Season 1984-85

[berkshireblue]

The man who cost us the 2002 world cup

Seaman

[Ozz]

With ten games left, Rovers looked out of puff with performances full of nerves and doubt, which were not helped by the Ewood crowd getting on the back of the players each time a pass went astray or a shot was missed. The clouds were gathering over the ground and the atmosphere was gloomy. A trip to Gay Meadow on 23rd March did nothing to lift any of this.

I didn't go, and seems like a wise move reading the report below from the Sunday Mirror.

The defeat left us out of the top three, and of course the promotion spots for the first time since early November.

[ABBEY]

I remember going to that game and their roof at the back of the terracing was so low you had to bend .

[Gav]

I remember going to that game and their roof at the back of the terracing was so low you had to bend .

I had no such trouble

[ABBEY]

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Ozz]

Things at Ewood were getting worse by the week, and the crowds had dwindled. Having had 22,000 on against Man City, only 7,100 odd bothered for the game against Notts County, which Rovers were desperate to win and get things going forward again. As the report below shows, Garner has not scored for four months, which seems unbelievable now and had been benched on several occasions, which led to rumours of him wanting to leave the club. The Notts County game I recall was dreadful, with little quality from either side, but a Garner notch settled the spoils in favour of Rovers. Some familiar names on the away side, including Rachid Harkouk and Justin Fashanu.

The win put us forth, and the crucial Easter program against Leeds and Barnsley up next.

[1864roverite]

Recall this game very well, it was poor beyond belief and the cock up between Garns and Thommo was laughable as the game was bad.

Nice return to memoirs Ozz, keep em coming.

[MCMC1875]

Was there anything worse than the Thompson/Lowey years?

[Ozz]

Good question Mick! Sure plenty of people could offer some choices...

Easter Saturday 1985, pretty much twenty four years ago today (blimey I wasted my life...) saw Rovers away at Leeds United. I secured the services of the Official Away travel coaches, and rolled up at Elland Road in good order. I was a little trepidatious of my first visit there, as the reputation was pretty well documented as being , well, unfriendly to say the least.

Some bits of Elland Road , even more so to this day seem a little incongruous with the rest-nowadays we see the huge Lurpak Stand, opposite the cameras dwarfing the smaller stands that surround it, which are merely terraces with seat stuck on. In 85 the away fans were located were the new stand currently sits, but back then it was a ramshackle stand alone job, were the rest of the ground has seen re-development in the 70s but the club ran out money before completion, similar to Wolves and Chelsea had done. It looked a little like the last part of Deepdale before their recent upgrade. There were even giant concrete pillars left in isolation near the away terrace, which were supposed to be the start of the new stand, but were left unfinished as the cash dried up.

Having managed to avoid a kicking between coach and ground, via a rather daunting underpass, we stood on the caged terraces in half decent sunshine, and watch yet another tired and dispirited performance from Bobby Saxtons men. The report below mentions Millers late header, which I though was in, being the highlight. It was. Another point in the bag we remained forth with Barnsley at home on Easter Monday.

[1864roverite]

Owens coaches, back window went through on this one as we pulled away to the usual Lancs v Yorks rivalry.

I remember that underpass Ozz, if you got through without a kicking you had "survived"

Dirty Leeds

[trs]

Owens coaches, back window went through on this one as we pulled away to the usual Lancs v Yorks rivalry.

I remember that underpass Ozz, if you got through without a kicking you had "survived"

Dirty Leeds

Cliff Owens n' Tom Jacksons coaches.....them wer days!

[ABBEY]

Was there anything worse than the Thompson/Lowey years?

liverpool yesterday ranks up there.

[Ozz]

Easter Monday brought Barnsley to town. A pleasant day as I recall, weather wise, but an atrocious performance by Rovers, particularly in front of goal meant another 90 minutes of goalless football, and giving us a point when 3 were desperately needed. Bloody Chris Thompson had a nightmare, missed a shed load of simple chances. We were now down to 5th in the league, and promotion looking unlikely.

[Ozz]

On Saturday 13th April I made my one and only visit to Cardiffs Ninian Park to go and watch Rovers play. This Saturday, the chance to go again finally disappears, as Cardiff play their last league game at their old home. A stadium which has held many internationals, European ties and even a visit from The Pope John Paul II finally goes the way of all flesh as Cardiff move into a new 25,000 all seater stadium next season, and I am sure they will be very happy there, in the sanitised, all-seated, catered for environment. The BBC have a potted history of the old ground here.

My and Johnny Barrow went down on the train from Chorley, changing at Preston and Crewe. As we got about 20 miles from Cardiff, we got talking to an old guy, who advised us to go and get stuck into the Brains SA in the pub when we got there, which certainly was the plan. However, when we got off the train at Cardiff, we were met by a group of five Ploice officers, with batons and snarling dogs. Not sure what the local Bobbies were expecting to arrive from the North West, but I think they had catered for a worst case scenario, and not two college students dressed like Morrisey and Michael Foot.

The coppers took us into their van, wosked us away from the Soul Crews reception comittee and took us straight to Nnian Park for our own safety. They then chucked us out at the locked gate of the away end. It was half past twelve.

So we managed to avoid death by misadventure till the gates opened at 2pm, when we were joined by around 200 other travelers following the Rovers.

The weather was awful, driving rain and wind blowing into our faces stood on the open uncovered terrace. Once again we were awful. Terry Gennoe kept us in it time and time again, as he had done many times this season. Then two Cardiff defenders both leave a cross to each other, and Windy Millers sticks it in. Second half Cardiff equalise, but on the hour their keeper drops a cross, and Simon Garner lashes the ball into the net.

The second Rovers goal prompted some unrest from the locals, indeed a hail of house bricks and rocks came flying over the back wall above us, landing on empty terraces next to the huddled East Lancs crowd. Saved by our own apathy.

So we were back on track with three points, and moved back into fourth spot in the second division table with six games left.

[Ozz]

So the following weekend we had to play Middlesbrough at home, 20th April 1985. A win could see us back in the top three and on course for promotion again. On a fairly pleasant afternoon weather wise, another jittery Rovers performance unfolded in front of an ever decreasing Ewood crowd, who did their best to urge the players on. But anyone of a certain age will remember the edginess of the fans in those days, quick to criticise and seemingly always on the look out for a scapegoat. Chris Thompson, a modestly skilled journeyman style footballer, had enjoyed a decent first half of the season, but had found the goals increasingly hard to come by of late, and was coming under some major abuse from the Riversiders.

But it was Garner who eased early nerves with a good goal in seven minutes, bit then Rovers eased off and Boro pressed us into our own half. Future Celtic boss Tony Mowbray went close, and once again Geno made a couple of excellent saves to keep us in front at half time.

After the break it was finally Thompsons turn to end his drought , with a tap in, and Windy Miller added a third later on.

Couple of nice photos follow this, and the win left promotion still in our own hands. Which is not how we like at at Ewood!

[Ozz]

[Ray-Von]

Cheers Ozzie, fond memories of that Boro game - it was my first on the Blackburn End. I was a season ticket holder in the Nuttall Street stand and I went to this game with a pal from School.

For some reason I will always remember Ian Miller's "nonchalant" celebration after the third goal. You would have assume he was a 20 a season man

[Ozz]

23rd April, a Tuesday night saw us play our game in hand. The opposition were Crystal Palace at Ewood. Parked on Dawlish Close, as you could do in them days and walked down the back of the Mill, that is now a frozen foods vendor and a MacDonalds.

Don't recall much of the game, and have no info on the scorer of Palaces winner, maybe it was that big centre half, who cares but we lost one nil. I seem to remember us loosing to Palace a lot in important games round them days, so I may be mistaken in recalling us peppering their goal to no avail. But that could have been another depressing home defeat of the Londoners.

As we walked back up the hill to the car, there were a few Palace fans taunting us, and we were so ###### off couldn't be bothered to react to them. To me , the game was up that night, I felt we had blown it, if we had won this game in hand we would have been in second spot with four games left, two of which were against lowly sides.

A really bad night.

[MCMC1875]

23rd April, a Tuesday night saw us play our game in hand. The opposition were Crystal Palace at Ewood. Parked on Dawlish Close, as you could do in them days and walked down the back of the Mill, that is now a frozen foods vendor and a MacDonalds.

Don't recall much of the game, and have no info on the scorer of Palaces winner, maybe it was that big centre half, who cares but we lost one nil. I seem to remember us loosing to Palace a lot in important games round them days, so I may be mistaken in recalling us peppering their goal to no avail. But that could have been another depressing home defeat of the Londoners.

As we walked back up the hill to the car, there were a few Palace fans taunting us, and we were so ###### off couldn't be bothered to react to them. To me , the game was up that night, I felt we had blown it, if we had won this game in hand we would have been in second spot with four games left, two of which were against lowly sides.

A really bad night.

Every ball in the box seemed to find the head of Palace centre-half Micky Droy.

[whittle blue]

Don't recall much of the game, and have no info on the scorer of Palaces winner

I have a feeling it was Alan Irvine

[Ozz]

Every ball in the box seemed to find the head of Palace centre-half Micky Droy.

Cheers Mick-How could I forget Micky Droy!

I have a feeling it was Alan Irvine

Sounds reasonable WB.

[Gav]

Every ball in the box seemed to find the head of Palace centre-half Micky Droy.

Remember the game well, our tactics that night:

Get the ball wide to Miller who’ll cross the ball over for 5.6” Simon Garner to challenge in the air against the 6.2” beast of a man called Micky Droy……

As a side issue to this, a mate of my dads, who’d been supporting Rovers home and away since the early 60’s, got a kicking of the Boro fans the Saturday before. He was admitted to hospital, but signed himself out on the Tuesday for the Palace game. He hobbled down to Ewood with his foot in plaster to watch the Mickey Droy show and swore never to go again, and he never did!

[waggy]

droy was a man mountian that night,remenber it like yesterday

[Ozz]

After the midweek loss at home to one set of South Londoners, the following Saturday we set off to play another. It was Charltons last year at the Valley, a ground which Rovers had played in an epic 5-4 game many years ago to win promotion, and had held 76,000 odd at one point in the past. It had a massive slab of terrace along one side, quite steep which dwarfed the rest of the ground.

The away end was behind a goal, was seated in 1985 and had a roof, which compared to some of the grounds I had been to that season was luxury.

Went down on the service train, without paying and hid in the bogs when ever a ticket inspector turned up. Managed to get to Euston for free, then 40 odd pence for tubes etc across town to the Charlton. A decent away following turned up, only to see us surrender 1-0, fairly meekly I recall. Before the match I had a sneaky walk up to the top of the historic side terrace, and I can tell you it was massive.

After the match, had a slight bit of banter/verbals/slapping with a few locals on the station platform, before heading off on the Rovers special, which I managed to blag my way back on all the way home.

Not bad London and back for nish! Paid for it in depressing football though. We were still 4th now, with only three games left.

Incidentally, the above image is one of a whole set from the BBC archive of the old ground, taken soon after Charlton had left, see more Here. They are superb, wish there were more of the old grounds like it.

The old away end-perfect view from the top of the big east terrace.

[MCMC1875]

I was fortunate enough to get to the the top of the East Terrace for a Rovers game before Charlton left the Valley and you could see the Thames flood barrier from there.

Edited September 7, 2009 by MCMC1875