[Archived] Blackburn Roverseas previews Bristol Rovers (H) 25.11.17

[blueboy3333]

5 hours ago, Tugay's Right Foot said:

Imho, Evans is no longer the outstanding candidate beside Smallwood.

Who is?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

Who is?

Good point. I had hopes for Tomlinson at the start of the season but he's hardly featured at all.

[Tugay's Right Foot]

1 hour ago, blueboy3333 said:

Who is?

i am actually starting to prefer Whittingham there, but he too hasn't been outstanding. Probably give Harper a run? And yes, at the start of the season, I thought Tomlinson was going to play more. He has been in and about since two seasons back, right?

[Skiptonrover]

2-1 antossen brace, looking forward to this 1 Portsmouth seems a long while ago with the away games & Walsall rescheduled.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

A game we should be looking to take all three points but this is Rovers,Blackburn Rovers at home....expect the unexpected!

Decent following from Bristol.

[dingles staying down 4ever]

12 hours ago, Tugay's Right Foot said:

Imho, Evans is no longer the outstanding candidate beside Smallwood.

With the exception of the Portsmouth game, generally we looked better as a team with Evans in the team rather than Whittingham.

[G Somerset Rover]

4 minutes ago, dingles staying down 4ever said:

With the exception of the Portsmouth game, generally we looked better as a team with Evans in the team rather than Whittingham.

Agreed - if fit I think he should be starting.

[bazza]

I consider myself to have been extremely fortunate to have witnessed a fabulous game against Bristol Rovers at Ewood Park.

As a boy of 11 my dad took me on the Rovers to sit in Stand B of the Nuttall Street stand to watch the home game versus Bristol Rovers in (I think) early 1955. Stand B was the one which eventually burnt down. It had wooden benches rather than seats. The benches were marked out with individual sitting areas. Seats were in Stand A.

We were losing 3-2 at half time. Later in the second half we were winning 7-3 when we got a penalty. I think it was our usual penalty taker, Bill Eckersley, who called over Tommy Briggs to take it. Briggs scored his record creating 7th goal and we won 8-3.

That same season I was there again to see us demolish Middlesbrough 9-0 and Briggs, though playing, didn't score one.  Happy childhood days!

I will be happy tomorrow if we can win. I'm taking my 7 year old grandson for his first taste of a live football match in a stadium. His dad is an armchair Man Utd fan.

[Cherry Blue]

Any views on the weather? Will game still be on?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, bazza said:

I consider myself to have been extremely fortunate to have witnessed a fabulous game against Bristol Rovers at Ewood Park.

As a boy of 11 my dad took me on the Rovers to sit in Stand B of the Nuttall Street stand to watch the home game versus Bristol Rovers in (I think) early 1955. Stand B was the one which eventually burnt down. It had wooden benches rather than seats. The benches were marked out with individual sitting areas. Seats were in Stand A.

We were losing 3-2 at half time. Later in the second half we were winning 7-3 when we got a penalty. I think it was our usual penalty taker, Bill Eckersley, who called over Tommy Briggs to take it. Briggs scored his record creating 7th goal and we won 8-3.

That same season I was there again to see us demolish Middlesbrough 9-0 and Briggs, though playing, didn't score one.  Happy childhood days!

I will be happy tomorrow if we can win. I'm taking my 7 year old grandson for his first taste of a live football match in a stadium. His dad is an armchair Man Utd fan.

There can't be many left who saw Briggs score his 7 goals. When we beat ' Boro 9-0 was Briggs playing in a blindfold ? In those days you'd expect the No 9 to get at least a hat trick in a 9-0 game.

[Lihamylly]

Just hoping we can carry on our good momentum and bag this one.

Will be as official at my son's basketball game at the time, so won't be biting my nails with you this time.

3-1 say I. Dack will work his magic once again.

[47er]

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

There can't be many left who saw Briggs score his 7 goals. When we beat ' Boro 9-0 was Briggs playing in a blindfold ? In those days you'd expect the No 9 to get at least a hat trick in a 9-0 game.

I was there! with my Dad. The main thing I can remember about that day is the incredible fog swirling around Nuttall St! Very Victorian. It seems like another age. Expected the game to be cancelled. 

Quite common then for spectators at one end not to be able to see what was going on at the other.

I do remember complaining to my Dad before the game that Briggs was in the team! I wanted him dropped!  

62 years on and still a great judge of football!

[den9112]

43 minutes ago, bazza said:

I consider myself to have been extremely fortunate to have witnessed a fabulous game against Bristol Rovers at Ewood Park.

As a boy of 11 my dad took me on the Rovers to sit in Stand B of the Nuttall Street stand to watch the home game versus Bristol Rovers in (I think) early 1955. Stand B was the one which eventually burnt down. It had wooden benches rather than seats. The benches were marked out with individual sitting areas. Seats were in Stand A.

We were losing 3-2 at half time. Later in the second half we were winning 7-3 when we got a penalty. I think it was our usual penalty taker, Bill Eckersley, who called over Tommy Briggs to take it. Briggs scored his record creating 7th goal and we won 8-3.

That same season I was there again to see us demolish Middlesbrough 9-0 and Briggs, though playing, didn't score one.  Happy childhood days!

I will be happy tomorrow if we can win. I'm taking my 7 year old grandson for his first taste of a live football match in a stadium. His dad is an armchair Man Utd fan.

You wouldn't happen to know if Eddie Crossant was in the team that day, only asking as i was talking to his daughter only a couple of hours ago 

[bazza]

Just now, den9112 said:

You wouldn't happen to know if Eddie Crossant was in the team that day, only asking as i was talking to his daughter only a couple of hours ago 

Lucky you. I should imagine he was, Den.

I'd need to consult one of my Rovers books. The forward line was probably Mooney (or Douglas), Crossan, Briggs, Quigley, Langton. In fact it may have been Langton as chief penalty taker that called Briggs over to take it. 

[bazza]

31 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

There can't be many left who saw Briggs score his 7 goals. When we beat ' Boro 9-0 was Briggs playing in a blindfold ? In those days you'd expect the No 9 to get at least a hat trick in a 9-0 game.

I can still remember Boro's goalkeeper's name, Ugolini. I think he must have been Italian.

[den9112]

I have a load of Charles Buchan annuals from the fifties in the loft, passed on to me from my Dad ...I bet he is in one of them as  i recall seeing a few pics of Bill Eckersley  .

Just strange how you mention the early fifties team when as i said i was talking to his daughter(Margret)  at tea time , Eddie came over to England while his wife stopped in Derry ,he was in digs on Branch road and was freinds with Bill

 

 

[den9112]

Just now, den9112 said:

I have a load of Charles Buchan annuals from the fifties in the loft, passed on to me from my Dad ...I bet he is in one of them as  i recall seeing a few pics of Bill Eckersley  .

Just strange how you mention the early fifties team when as i said i was talking to his daughter(Margret)  at tea time , Eddie came over to England while his wife stopped in Derry ,he was in digs on Branch road and was freinds with Bill...There is also the story of John Crossan who got banned

 

 

8

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, den9112 said:

You wouldn't happen to know if Eddie Crossant was in the team that day, only asking as i was talking to his daughter only a couple of hours ago 

Just looking in my record book for the 'Boro game the team was

Elvy

Suart, Eckersley

Clayton R, Kelly, Bell

Mooney, Crossan, Briggs, Quigley, Langton

For the Bristol game the team was the same .

Amazingly the same 11 played for the first 21 games with the exception  of 5 players all playing 1 game each. Bryan Douglas was one of them.  It was more or less the same team all season with the exception of Ken Taylor coming in for Ron Suart half way through the season.

We used 18 players all season but 4 only played I game and 1 other player played 2 !

No tinker men then.

Goals galore at both ends in those days. Nobody parked the bus then. Away teams came to win, if you got beat you got beat. Nobody died.

 

[den9112]

1 hour ago, bazza said:

I consider myself to have been extremely fortunate to have witnessed a fabulous game against Bristol Rovers at Ewood Park.

As a boy of 11 my dad took me on the Rovers to sit in Stand B of the Nuttall Street stand to watch the home game versus Bristol Rovers in (I think) early 1955. Stand B was the one which eventually burnt down. It had wooden benches rather than seats. The benches were marked out with individual sitting areas. Seats were in Stand A.

We were losing 3-2 at half time. Later in the second half we were winning 7-3 when we got a penalty. I think it was our usual penalty taker, Bill Eckersley, who called over Tommy Briggs to take it. Briggs scored his record creating 7th goal and we won 8-3.

That same season I was there again to see us demolish Middlesbrough 9-0 and Briggs, though playing, didn't score one.  Happy childhood days!

I will be happy tomorrow if we can win. I'm taking my 7 year old grandson for his first taste of a live football match in a stadium. His dad is an armchair Man Utd fan.

 Hope you dont mind me posting this but its Eddie Crossant cap for N Ireland ...just like to add this pic is from the original source and not one taken from the internet 

 

[ChrisPriceBaldSpot]

My lad is mascot tomorrow, but he just thinks he is going to watch. can't wait to see his face. Just hope Rovers don't disappoint him. 

[den9112]

Just now, renrag said:

He scored the first goal. As a youngster from the late 40' onward Eddie Crossan was my idol, one of the best dribblers I have seen but a flawed diamond when he reached the penalty box

So pleased someone as remembered him ...Thanks

[bazza]

2 minutes ago, renrag said:

He scored the first goal. As a youngster from the late 40' onward Eddie Crossan was my idol, one of the best dribblers I have seen but a flawed diamond when he reached the penalty box

In 1954/55 they (Rovers) scored a club record of 114 goals (Briggs 33, Quigley 28, Crossan (he couldn't shoot, remember) 18, Mooney 16, Langton 13, Clayton 2, Leaver 1, own goals 2). Courtesey of "A Century of Soccer by Harry Berry.

Eddie Crossan was always described as "mercurial". He was a lovely player, very tricky but when he got near the goal he seemed to freeze. Yet he got 18 goals in that season.

[bazza]

5 minutes ago, bazza said:

In 1954/55 they (Rovers) scored a club record of 114 goals (Briggs 33, Quigley 28, Crossan (he couldn't shoot, remember) 18, Mooney 16, Langton 13, Clayton 2, Leaver 1, own goals 2). Courtesey of "A Century of Soccer by Harry Berry.

Eddie Crossan was always described as "mercurial". He was a lovely player, very tricky but when he got near the goal he seemed to freeze. Yet he got 18 goals in that season.

Missed out Eric Bell with one goal. I thought Harry Berry had got his sums wrong

[47er]

2 hours ago, den9112 said:

So pleased someone as remembered him ...Thanks

Remember him well, saw him many times. Very tricky player, good close control but as bazza has said, little in the way of final product. 

Roy Vernon was the man with everything.

[den9112]

7 hours ago, 47er said:

Remember him well, saw him many times. Very tricky player, good close control but as bazza has said, little in the way of final product. 

Roy Vernon was the man with everything.

Roy Vernon, i spent some time in his house when i was younger ,his house IIRC was near the Blackburn infirmary and what i do recall his he had Gold plated bath taps