[Archived] Wolves V Blackburn Rovers, Fa Cup Final, 7Th May 1960

[matt83]

How many fans never returned after the ticket scandal?

To answer your question I've looked at our average attendances by season. A lazy Sunday task if ever there was one. In

1959 averaged 30,544

1960 averaged 27,299

Then in 1961 19,343.

So it fell by 10,000 over a summer without relegation. We then only managed to average over 20,000 once in 1964 (21,543) until we won the league in 1995.

[AJW]

Which "end" were the Rovers fans ? Can anybody remember?? From the camera view point were we left or right ??

[blue kiwi]

GREAT FOOTAGE never seen the national anthem played at the end before,all players stood to attention,national service was still around i guess.2 rovers players with htere head bowed cheyenne was one .he was northern irish?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

He was probably embarrassed at letting everyone down including himself.

[den]

He was probably embarrassed at letting everyone down including himself.

I know Bryan Douglas is still aware that the team let the fans down.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I know Bryan Douglas is still aware that the team let the fans down.

It just wasn't our day. Bryan didn't play at anything like his best to be honest but he certainly made up for it later. He's the best player I ever saw in a blue and white shirt.

[Gav]

It just wasn't our day. Bryan didn't play at anything like his best to be honest but he certainly made up for it later. He's the best player I ever saw in a blue and white shirt.

Dougie must have been some player Tyrone, my dad loved watching him that's for sure, but better than Shearer?

Regardless you've been blessed to see 2 magnificent players pull on the famous blue n white, no doubt about that.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Dougie must have been some player Tyrone, my dad loved watching him that's for sure, but better than Shearer?

Regardless you've been blessed to see 2 magnificent players pull on the famous blue n white, no doubt about that.

Two entirely different types of players Gav. Shearer was a goal scoring machine who took your breathe away with the pure power of his all round play. Douglas was a little ball playing magician who could take your breathe away with the audacity and cleverness of his dribbling and passing. I've banged a couple of 25 yarders into the top corner during my playing career but I never took the ball around 6 or 7 defenders like Dougie could. If you like to see defenders put on their backsides with cleverness Dougie was your man. If you think Eden Hazard at the peak of his form that was the nearest today to Bryan Douglas.

I consider myself immensely privileged to have witnessed the best goal I ever saw at Ewood against West Brom on Easter Saturday in 1963. Dougie picked the ball up on the halfway line and took the ball around most of the West Brom team before slotting it home. Even the West Brom players applauded him as he walked back for the kick off.

A pal of mine played with him at Great Harwood when he finished at Ewood. He told me " Tyrone, he could beat you standing still ! ".

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I was cleaning out my loft over Xmas and I came across a couple of scrap books I had kept from that era.

Here's what the great Alf Thornton had to say about that goal in " The Last Sports " that evening.

" At 80 minutes Douglas brought the house down with a wonder goal such as only he of present day footballers can score. He picked the ball up on his wing at the half way line , shrugged off attempted tackles by Clark and Bannister, went inside at speed and beat Williams, Jones and Fairfax with beautiful body swerves as though they did not exist before crashing in a terrific drive. "

" The Rovers players dashed to congratulate him and the crowd gave him a standing ovation".

This is from Ian Holman of " The Daily Express " - entitled " A Moment Of Magic From Douglas ".

" The ball was snuggled gently at the talented feet of tiny Bryan Douglas just about where the centre circle curve ends. A player lunged twice, missed twice, and finally landed in the mud as Douglas switched feet and swept by.

Another Crimson shirted challenger zoomed into a fierce tackle but still Douglas wended his dizzy way towards the penalty area.

Inside the box two more men tried to stop him but failed as miserably as the rest. So now Douglas was poised for the kill.

His right foot flashed and the beautifully placed shot whipped into the roof of the net. This was one of football's magic moments - an unforgettable goal to round off a match that Douglas had already made his own. "

Well I was there, a 14 year old kid, right behind that goal at the Darwen End. I had a birds eye view of a genius at work. An unforgettable moment in time that will live with me for ever. Thanks for that and all the other memories Bryan. Alan Shearer was an all time great but you were " The Greatest ".

The Chicken Chokers can't erase those memories or my love for the Club.

[mhead]

FA Cup Final....spent most of the time crying and hiding behind the Sofa at our council house on Brodick road, Shadsworth(it was really rough then!)

Me and my Dad went to every round except for Sunderland Away(3rd Round I think) and sent our postal orders off for tickets,but they were returned. We had to watch at home with early TV.

Never been able to watch Videos of it. We moved shortly afterwards to a house near Corporation park and the girl next door had gone out with the Doog....lots of stories of flash Doogan arriving in his Jaguar. By then he had already Dooged off. Heard Ronnie speak about this years later and I still got upset.

[jim mk2]

Duggie was a street footballer - old timers will know what I mean by a street footballer - a type of player you see rarely these days. The ability to dribble the ball at pace is something that cannot be coached and is learnt only by playing every day on hard surfaces with a small ball. Messi is a street footballer.

[Leonard Venkhater]

Thanks for posting this. I had never watched it through before, although I have listened and read so much about it.

I remember this was a curse that hung over Rovers for the next 32 years. I remember the bitterness of older people, who had once loved Rovers. It was only finally exorcised through Jack and Kenny.

So awful to think that what happened after 2010 is going to have an effect that is even worse and more long lasting.

#Venky's Out.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Duggie was a street footballer - old timers will know what I mean by a street footballer - a type of player you see rarely these days. The ability to dribble the ball at pace is something that cannot be coached and is learnt only by playing every day on hard surfaces with a small ball. Messi is a street footballer.

Another drinking mate of mine was an England school boy international. He played No 8 in the same England schools team as Barry Bridges, Willie Carlin, John Osbourne, Warwick Rimmer etc. He was a " Dougie " style street footballer. He lived in the end house of a row of terraced houses. He honed his skills on the cobbled street at the side of his house playing with a tennis ball ! That's how you develop ball skills - not with a play station.

He was headline news in " The Manchester Evening News " when he signed for Man Utd at the same time as Nobby Stiles. A year or two later he did his cruciate playing against Bolton Reserves at Burnden Park. It was a finisher for him although Utd got him a good job in the printing trade. His scrap book made fascinating reading. He had a programme from a Lancashire schoolboys v Manchester schoolboys match. Fred Pickering was on the right wing for Lancashire schoolboys !

He was a big mate of Paddy Daly who starred for our youth team in that era. They were teammates for Manchester schools. My pal rated Daly very highly and couldn't understand how Daly never made it.

When I knew him he was scouting for Manchester City. He told me a story about being sent to watch a young kid playing on some municipal playing fields in Central Manchester. Who should be playing on the next pitch but Paddy Daly. He was about 40 years old with a beer belly but my mate said he was the best player on the pitch by a mile.

[AllRoverAsia]

Another drinking mate of mine was an England school boy international. He played No 8 in the same England schools team as Barry Bridges, Willie Carlin, John Osbourne, Warwick Rimmer etc. He was a " Dougie " style street footballer. He lived in the end house of a row of terraced houses. He honed his skills on the cobbled street at the side of his house playing with a tennis ball ! That's how you develop ball skills - not with a play station.

He was headline news in " The Manchester Evening News " when he signed for Man Utd at the same time as Nobby Stiles. A year or two later he did his cruciate playing against Bolton Reserves at Burnden Park. It was a finisher for him although Utd got him a good job in the printing trade. His scrap book made fascinating reading. He had a programme from a Lancashire schoolboys v Manchester schoolboys match. Fred Pickering was on the right wing for Lancashire schoolboys !

He was a big mate of Paddy Daly who starred for our youth team in that era. They were teammates for Manchester schools. My pal rated Daly very highly and couldn't understand how Daly never made it.

Playing with the tennis ball until all the outer skin/fluff was worn of and on until it just wore out. Always had scabs on the knees and a belt round the ear from Mum for another pair of shoes ruined. Cardboard fixes lol.

Keepup with a tennis ball was tricky and easy with a real football unless it got to wet and heavy. Never liked heading those beggars but it made you connect with the forehead properly.

[den]

While we're talking about Bryan Douglas......

http://streaming.britishpathe.com/hls-vod/flash/00000000/00049000/00049065.mp4.m3u8

[Stonesrick]

Thanks for posting this - its great to see but also sad as well. 11 v 11 and I think we would have won this even with Dougan's injury/attitude. Didn't realise just how big, powerful and athletic Matt Woods was and could play a bit too.

Would love to see our midfield today with Ronnie Clayton and Ron Flowers plying their trade.

Ally McLeod reminds me of Jason Wilcox to a certain extent?

[AJW]

Thanks for posting this - its great to see but also sad as well. 11 v 11 and I think we would have won this even with Dougan's injury/attitude. Didn't realise just how big, powerful and athletic Matt Woods was and could play a bit too.

Would love to see our midfield today with Ronnie Clayton and Ron Flowers plying their trade.

Ally McLeod reminds me of Jason Wilcox to a certain extent?

I thought that too , to the extent of playing well , beat his man a couple of time then after the first firm challenge he didnt want to know

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Thanks for posting this - its great to see but also sad as well. 11 v 11 and I think we would have won this even with Dougan's injury/attitude. Didn't realise just how big, powerful and athletic Matt Woods was and could play a bit too.

Would love to see our midfield today with Ronnie Clayton and Ron Flowers plying their trade.

Ally McLeod reminds me of Jason Wilcox to a certain extent?

Matt Woods was a great servant to the Club and a very under-rated player. He could see the writing on the wall in the shape of Mike England and retired at the height of his powers to emigrate to Australia. Good as Matt was Mike England became the best centre half I've ever seen in British football. He had everything skill wise and for a very tall guy he had a tremendous spring in his legs. He was virtually unbeatable in the air and I've seen him head the ball down into the top corner of the goal from a corner when he got a run at the ball.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Playing with the tennis ball until all the outer skin/fluff was worn of and on until it just wore out. Always had scabs on the knees and a belt round the ear from Mum for another pair of shoes ruined. Cardboard fixes lol.

Keepup with a tennis ball was tricky and easy with a real football unless it got to wet and heavy. Never liked heading those beggars but it made you connect with the forehead properly.

I've got memories of heading away long kicks from opposing goal keepers when I played full back. One or two times I got it wrong and saw stars ! I never did like heading those old footballs especially in the wet. The lack of heading ability let me down at the time but I still see one or two of the old centre halves I played with and they've suffered. One really awesome header of the ball has Parkinson's now, another one has lost the plot completely !

[AJW]

You could really see how difficult it was fo the keepers to even reach the half way line from goal kicks and even throwing the ball looks like a lot of effort , I've heard it said many times how heavy the balls were but for someone like me who started watching football In the early 80's it was an eye opener .

[Friarsnig]

Great stuff, thanks for that, although even now it's slightly difficult to watch, and I wasn't born until 7 years later.

At the final whistle it was good to see the lack of players from the losing side lying sobbing on the turf, or winners leaping around like idiots, and none of that silly team shot with them all jigging up and down on their toes singing. Just handshakes and congratulations or commiserations.

[Claytons Left Boot]

While we're talking about Bryan Douglas......

http://streaming.britishpathe.com/hls-vod/flash/00000000/00049000/00049065.mp4.m3u8

Great footage den. November 1957, so Dougie would have been a Second Division player and still ran rings around them.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

You could really see how difficult it was fo the keepers to even reach the half way line from goal kicks and even throwing the ball looks like a lot of effort , I've heard it said many times how heavy the balls were but for someone like me who started watching football In the early 80's it was an eye opener .

The kicks I'm talking about were when the goalie carried the ball to the edge of his area and then launched it down field out of their hands with a following wind ! You could see the ball coming a mile off and you daren't let it bounce. Grit your teeth and hope for the best !

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Great stuff, thanks for that, although even now it's slightly difficult to watch, and I wasn't born until 7 years later.

At the final whistle it was good to see the lack of players from the losing side lying sobbing on the turf, or winners leaping around like idiots, and none of that silly team shot with them all jigging up and down on their toes singing. Just handshakes and congratulations or commiserations.

When Dougie scored that goal which was probably one of the outstanding goals in a glittering career he just turned on his heel and jogged back to the centre circle. No knee slides, no punching the corner flag, no bloody stupid dances. No taking the @#/? out of his opponents. Just a series of handshakes and back slaps from his teammates.

[rigger]

When Dougie scored that goal which was probably one of the outstanding goals in a glittering career he just turned on his heel and jogged back to the centre circle. No knee slides, no punching the corner flag, no bloody stupid dances. No taking the @#/? out of his opponents. Just a series of handshakes and back slaps from his teammates.

And the rest of the team where back in their positions, concentrating and ready to defend the attack that would come from the kick-off.