[Archived] Happy Birthday Mike England!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Barry Griffiths had a couple of games for our first team, the second one in a nightmare performance at Blackpool were we lost 4-1 and then went out of the game.

Dave Wells moved to Rochdale, he played a few games at full back there. Then they decided to do a Fred Pickering with him and put him up front in the reserves. He was banging goals in for fun and he was on the verge of a first team recall when he broke his leg and that was that.

Fred Pickering as we all know went on to play as a striker and to become in my opinion the second best centre forward we've ever had.

Mike England, again we all know about. World class centre half.

Keith Newton, moved to full back and became a Rovers all time great.

Vinnie Leach, moved to Bury for a few years and then for a few more at Rochdale. Nice, steady midfielder. Retired with a knee injury toward the end of his career. I played against his brothers, Johnny and George. Johnny especially was a top amateur.

Barrie Ratcliffe, he should have been a top player, fast and tricky, but he seemed to lack confidence. He was in and out of the first team for a while but never really established himself in the first team. He had a few years at Rovers then moved to Scunthorpe and then Rochdale. I saw him at the 'Dale in a cup tie against Altrincham, he was awful as were several others but he was made the scapegoat for a bad loss and never played for the first team again. Drifted out of the game after that.

I saw him play his last game for Rovers against Fulham. Rovers had also been beaten in the FA Cup ( Middlesborough away ) midweek and had played like drains apparently. Some of the forwards ( Pickering and Byrom I think ) were dropped for lack of effort so Ratcliffe got back in on the right wing. He was up against a real old thug of a full back, Jim Langley. Barrie ran him ragged for about 20 mins until Langley threw himself into a really bad tackle and landed feet first about half way up Ratcliffe's leg. This was right in front of me. Shocking tackle. Today it would have been a straight red but then it was only a booking. Ratcliffe then kept well clear of both the ball and Langley after that. No subs then or he would have been subbed. We got beat 1-0 in a crap game.

Alan Bradshaw, had a few games with our first team scoring on his debut I think before going to be a Chester legend. After that other lower league clubs

Billy Jervis, left Rovers and had 1 game for Gillingham

Paddy Daly, everybody thought he was going to be the next Bryan Douglas. Loads of other big clubs had been chasing him. But he never made the grade. He a couple of games for the first team and then he left us for Southport, he had a few games there. I saw him playing amateur football in Manchester well into his late thirties. He still had it though.

Paddy Mulvey, I think he left us for Accrington Stanley but never made the first team anywhere.

There was another lad called ? Rimmer who played in the earlier rounds in midfield but was injured for the finals and Alan Bradshaw came in for him.

We drew 1-1 at West Ham with a goal from Alan Bradshaw. In the following home tie Barry Griffiths saved a penalty before Paddy Daly scored a goal in extra time to win us the cup 2-1 on aggregate. There was a gate just short of 30,000 for that game !

Answering another question - I've got a photo somewhere of the changing room before Ronnie Clayton's testimonial and Mike England is on it.

[47er]

I went to the Home Match of the FA Youth Cup Final(I think). Second leg at Ewood? Did we win or draw at West Ham.

Its all confused in my mind with Bill Eckersley's Testimonial......big crowd and finished 7-6 for someone!!

Edit.

[DannyKeg]

I always thought Barrie Ratcliffe, should have succeeded, he certainly showed a lot of promise. The point about him lacking confidence is probably key. Good memories TS. Reading about Paddy Mulvy reminded me of Dick Mulveny, whatever happened to him?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Dick Mulvaney went on a free to Oldham and then Rochdale. I liked Mulvaney, he was a big strong lad who was very steady and consistent. Not the quickest though. I remember we played Bolton at home once with Dick and Ben Anderson as joint strike force ! Although we won 2-1 the experiment wasn't repeated. That was Francis Lee's last game for Bolton. Bob Hatton was playing for Bolton that day and they wanted to sub him. He didn't want to go off but Lee came over and gave him a real four letter volley that left him in no uncertain terms as to where he should go !

He had a brother Jim Mulvaney who was a regular goalscorer for Stockport County.

[Iceman]

No, Fred Pickering was the captain, from left back !

No , that was Denis Law.

Tyrone, I'm impressed with your knowledge, very impressed pal. In that case, what pies did they have back then, and were they any good

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I don't know mate. I've never had a pie at a football match in my life. I value my digestive tract too much.

Knowledge or the ability to remember is a funny thing. I can remember certain goals and other events from my youth pretty clearly. My memory's not so good with more up to date events. I suppose as a young lad football was the be all and all in my life. Now although it's important it's not that important.

[jim mk2]

Some great memories of Mike England on here - the finest centre half I have seen in a Rovers shirt and one of the best players of his era.

As has been mentioned he was also a very decent cricketer - a left handed bat if I recall. Not sure if he played for Blackburn Northern or East Lancs.

Mike was the Wales manager for a time and was in charge the night Jock Stein died after the crucial World Cup Wales-Scotland qualifier.

Wales lost the match in controversial circumstances and Mike refused to talk to the media afterwards because he was too upset. We never did find out whether that was because of the result of the match or Stein's demise. Probably both.

[oldjamfan1]

Alan Bradshaw, had a few games with our first team scoring on his debut I think before going to be a Chester legend. After that other lower league clubs

I assume this would be the same Alan Bradshaw that went into teaching? Plenty of local lads will recall his coaching of the Blackburn & Darwen schools sides in the 70s and 80s, nearly won the national trophy one year (and only one of that side went on to be a pro, Mark Brennan).

[tonyoz]

Tyrone, I'm impressed with your knowledge, very impressed pal. In that case, what pies did they have back then, and were they any good

Not sure back then..........but I served the pies in 67/68 (Blackburn End). They were definitely pork!

[47er]

Some great memories of Mike England on here - the finest centre half I have seen in a Rovers shirt and one of the best players of his era.

As has been mentioned he was also a very decent cricketer - a left handed bat if I recall. Not sure if he played for Blackburn Northern or East Lancs.

Mike was the Wales manager for a time and was in charge the night Jock Stein died after the crucial World Cup Wales-Scotland qualifier.

Wales lost the match in controversial circumstances and Mike refused to talk to the media afterwards because he was too upset. We never did find out whether that was because of the result of the match or Stein's demise. Probably both.

Mike England still performing miracles----brought Jim back!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I assume this would be the same Alan Bradshaw that went into teaching? Plenty of local lads will recall his coaching of the Blackburn & Darwen schools sides in the 70s and 80s, nearly won the national trophy one year (and only one of that side went on to be a pro, Mark Brennan).

Yes I believe he went into teaching.

Some great memories of Mike England on here - the finest centre half I have seen in a Rovers shirt and one of the best players of his era.

As has been mentioned he was also a very decent cricketer - a left handed bat if I recall. Not sure if he played for Blackburn Northern or East Lancs.

Mike was the Wales manager for a time and was in charge the night Jock Stein died after the crucial World Cup Wales-Scotland qualifier.

Wales lost the match in controversial circumstances and Mike refused to talk to the media afterwards because he was too upset. We never did find out whether that was because of the result of the match or Stein's demise. Probably both.

Hi Jim, welcome back. I was looking at " Blackburn Rovers - A Pictorial History " the other day. There are two photo's in that book of Mike in his cricket togs. In one he's pulling or sweeping a ball to leg as a left handed batsman would. His grip on the bat is left handed also. The other photo is of him sat outside a cricket club pavilion. I can't recognise the pavilion, I'm strictly Central Lancashire League.

[47er]

I'm pretty sure he played for Blackburn Northern. So did Terry Ibbotson by the way at that time.