[Archived] Full Members Cup

[Billy Castell]

This is all a bit before my time (I was 6 and living in Germany), but I love all these obscure trophies that have come and gone. The Texaco Trophy, Zenith Data Systems Cup, Anglo-Italian Cup and many more that I've probably never heard of. I remember reading in Shoot magazine in the early 90's about teams like West brom beating Genoa 2-1 in the Anglo-Italian cup. Shoot was pretty good back then, and then it turned into a crappy comic around 1995 or 1996. Maybe I outgrew it.

[USABlue]

proper footy times ,watching real footy,real prices,real crack and real ###### team at times...no bandwagon support in them days just true rovers.BORN AND BRED A ROVER.

Now you got the tears welling in my eyes Abster

[whittle blue]

I've actually got video recordings of BBC & ITV N/West news pre & post match specials tucked away somewhere.

......and here they are

[Gav]

When we had nothing, and winning a second rate cup meant everything.

Wonderful day out, the fans did the club proud, 25k fans made the trip when we had an average gates of 8k.

Never forget it.

[FourLaneBlue]

It was a great time to be a Rovers fan, and that (86-87) was the first time I managed to convince my dad to take me along to Ewood. The 87-88 season was my first full season watching, at the age of 9, and was one of the best seasons in the last quarter-century for BRFC. A huge unbeaten run, a World Cup winner on loan, another from Barcelona, and the likes of Hendry, Garner and Price slaying all before them.

I do also remember, however, the general air of violence that was ever-present. At Ewood, we were generally sheltered from it unless it was a visit by a club with a bit of a tasty following, such as Man City and Chelsea that season. This was the season after the Full Members Cup, however.

Another obscure competition was the Lancs Manx Cup. I think we might have played at Turf Moor that season, but can't remember.

It wasn't our glory period, but compared to our Lancashire neighbours we were living the life of Riley. Burnley, Preston, Blackpool, Wigan, Bury, Rochdale and Bolton were all in the bottom flight around about that time, if not in that season in particular.

Actually, I wrote this up years ago, and forgot about it, but it is still on the site. Not much of a defence of our title, was it?

ROVERS IN THE FULL MEMBERS CUP- 1986/87

R1 – Huddersfield Town 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 (aet)

R2 - BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 Sheffield United 0

R3 - BLACKBURN ROVERS 4 Oxford United 3

QF - BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 Chelsea 0

SF - BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 Ipswich Town 0

FINAL - BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 Charlton Athletic 0 (at Wembley)

1987/88 (renamed Simod Cup)

R1 - BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 Swindon Town 2

1988/89

R1 - BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 Manchester City 2 (aet)

R2 - BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 Sunderland 1

R3 – Ipswich Town 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 0

1989/00 (renamed Zenith Data Systems Cup)

R1 – Leeds United 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 0

1990/91

R1 - BLACKBURN ROVERS 1 Everton 4

1991/92

R1 – Port Vale 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 0

In fact, we also won the Lancs Manx cup in 87, quite a year!

1987

G - Bolton Wanderers 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2

G - Burnley 2 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1

G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 Blackpool 2

FINAL - BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 Wigan Athletic 2 (Rovers won 4-3 on pens)

1988

G – Blackpool 2 BLACKBURN ROVERS 2

G – Burnley 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 3

G - BLACKBURN ROVERS 2 Preston North End 2

For full info on the Lancs Manx cup...check here...we won 4 out of the 10 times we entered, and we also played Burnlery 6 times, which enabled the rivalry to be kept alive during their worst-ever period.

http://www.brfcs.co.uk/wiki/index.php/The_Lancashire_Manx_Cup

[bazza]

Thanks for that, WB.

I was overcome with emotion when the players took the field because I firmly believed that that was the one and only time I'd ever see Rovers play at Wembley.

How wrong I was, thanks to Uncle Jack.

[brfcshabba]

Thanks for that, WB.

I was overcome with emotion when the players took the field because I firmly believed that that was the one and only time I'd ever see Rovers play at Wembley.

How wrong I was, thanks to Uncle Jack.

I think some of the idiots booing the team today should watch that clip and realise how lucky we actually are.

Thanks Whittle Blue

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Superb stuff Whittleblue!

Great thread and great memories.

[The Gull]

I was at Wembley that day and outside the town hall for the victory parade.

I have proof as well as my Dad chucked me over the railings at Colin Hendy and me and my Spall tracksuit were plastered over the from page of the Lancs Telegraph holding the trophy up with big Col!

I have a few signed and framed copies of that picture, great memories.

[philipl]

Brilliant- happy days!

[FourLaneBlue]

I was at Wembley that day and outside the town hall for the victory parade.

[darwenblueswearehere]

What happy memories. My favourite era watching Rovers was 1987/8 season. Had done my cruciate ligament in a pre season friendly at Turton so was able to go to every game, home and away, as I wasn't playing.

Among memories of that era (though I don't think it was that actual season) was getting complimentary tickets for Wolves away around christmas time and ended up sat in the main stand next to this long haired middle aged dude with a Wolves scarf on. I remember ripping the ###### out of him a time or two and him telling me to "fook off back up north". I was only 23 at the time and he would have been in his 40s so I let it go.

Half time, and this same geezer gets introduced to the crowd to make the raffle draw. It was only Robert Plant!!!!

Never did like Led Zep anyway.......

Going back to 1987/8 - we always seemed to go 1-0 down away and come back to win 2-1....happy days!

[USABlue]

Thanks Whittle Blue, I'd never before seen any of that footage. Wish I hadn't have missed it.

[BlueMonday]

Magical. Takes you right back to what feels like a Golden Age now. We didn't have big home gates back then, but the atmosphere was better. The BBurn End in full flow was top place to be.

[bob fleming]

...getting complimentary tickets for Wolves away around christmas time and ended up sat in the main stand next to this long haired middle aged dude with a Wolves scarf on. I remember ripping the ###### out of him a time or two and him telling me to "fook off back up north". I was only 23 at the time and he would have been in his 40s so I let it go.

Half time, and this same geezer gets introduced to the crowd to make the raffle draw. It was only Robert Plant!!!!

Quality!

[Roost]

What a day that was!

Just seen my old next door neighbour on the video as well - weird!

Thanks for posting this WB

[10moorgate]

What a day that was!

Just seen my old next door neighbour on the video as well - weird!

Thanks for posting this WB

Top viewing. Bring back the 'here we go' chant.

Here we go,

Here we go,

Here we go,

Here we go,

Here we go,

Here we go-oo,

Here we go,

Here we go,

Here we go,

Here we gooo,

Here WE go.

[Exiled in Toronto]

I think the miners' strike put paid to that chant.

What a video though. I too had a lump in my throat when the teams came out - a dream fulfilled and would obviously never happen again, or so it seemed.

A bit like the Leicester play-off game, we were close to being overrun at times but it just seemed to be our day.

Best sight of the day for me driving back was an old VW beetle painted blue and white halves.

[Gav]

A bit like the Leicester play-off game, we were close to being overrun at times but it just seemed to be our day.

Must admit we were lucky to win the FMC, Charlton played better on the day, but I never felt Leicester were ever in the game in the play offs, always felt comfortable.

Both great days.

[GiddyGoat]

... but I never felt Leicester were ever in the game in the play offs, always felt comfortable.

Dunno about that Gav, seem to remember hanging on a bit especially after we missed the pen.

[AJW]

I was 11 at full members cup final , so remember most of it , but i'd forgotten the part Ian Miller played in the build-up , he often got stick from the riverside because he so hot and cold as a player , incidently there was a magazine printed afterwards to celebrate the victory and me my cousin an uncle had our pictures in it

[McClarky]

Magic, got the train down at about 3 am and remember playing footie outside a pub in London with some locals waiting for it to open. It was so special then getting to Wembley.

[cn174]

Wonderful footage - can't recall I've ever seen it before. I don't have any recollection of the Full Members Cup because I was only two, but knowing how excited I was at the carling cup final, it is easy to see how amazing it would be.

What a goal from Col!

[langhoblue]

Fantastic day

Remember getting there and being amazed at what a sh*t hole wembley was inside

Big Col more than made up for it though!

[cravenblue]

Remember the cup run vividly. I wemt to all the round games. Unfortunately i was on a geography field trip with school that weekend and couldnt go. These days it wouldnt have been a problem with the coverage football gets, but in 1987, not even a mention on the news that night. Didnt find out score until the following day, pure hell waiting to find out