[Archived] Kevin Hird

[broadsword]

He went on to play for Briostol City:

http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-he...asp?HeroID=8813

And I thought he had a perm, but it doesn't look as curly in that photo?

[USABlue]

Hull- was at that game with some Palace fans and when the ball was passed out wide to Hird who beat his man on the half way line leaving lots of space for him to run into, I simply said goal.

Sure enough he repeated what I'd seen him do twice previously that season- sprint forwards and smash a screamer from 25 yards into the far top corner.

That's right he did repeat it it almost identical goals, within the space of a couple of games if memory serves. Corkers, think I had it in the best goals thread too.

[92er]

You are dead right there Berks Blue.

Dec 26th 1977 Rovers won away at the Turf 2-3 with goals from Wagstaffe, Fear, and Brotherston. Att 27,427 I was there with my 2 sons, and this was the match that was memorable for me because of Jim Smith coming out at half-time and conducting the singing of the Rovers fans in the Cricket Field End. Fantastic!

Oh yes, and if anyone is wondering who Fear is; he was a short term loan striker from Bristol City (I think). Big Jim had been trying to buy a CF from Grimsby called Lewis (again I think) but Rovers could not afford the £20,000 Grimsby wanted so that had fallen through; hence the loan.

Don't forget Fear's penalty miss that would have made it 0-4. We were sweating at the end.

[Wiggy]

You are dead right there Berks Blue.

Smith coming out at half-time and conducting the singing of the Rovers fans in the Cricket Field End. Fantastic!

Don't want to be pedantic Fife but weren't the Rovers fans in half of the Longside? When we arrived the Longside was full and we had to go in the Bee Hole End along with many, many other Rovers fans. At half time there was a big scrap which spilt over on to the pitch. The following that day was immense.

[Claytons Left Boot]

Hird and Bailey were the full backs when I was a youngster on ewood great players, think they played in the Boxing Day 3-0 up at Turd Moor by half time around 1977 ish I think...though that day deserves its own thread

It's in the I'm In Heaven section, first page, a fair way down.

It's got to be in my top 5 Rovers games ever. In terms of importance Anfield 95, Leicester at Wembley, Spurs at Cardiff beat it but for pure excitement, adrenilin, bragging rights, etc, it's up there at No 1.

[Fife Rover]

Don't want to be pedantic Fife but weren't the Rovers fans in half of the Longside? When we arrived the Longside was full and we had to go in the Bee Hole End along with many, many other Rovers fans. At half time there was a big scrap which spilt over on to the pitch. The following that day was immense.

You've got me wondering there Wiggy. Have I got the occasion mixed-up in my memory? Whichever match it was that Jim conducted the singing, I was in the Longside as you say, and we were about level with the penalty box at the Cricket Field end of it(roughly). That's where a lot of the Rovers fans were situated, but there were also a large group of Rovers fans in the Cricket Field End as well on the Lonside side of the goals. These were the fans that big Jim came out and conducted. The only thing I can't be sure about is whether this happened in that particlar match on 26/12/77. Thing is; how many matches at Turf Moor was Jim Smith in charge at? I went to all of them, so could have got mixed-up, but I really don't think so. Can anyone else shed any light on this, please? Also, I don't remember seeing any fighting that spilt over onto the pitch.

[philipl]

I was there in the Longside close enough to the Cricket Field End not to be in range of the missiles being lobbed by the Dingles. As I remember it, Rovers fans had pretty well taken over the Cricket Field stand and were in the open Bee Hole end as well.

Strange as it may seem, the Rovers in the Longside were the only ones in full voice in the build up but once the first went in after about 80 seconds it was mayhem everywhere. We totally dominated the first half so the dingles kept their heads down but it kicked off big time when Keith Fear had his penalty saved by Alan Stevenson in the first minute of the second half when we were kicking towards the Beel Hole End.

I don't think I've heard any player take so much vicious abuse as the Rovers fans meted out to Steve Kindon that afternoon. He very nearly rescued a point for the dingles on his own in the second half.

Jim Smith sprinted to the ref in the centre of the pitch with watch in his hand to remonstrate over the seven minutes added time at the final whistle!

After the game I was walking to get my car on my own with colours hidden when a hired Ribble double decker passed me full of Rovers fans. They all were shouting abuse at me thinking I was a dingle when a bunch of dingles appeared and started throwing pebbles at the bus shouting at me to get stuck in. Rovers fans piled out of the emmergency exit and when one was heading my way I just flashed my Rovers scarf under my overcoat and signalled to him to shup up whilst I serenely opened my car.

[USABlue]

You are dead right there Berks Blue.

Dec 26th 1977 Rovers won away at the Turf 2-3 with goals from Wagstaffe, Fear, and Brotherston. Att 27,427 I was there with my 2 sons, and this was the match that was memorable for me because of Jim Smith coming out at half-time and conducting the singing of the Rovers fans in the Cricket Field End. Fantastic!

Oh yes, and if anyone is wondering who Fear is; he was a short term loan striker from Bristol City (I think). Big Jim had been trying to buy a CF from Grimsby called Lewis (again I think) but Rovers could not afford the £20,000 Grimsby wanted so that had fallen through; hence the loan.

But on Dec 26th 1978 Rovers lost at the Turf 2-1 with Rovers goal scored by Kevin Hird. Att 23,133 We were there again.

One of my best all time Rovers days if not the best. Had we scored the penalty to make it 4-0 I have no doubt it would have been a cricket score, we simply ripped 'em to shreds. That game exorcised a lot of demons, no nay never indeed. I remember Smith doing the conducting in front of the Longside away part. Also living in Accy fun and games there from about 8am till after the pubs closed. Aye twas grand.

Phillip, some of the missiles were golf balls we were in early and they were bouncing around, being young and not a golf fan I thought they shoul dhave them back. I remember early on all the dingles their faces pressed up against the fence giving us abuse but the seemed to go quiet as we totally packed the segregated away part, I always wondered how many that held. Dingles don't much like to talk about that day. I'd swear around the ground there were more Rovers fans than Burnley that or we were just more jubilant.

Where the hell they ever squeezed the extra Rovers fans into the Longside after it kicked off in the Bee Hole end I'll never know

We were in a van mmm lots of us, had a few dingles chase us after the game cos we had the scarves out the window, my mate pulled into a dead end car park behind a camping store. The passenger got out as the dingles came running to smack him he opened the back door the looks on their faces as we all piled out was classic. They realised they had made a grave error and turned and scarpered, we laughed about it most of the way home, I swear it was like one of those cartoon scenes.

We'll probably be in trouble for going on about this and duly get told there is a thread for it but ah what the hell. As already pointed out for importance in Rovers history it pales in significance but for a true blue in that era, the atmosphere, the game, the dingle comeback, the whole day was top notch.

I wonder how much I'd pay for a video of the game and the crowd scenes.

[cletus]

I wonder how much I'd pay for a video of the game and the crowd scenes.

...but was it ever filmed??

[JC4LAB]

PFAs Gordon Taylor with us then too some time round about then....

[USABlue]

...but was it ever filmed??

Part of the reason for my statement, I don't think so. I had heard rumours of an amateur type film of the game but never have had any confirmation