I'm convinced we'd have won something that season.

As for results, the Man U Carling Cup semi at Old Trafford would be the one for me. If we'd have won we'd have faced Wigan in the final with a great chance of another trophy.

As for the Palace game, as gut-wrenching as it was at the time, it may have worked out for the best in the end.

Edited December 1, 2006 by Scotty

[herbergeehh]

From a distance, and without having 50 years of matches to choose from, the second Celtic result sprung to mind when I saw the thread. We had a team capable of doing really well in Europe, especially through the qualities of Duff, Cole and Dunn, and it was a huge disappointment after a good first leg.

I'm sure there is plenty of more important results to change - a lot of them already mentioned.. but as said, this is the result that sticks out for me.

Forgot the Liverpool game last season, bloody awful. Birmingham the week after, and we were out of the 4th spot challenger group. Needless to say, that made a major difference..

[Radagast]

A few results at the end of the 1998-1999 season spring to mind. Particularly the 0-0 draws with Charlton and Man U that saw Gillespie and Ward missing empty nets. Or the 2-1 defeat to already-bloody-relegated Forest.

[ihateburnley]

Rovers 1 - 4 Man City

When City got promoted at Ewood on the last home game of our first season in Division One. The result didn't matter too much to us, but the fact that they won (and won comprehensively) really rubbed salt in the wounds left by a terrible terrible season. It possibly wouldn't have been as bad had the City fans not outnumbered Rovers fans 10-1 in our own stadium!

[bigfilbar8]

Most have already been mentioned but the Champions league opener loss to Moscow would be nice to change.

Edited December 1, 2006 by bigfilbar8

[The Gull]

Worst I've ever felt was being at that Palace game and sobbing like a baby, I was only 11 at the time, and also the away game at Warsaw in the Champions League as my Dad drove us all the way there and back and it would have been nice if he was rewarded with a victory for his efforts. We all had a cracking time as my dad stopped off at various watering holes for us in Germany and Poland on the way, then Berlin, Ostende and Dover on the way back before watching us at West Ham on the way home.

A great trip that would have been rounded off with a victory.

I still get upset thinking about that Palace match.

[Uddersfelt Blue]

Palace match for sure. Maybe if the home leg had finished 4-1 (Gayle penalty miss) instead of 3-1 it would have been different

[james19830822]

If I could I wouldn't change the result of a single game. I would change the result of the summer transfer in 1995. If we did keep on bringing in those top quality players just after we won the Premier league, we would become a real top club and remain in the chase of titles.

[Harrier7]

1960 cup final was the worst day of my life. After a fantastic run to get to the final, including beating the Clarets in a replay with 55,000 on, and then Harry Leyland's game of a lifetime in the semi at Maine Road with a 72,000 crowd, we were betrayed by everything that surrounded that game, as Fife has outlined earlier. Perversely, and I don't know why to this day, I bought a season ticket for 1961-2.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Not for wanting to repeat others .. the Palace play off immediately comes to mind but as some have said the actual outcome may have been for the best.

Trelleborgs home and away/Citeh at home as mentioned

One not yet mentioned and only for the particular reason that the Rovers fans seemed to be everywhere was the defeat at Stoke in the old first division when we where on our unbeaten run.

Sheff Utd in the cup .. and the resultant (expected) on penalties defeat.

Away at Port Vale 2 v 0 - again in the old Division when they had already been relegated but moreso to change the performance rather than the result - we where awful.

There are many more.....

[MarkBRFC]

Port vale away (night match) whilst on that bad run in our triumphant play-off season

That was my first ever away game!

Dont remember much about it apart from getting beat.

Another one i would change is the game where City came to ewood and got promoted in 2000, we went in at half time 1-0 up and had hit the woodwork 3 or 4 times! I would of enjoyed nothing better than wiping the smug looks of all there faces.

[whittle blue]

Good thread ..... 1960 Cup Final is the obvious one but I'd like to nominate a pivotal game in Rovers' history :

Blackburn Rovers 1 Coventry City 2

Crunch game towards end of 1966-67 season, Rovers pressing for promotion straight back to the old first division after relegation the previous season but beaten by Jimmy Hill's up and coming Coventry team.

Coventry, confident and buoyed by the burgeoning motor industry, promoted and stayed in top flight for more than 30 years; Rovers, seemingly in decline like the town's textile industry, slowly sunk down the divisions and did not return to the top flight until the Walker era 25 years later.

It was Rovers 0 Coventry 1, Jim

As I recall, Bobby Gould scored a scrappy goal after appearing to foul John Barton in the Rovers goal

Edit- I think we played much of the game with 10 men, 'cos Mike Ferguson got sent off.

Edited December 1, 2006 by whittle blue

[yorkblues]

Away at Port Vale 2 v 0 - again in the old Division when they had already been relegated but moreso to change the performance rather than the result - we where awful.

awful is to kind

[blue phil]

.First, and for me foremost, was the disasterous way in which the Final tickets were distributed. That alone cost Rovers the loss of several thousand regular fans who have never forgiven the club and never been inside Ewood Park since.

What exactly happened here , Fife ? I've heard mention of it but never got the full story ...

[jim mk2]

It was Rovers 0 Coventry 1, Jim

As I recall, Bobby Gould scored a scrappy goal after appearing to foul John Barton in the Rovers goal

Edit- I think we played much of the game with 10 men, 'cos Mike Ferguson got sent off.

You're right; memory fading etc etc.

Remember Fergie getting sent off; elbowed some unfortuante in the face right in front of the ref and the Nuttall St stand.

[den]

Slightly off topic, but talking about Mike Ferguson - what about The greatest goal ever seen.?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Jim , the guy he elbowed was Dietmar Bruck who'd been allowed by the referee to kick lumps out of him the for the first 30 minutes, Fergie shrugs him off and Bruck goes down like he's been shot, first time I saw a player dive ( but not the last ! )

The game i'd like to change the result of is Oxford V Rovers in the F.A. Cup in 1964, I really thought we were going to go all the way that year, most of the big sides were already out and we were better than the rest (West

Ham V 2nd div Preston was the final that year, we would have beaten either of them ).

Not only did we miss out on a golden opportunity to win a big trophy but going out of the cup at that point led to our star striker Fred Pickering leaving us for Everton and the gradual break-up of the most entertaining Rovers team in my life time, and was the beginning of the slide that led to our two relegations leaving us struggling in the old div.3.

[den]

The game i'd like to change the result of is Oxford V Rovers in the F.A. Cup in 1964, I really thought we were going to go all the way that year, most of the big sides were already out and we were better than the rest (West

Ham V 2nd div Preston was the final that year, we would have beaten either of them ).

Not only did we miss out on a golden opportunity to win a big trophy but going out of the cup at that point led to our star striker Fred Pickering leaving us for Everton and the gradual break-up of the most entertaining Rovers team in my life time, and was the beginning of the slide that led to our two relegations leaving us struggling in the old div.3.

Oxford V Rovers

That was some team rovers fielded that day.

[tchocky]

Rovers 1 Nottm Forest 2 in 1999.

After this game I knew we were doomed...

Yes ditto. I remember seeing this game on TV. Very frustrating game.. and end to the season.

[jim mk2]

Jim , the guy he elbowed was Dietmar Bruck who'd been allowed by the referee to kick lumps out of him the for the first 30 minutes, Fergie shrugs him off and Bruck goes down like he's been shot, first time I saw a player dive ( but not the last ! )

The game i'd like to change the result of is Oxford V Rovers in the F.A. Cup in 1964, I really thought we were going to go all the way that year, most of the big sides were already out and we were better than the rest (West

Ham V 2nd div Preston was the final that year, we would have beaten either of them ).

Not only did we miss out on a golden opportunity to win a big trophy but going out of the cup at that point led to our star striker Fred Pickering leaving us for Everton and the gradual break-up of the most entertaining Rovers team in my life time, and was the beginning of the slide that led to our two relegations leaving us struggling in the old div.3.

Good call.

I still remember the shock of that result. No one could believe it. As you say, the beginning of the end for Rovers as a first division club.

Was not Ron Atkinson either playing for or managing Oxford in that match ?

[den]

Good call.

I still remember the shock of that result. No one could believe it. As you say, the beginning of the end for Rovers as a first division club.

Was not Ron Atkinson either playing for or managing Oxford in that match ?

Look two posts up Jim.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Jim , the guy he elbowed was Dietmar Bruck who'd been allowed by the referee to kick lumps out of him the for the first 30 minutes, Fergie shrugs him off and Bruck goes down like he's been shot, first time I saw a player dive ( but not the last ! )

The game i'd like to change the result of is Oxford V Rovers in the F.A. Cup in 1964, I really thought we were going to go all the way that year, most of the big sides were already out and we were better than the rest (West

Ham V 2nd div Preston was the final that year, we would have beaten either of them ).

Not only did we miss out on a golden opportunity to win a big trophy but going out of the cup at that point led to our star striker Fred Pickering leaving us for Everton and the gradual break-up of the most entertaining Rovers team in my life time, and was the beginning of the slide that led to our two relegations leaving us struggling in the old div.3.

It would have been unimaginable if before the kick-off someone had told you that in 6 years time Rovers would be 4th from bottom of the 3rd division. Maybe that was the turning point.

For me, the Dalglish team should have won a cup, so losing 4-2 at home to Sheff Weds in the league cup semis would be one I would like to reverse.

[Fife Rover]

What exactly happened here , Fife ? I've heard mention of it but never got the full story ...

Well now then Phil, that really is a big question, and the truth is that nobody outside of Rovers and those with close connections actually know the full story. All I can tell you is that Rovers as one of the teams in the FA Cup Final were presumably allocated approximately 1/3 of the Wembley capacity, which was 100,000 at that time. So let's assume for argument's sake that Rovers allocation was 30,000 ie about the same as Rovers average gate at the time. That SHOULD have been more or less enough to satisfy the demand if they had been sold in a fair and proper manner, and it surely was not beyond the ability of the club to see that this happened, i.e. S/T holders first, one per ticket held, then general sale with max of 2 or 3 per transaction say. Also an allocation to directors, players and staff totalling say 1000 in all would have been generous.

Now if something like this distribution had been done there would have been no problem, but judging by the furore that ensued in the town and the local press over the weeks leading up to the Final, that is quite obviously what did NOT happen. The major complaint that seemed to uset most was the allegation that the players and others connected with the club had between them swallowed up at least 1/2 of all the tickets allocated and that the players were making a fortune out of selling tickets to the touts in London. I don't know if that is the full and unblemished truth of it, but there is absolutely no doubt that something happened to make the majority of Rovers allocation become unavailable to "the man on the terraces".

I personally was not effected because I could not have gone if I had a ticket and consequently did not try for one, but quite a few of my immediate family anf friends were disappointed and every one of them was a regular pay on the gate attender. The only person I know personally that got a ticket was my brother-in-law who won it in a draw at the club he played for at the time (YMCA, Blackburn).

The amount of bad feeling and publicity that it caused in the town was unbelievable. Everyone was talking and complaining about it. So much so that you began to actually get the feeling that NONE of the ordinary fans had got a ticket. This obviously was not so of course, but the anger generated at the time was so widespread and intense that it is quite likely that those that had got tickets dare not admit it. I don't know, and that is mere speculation on my part, but it definitely felt that way. What I DO know is that a lot of regular supporters blamed the club and the players and vowed never to watch Rovers again; and a lot of them have stuck to that vow ever since.

Maybe someone who really does know the TRUTH about it will come forward now and tell the full TRUE story.