Jim Iley RIP

[arbitro]

For anybody old enough to remember him Jim Iley has sadly passed away. My memories of him as a Rovers manager aren't too fond but I was told he was a nice man.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17238380.former-blackburn-rovers-boss-jim-iley-dies-age-82/

 

[oldjamfan1]

Aye he was hardly a roaring success Tony but nonetheless part of our history. RIP Jim. 

[McClarky]

RIP, I'm sure he was manager the 1st time I went to Ewood in 1979.  I remember the Iley Out graffiti on the wall outside the ground.

[blueboy3333]

http://www.true-faith.co.uk/jim-iley-an-appreciation/

Nice write up by a Geordie. Good to see he went down in folklore somewhere.

He must have been the manager when I started watching Rovers in 78 but I don't remember much about him. I don't think it went well for him at any rate.  I presume Kendall took over from him? 

RIP.

edit: it was '79 when he was manager.

Edited November 21, 2018 by blueboy3333

[rigger]

One of the worst managers Rovers have had. But it is still sad to hear of his death.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Started off by getting rid of Waggy, which enraged the fans, then all downhill from there

[Vinjay]

2 hours ago, rigger said:

One of the worst managers Rovers have had. But it is still sad to hear of his death.

Kean will be the definite exception.

I saw a quote from an interview somewhere (after 2000) where Iley said he thought his sacking was unfair (probably based on number of games) but older fans on here clearly don't agree. Aside from that seems to have held no grudge but can't blame him if he had no great memories of the place.

Whatever people thought of him as a manager haven't heard anyone say he was a bad player. Of course he didn't play for Rovers but over 200 appearances for Newcastle plus stints at Tottenham and Forest. Sounds decent to me.

Edited November 22, 2018 by Vinjay17

[dingles staying down 4ever]

He was the manager of Rovers for my first game at Ewood. RIP

[Leonard Venkhater]

10 hours ago, meadows said:

You were right first time, 78. He took over for the last  6 games 77-78 after Jim Smith left and was sacked after a few games of the following season 

Not only did he jettison Waggy, he dropped Stuart Metcalfe for the First game of the season  at home to Palace, such a shock that it made the front page of the early afternoon Telegraph

One down and with just one sub - Meccy - he had to make a change and of course Stuart came on and scored a brilliant equaliser to draw the game 1-1

Coach John Pickering replaced him as caretaker for the season and though he was popular with fans, couldn’t steer us from getting relegated  - but he was cheered to the rafters by the fans who stayed on after the final home game, a 2-1 win over Fulham, Singing: « When we all go down, we all go down together. »  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember crowd favourite loanee, David Gregory, who cited his inability to work with "that man", as part of the reason he did not sign permanently...

[Leonard Venkhater]

6 minutes ago, meadows said:

I never saw or heard that quote. And possibly would have left it for another time if I had. 

But it was quite ok for you to talk about him jettisoning Waggy lol

[philipl]

On 22/11/2018 at 18:40, Leonard Venkhater said:

Remember crowd favourite loanee, David Gregory, who cited his inability to work with "that man", as part of the reason he did not sign permanently...

I remember this.

The only reason Jim Iley was displaced by Kean as my all time worst Manager of Rovers is that Iley was demonstrably not corrupt.

[Mercer]

Jim had a pretty good pedigree as a player - I remember him from his Newcastle days.

Served his managerial apprenticeship in the lower leagues and I thought Rovers had appointed a decent replacement for Jim Smith.

Sadly, turned sour pretty quickly.  David Allin at the LT was a young and acidic journalist and he could see things weren't right at Rovers under Iley and he didn't mince his words.  Relations between Rovers and LT were at an all time low.  When Rovers, under Iley, signed Joe Craig from Celtic for £40k, it was the LEP that broke the news!

A decent and honest bloke - sad it didn't work out for him at Rovers.

[47er]

Great expectations of him when he joined. Every reason to think we'd done well. Decent bloke.