[Archived] Spurs V Rovers Fa Cup 1960

[jim mk2]

Found this gem on youtube and definitely one for the veterans.

How many Rovers players can you spot and name?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

They don't make pitches like that anymore. Brilliant dribble from Peter Dobing, what a class act he was. Exactly what we don't have now, somebody who can carry the ball into the last third.That result was a massive upset, Spurs did the double the next very season. Cliff Jones got their goal, the Gareth Bale of his day. When I saw a young Keith Newton keep him quiet for 90 minutes a season or two later I knew we had a good 'un coming through. Bill Brown was a great goalkeeper for Spurs, he didn't make many mistakes.

Bimpson, Dobing, Dougan, Mick McGrath, Ronnie, Dougie of course all featured in the film.

[bazza]

Thanks for that, Jim. I didn't realise the Spurs pitch was so awful. Those were the days when you had to play on grass, mud, and snow.

Only an ice-covered pitch would have stopped a game because of safety concerns.

Players mentioned by the commentator were Dobing, Bimpson and Douglas. Matt Woods was the centre half who shot from a distance and scored. No doubt the rest of the team would have been Leyland, Bray, Whelan, Clayton, McGrath, Dougan, McLeod.

The previous round was rather intriguing. The mighty Spurs were held to a draw at lowly Crewe Alexandra whilst Rovers were losing at home to Blackpool and looking like going out miserably until Mick McGrath (the only outfield player outside the Blackpool penalty area so they said) shot for goal and the ball somehow eluded the seething mass of players, some of whom were in a heap on the ground to finish up in the net.

On Monday at 12:25 precisely the draw for the next round was made; Crewe Alexandra or Tottenham Hotspur v Blackburn Rovers or Blackpool.

Both replays were on the same night midweek. Spurs were expected to hammer Crewe. The Alex scored first and last in the game but lost 13-2. Spurs were winning 10-1 at half time. Blackpool were expected to do away with the Rovers but were totally outclassed by Rovers at Bloomfield Road especially the brilliant Peter Dobing. The score escapes me. 2-0?

The whole country expected Spurs to beat Rovers with home advantage and you all know the rest.

Football was well worth watching in those days where the elements played their part. No cards, few cautions, very rare sendings-off to spoil the game for the spectators. Even the referees were allowed to apply the laws of the game by their own judgement.

[jim mk2]

Interesting to see the players always carrying the ball at their feet instead of the modern passing game - even in the atrocious conditions.

Also, Rovers were wearing their normal strip even though it clashed somewhat with the white of Spurs - no "away" strips in those days.

[den]

This would be the replay Bazza.

[Mike E]

Fantastic to watch those!

[arbitro]

Two excellent clips and really interesting to compare some of the play to today's game. In today's sanitised game the game at Tottenham would never have been played with the players safety being cited as the reason. Looking at some of the dribbling I can't recall in the modern era the last time I saw a Rovers player run with the ball and beat several opponents. And goalkeepers with no gloves.

[47er]

Wanted to go to that game but Dad wasn't up for it! People I knew who did go told me Rovers were all over them in a game widely expected to go Spurs way.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I'd seen the Spurs game on the internet before but not the Blackpool away match. Looks like we battered Blackpool. Watching those matches really makes you think how much the game has changed, not always for the better in my opinion.

Typically Rovers we played Spurs at Ewood the following Saturday in the league and got caned 4-1, I wonder how much the pitch at White Hart Lane suited our game more than Spurs.

As other people have said the ability to run hard at people with the ball under close control seems to have almost disappeared from the modern game. I particularly noticed how the likes of Peter Dobing ran very " head up " in spite of having great close control. He should have gone on to be an all time great at Rovers but was allowed to leave to grace the game up front at City and later on in midfield at Stoke. Just one of a list of great players we've produced and sold on. There's also an incident were a Blackpool player also bamboozled his way past about four of our players. Of course nobody was better at this particular skill than Bryan Douglas, a real genius who was an outstanding master of the art of dribbling past opponents.

I watched the 1966 World Cup Final again not long ago. I was amazed how quickly the ball was back in play at throw ins, free kicks etc with the minimum of fuss. Also how quickly and accurately the ball was moved forward without the modern succession of sideways and backward passes.

I used to go to Ewood as a young player to see the stars do things I could never do, like dribble past three or four opponents etc. When I go now I think I could have done what this lot are doing, I could head it a bit, pass it sideways 10 yards, tackle a bit, run around a lot.

The kids today don't put the hours in on the street corners or the local rec like players did in the old days. The ability to master the ball and take heavy tackles off the bigger lads and still keep the ball has gone.

Of course they can all do the step overs until they're dizzy but how often do they lead to anything ?

Regarding kits, why were Wolves playing in that awful strip on Saturday at Ewood ? What happened to the " Old Gold " ? How could there be a clash ?

Another couple of my pet hates. No bloody stupid knee slides or embarrassing dances after a goal. No rubbing the oppositions face in it. Just get on with the game.

[den]

These clips have been on here before. If you click the following link and put Blackburn rovers into the search bar, there are loads of fantastic clips.

http://www.britishpathe.com

[rog of the rovers]

The Cup Semi at Maine Road

Typical Rovers 2-0 up and cruising, then hanging on for grim death at the end!

What colour were our shirts?

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/sheffield-wednesday-v-blackburn/query/blackburn+rovers

[Claytons Left Boot]

The next game provided probably the most outstanding memory of any Rovers game. Playing at the Dingledome they were trailing 3-0 with 17 minutes to go when they scored 3 in about 12 minutes and almost snatched a fourth. They won the replay 2-0 AET. Happy days

A total of 105,340 watched those two games. Not bad for two East Lancs town teams. Just under 54k were on Ewood and, with the gates locked, there were another 10k outside, unable to get in. There was a photo from the LT showing some of them on a packed Nuttall Street.

[Gav]

Fantastic footage.

As a club we went through some dire years after the trip to Wembley but we came back and we will again.

[funny-old-game]

Fantastic footage.

As a club we went through some dire years after the trip to Wembley but we came back and we will again.

If we come back as good as we were in the 80's would do for starters.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Fantastic footage.

As a club we went through some dire years after the trip to Wembley but we came back and we will again.

I don't know about that. The team from say 1962 to 1965 for big chunks of each season played the best football I've ever seen from a Rover team. That includes the team that won the Premier League. The trouble was we had a very small squad and if key players got injured we'd nobody of equal standard to bring in. Also we hadn't the resources to strengthen the team when the season was coming to the nitty gritty time in Spring and certain players needed a break.

As a result several promising seasons ended with nothing in the trophy cupboard. Having said that the number of goals scored and the attacking football played was something else.

We still played some good stuff in the second division but ultimately standards slipped and by 1970 we were pretty poor.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I saw every game, except the first at Sunderland, in that cup run. Matt Woods goal at Spurs was from a free kick from the centre spot and must have hit the only dry spot on the pitch when it bounced over Brown, in the Spurs goal. the abiding memory was Bryan Douglas completely destroying Spurs and Danny Blanchflower in particular.

The next game provided probably the most outstanding memory of any Rovers game. Playing at the Dingledome they were trailing 3-0 with 17 minutes to go when they scored 3 in about 12 minutes and almost snatched a fourth. They won the replay 2-0 AET. Happy days

Edit rog of the rovers They were red shirts white shorts

Blanchflower must have hated the sight of Bryan Douglas. I don't think I've seen a top class player destroyed as completely as Blanchflower was in the famous 7-2 thrashing we gave Spurs at Ewood Park. Dougie absolutely tied him in knots that day. Being fair to Blanchflower, he was a gentleman player. He didn't resort to kicking Dougie to death unlike most of the guys who marked him in those days.

After that his days were numbered at Spurs, they went out and bought Alan Mullery to replace Blanchflower not long after.

I remember reading later that week that Bill Nicholson, the Spurs Manager, asked Rovers to name their price for Dougie in the Ewood boardroom after that game. The word was they were prepared to break the British transfer record to sign him.

Luckily for us the offer was turned down.

[den]

Comparing the team of the early to mid sixties, to the title winning team shouldn't be on really. Got to say though, that sixties team had far more classy players and could give the best sides a thrashing. That era will be the abiding memory for me.

Then again, I was a lot younger then.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Comparing the team of the early to mid sixties, to the title winning team shouldn't be on really. Got to say though, that sixties team had far more classy players and could give the best sides a thrashing. That era will be the abiding memory for me.

Then again, I was a lot younger then.

The early sixties team had six players in my all time Rovers team Den. Keith Newton, Ronnie Clayton, Mike England, Mike Ferguson, Bryan Douglas, Fred Pickering. Andy McEvoy would be in with a good shout for the subs bench.

The Champions had Graham LeSaux, Colin Hendrey and Alan Shearer.

The other two players I chose were Brad Freidel and Damien Duff.

4-4-2 formation.

Freidel

Newton

England

Hendrey

LeSaux

M Ferguson

Clayton

Douglas

Duff

Shearer

Pickering.

All those in their prime would give Barcelona a game, no problem.

In a sentence or two the 1960's team were very easy on the eye but ultimately underachieved.

The Champions were much more functional in style but ultimately they did the business.

It'd be interesting to see the Sixties team play the Champs, oh for a time machine Den.

[rigger]

The early sixties team had six players in my all time Rovers team Den. Keith Newton, Ronnie Clayton, Mike England, Mike Ferguson, Bryan Douglas, Fred Pickering. Andy McEvoy would be in with a good shout for the subs bench.

The Champions had Graham LeSaux, Colin Hendrey and Alan Shearer.

The other two players I chose were Brad Freidel and Damien Duff.

4-4-2 formation.

Freidel

Newton

England

Hendrey

LeSaux

M Ferguson

Clayton

Douglas

Duff

Shearer

Pickering.

All those in their prime would give Barcelona a game, no problem.

In a sentence or two the 1960's team were very easy on the eye but ultimately underachieved.

The Champions were much more functional in style but ultimately they did the business.

It'd be interesting to see the Sixties team play the Champs, oh for a time machine Den.

I would swap Tugay, for Furguson

[bazza]

I'd seen the Spurs game on the internet before but not the Blackpool away match. Looks like we battered Blackpool. Watching those matches really makes you think how much the game has changed, not always for the better in my opinion.

Typically Rovers we played Spurs at Ewood the following Saturday in the league and got caned 4-1, I wonder how much the pitch at White Hart Lane suited our game more than Spurs.

I wonder if that 4-1 defeat by Spurs at Ewood was the cracking game I watched where the ground was packed, mainly by Rovers fans. 99% of them stayed to the end and gave both teams a standing ovation off the pitch.

That sort of thing would never happen now.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I would swap Tugay, for Furguson

Much as I admire Tugs I couldn't fit Tugay into a 4-4-2 system. I like the idea of playing with two wingers so to play Tugay I'd have to drop either Ronnie Clayton or Bryan Douglas. Anybody who saw either of those two play will know they're the first two names on the team sheet.

[rigger]

Much as I admire Tugs I couldn't fit Tugay into a 4-4-2 system. I like the idea of playing with two wingers so to play Tugay I'd have to drop either Ronnie Clayton or Bryan Douglas. Anybody who saw either of those two play will know they're the first two names on the team sheet.

surely if you say clayton and douglas would be your first two on the team sheet, and you play them as the two wingers, where would duff play?

[47er]

Play Ronnie Clayton as a winger??? Blasphemy!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

surely if you say clayton and douglas would be your first two on the team sheet, and you play them as the two wingers, where would duff play?

Mm, Looks like you're not familiar with how the 4-4-2 system was usually written out in the match programme.

My midfield would be as follows-

Mike Ferguson RW Ronnie Clayton CM Bryan Douglas CM Damian Duff LW

Is that any clearer ?

[rigger]

Mm, Looks like you're not familiar with how the 4-4-2 system was usually written out in the match programme.

My midfield would be as follows-

Mike Ferguson RW Ronnie Clayton CM Bryan Douglas CM Damian Duff LW

Is that any clearer ?

Yes, now I understand. Sorry I misunderstood your post #23