[Archived] Skool Days and Rovers Connections

[ABBEY]

Darwen Vale produced me and Gav....kneel before us you lessers.

Blondie...I remember when you used to reminisce with a tear in your eye about being 'Waddos' shoe shine boy!!!

Gav is still right size to go back.

[D-side17]

I went to QEGS and was in the same class as James Beattie for the first three years. I played in the school team with him for the first couple of years but he then progressed to the first XI whilst I was stuck playing for my year and then in the seconds. He was a good lad. Remember him sparking out this lad who used to go around bullying some of the smaller kids.

I remember playing against him at primary school level when he was at St Francis and I was at Feniscowles. He was unplayable - miles quicker and stronger than anyone else on the pitch.

I was very chuffed when he "friend-requested" me on Facebook recently!

I was also at primary school with Tony Parkes's daughter, Natalie. Tony's wife used to work there was a dinner lady.

Finally, my mum taught Simon Garner's two lads at Feniscowles and, as a present for my 9th birthday, Simon gave me his boots that he had worn at Wembley in the Full Members Cup final.

Right, that's me finished with the name-dropping!

[Waldo Woo]

More St Augustines. A few years older than Dunny. He used to try and join in our games. We never let him, but bless him, he used to fetch our ball when been hoofed off. Always like to think that extra stamina we trained him in got him and therefore by extension, me , that England cap. Did he thank me....?

[Billinge End Blue]

Another ex-SMC professional footballer, one of the last lower school fifth formers before it became a sixth form college -

Mark Brennan from Rawtenstall:

an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Ipswich Town, Middlesbrough and Manchester City, in the Premier League for Oldham Athletic, in the Chinese Jia-A League for Guangdong Hongyuan, and in the Australian National Soccer League for Sydney Olympic.

He went on to play state league football in Australia and non-League football in England. At international level, Brennan was capped five times for the England under-21 team. ^{(all courtesy of wikipedia!)}