Shearer and Sutton on Rovers

[chaddyrovers]

 

[JacknOry]

Good read that. Forgot about Sutton getting arrested before he signed for us.

[LeftWinger]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57145394

Not sure if anyone saw this article on the BBC - I wasn't sure where to post it.

Shearer and Richards selecting their top 10 Premier League winning sides.

Fully expected Rovers to be left out altogether - but Shearer had Rovers at number 2.

[Ulrich]

best moment of my careerBest moment of my career  Best moment of my career

[bluebruce]

9 minutes ago, LeftWinger said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57145394

Not sure if anyone saw this article on the BBC - I wasn't sure where to post it.

Shearer and Richards selecting their top 10 Premier League winning sides.

Fully expected Rovers to be left out altogether - but Shearer had Rovers at number 2.

Wow, that surprises me. Tbh, putting on my neutral specs, I can't agree we were the second best ever Prem winning team, but it's great to see we meant that much to him.

Our relationship with Al since he left has been complicated. It hurt us so hard when he left, and I think it hurt him when some fans booed him on his return. I think that stung him for a long time and he never seemed to have much good to say about us, at least not as you'd expect with his best years being here.

I think it may have changed when we named that street after him tbh. I think that made him realise he was still cherished here by most, and since then he has been more glowing about us in public.

That's how I've observed it happening anyway

[windymiller7]

12 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Wow, that surprises me. Tbh, putting on my neutral specs, I can't agree we were the second best ever Prem winning team, but it's great to see we meant that much to him.

Our relationship with Al since he left has been complicated. It hurt us so hard when he left, and I think it hurt him when some fans booed him on his return. I think that stung him for a long time and he never seemed to have much good to say about us, at least not as you'd expect with his best years being here.

I think it may have changed when we named that street after him tbh. I think that made him realise he was still cherished here by most, and since then he has been more glowing about us in public.

That's how I've observed it happening anyway

I think that's probably a pretty accurate assessment.

I hated it when some fans booed him when he came back to Ewood. I know it hurt when he left but that reception really took me by surprise. A true Rovers Legend.

[Hoochie Bloochie Mama]

Just now, bluebruce said:

I think it hurt him when some fans booed him on his return

A lot I'd imagine. He was interviewed soon after that and you could tell he was gutted about the reception. 

Shearer, Sir Kenny and Sir Jack were our Holy Trinity. 

Edited May 25, 2021 by Hoochie Bloochie Mama

[roverandout]

Was at the Newcastle game in the fa Cup. When he scored twice. When the fans booed him he did a gesture to the home fans.  He was a legend here

[oldjamfan1]

When Rovers beat Newcastle 5-2 at Ewood in 2002 Shearer got their two and the second was a milestone goal (I can’t quite recall what it was, perhaps his 200th goal or something). Despite it being the equalising goal at the time, the whole stadium rose to applaud/salute him. That’s when his view on Rovers and their fans changed. 

[joey_big_nose]

6 hours ago, LeftWinger said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/57145394

Not sure if anyone saw this article on the BBC - I wasn't sure where to post it.

Shearer and Richards selecting their top 10 Premier League winning sides.

Fully expected Rovers to be left out altogether - but Shearer had Rovers at number 2.

Really surprised Richards had us at 4th too! Good on him.

[simongarnerisgod]

iv`e always liked and respected,especially when he turned ferguson down😄

[RevidgeBlue]

6 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Wow, that surprises me. Tbh, putting on my neutral specs, I can't agree we were the second best ever Prem winning team, but it's great to see we meant that much to him.

Our relationship with Al since he left has been complicated. It hurt us so hard when he left, and I think it hurt him when some fans booed him on his return. I think that stung him for a long time and he never seemed to have much good to say about us, at least not as you'd expect with his best years being here.

I think it may have changed when we named that street after him tbh. I think that made him realise he was still cherished here by most, and since then he has been more glowing about us in public.

That's how I've observed it happening anyway

I think that's incredibly harsh on Shearer. We were going nowhere under Harford when he left. I've also never heard him speak anything other than fondly about his time here or than with great respect for the Club.

Rumour has it he made a very substantial donation to the building of the Academy before he left and that might not have been the sole extent of his input in that respect either.

[Admiral Nelsen]

6 hours ago, bluebruce said:

Wow, that surprises me. Tbh, putting on my neutral specs, I can't agree we were the second best ever Prem winning team, but it's great to see we meant that much to him.

Our relationship with Al since he left has been complicated. It hurt us so hard when he left, and I think it hurt him when some fans booed him on his return. I think that stung him for a long time and he never seemed to have much good to say about us, at least not as you'd expect with his best years being here.

I think it may have changed when we named that street after him tbh. I think that made him realise he was still cherished here by most, and since then he has been more glowing about us in public.

That's how I've observed it happening anyway

 

I think you're completely right about the street naming a few years ago. The penny was dropping when he was still playing though. I might be misremembering some of the specifics but he got a great ovation from us in (I think) his final season and he made a point of bringing that up in his programme notes the week later. Or it might have been a BBC column, something like that anyway. 

 

It seems that these days he speaks about the club with genuine, uncomplicated fondness now. It would've been a real shame if he still held a grudge from those first years after he left. A match made in heaven, for a while. 

[bluebruce]

6 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

I think that's incredibly harsh on Shearer. We were going nowhere under Harford when he left. I've also never heard him speak anything other than fondly about his time here or than with great respect for the Club.

Rumour has it he made a very substantial donation to the building of the Academy before he left and that might not have been the sole extent of his input in that respect either.

It's not remotely harsh. I'm not criticising him. He's a legend to me and always has been. I'm just saying how I, and clearly others judging by replies quoting me, have seen the change. I never said he spoke of us with disrespect, but he was in the past less glowing than would have normally been expected. As I outlined, I can see why. I'm glad it has healed and he now sees the club with, as Nelsen put it, with 'genuine, uncomplicated fondness'.

That rumour sounds extremely unlikely. We were flush with Jack's cash and had no need of money from a departing player who had mostly earned a fraction of Jack's cash. Sounds made up tbh.

[SuperBrfc]

41 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

When Rovers beat Newcastle 5-2 at Ewood in 2002 Shearer got their two and the second was a milestone goal (I can’t quite recall what it was, perhaps his 200th goal or something). Despite it being the equalising goal at the time, the whole stadium rose to applaud/salute him. That’s when his view on Rovers and their fans changed. 

Yes, I remember that game. Rovers were 2-0 up. Shearer scored a penalty at the Blackburn End to make it 2-1. The Blackburn End and parts of the Riverside, including me, stood up to applaud him. It was a landmark goal for him. I can't quite remember the reaction when he made it 2-2 that day, but the penalty sticks in my mind.

I did not like the initial reception he received back in '96 one bit. I remember him being shocked and angry about it in his post match interview. That's probably why he did that celebration towards the Blackburn End in the cup game in '99.

It's great to see that he still holds the club and his time here in high regard. I think the street naming and being inducted into the Rovers Hall of Fame has shown him that he's still appreciated around these parts.

For me, it's ever since the 20th anniversary get together that I've really noticed him speak fondly about the club. That's not to say he spoke poorly of the club before, he just didn't mention Rovers much. You can see that he genuinely enjoys telling Lineker, Richards and others how "little old Blackburn took on the big boys and beat them" and I love hearing it 😁.