[Archived] Norman Bell v Chris Brown

[Stuart]

I think in times gone by players could be forgiven for being below average as they would likely have been on closer wages to people watching.

Nowadays footballers get paid thousands per week. In a month Brown will likely earn more than most Blackburners do in a year. When you factor that in he will always get a lot of stick from fans for not doing anything visibly that fans themselves couldn't.

Buffering into opposition players is not an attribute. Unless I've missed where these stats are published and he's actually a world beater!

[Husky]

Also who can forget martin dahlin

God yeah! He was like the black Leed's Brolin!

[Colt Seavers]

My mate and I spotted Bell in the Woodlands pub about twenty years ago. We had a pint with him and my mate, somewhat tactlessly, pointed out to him what a poor player he had been for us. He then sang a rather crude song that us fans occasionally belt out to donkeys.

Norman's expression was priceless!

[VinjayV4]

Bell worked for the council a few years ago and maybe still does. Council haven't exactly improved on their lack of support for Rovers since (or before) then!

[philipl]

Bell scored a few goals for us- I think about 12 in all.

So no comparison.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

Bell scored a few goals for us- I think about 12 in all.

So no comparison.

65 appearances (incl 4 as sub) - a total of 10 goals. I remember his final match - one of the few in which he looked half decent - and then picked up the injury that ended his career. If I remember correctly we paid about £60-70k for him - which at the time was a lot of money for us (money we got from the sale of Jim Arnold to Everton)

[tomphil]

Did Bell get a testimonial v Burnley or have I heard wrong ?

[oldjamfan1]

Not only is brown the worst player I've seen in a rovers shirt I think he could even be the worst ever striker in the entire history of football. And he gets massive money to do so.

Did you never see Paul McKinnon then Abbey? Much worse than Brown. Thankfully we got shut of him fairly quickly, but I think he was the only striker who ever left us owing us a goal (I think his only goal was an o.g.)

[ABBEY]

remember him but think he was better than brown ..

STATTOS...Is Brown the only striker to have played for a club for 18 months and have more red cards than goals?

[oldjamfan1]

remember him but think he was better than brown ..

Not for us he wasn't mate, which is why we bagged him off after just 5 games.

[ABBEY]

was it only five ? seem to recall him longer than that. Was it not shepstone we canned after a few.Not time to look.

[oldjamfan1]

was it only five ? seem to recall him longer than that. Was it not shepstone we canned after a few.Not time to look.

Fairly certain McKinnon was sent back to wherever he came from after 5 or 6 games Abbey. He was a big lumbering lad who came from a non league side (conference level) and was clearly not good enough for the (then) second division.

Similar thing happened with Dave Hargreaves from Stanley a few years earlier.

[VinjayV4]

Rovers have the distinction of being the only English club for whom Kaba Diawara scored. It was against Rochdale in a 6-1 win (most memorable for Dunn's hattrick of penalties) so must have been a momentous moment for him.

[garnersfags]

At least Norman got an End named after him. I can't imagine for one minute we will remember Brown, once he leaves as being a Brown End!

There are still some readers/posters scratchin their heads, thinkin: '...must've been at one of his other clubs...'

Funny.

Back to the question, Brown not fit to trip over Norman's laces on current Ewood evidence.

Not that I'm saying he was much good, though....

[1arC]

There are still some readers/posters scratchin their heads, thinkin: '...must've been at one of his other clubs...'

Funny.

Back to the question, Brown not fit to trip over Norman's laces on current Ewood evidence.

Not that I'm saying he was much good, though....

I have been quite surprised that we haven't had someone ask me if the Norman end has now been renamed?

[Jock]

Leeds named their stadium after him and then filled it with lots of them.

[RevidgeBlue]

Dave Hargreaves. Good shout.

Bearded wonder from Accy Stanley who I think got a try out in a televised FA Cup tie (very rare for us to be on TV at the time) was way out of his depth and was promptly potted.

Mckinnon/Hargreaves then Brown. Worst 3 I've ever seen in a Rovers shirt.

Bell wasn't that bad, and was probably a pretty useful player in his prime, just at the end of his career and well past his best by the time he reached us.

[tomphil]

Sean Curry, hotter than vindaloo said the song. He was more like what follows the morning after !

[arbitro]

John O'Mara was the worst I ever saw. He played against us at Brentford around 1972 and scored. I'm sure he was signed on the strength of that. He was useless and would have been more at home on pitch 10 at Pleasington.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Lol. Good shout there, not many will remember him.

As for Bell v Brown, Bell was poor but looked like Pele in comparison to Brown. Can only think of Paul McKinnon worse imo

I seem to remember a chorus of "Terry- OOH -Terry Eccles OOH OOH!" The funny thing is that we were on the way down then, as well!

[dingles staying down 4ever]

Did you never see Paul McKinnon then Abbey? Much worse than Brown. Thankfully we got shut of him fairly quickly, but I think he was the only striker who ever left us owing us a goal (I think his only goal was an o.g.)

Think your right. McKinnon's only goal in blue n white was an OG as I recall. I can't see much difference between him an Brown.

[philipl]

Forgotten the name but we had an absolute dolloper sometime in the late'70s/early '80s.

After he had been trundling around for over 15 minutes going nowhere near the ball, a voice behind me in the old Riverside boomed out "Come on lad, join in!"

[1arC]

Forgotten the name but we had an absolute dolloper sometime in the late'70s/early '80s.

After he had been trundling around for over 15 minutes going nowhere near the ball, a voice behind me in the old Riverside boomed out "Come on lad, join in!"

Could that have been Chris Thompson? RIP

[Exiled in Toronto]

Forgotten the name but we had an absolute dolloper sometime in the late'70s/early '80s.

After he had been trundling around for over 15 minutes going nowhere near the ball, a voice behind me in the old Riverside boomed out "Come on lad, join in!"

Paul Round?

John O'Mara was the worst I ever saw. He played against us at Brentford around 1972 and scored. I'm sure he was signed on the strength of that. He was useless and would have been more at home on pitch 10 at Pleasington.

I agree with that. And we were a mid-table third division team then so it's not like we had high expectations.

[jim mk2]

John O'Mara was the worst I ever saw. He played against us at Brentford around 1972 and scored. I'm sure he was signed on the strength of that. He was useless and would have been more at home on pitch 10 at Pleasington.

Blimey. that brings back memories. I was at that game and our defence made O'Mara look like a world beater. I was delighted when we signed him - then the reality kicked in. Incidentally, we lost that game at Brentford 4-0 and the club seemed in a spiral of decline from which there seemed no escape. A bit like the present day in fact.