Season 1984-85

[Ozz]

Back in the league, on January 12th 1985, we had an away trip to Cleethorpes, to play Grimsby Town.

I once again traveled with the official away travel, and we really needed to a win after the loss against Huddersfield and the draw at Barnsley. Although still top of the league, Oxford were now breathing down our necks, speaking metaphorically of course, nobody needs Jim Smiths warm CO2 lingering around your nape.

A dull game I seem to remember, as the report below also reflects (twice!) made more memorable by my experience of a Fish Pie pre-match at the ground, the discovery of a football next to the seaside, and a new-ish cute but small grandstand names after the sponsors-The Findus Stand. Made me chuckle that at the time. Bit sad really.

Not much else to recall, hers the LETs shabby report of the game.

[Ray-Von]

Tony Ford and Paul Wilkinson, there's a couple of names from the past. Didn't we make a punt for Ford when Mackay was in charge?

[Ozz]

Not too sure about the Ford link, but wouldn't have been surprised by it. I think he went on to play 1,000 games didn't he, for various clubs ? Played till he was about 40 years old I think.

Wilkinson was at Boro later on I recall too.

Anyway-the 3rd round replay at home to Portsmouth was postponed three times...this was before undersoil heating at Ewood of course. The weather round this time I remember being very very cold, bitter.

[Ray-Von]

I seem to recall Paul Wilkinson (terrible haircut BTW) went to Everton after Grimsby, didn't do a great deal and then had a reasonable career with Forest and Boro.

Anyway, keep up the good work Ozzie. Looking forward to the report of the Friday night cup game against United - was that the fifth round?

[Ozz]

The FA cup 5th round match will be around soon Ray...looking forward to that one, its got pictures in and everything!

The review of the season has now taken longer to do than the season lasted it self.

[Ozz]

After the three postponed attempts at playing the FA cup 3rd round replay, we finally got to play the Portsmouth Tag Wrestling team at Ewood on a Saturday, when the 4th round was being played.

I had a season ticket this year, it was actually a junior one (under 16) and I was now 18. Was a bit tight some weeks, as there was a separate turnstile at the Blackburn End for juniors (see Bob's Signature photo) , and most weeks I got grilled on my age, or at least a squint-eyed close examination. Anyway I got to the ground with my season ticket, and didn't know it was only for league matches and would not allow me entrance to FA cup games, and had no money to pay to get in (was probably only £1.60 but was a student at Runshaw at the time.) I bought the season ticket off a mate, who by the way was under 16 after about three games in the season. It resembled a small book of old school raffle ticket books.

So I am at the ground, with no way of getting in to Ewood to see the match. So for the first and not the last time, I made my way up the hill to see 28% of the pitch and about 5% of the game from the behind the Riverside!

I remember trying to work out what was happening in the game based on the level of crowd noise , which was pretty hard really due to the lack of acoustics and numbers involved. Vaguely remember seeing Quinns first goal hitting the back of the Blackburn End net.

I cannot really offer any opinion on the match , as I only saw a fraction of it. But Noel Wilds report below from the Sunday mirror Edition of January 27th 1985 makes me chuckle. The highlights include the classic line...

"Giant West Indian defender Noel Blake was badly at fault with the first, with the most feeble back -pass I have seen for many a year"

Sounds like one of AESFs reports!

And...

"Portsmouths defence was all at sea and left me alone, and I just whopped the ball hard" ..he quotes of Jimmy Quinn.

[Ozz]

[Ozz]

The above photo of the Riverside is great. Got more of these to come towards the end of the season, against the two Manchester teams. If you click on the top bar of the image it will come up full size, and looks sharper.

[Ozz]

[Ozz]

Of course with all the replays postponementing, it was not very long before we were playing the 4th round. It was four days in fact.

It was back to Oxford again, for a midweek showdown with Jim Smiths outfit (his team, Oxford United, not a polyester suit, bri-nylon shirt and patent leather loafers). Oxford had not lost at home for about 8 years at this point in their history, and it looked like a toughie to most of us. But the motivation was a fifth round tie at home to Manchester United, Big Rons outfit (more polyester, bri-nylon and even more gold jewellery...).

Last season we had played Southampton at home in the 5th round, live on TV ( it may have actually a first for the BBC in some way, cannot remember what it was though, anyone?) and lost to a David Armstrong goal. That was after we had beaten Nottingham Forest in a replay I think, a couple of games worthy of their own thread on here too! (Forest away was an adventure I can tell you...British Rail...Vimto, vodka and porno mags at Crewe Station).

So yea anyway, Oxford away on a Wednesday night. How does one get to Oxford and back for a night game with no car?

Well, let me remind you of the football special! Basically a whole train gets taken over by bevvied up football fans, no other passengers on, cheap as chips, no stopping at any stations, just get on at the Bouley and get off at the opponents station several hours later. From Accrington to Oxford return, total cost £10.

The journey down on the special was bizarre. I went with a mate from Runshaw, Ricky Johnson. Good little footballer was Ricky, didn't support Rovers but was up for a laugh and so was I. About an hour into the journey, some Rovers fan went totally beserk on the train. I think he just flipped, and started lashing out at anyone and everyone he could, seriously attempting to do some GBH on his co-travellers. Was it the drink? Was it a case of train-based Stir Crazy? It took about five men to restrain him, and they literally had to sit on him for the rest of the journey to Oxford to stop any further madness. I think he got to the match though!

The Manor ground would never win "Sporting Arenas Of Year" award, if such a thing existed. It looked like it was designed by 10 different people, each one putting their own little bit on and then sticking them all together-like that party game were you fold a piece of paper in three, someone does the head, then you fold it up, someone does the body, fold it up then someone does the legs, then you unfold it and you get a picture of a human with a deep sea divers helmet on, wearing a Tutu and legs of a rugby player. And a cats tail protruding from the arse. Imagine Watfords ground now, but worse.

The away end was, once again open terrace, crumbling concrete, caged in on all sides.

Images Can Be Found Here.

The game it self was quite eventful, Billy Hamilton missing the game after doing his leg minutes before the match warming up, then Jimmy Quinn notched a typical header to put us ahead. In the second half, McDonalds penalty was brilliantly saved by Geno, and despite a bit of a battering we hung on to put us in the fifth round to play United.

As I walked back towards the station, I was verbally abused by a Rovers fan who though I was a home supporter-"Cannot win every week can ya you Southern @#/?s!". Didn't bother to put him right, just smiled a bit.

It was a rare match in which we played in all red shirts too, a picture, all be it in mono to follow of Quinn in action wearing the red top.

[waggy]

we went on one off pittards infamous coaches to this tie,everyone on the coach wore the head rest covers from the seats as hats,crazy days and nights

[1864roverite]

Ozz

you got to carry this on, the memories are frightening and of course WONDERFUL

[Ozz]

Well Warren with such overwhelming encouragement how can I not?...

So the win at Oxford meant a home time against Big Ron from Old Swans outfit, Man Utd. Ex Rovers supremo Bill Fox was rubbing his hands at the prospect of a £70K windfall. Without Bills shrewd stewardship during the poverty stricken times at Ewood in the 80s it is highly possible we could have gone out of business I'm sure. RIP Bill.

[bob fleming]

Ex Rovers supremo Bill Fox was rubbing his hands at the prospect of a £70K windfall. Without Bills shrewd stewardship during the poverty stricken times at Ewood in the 80s it is highly possible we could have gone out of business I'm sure. RIP Bill.

A proper Rovers man. I'd be far more confident with things if he was on the Board these days.

Keep it coming Ozz - great stuff this. (There you go - there's at least two of us reading this!!)

[1864roverite]

Bob may be you and our Ozz can get together, a great double act

[Ozz]

The second day of February 1985 brought an away trip to Plough Lane. Not only does Plough Lane no longer exist (as a football stadium, and I use the term stadium, and indeed football loosely) but neither do the team we played that day, Wimbledon. The ground was designed as a non league ground to be fair, as Wimbledon's remarkable rise through the English leagues meant they rapidly out grew their humble surroundings. It closed in 1991, with a home defeat to London neighbours Crystal Palace. If you have a spare minute or two away from the rumblings of Nicko you may find This an interesting read on the ground.

The game in South London was not attended by me I'm afraid, cash flow had been drained with the trips to Grimsby and Barnsley so it was just me, Jack Holden and a packet of Salt'N'Shake crisps for the afternoon.

The flourishing Quinn notched another header for Rovers, no idea who scored for the Dons, and remember clearly Simon Barkers indirect free kick being chalked off for not touching anyone before hitting the net (the ball, not Simon).

The draw, in front of less than 4,000 people meant we lost top spot for the first time since early December. Our form was poor, and the pressure appeared to beginning to show.

Interestingly the report makes a point of how physical the game was!

Wimbledon went on to win the FA cup just three years later.

[Ozz]

Next up Fulham at home, on February 9th 1985. The Cottagers were lying in 8th coming into the game on 38 points. We were second, on 49 points. The upcoming fixture at home in the FA cup against Manchester United was creating some excitement now. We were to play them on the Friday night , live on BBC-1. So as an appetiser, ITV came to Ewood and we were on the Big Match highlights show this weekend.

The crowd at the Fulham game was higher than would normally been expected, this was due to the vouchers being issued at the turnstiles-the voucher guaranteed you priority for a ticket for the United match, which I think was an all ticket game, very rare back then. I think around 12,000 was the official attendance for the Fulham game. My main memories of the win (2-1) were firstly how cold it was-a dry, but bone chilling spell had been around after some heavy snow earlier in the year, causing the pitch to be rock hard. Secondly our first goal, a Jimmy Quinn header-he seemed to jump about 10 feet in the air and bulletted a header in to the net.

Chris Thompson scored a tap in for the winner, following a dreadful mix up in the Fulham defence. Here he is celebrating the winning goal.

The win put us back on top of the league again, and in a good mood to meet the Aristocrats from Old Trafford next week.

[Ozz]

Here's the Legend Noel Brotherston taking on the Fulham full back, watched by our own Mick Basil Rathbone.

[Ozz]

Rovers line up for the Fulham game-

Gennoe Branagan Keeley Faz Rathbone Brotherston Barker Randell Miller Thompson Quinn

The Fulham line up had ex Blackpool keeper Ian Hesford, Leroy Roseniorand Ray Lewington, and were managed by Ray Harford.

Young Simon Barker watches Quinny notch the first here...

Chris Thompson manages to steer this one into the Darwen End goal, from two yards out, much to the anguish of the Fulham defender, and the delight of a thinning Riverside crowd!

Sunday morning saw a large crowd at Ewood Park, as the tickets for United went on sale, and the queues snaked all along Kidder Street, as the faithful waited patiently for the precious green bits of paper. Once you purchased the ticket, the ground was unlocked, and many people took the chance to wander onto the terraces and of course the pitch, which I did and dreamt of taking a penalty into the Blackburn End to win the match the next Friday! And it was truly and absolutely freezing cold!

[Claytons Left Boot]

For the United cup game there were flags all along the Blackburn End and Darwen End railings. I remember the commentator on tv reading out one from the United end saying Chorley Reds and one from our end saying Chorley Blues. Funny how trivial things stick in your mind.

Keep em coming Ozz these reports are fantastic!

Edited June 30, 2008 by Claytons Left Boot

[whittle blue]

Going back to that night at at Oxford -

4 of us got on the special train at Bamber Bridge and it was absolutely packed. I think we stood up until Crewe.

Then (I think) some people were booted off cos they didn't have tickets.

We eventually found seats, two of which just happened to be next to the bloke who went berserk.

If I remember rightly, there were special buses at Oxford station that took us to the Manor ground.

What a brilliant night.

The journey home is a bit of a blur, thanks to the never ending supply of beer in the guardsvan.

One of us managed to honk up through the carriage door window. What a pity the window was shut.(Wiggy, mention it to Carrot on Friday).

Anyway it must have been about 1.30-2.00 am when we all fell out of the train back in B/Bridge.

All we had to do now was get home to Leyland & Croston for another celebration drink and then off to work.

Ouch my head hurts.

Edited July 1, 2008 by whittle blue

[Ozz]

For the United cup game there were flags all along the Blackburn End and Darwen End railings. I remember the commentator on tv reading out one from the United end saying Chorley Reds and one from our end saying Chorley Blues. Funny how trivial things stick in your mind.

Some of my Utd supporting mates had those Chorley Reds flag, Cotty from Brinscall. I remember the comment too, it was Channel 442 on Sky last year ESPN channel, I taped it (Soz Claire still not been back for the videos yet!).

[Ozz]

Me circled!

[Ozz]

So the build up to the big televised game had started, and if you think that Rovers don't get much press these days, then you should have tried reading anything on us back then. So to find two pieces in the national press that were not match reports was a sign of the country starting to notice what was going on down at Ewood.

Two pieces here from I think The Express or Mail, and a great photo of the old Blackburn End in the background.

[Ozz]