[Archived] Rovers Reminiscences

[Preben]

8 hours ago, Claytons Left Boot said:

I probably played in the odd game at home but never played in either Middlesbrough or Hull. After a while, I fluctuated between football and running so was never a regular (at Football) throughout my days up there.

What years were you there Preben?

Yes, you didn’t mess with Mick Devoy. Didn’t he switch to QEGS?

From 66 to 70

[arbitro]

8 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

You soft lot, CLB and Arbitro. Blacksnape was like Miami Beach for us Tockholes lads!

I do remember Arbitro playing at the back on a grim day, jumping to head a high ball punted down the middle and it knocking him flat onto his back into a gigantic muddy puddle at least a foot deep. It was like watching the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms as he rose from the morass covered in mud from head to foot.

I loved that kit, made us feel like champions. Ten points for other members of that team we can name

Well John that is a though one. Me, you, CLB, Paddy Kennedy, Graham Meleady, Dominic O'Doherty, Graham Neale, Mick Grime, and two lads from the class below called Clarkson and Noel Tattersall.

After that I'm struggling and I might even have got a couple of the above wrong.

I'm still traumatised by that flaming puddle?

[oldjamfan1]

8 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

How did he achieve that? There's barely 10 games per season at town team level?

 

 

He played for them for three years and they went a long way in all the cups they entered. It isn’t an idle boast by the way - a book came out a few years ago which highlighted the fact - he was totally unaware of it! 

I think this is the book https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780952950301/History-Schoolboy-Football-Blackburn-1897-1997-0952950308/plp

[Claytons Left Boot]

9 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Ten points for other members of that team we can name

Tony’s just about nailed the other lads, possibly Frank Wilson who was in midfield with Sister Paul?

[Sparks Rover]

4 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

He played for them for three years and they went a long way in all the cups they entered. It isn’t an idle boast by the way - a book came out a few years ago which highlighted the fact - he was totally unaware of it! 

I think this is the book https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780952950301/History-Schoolboy-Football-Blackburn-1897-1997-0952950308/plp

Still nowhere near 100 games mate. 7 games to win the English Cup

4 or 5 in Wrennal Cup 

That's 12-15 when winning the ESFA and you say they got to last 8. 

Sorry mate this doesn't stack up at all.

I have been running town teams for years and this is impossible in 3 seasons at this level. 100 games in 3 seasons just doesn't happen

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Sparks Rover said:

Still nowhere near 100 games mate. 7 games to win the English Cup

4 or 5 in Wrennal Cup 

That's 12-15 when winning the ESFA and you say they got to last 8. 

Sorry mate this doesn't stack up at all.

I have been running town teams for years and this is impossible in 3 seasons at this level. 100 games in 3 seasons just doesn't happen

33 games a season as a school boy player. That's probably a game a week in school terms. 

[Exiled in Toronto]

6 hours ago, arbitro said:

Well John that is a though one. Me, you, CLB, Paddy Kennedy, Graham Meleady, Dominic O'Doherty, Graham Neale, Mick Grime, and two lads from the class below called Clarkson and Noel Tattersall.

After that I'm struggling and I might even have got a couple of the above wrong.

I'm still traumatised by that flaming puddle?

They all sound likely to me. I was Inside Right (wow, it was that long ago!) feeding the speedy Paul Clarkson on the RW. 

Paul Hickey also? Who played in goal??

[Exiled in Toronto]

5 hours ago, Claytons Left Boot said:

Tony’s just about nailed the other lads, possibly Frank Wilson who was in midfield with Sister Paul?

Mrs Eccles and Mrs North would have made a fearsome centre-back pairing.

[oldjamfan1]

3 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

Still nowhere near 100 games mate. 7 games to win the English Cup

4 or 5 in Wrennal Cup 

That's 12-15 when winning the ESFA and you say they got to last 8. 

Sorry mate this doesn't stack up at all.

I have been running town teams for years and this is impossible in 3 seasons at this level. 100 games in 3 seasons just doesn't happen

I've just spoken to my brother and I got it slightly wrong - the record is 100+ 'representative' games, which apparently also includes Lancashire. He also says that he represented multiple age groups simultaneously if they weren't playing at the same time (e.g. he played for both the under 13s and under 14s in the same season). I don't have access to that book just now but the explanation is in there. The author himself was the person who said it is a record that will never be broken. As I say, it is not an idle boast.

I'm loathe to name my brother for various reasons but he was a huge boy for his age and played alongside much older lads for years because of that.  He also played for Rovers Reserves on a non-contract basis twice at the age of 15 when Howard Kendall was manager but his schoolboy exploits didn't translate into adulthood, sadly for him, and Franz Carr was the only lad of his age that got taken on at Ewood as far as I can remember.

If you have been running town teams for years you will no doubt have heard of the reputation that particular Blackburn and Darwen schools team had.

[Claytons Left Boot]

1 hour ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Mrs Eccles and Mrs North would have made a fearsome centre-back pairing.

They would indeed and they would also have been charged with assault and abuse in the classroom in 2017. Nasty pieces of work, both of them!

Yes, Paul Hickey would have played and quite probably in the nets.

[arbitro]

2 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

They all sound likely to me. I was Inside Right (wow, it was that long ago!) feeding the speedy Paul Clarkson on the RW. 

Paul Hickey also? Who played in goal??

Noel Tattertsall was the keeper John. I missed Paul off and he was probably our best player.

[arbitro]

1 hour ago, oldjamfan1 said:

I've just spoken to my brother and I got it slightly wrong - the record is 100+ 'representative' games, which apparently also includes Lancashire. He also says that he represented multiple age groups simultaneously if they weren't playing at the same time (e.g. he played for both the under 13s and under 14s in the same season). I don't have access to that book just now but the explanation is in there. The author himself was the person who said it is a record that will never be broken. As I say, it is not an idle boast.

I'm loathe to name my brother for various reasons but he was a huge boy for his age and played alongside much older lads for years because of that.  He also played for Rovers Reserves on a non-contract basis twice at the age of 15 when Howard Kendall was manager but his schoolboy exploits didn't translate into adulthood, sadly for him, and Franz Carr was the only lad of his age that got taken on at Ewood as far as I can remember.

If you have been running town teams for years you will no doubt have heard of the reputation that particular Blackburn and Darwen schools team had.

I can endorse all that Andy. Your brother was a boy in a mans body.

[Sparks Rover]

9 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

 

If you have been running town teams for years you will no doubt have heard of the reputation that particular Blackburn and Darwen schools team had.

Im probably a bit younger than you,  however I too played many times for B&D Schoolboys. Same age group as Ryan WIlson (Giggs), Chris Casper who both represented Salford and  Burnley respectively.  Sadly, there is not much representation from B&D at town team level these days.  A shame because as you rightly point out, there has been a rich history.

[blueboy3333]

http://www.footballgroundguide.com/old-grounds-and-stands/ewood-park-blackburn-rovers-old-photos.html

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Seeing as how we're playing Northampton tomorrow I'd just like to mention one of the signings we made from the cobblers. " The Don " , Don Martin.

He was signed by Rovers in Feb 1968 for £30,000. That was a big fee for the time and I suppose Rovers bet the ranch on him.  I remember seeing his first appearance for Rovers against Norwich at home in a 0-0 draw. He wasn't the typical centre forward of the time, being tall and slender.  He was a very skilful player with a good touch and awareness of other players, he was also a decent header of the ball. Although he wasn't a prolific scorer he got his share and also made goals for the other players around him. Apparently he was the last football league player to score a goal by the simple expedient of shoulder charging the goalkeeper into the back of the net.

One of the few players to play at centre forward and centre half for Rovers.

We used to sing, " Come on without, come on within, you ain't seen nothing like Don Martin ". To the tune of Bob Dylan's " The Mighty Quinn ". 

[jim mk2]

 

One of my favourite players and a top signing by the club. Remember seeing him play for Rovers at Ewood on a Saturday and then, when I wandered down to Pleasington on the Sunday he was having a kickabout with a load of lads with jumpers for goals!

Died quite young I believe. 

Can't think of many Rovers - Northampton connections - except that we were relegated together in 1966.

[Rover_Shaun]

Even after all these years you can still learn things. I always thought Northampton were a tier 3 and 4 club but thanks to Jims memories I now know they had a 4 year stint in the top 2 divisions in the 60's

[bazza]

7 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Seeing as how we're playing Northampton tomorrow I'd just like to mention one of the signings we made from the cobblers. " The Don " , Don Martin.

 

One of the few players to play at centre forward and centre half for Rovers.

 

That's got me thinking how many I remember playing centre forward and centre half either for all the game or just part of it.

Mike England, Colin Hendry, Chris Sutton. I reckon Chris Samba could have done well at centre forward. John Charles was regularly swapped at Leeds Utd in the 40s and 50s. 

 

6 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

 

 

Can't think of many Rovers - Northampton connections - except that we were relegated together in 1966.

Yes we were going down together but when they came to Ewood we thrashed them 6-1 just to show that we were really good enough to be staying up.

The first game the following season, radio's Sports Report announcement re Div 2 was, "Blackburn win; Northampton lose".

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Weren't we winning the home game at Ewood 5-0 at half time ? I remember playing that day and getting off the bus to get a Football Pink that gave the half times and seeing the 5-0 score line and then being disappointed when I got home and saw the final score.

Team that day - 11-12- 65  for those who are bothered.- 

Else

Wilson, Mulvaney, Sharples, Newton

Darling, Clayton, Ferguson, Harrison

Jones England.

Scorers -  Ferguson, Jones 3, England, Harrison 1 pen. At 10, 685.

 After that win we played  21 more games and won only 3, losing  all the other 18 matches ! A month after the home game we went to Northampton and lost 2-1. A truly awful season were we finished with an all time low of 20 points.

[jim mk2]

That team was so much weaker than the one from only 2 years before.

Mulvaney wasn't a first division defender, Sharples was too slow for the top flight, Darling was lightweight, Jones just not good enough. 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

That team was so much weaker than the one from only 2 years before.

Mulvaney wasn't a first division defender, Sharples was too slow for the top flight, Darling was lightweight, Jones just not good enough. 

 

Fred Else was struggling for form, Wilson was still a kid learning the game, Ronnie's legs were going for the midfield role, Harrison was starting to go off the boil. 

No wonder we were struggling.

[philipl]

On 14/12/2017 at 20:21, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Seeing as how we're playing Charlton on Saturday I've got a memory of playing them in the late autumn of 1967. It'd been a pretty wet Autumn and on the Friday before the game it'd been raining on and off all day. On the Saturday morning it was pouring  down so I set off from Rochdale on the old Ribble bus service ( 158 ? ) more in hope than expectation. It was still raining heavily when I got off the bus at the Boulevard. For some reason I walked up to the ground and I was like a drowned rat when I finally arrived at Ewood Park. I had the rain soaked programme for years after but my son has it now.

The river by the side of the ground was like a raging torrent and when I got into the ground the groundstaff were working overtime forking the puddles on the pitch. We kicked off on time but before long the game became farcical, with the ball stopping all of a sudden in the puddles . By some miracle Charlton actually scored a goal, how I can't remember.  They had a young winger playing called Len Glover who later went on to much greater things ( and jail ) in Div 1, he was running us ragged out on the dry spaces on the wing.

After about half an hour our winger cut in from out wide and played a lovely cross ball right into the path of Alan Gilliver the centre forward, it was an open goal. He took an almighty swing at the ball which then caught a gust of wind and floated out of his swing like a little yacht on a pond. He missed the ball completely, spun around like a ballerina, lost his balance completely and fell over into the big puddle ! The whole ground as well as the players burst out laughing. Gilliver got to his feet soaking wet and looking more than a little bit embarrassed.

More rain came down and the game was abandoned at half time with the score Rovers 0 - Charlton 1. It was a very fed up and bedraggled Tyrone that trudged his way back into town and home to Rochdale.

According to my record book we replayed the game in the Spring of the next year and we won 3-2. Anybody else remember this water splash fiasco ?

 

 

244 bus

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Seeing as how we're playing Hull today I thought I'd just mention one of my favourite Rovers players - Ken Knighton.

He'd started out as a left full back at Wolves but probably lacked the real pace to play there regularly. He definitely could tackle though as many an opposing midfielder found out. To modern Rovers fans he was a bit like a more skilful Smallwood in style.

A real box to box player with a great engine and will to win. He was short and stocky with a terrific left foot shot, his blond hair stood out and you always knew he was playing. That David Perkins who's still knocking around NW football looked a lot like him both in looks and style.

I'd first seen him playing for Oldham and been struck by his all action style of play. Rovers signed him a few years later from PNE for the considerable sum in those days of £45,000. We sort of bet the ranch on him, Alan Hunter and Brian Hill in a bid to get back to Div 1. With him and Hunter it was money well spent. Hill wasn't a success. Ken was really outstanding for us most of the time. The problem was the team as a whole was going backwards and in the relegation season of 1970-71 he was sold in the March of 1971 to Hull. With his sale we more or less gave up any chance of staying up.

Hull had been heavily bank rolled by the Needler family for a while and they saw the signing of Knighton as the final piece of the jigsaw that would drive them to promotion. Unfortunately for them it didn't work out that way.

Thanks for the memories Ken, if we were signing him now you could put your house on us going up, he was that good.

 

[Friarsnig]

On 12/22/2017 at 13:42, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Seeing as how we're playing Northampton tomorrow I'd just like to mention one of the signings we made from the cobblers. " The Don " , Don Martin.

He was signed by Rovers in Feb 1968 for £30,000. That was a big fee for the time and I suppose Rovers bet the ranch on him.  I remember seeing his first appearance for Rovers against Norwich at home in a 0-0 draw. He wasn't the typical centre forward of the time, being tall and slender.  He was a very skilful player with a good touch and awareness of other players, he was also a decent header of the ball. Although he wasn't a prolific scorer he got his share and also made goals for the other players around him. Apparently he was the last football league player to score a goal by the simple expedient of shoulder charging the goalkeeper into the back of the net.

One of the few players to play at centre forward and centre half for Rovers.

We used to sing, " Come on without, come on within, you ain't seen nothing like Don Martin ". To the tune of Bob Dylan's " The Mighty Quinn ". 

Apologies if this has been posted before. Don Martin scoring (at Ewood) in the first minute, albeit a penalty.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Great find, I must’ve been at that one tho Jeez, that was awful defending by us.

Back to Ken Knighton, my favourite player in that team, a real leader who scored some cracking goals. I remember we played Swindon at home in the cup and were 0-4 down at HT. When they came out for the second half, the Blackburn End booed the team and Knighton was outraged, just stood there hands on hips glaring at them.