[Archived] David Dunn a Blackburn Legend

[LeChuck]

Well...as a man there is nothing wrong with him, as a professional footballer it's not ideal!

[Andy]

My friend used to work in a pub frequented by quite a few Rovers players and he said Dunny loved the pub more than any of the other players.

I wouldn't say he's fat but he definitely could have looked after himself better over the years.

There's absolutely no doubt about it.

Anyone of my age group (late 20's to early 30's) saw Dunn around Blackburn almost every weekend, on the pop and in the kebab shops.

For a standard bloke, fairly acceptable if you're into the drinking and eating bad food.

For a professional sportsman, it's wholly unacceptable and shows contempt for himself, the club and the fans.

A good player in his prime, certainly. If he'd have taken his talent seriously and behaved like a professional sportsman, he wouldn't have played for Blackburn Rovers for long.

As for legend...not even close.

[Majiball]

There's absolutely no doubt about it.

Anyone of my age group (late 20's to early 30's) saw Dunn around Blackburn almost every weekend, on the pop and in the kebab shops.

For a standard bloke, fairly acceptable if you're into the drinking and eating bad food.

For a professional sportsman, it's wholly unacceptable and shows contempt for himself, the club and the fans.

A good player in his prime, certainly. If he'd have taken his talent seriously and behaved like a professional sportsman, he wouldn't have played for Blackburn Rovers for long.

As for legend...not even close.

Couldn't agree more.

[Parsonblue]

There's absolutely no doubt about it.

Anyone of my age group (late 20's to early 30's) saw Dunn around Blackburn almost every weekend, on the pop and in the kebab shops.

For a standard bloke, fairly acceptable if you're into the drinking and eating bad food.

For a professional sportsman, it's wholly unacceptable and shows contempt for himself, the club and the fans.

A good player in his prime, certainly. If he'd have taken his talent seriously and behaved like a professional sportsman, he wouldn't have played for Blackburn Rovers for long.

As for legend...not even close.

And yet Simon Garner is treated as a legend and there is very little difference in terms of lifestyles. They both are legends in terms of their service to the club just like Faz, and so many others of an earlier generation who enjoyed their football and enjoyed life. Of course they are frowned in terms of modern sports science but I don't remember anyone saying that Simon or the rest had contempt for the fans when they enjoyed a pint or two with them.

[Majiball]

And yet Simon Garner is treated as a legend and there is very little difference in terms of lifestyles. They both are legends in terms of their service to the club just like Faz, and so many others of an earlier generation who enjoyed their football and enjoyed life. Of course they are frowned in terms of modern sports science but I don't remember anyone saying that Simon or the rest had contempt for the fans when they enjoyed a pint or two with them.

Trouble is it's all changed since Garners days in every sport and will continue to do so. IMO with the monies involved today they should be doing everything possible to ensure they are in top physical shape and yet? Do you see the same in other sports? Look at Rooney, smokes, drinks like a fish, generally does what he wants regardless of personal cost. Are those the actions of a professional, not in my eyes.

[broadsword]

Yes, completely different era, would he be able to score as many in this day and age, given his re-fuelling habits? Well, they wouldn't help him, would they?

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

How do people know other players aren't out drinking in Manchester or Liverpool, or in some leafy village in Cheshire, or even just indoors? Dunny wasn't too flash to scarper from his hometown and never return, he stuck by his original mates and stuck by his original pubs and towns. I've never seen him out but I'd imagine for the people who did it made their night. Fans complain players are completely out of touch with them and live lifestyles to ensure that, then when one doesn't they use that familiarity to heap criticism on him and act like some kind of extremist Amish parent from the 1800s. Players can't win, like a lot of fan attitudes these days it has a distinct odour of jealousy.

[broadsword]

Nonsense.

Yeah I'm sure all the Premiership players are out on the ale every week, it's a performance aid, isn't it?

Who wouldn't want their money? But bitching about players isn't going to change my finances, I'd rather be positive instead.

Fergie was very anti-alcohol and said it left players more susceptible to injury, but I guess you know better.

[Parsonblue]

Trouble is it's all changed since Garners days in every sport and will continue to do so. IMO with the monies involved today they should be doing everything possible to ensure they are in top physical shape and yet? Do you see the same in other sports? Look at Rooney, smokes, drinks like a fish, generally does what he wants regardless of personal cost. Are those the actions of a professional, not in my eyes.

I wouldn't disagree but it doesn't stop them becoming club legends. Dave Wagstaffe and Tugay were both heavy smokers but are still held up as club legends by the fans and rightly so. Dunny is the same. He may not be perfect but his passion for the club and his service thus far has ensured him a place amongst the most highly regarded of players who have served the club.

[Amo]

There's absolutely no doubt about it.

Anyone of my age group (late 20's to early 30's) saw Dunn around Blackburn almost every weekend, on the pop and in the kebab shops.

Not according to GAV. He's only ever seen Dunny downing fizzy orange.

[riverkiller]

A couple of years or so ago, I went to a snooker club in Preston to play a tenner freezeout poker tournament. 40 or so players. Pretty standard stuff. But who should turn up. Its only dunny, matt Derbyshire and a couple of others. They entered the tourney, chatted to the lads, drank orange juice and lemonade. I knocked matt Derbyshire out of the tournament.

For all the lurid stories, there are other examples.

Dunny, legend ? Yeah.

[ABBEY]

There's absolutely no doubt about it.

Anyone of my age group (late 20's to early 30's) saw Dunn around Blackburn almost every weekend, on the pop and in the kebab shops.

For a standard bloke, fairly acceptable if you're into the drinking and eating bad food.

For a professional sportsman, it's wholly unacceptable and shows contempt for himself, the club and the fans.

A good player in his prime, certainly. If he'd have taken his talent seriously and behaved like a professional sportsman, he wouldn't have played for Blackburn Rovers for long.

As for legend...not even close.

noone slagged duff off.

[Majiball]

I wouldn't disagree but it doesn't stop them becoming club legends. Dave Wagstaffe and Tugay were both heavy smokers but are still held up as club legends by the fans and rightly so. Dunny is the same. He may not be perfect but his passion for the club and his service thus far has ensured him a place amongst the most highly regarded of players who have served the club.

I knew Tugay was a smoker it's far from un-common in football and viewed very differently on the continent. I think the big difference is that Tugay was still playing week in week out in-spite of his habit. He didn't let it get in the way of his career. One of the major causes of Osteoarthitus (Dunns back problem?) is poor nutrition and whilst I'm not saying it was the root cause, a professional athlete eating a proper diet lowers the chances of this. One could elude that Dunn's lifestyle has hampered and hindered his career.

[Tom]

Out of interest do people consider Pedersen a legend?

[riverkiller]

No.

[Tom]

I should have clarified, what I meant is do the people that consider Dunn a legend also consider Pedersen one?

[ABBEY]

Out of interest do people consider Pedersen a legend?

YES!! He knocked Burnley out of the cup and that to me is instant legend.

[Andy]

Yes, completely different era, would he be able to score as many in this day and age, given his re-fuelling habits? Well, they wouldn't help him, would they?

Not just that, Garner played at a much lower level and standard, so being a drinker and smoker probably showed less.

Who knows, had he taken his profession seriously, he might have made played for a big club and/or achieved a better goal-per-game ratio than 1 in 5/6.

[Amo]

YES!! He knocked Burnley out of the cup and that to me is instant legend.

Which goes to show that 'legend' is a purely subjective term, and one that gets banded about far too easily these days.

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Which goes to show that 'legend' is a purely subjective term, and one that gets banded about far too easily these days.

And yet I would argue the reverse applies in the common view of Dunn and Pedersen. Objectively they should both be legends, or close to it:

Dunn - 344 appearances, 56 goals, 1 promotion, 1 trophy, 24 England caps (all levels), instrumental in 4 top half PL finishes.

Pedersen - 349 appearances, 47 goals, 96 Norway caps (all levels), instrumental in 4 top half PL finishes.

Its only when we start factoring in the subjective opinions of our self-declared expert fanbase, including the extremely dubious self-inflicted injuries of Dunn and sub-standard effort of Pedersen, that they take on a significantly inferior status.

Thankfully the history books don't include such amateurish analysis which is why the Rovers stock of the likes of Souness and Allardyce have risen with time. In 10 years Dunn and Pedersen will be closer to being recognised as they should be, and the harsher critics in this thread will conveniently forget all the stick they dished out at the time, as per usual.

[mhead]

For my 1000th Post may I intervene?

My most remembered moments for Rovers definitely include David Dunn:

- Clayton and Douglas

- Mike England (esp against Bumley)

- Tony Field/Sir Roger Jones

- Bailey and Hird (even in relegation)

- Simon Garner(esp against Derby and Citeh)

- TP and Faz

- Hendry(from 1st match,FMC win to last)

- SHEARER

- The 3 Gems; Duff,Dunn and Jansen.....from Youth Cup matches onwards thru to Promotion, Worthy Cup, Burnleh tussles etc etc

- Hughesy managerial period

- the 34 year record

- the Family Club(until wrecked by Venkys)

and Dunny has featured in a lot of that pleasure. And he is like Duggie a true local,warts and all.

Thank you!

[thenodrog]

Crikey! No place for Tugay and Brad?

[blue_n_white99]

There's absolutely no doubt about it.

Anyone of my age group (late 20's to early 30's) saw Dunn around Blackburn almost every weekend, on the pop and in the kebab shops.

For a standard bloke, fairly acceptable if you're into the drinking and eating bad food.

For a professional sportsman, it's wholly unacceptable and shows contempt for himself, the club and the fans.

A good player in his prime, certainly. If he'd have taken his talent seriously and behaved like a professional sportsman, he wouldn't have played for Blackburn Rovers for long.

As for legend...not even close.

spot on

Crikey! No place for Tugay and Brad?

or Super Atko

[thenodrog]

A couple of years or so ago, I went to a snooker club in Preston to play a tenner freezeout poker tournament. 40 or so players. Pretty standard stuff. But who should turn up. Its only dunny, matt Derbyshire and a couple of others. They entered the tourney, chatted to the lads, drank orange juice and lemonade. I knocked matt Derbyshire out of the tournament.

For all the lurid stories, there are other examples.

Dunny, legend ? Yeah.

Prob had a match coming up.

As for a few scoops and a kebab on match nights who the hell cares? These guys could simply stay on at training for an hour or two and it's gone. The old Lpool way was to weigh and measure the players on Mon and if they had put weight on from the weight that the club stated they should be then it was extra training for that week. They even had miscreants training in a plastic bin bag under their shirts to make em sweat. Players soon realised that it was preferable to not put weight on than get it off. I'm sure nowadays that science linked to bmi and blood/urine samples could allow for a similar system to be monitored even better.

[broadsword]

Yes, well, times move on. Sweating it out is just dehydrating you, to add to the dehydrating effect of alcohol. Temporary weight loss and a skull crusher headache. Nice.

Alcohol does more than just give you junk calories to add to your fat stores. It also taxes the energy systems and weakens the body. The last thing a professional athlete should be wanting to do.