[Archived] First Team Squad Training

[mattyboy6000]

I was considering taking my nephew down to watch them over the holidays. Is it possible just to turn up and watch?

[RevidgeBlue]

I was considering taking my nephew down to watch them over the holidays. Is it possible just to turn up and watch?

Unfortunately not.

[vintageadidas]

Nope! I hope one day they give us an open day training session at Brockhall.

I have always wanted to visit.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

When I was a kid in the sixties me and a mate travelled over from Rochdale to Ewood pre season for some autographs. When we got to the ground we were invited in to watch a full scale practice match. Just me and my mate in the whole of the main stand ! It was first team attack ( Douglas ,Pickering and Co )and reserve defence versus first team defence ( Clayton, England and Co ) and reserve attack. Jack Marshall was the ref and it was a cracking game. I remember Mike Harrison scoring with a 25yd header ! I was also amazed to see John Bray kicking lumps out of Mike Harrison, no love lost there ! Got every autograph that day. How times have changed.

[Inta Beaver]

Unfortunately not.

Can you go and get autographs signed at the training ground??

[frosty]

I remember Mike Harrison scoring with a 25yd header !

Wow, the keeper must have been bad!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Wow, the keeper must have been bad!

It was Fred Else, he was bit on the short side. Harrison caught him off his line with a long looping header that went in off the underside of the bar ! It was the short of thing you'd only try in a practice match.

[Uxbridge rover]

It was Fred Else, he was bit on the short side. Harrison caught him off his line with a long looping header that went in off the underside of the bar ! It was the short of thing you'd only try in a practice match.

Ah Fred, he's a good friend of mine (incase anyones interested lol)

[modes98]

They do tours of the training ground, but I think they have to be arranged well in advance and normally when there is no chance of the players being there.

[mattyboy6000]

so its not like you could just rock up at pleasington then. shame!

[gumboots]

so its not like you could just rock up at pleasington then. shame!

I've been to watch first team training - the kids won it as a prize for the family. I've also seen the players training on the pitch nearest the road at Brockhall, so sometimes you can just be lucky.

[bazza]

Ah Fred, he's a good friend of mine (incase anyones interested lol)

In that case, next time you see him, give him my regards and tell him that in my opinion he was the best keeper I've ever seen for the Rovers, closely followed by Roger Jones, Brad Friedel and Reg Elvy.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Fred was the first Rovers goalie I remember and we,ve had a few good ones since. Better than Friedel and Flowers ? I don't think so matey. His lack of height let him down. Jim Arnold and Roger Jones were arguably better as well.

[bazza]

Fred was the first Rovers goalie I remember and we,ve had a few good ones since. Better than Friedel and Flowers ? I don't think so matey. His lack of height let him down. Jim Arnold and Roger Jones were arguably better as well.

I never saw Jim Arnold but I heard he was good. I only saw about three Rovers games between 1978 and 1986 because I was living abroad. One of those games was Shrewsbury Town away in 1981 where we won and Brotherston got one of the goals, I think.

[philipl]

Jim Arnold in the season he was with us was absolutely amazing.

Had he gone on to have been as good at Everton in the top league, I think he would have had a strong claim for being one of the best ever keepers Rovers have ever had but as it was he did his stuff primarilly in the Third Division for us.

[Billy Castell]

scoring with a 25yd header !

Are you sure you're not getting confused with an episode of Ripping Yarns?

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UvWVuB-qrks