Mike Harrison

[47er]

He absolutely hammered penalties. Maybe those huge thighs helped! 

[den]

38 minutes ago, 47er said:

He absolutely hammered penalties. Maybe those huge thighs helped! 

With the inside of his foot. Amazing.

Im sure I remember him entering a competition to find the player with the hardest shot in the country, but that’s about all. Anyone else remember that?

[Mike E]

Dad: ‘When the keeper saw those thighs, the penalty was in before it was kicked.’

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

One of his first appearances was against Leicester at Ewood. He did the Leicester right back inside our half out on the left wing right in front of the Riverside. He flew down the wing with a couple of Leicester players in his wake. When he got about 10 yards from the bye line and running flat out he hammered a terrific cross over. It went like bullet straight onto the head of Fred Pickering. He just gave it the lightest of glances and it flew past Gordon Banks into the far corner.  I thought " Bloody Hell, we've got a good 'un here ".

Crossing a good ball whilst running flat out is a dying art. 

 

Before Damien Duff came along he was the best left winger that I ever saw in the Blue and White. Ally MacCleod was just before my time.

Edited January 30, 2019 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[jim mk2]

23 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

 Do you remember a later round neck shirt with short sleeves Jim ?  

Have to say I don't remember a short-sleeved round neck shirt - maybe there's some photos somewhere?

Would love to see Rovers back in the 1960s round neck shirts with white shorts and socks - my first act when I buy out Venky's will be to restore it.?

I have a replica V-neck 1960 Cup Final shirt at home. Still wear it on special occasions. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

Have to say I don't remember a short-sleeved round neck shirt - maybe there's some photos somewhere?

Would love to see Rovers back in the 1960s round neck shirts with white shorts and socks - my first act when I buy out Venky's will be to restore it.?

I have a replica V-neck 1960 Cup Final shirt at home. Still wear it on special occasions. 

I've seen photos on the internet of us wearing the round neck shirt with short sleeves around 1968. Keith Newton is one of the players in the photo. It must be either early or late in the season.

I've got 3 of the replica 1960 Cup Final shirts. One I've got framed, I wear one over here and the other is out in Spain. The current kit is an absolute travesty and I wouldn't wear it to creosote my fence ! I'm embarrassed by it to be honest and I never thought I'd say that about a Rovers shirt.

[Ianrally]

Maybe this one?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

4 minutes ago, Ianrally said:

Maybe this one?

Thanks for that Ian. That's the kit I was referring to but the photo I saw was an action photo of a game in progress. I'd love one of those shirts now. There's some terrific players on that photo. Hunter, Martin, Newton, Rogers, Wilson, Knighton, Metcalfe would all get in our current team and Dick Mulvaney wouldn't be far off either.

Edited January 30, 2019 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[jim mk2]

Great photo ! 

Look at the size of John Barton - who did he steal a living as a professional footballer ?

Some good players there - Knighton, Hunter, Martin etc but some ropey ones too - the likes of Calloway and Kopel.

But the club was on the way down and that squad isn't a patch on the one from 4 years earlier.

Sir Keith sticks out as a Rolls Royce amongst a load of Ford Cortinas. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, jim mk2 said:

Great photo ! 

Look at the size of John Barton - who did he steal a living as a professional footballer ?

Some good players there - Knighton, Hunter, Martin etc but some ropey ones too - the likes of Calloway and Kopel.

But the club was on the way down and that squad isn't a patch on the one from 4 years earlier.

Sir Keith sticks out as a Rolls Royce amongst a load of Ford Cortinas. 

You're a bit harsh there JIm, Alan Hunter went on to great things at Ipswich and some of others would be shoe in for the current team. Billy Wilson instead of Williams or Bell anybody ?

[Ianrally]

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

You're a bit harsh there JIm, Alan Hunter went on to great things at Ipswich and some of others would be shoe in for the current team. Billy Wilson instead of Williams or Bell anybody ?

All day long Tyrone.

[jim mk2]

4 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

You're a bit harsh there JIm, Alan Hunter went on to great things at Ipswich and some of others would be shoe in for the current team. Billy Wilson instead of Williams or Bell anybody ?

I'd say Newton, Hunter and Wilson would walk into the current team, and Martin,  Metcalfe and Rogers might be vying for a place too.

But compared to the 1962-65 side it's nowhere near as good a squad

[47er]

9 hours ago, den said:

With the inside of his foot. Amazing.

Im sure I remember him entering a competition to find the player with the hardest shot in the country, but that’s about all. Anyone else remember that?

very vaguely, yes!

[den]

Well that’s probably as good as it gets nowadays 47er. ?

[philipl]

2 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

I'd say Newton, Hunter and Wilson would walk into the current team, and Martin,  Metcalfe and Rogers might be vying for a place too.

But compared to the 1962-65 side it's nowhere near as good a squad

Sure- 62-65 side would have won the title with the right management and behind the scenes set-up.

69-70 were a second division team for a reason.

Don Martin I would rate inferior to Danny Graham. 

Stuart Metcalfe and Eamon Rogers were both mercurial geniuses. Both capable of exceptional play beyond anything any player we have had since Tugay but both with massive limitations. Oh if only there were sports psychiatrists and fitness coaches in those days but that went for the entire English set-up 1970 onwards. I have no doubt England had the raw footballing talent to win World Cups but were beyond clueless at managing them.      

[philipl]

6 minutes ago, renrag said:

You are correct, there was such a competition Peter Lorimer won it. Don’t know if that’s the one you’re thinking about. If it was there wouldn’t be much in it.

Lorimer was phenomenal- for current fans, think in terms of the Reid blast at Wigan as average.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Hunter was top drawer, he'd replace either of Rodwell or Lenihan. Wilson was better than Williams and Bell rolled into one. Rogers had a bit more class than Travis has at the moment. Metcalfe on one leg  was better than  Conway on two. Don Martin would be handy to bring on for Danny Graham. Keith Newton was just the best full back we've had in my time watching the club. What he was still doing at Rovers is a tribute to his loyalty.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 minute ago, philipl said:

Lorimer was phenomenal- for current fans, think in terms of the Reid blast at Wigan as average.

Yeah he could spank it all right ! And that was with the old cannonball.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I missed out Ken Knighton. He'd replace Evans without a doubt. Terrific player, when we sold him to Hull it sealed our fate.

[tonyoz]

3 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

You're a bit harsh there JIm, Alan Hunter went on to great things at Ipswich and some of others would be shoe in for the current team. Billy Wilson instead of Williams or Bell anybody ?

Billy Wilson...….another old favourite sadly departed.

[den]

1 hour ago, renrag said:

You are correct, there was such a competition Peter Lorimer won it. Don’t know if that’s the one you’re thinking about. If it was there wouldn’t be much in it.

That would be it renrag. Both Lorimer and Mike Harrison could hit a blag tremendously hard.

[Exiled in Toronto]

5 hours ago, Ianrally said:

Maybe this one?

That was the first team I watched regularly: Blacklaw, Newton, Wilson, Hunter, Mulvaney, Knighton, Connelly, Metcalfe, Martin, Rogers, Hill. Sub: Darling.

None of this squad bollocks back then.

[Mercer]

Agree with most of the comments about players in that picture.

However, thought 'The Don' was vastly underrated and in my view, he was a gifted, intelligent and versatile (seem to recall him playing centre back, midfield and centre forward at various times for Rovers) footballer - better than Graham.  Sadly, he had a bad ankle break (think it was against Sheff Wed) and he was never the same.

Newton, Hunter, Knighton, Rogers and Martin were all class acts who would have walked into the Rovers' side of today.  At today's inflated prices, you've got £100million of talent there - Newton alone would bring £30/40million.

 

[Stonesrick]

My joint team would be: 2-3-5 or today could adapt to 4-4-1-1

Raya

Newton Wilson

Hunter Mulgrew Knighton (capt)

Connelly Metcalfe Graham Dack Armstrong

Subs: Blacklaw, Bennett, Lenihan, Evans, Rogers, Martin, Fryatt

The younger players selected of today are of my opinion as to how well I think they will progress in the future.

Apologies, to The Don, Eamon and Gentleman Jim who were not included in the starting 11. You were my favourites at the time.

I think this team would finish top 2 today and definitely top 6.

 

[arbitro]

It was this era that hooked me onto football. The smells, the noise, the colour and the spectacle was something that most of that generation remember. As a young kid I, along with lots more were allowed to sit on the perimeter wall and almost touch the players. Hearing them shout to their teammates led to me replicating what they said when playing in the school yard or on the cobbles near home. I sniggered last night when Klippety Klopp blamed some snow on the pitch for Liverpool dropping two points. A generation of snowflakes is upon us.

That kit is so simplistic and original it stands out and gave us real identity but what sets it off for me is the socks. The players looked a lot bigger and stronger then although in reality they probably weren't.