Bolton at home.

[arbitro]

Easter Monday sees us lock horns with an old foe from t'other side of Bull Hill. I have to be perfectly honest and admit I don't really care too much for them. Almost certainly this goes back to the 70's when a visit to Burnden Park could be intimidating. I was actually chased back to Trinity Street station by some Bolton fans because we had the temerity to beat them in a crucial Division Three game. For anybody of a certain age Derek Fazackerley scored a late winner. I used to meet him frequently on the football circuit and I always reminded him that he was almost responsible for an early demise for me. Another reason I disliked them was because quite often they used to beat us. Players like Paul Jones, Sam Allardyce, Neil Whatmore, Warwick Rimmer, Peter Nicholson, Barry Siddall, Frank Worthington as the names just roll off my tongue and I was envious. Over the years they have a marginally better record with 70 wins to our 63 with 38 drawn. Hopefully we will seal their relegation on Monday and be able to laugh at them from our lofty, smug mid table security. They have really had a season to forget with late payments to playing and non playing staff, a pre season players strike and more recently players refusing to train with some games only being confirmed at the eleventh hour. At this point I ought to give them some grudging praise that they have taken it to within a few games of the seasons end before relegation is confirmed. There is some real concern about their new owner, Bassini who has bought the club from the snake oil salesman that was Anderson. I can't help thinking that it will be out of the frying pan for them. Their nickname is The Trotters which is quite apt really when you consider some of the Del Boy like characters they have had running them. Sadly Jason Lowe is out for the season but aside from him they still have some experienced players to call upon so whilst I'm not expecting a cakewalk I will be disappointed if we don't win by two clear goals.

Hopefully our boss is as true as his word and we see some of the excellent young players who have impressed this season in the under 23's. It would be a good time to blood them.

For older supporters John Byrom will probably be the most famous ' played for both teams' player. But from memory these weren't too bad:

El Hadj Diouf

Alan Ainscow

Gordon Taylor

The infamous (in Darwen anyway) Mark Patterson

Scott Sellars

Matt Jansen

And Big Sam managed us both.

Enjoy the game and the Trotters wallowing in their own misery.

 

 

 

 

[DeeCee]

Got battered at Burden park a few times, won some. Hope this isn't taken as as CP Company post. ?

[oldjamfan1]

Great memories there Tony. I attended that ‘Faz’ game with the aforementioned Mark Patterson and we both came under attack, along with many other Darwen Blues, on a number 225 Ribble bus at Bolton bus station. Some poor kid ended up losing an eye during that particular ambush. It always struck me as odd that Patty ended up playing for them! 

Colin Hendry and Per Frandsen were another couple of lads that played for both clubs. And who could forget Jason Lowe!?

Edit - was Jason McAteer another or am I imagining that one?

Edited April 18, 2019 by oldjamfan1

[philipl]

Could easily lose this. Bolton have a nasty habit of party pooping at Ewood. 

We need setting up right. Really want to see youngsters given a go so long as they are not anchored around Smallwood and Evans.  

[tomphil]

3 hours ago, DeeCee said:

Got battered at Burden park a few times, won some. Hope this isn't taken as as CP Company post. ?

Leeds would've never got battered ?

Bolton are windbags, hardmen in big groups bouncing around who come unstuck when confronted seen it many a time outside their multi named soulless concrete bowl.

On the football side plenty blood and thunder games down the years always keen battles but apart from the whooping we gave them there under Souness most  of the games that stick out v notlob seem to be defeats !   Any victory over these lot is most welcome however it comes but can see us cocking this one right up for some reason.

A double over them in their relegation season would be grand though.

Rovers   1    Bolton  2

[old darwen blue]

3 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

Great memories there Tony. I attended that ‘Faz’ game with the aforementioned Mark Patterson and we both came under attack, along with many other Darwen Blues, on a number 225 Ribble bus at Bolton bus station. Some poor kid ended up losing an eye during that particular ambush. It always struck me as odd that Patty ended up playing for them! 

Colin Hendry and Per Frandsen were another couple of lads that played for both clubs. And who could forget Jason Lowe!?

Edit - was Jason McAteer another or am I imagining that one?

Correct sir re McAteer!

[Oldgregg86]

Has anybody mentioned the 90s sensation that was Nathan blake

Also djorkaeff, spearing, Chris taylor , Warnock, Kev Davies, and our very own Adam armstrong

Edited April 19, 2019 by Oldgregg86

[JacknOry]

Liam Feeney

Alex Baptiste

Paul Warhurst

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

I'd play Brereton up top against Bolton from the start.  Chance to get a goal against a local-ish team and seal their relegation = instant kudos ?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Just now, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

I'd play Brereton up top against Bolton from the start.  Chance to get a goal against a local-ish team and seal their relegation = instant kudos ?

Yeah we could probably beat them playing with ten.

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yeah we could probably beat them playing with ten.

Saw a clip of him scoring against QPR earlier.  Great goal.  Held the ball up, shrugged off the left back, cut inside, past the CB and curled one left footed into the corner.  Makes you  wonder if there are actually two Breretons...

[Exiled in Toronto]

Burnden Park in the early 70s was my least favourite place to go. My first visit we went in the Lever End - rookie error - but subsequent visits to the crumbling terraces of the Railway End, which provided an endless supply of missiles, were no safer. Even one year in their enclosure got a bit fractious. Then there was Arbitro’s sprint back to the station - one of the very few times I was able to keep pace with him as he was nippy in those days. I believe Cersei’s Walk of Atonement was modelled on the Burnden - Trinity Street ordeal, minus the Doc Martins. 

Home games featured thousands of Totters driving through Tockholes, grown men not being averse to stopping the car to chase us V-flicking Tockholes Blues into the treacle mines. And, of course, the year they comprehensively took the Blackburn End, running out of Rovers fans to fight.

No love for the Wanky Wanderers. Hope we win, send them down, they finally go into liquidation and follow Burnden Park in crumbling into dust.

[Bigdoggsteel]

5-0 home win. Calling it now. 

[Oldgregg86]

1-0 calling it now

[tomphil]

3 hours ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Burnden Park in the early 70s was my least favourite place to go. My first visit we went in the Lever End - rookie error - but subsequent visits to the crumbling terraces of the Railway End, which provided an endless supply of missiles, were no safer. Even one year in their enclosure got a bit fractious. Then there was Arbitro’s sprint back to the station - one of the very few times I was able to keep pace with him as he was nippy in those days. I believe Cersei’s Walk of Atonement was modelled on the Burnden - Trinity Street ordeal, minus the Doc Martins. 

Home games featured thousands of Totters driving through Tockholes, grown men not being averse to stopping the car to chase us V-flicking Tockholes Blues into the treacle mines. And, of course, the year they comprehensively took the Blackburn End, running out of Rovers fans to fight.

No love for the Wanky Wanderers. Hope we win, send them down, they finally go into liquidation and follow Burnden Park in crumbling into dust.

I've heard about that Blackburn End / ground takeover although some of seems very inflated so when I saw a tv clip of their goal in that game straight into the BBE I was intrigued to note it didn't appear to go up in celebration....

Maybe they'd tired themselves out chasing everyone else away ?

[SBlue]

Well they’re down, almost out of business, looking bleak.

We are on a good run again and playing well.

 

Guaranteed away win.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Turn the screw Rovers..they would if roles were reversed.

3-0

15,400

[Claytons Left Boot]

1 hour ago, tomphil said:

I've heard about that Blackburn End / ground takeover although some of seems very inflated so when I saw a tv clip of their goal in that game straight into the BBE I was intrigued to note it didn't appear to go up in celebration....

Maybe they'd tired themselves out chasing everyone else away ?

The night they secured promotion to the Top Flight at Ewood was the biggest away following I’ve ever seen at the Rovers. I was on the Riverside that night and we were packed in like sardines. The attendance of 27k was way off the mark and I bet there were easily 35k on, probably split 20k to Bolton and 15k Rovers. They had the Darwen End, about half the Blackburn End and there were a fair few in the Nuttall Street and Riverside as well. Neanderthal bar stuards, I find them worse than Burnley but coming from Darwen, there’s always been a bit of ‘history’ between the two towns.

I was also at the Faz game, dodging bricks, darts and whatever else came our way (the police never gave a sh1t at Bolton) and I’ve got to say there were thousands of Rovers fans there that night too.

[Stuart]

1 hour ago, S8 & Blue said:

Well they’re down, almost out of business, looking bleak.

We are on a good run again and playing well.

 

Guaranteed away win.

You do wonder how things will pan out with Bassini.

[Husky]

My last memory of the Breezeblock was the last Premier League game I ever saw, and it was appalling in all aspects.

I hope Big Ben will be given a start. If he can't score against the current shower that is Notlob then we may as well try and sell him for £700 if we can.

Can we try Smallwood in goal?

[matt83]

Having missed very few games since the 60s, including disappearing from a family holiday in Spain to watch Rovers, I’ve just found out the old man is returning to ewood after a 7 year absence. He said he wouldn’t be back until both Kean and the Venkys left so he’s not too thrilled about going but peer pressure from his grandson took its toll.

Trying to explain to a 6 year old about terrible owners who took over before he was born wasn’t cutting much ice. By and large I don’t like the 90 mins drudgery (particularly home games) but the little uns enthusiasm for match day is infectious. Could be more the fact in his mother’s absence he can drink coke and eat junk food but he does enjoy the day.

I fondly remember going with my grandad and dad so in the bigger picture hope he takes the same memories.

[roversfan99]

Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Williams Bell

Travis Davenport

Armstrong Dack Rothwell

Brereton

Subs: Leutweiler, Graham, Butterwoeth

Lenihan captain.

I'm not totally convinced by the Brereton selection but if ever there was a chance for a goal!

Bringing in the likes of Nyambe and Davenport for Bennett and Evans for me brings in youth without taking any risk or decreasing the quality of the team. Leaves an average age of less than 23.

I've also gone with plenty of youthful options on the bench.

[Mercer]

Lots of memories of Bolton games.

The March evening match in the early 1970's at Burnden Park when Faz nicked it for us at the Lever End in front of nearly 30,000.  Made a mistake of going into the Lever End once - there were some big, hard and nasty lads in there. 

Also remember a Saturday Ewood match, again in the early 1970's, when hundreds of the Bolton lot arrived very early doors in Blackburn town centre and absolutely ran amok.

Had the misfortune of seeing Ian Greaves' Bolton clinch promotion back to the First Division (now PL) at Ewood (late 1970's).  There must have been 25,000 on Ewood from Bolton that night.  In fairness, it was a bloody good Bolton side (Big Sam, Frank Worthington, Willie Morgan, Roy Greaves, Tony Dunne etc) and although only 1-0 it really was men against boys even though we had some decent lads ourselves (Waggy, John Bailey, Graham Hawkins, Keeley, Tony Parkes, a fading John Radford).  I remember when the teams came out, Bolton had Frankie boy up top whilst we had Jack Lewis a £10,000 signing from Grimsby partnering Raddy - just didn't fancy us!

Anyhow, on to Monday.  We will batter them.  Only question is by how many.  I'm going for Rovers 4-1.  Hope at least two of Brereton, Buckley and Butterworth get a start.

[oldjamfan1]

3 hours ago, Claytons Left Boot said:

The night they secured promotion to the Top Flight at Ewood was the biggest away following I’ve ever seen at the Rovers. I was on the Riverside that night and we were packed in like sardines. The attendance of 27k was way off the mark and I bet there were easily 35k on, probably split 20k to Bolton and 15k Rovers. They had the Darwen End, about half the Blackburn End and there were a fair few in the Nuttall Street and Riverside as well. Neanderthal bar stuards, I find them worse than Burnley but coming from Darwen, there’s always been a bit of ‘history’ between the two towns.

I was also at the Faz game, dodging bricks, darts and whatever else came our way (the police never gave a sh1t at Bolton) and I’ve got to say there were thousands of Rovers fans there that night too.

Spot on Mark. I was also on the riverside in their promotion game - Frank Worthington was unbelievable that night. And I would agree that there were more of them than us. Plenty of aggro in Darwen before and after that one!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I was at the Bolton promotion game you mentioned earlier. We were second best that night.