[Archived] First Rovers Game

[McClarky]

Not sure about 1st game but 1st away game was Bury away in 1980. Won 2-1 and got promoted and on the pitch at the end. No looking back I"m afraid after a night like that yin.

[Doug]

Don't remember the year, mid to late 60's. We played a team in claret n blue, but I'm sure it wasn't them. Stood on Blackburn end and my only memory is that a lady gave me a programme. I'm sure we used to walk through the Riverside and Darwen end to get out. My memory is not what it was.

The first players I can vivdly remember are Eamon Rogers, Billy Wilson, Terry Eccles, Tony Field, Roger Jones, Ben Arentoft (international!!), Terry Garbett, McNamee, Don Martin, Metcalfe, Price, Parkes, Kit Napier, Mulvaney, (most of these are from early 70's).

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

My first game was at Ewood on the 30th of Sept 1961, a friend of my family from Bacup took me. We played Sheff Utd on a beautiful late Autumn day, the ground looked fabulous in the sunshine and the blue and white halves were pristine. Not a great game as I recall, we huffed and puffed in a 2-1 loss, the late Ian Lawther scoring our goal. Although the game wasn't a classic I was hooked. Came again on my own as a 12 yr old Feb 24th 1962 when we beat league leaders Burnley 2-1 in front of a crowd of 35,000. That was more like it. I've been a fan ever since and will be till I die. I'm just staying away at present.

I took No. 1 son on May 11 1985 to see us beat a lack lustre Wolves 3-0 on the last day of the season. Not a bad game but Wolves were awful and were already relegated. He wasn't sporty and never really took to the game and has never been back since.

I took No. 2 son ( DazRover ) to the Brighton game mentioned earlier, again the last league match of the season on the 5th of May 1990. It was a dull 1-1 draw but that was enough, he was hooked and I suppose he'll be a life time fan as well.

For your information Darren

The team we saw that day was =

Darren Collier

Mark Atkins

Keith Hill

David Mail

Ally Dawson

Nicky Reid

John Millar

Andy Kennedy

Howard Gayle

Simon Garner

Scott Sellars

Subs

Frank Stapleton

Tony Finnegan

Andy Kennedy scored our goal in front of a crowd of 9,283.

One or two of those would get in the team we have at the moment.

[allanncd]

home v Sheff Utd 2 days after Labour won the general election. 4-0 win with Andy McEvoy (3)and Mike England scoring.

[rog of the rovers]

Well, seeing as people are mentioning the first match that they remember, here's a massive challenge for the more 'senior' members of this board. One of my first memories is having a bit of a paddy on my poor mum. We'd been to the Rovers and had left the ground if not 10 maybe even 15 mins before the end to walk to the bus stop at Mill Hill before the away fans made it to the train station. She was probably very wise as the hooligans of the day didn't mind the odd female and small child witnessing their kicking the living daylights out of some poor blighter. Anyway, I very vaguely remember it was 3-3 at the time when we left and then, predictably, about two mins down the road, there was a massive cheer that fairly erupted out of Ewood Park. I'm fairly sure Andy Crawford scored the winner. Queue Violet Elizabeth type tantrum (with a Lancashire accent, of course). Now if any of you know or can find out which match that was, I'll buy you a pint. I thought my first game was in the early 80s but remembering Andy Crawford, it might even have just been into the 70s. Oh dear me, how very ancient do I feel now? I have to stress my memory is very, very hazy, so I must have been quite little!

Checked back through the annuls and here's what I have come up with.

Crawford sprang onto the scene in 1979 and was top scorer in the 79/80 season.

Could it be.....Reading (h) April 19th 1980 - Rovers won 4-2, Crawford scored a hat-trick and Parkes scored a penalty?

[steverovers]

My first game was at Ewood on the 30th of Sept 1961, a friend of my family from Bacup took me. We played Sheff Utd on a beautiful late Autumn day, the ground looked fabulous in the sunshine and the blue and white halves were pristine. Not a great game as I recall, we huffed and puffed in a 2-1 loss, the late Ian Lawther scoring our goal. Although the game wasn't a classic I was hooked. Came again on my own as a 12 yr old Feb 24th 1962 when we beat league leaders Burnley 2-1 in front of a crowd of 35,000. That was more like it. I've been a fan ever since and will be till I die. I'm just staying away at present.

I took No. 1 son on May 11 1985 to see us beat a lack lustre Wolves 3-0 on the last day of the season. Not a bad game but Wolves were awful and were already relegated. He wasn't sporty and never really took to the game and has never been back since.

I took No. 2 son ( DazRover ) to the Brighton game mentioned earlier, again the last league match of the season on the 5th of May 1990. It was a dull 1-1 draw but that was enough, he was hooked and I suppose he'll be a life time fan as well.

For your information Darren

The team we saw that day was =

Darren Collier

Mark Atkins

Keith Hill

David Mail

Ally Dawson

Nicky Reid

John Millar

Andy Kennedy

Howard Gayle

Simon Garner

Scott Sellars

Subs

Frank Stapleton

Tony Finnegan

Andy Kennedy scored our goal in front of a crowd of 9,283.

One or two of those would get in the team we have at the moment.

All of 'em would mate!

[bannedwidth]

93-94 Newcastle at home, David May winner- 1-0 win.

Pretty sure this was my first game too. Only remember half of ewood was a building site and ruel fox on their wing, that's it.

[liamg14]

mine was in the old second division, it was the season we went up (i went to the play off final as well) i think the game was against plymouth argyle, shilton was in goal, dont remember too much as i wasnt a 'big' football fan back then, just went with my bro-in-law who had been going to rovers for years, as i was only about 13 at the time i couldnt see past all those people, very frustrating

We won 5-2 at home it was the game Kenny Dalglish was presented to the crowd, he sat and watched the game with Jack Walker. Nicky Marker couldnt handle Simon Garner that day!!

[liamg14]

Doubt this would have been my first game but the earliest game i can remember is when we played Everton away in the FA Cup in 1985 when i was 8.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Checked back through the annuls and here's what I have come up with.

Crawford sprang onto the scene in 1979 and was top scorer in the 79/80 season.

Could it be.....Reading (h) April 19th 1980 - Rovers won 4-2, Crawford scored a hat-trick and Parkes scored a penalty?

I was thinking it might be that game also.

[Majiball]

My first match was chelsea and it looks like it'll be my last as well.

[perthblue02]

My Grandad took me to my first match in 1973 against York , think Rovers won either 1 or 2 - nil, and remember it was sometime in early Feb , because afterwards had a birthday party.

[mhead]

I remember asking why 2 of the Players had the same name, and was told they were brothers.

It wasn't the Olssons......anyone any idea which year it may have been(the Players surname is probably easier to get)?

[roverandout]

thanks liam, do remember little bits of it, of what i could see, my little legs were knackered that day having to stand up for 2 hours, not like the cushy number that fans have nowadays!!!

[AJW]

I remember asking why 2 of the Players had the same name, and was told they were brothers.

It wasn't the Olssons......anyone any idea which year it may have been(the Players surname is probably easier to get)?

John MIllar and Ian Miller (not bros) only that spring to mind

[EwoodDawn]

Checked back through the annuls and here's what I have come up with.

Crawford sprang onto the scene in 1979 and was top scorer in the 79/80 season.

Could it be.....Reading (h) April 19th 1980 - Rovers won 4-2, Crawford scored a hat-trick and Parkes scored a penalty?

That must have been it! I honestly thought I remembered it was Reading but didn't dare say in case I was hideously wrong! On that date I was just 6 years old, which probably accounts for me getting the score wrong. I did get the 4 goals and Andy Crawford, though, so I obviously took something in. Maybe my six year-old head mixed up hat trick, 3 goals with 3-3, who knows? My own children now aren't very much older than me then and I am well on the way with their indoctrination. Let's hope to goodness that BRFC is still around in another thirty years for them to go on some kind of space age version of a message board and reminisce about!

Pint offer still stands! I knew I hadn't imagined it!

[Claytons Left Boot]

I remember asking why 2 of the Players had the same name, and was told they were brothers.

It wasn't the Olssons......anyone any idea which year it may have been(the Players surname is probably easier to get)?

Ronnie & Ken

[gumboots]

My first match we against wimbledon. Sat in the Darwen end with my daughter's boyfriend and a load of schoolkids on a special offer ticket. the rest of the family had been going for years but i had to stay at home with whichever child had drawn the short straw and couldn't go on one of the 2 season tickets or with the littlest one if it was a midweek game. Graduated from there to the JW upper on schools tickets and then decided to move to the family stand with the rest of the family. Had a season ticket there for the last 10 or more years till now when i have very reluctantly decided not to renew.

[rigger]

I remember asking why 2 of the Players had the same name, and was told they were brothers.

It wasn't the Olssons......anyone any idea which year it may have been(the Players surname is probably easier to get)?

Clayton