BRFC - The Nostalgia Thread

[Gav]

4 hours ago, Wheelton Blue said:

Ah cheers - it was Emerton I was thinking of, not the Greek guy (Donis?)

George Donis was bought to supply Shearer, sadly Shearer didn't read the script and buggered off to Newcastle and George was left firing crosses in for Matty Holmes..... 

[Ianrally]

9 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

We signed one or two very ordinary players from Rangers during that few years.

We did indeed but we also signed one hell of a gem. 

[Ianrally]

 

[JPTSwindon]

Great list of one match wonders…

 

https://brfcs.com/magazine/articles/the-rovers-one-match-club/337

[jim mk2]

On 02/01/2023 at 21:30, goozburger said:

Old meets new. Not sure who to credit for this photo.

 

Lovely photo, spent many years standing on the terracing "bend" at the Blackburn end of the Nuttall Street stand

Does anyone know why the stand was constructed like that?  

[Guest]

6 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

Does anyone know why the stand was constructed like that?  

Taken from an archived page on the English Heritage website:

"In 1906, construction started on a new main stand seating 4,112 on its upper tier with a paddock for 9,320 infront. Cranked at one end to follow the angle of Nuttall Street, it was a standard design from the pattern book of Archibald Leitch."

Here is an aerial photo:

[Guest]

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

The stone laid down above reads: 'Rebuilt 1945 Blackburn Rovers Supporters Club'

[rigger]

On 10/01/2023 at 08:13, AllRoverAsia said:

Ewood Park over the years.

Some great photos, appalling music.

 

They got the wrong stand early on. It might have said Nuttal on the roof , but that was the Riverside. I think the Nuttal was an advert for a brewery.

[AllRoverAsia]

1 hour ago, rigger said:

They got the wrong stand early on. It  might have said Nuttal on the roof , but that was the Riverside. I think the Nuttal was an advert for a brewery.

I think so and to do with Alfred  Nuttall, a Blackburn mayor and local businessman

http://breweryhistory.com/wiki/index.php?title=Nuttall_%26_Co._Ltd

 

[AllRoverAsia]

13 hours ago, goozburger said:

Taken from an archived page on the English Heritage website:

"In 1906, construction started on a new main stand seating 4,112 on its upper tier with a paddock for 9,320 infront. Cranked at one end to follow the angle of Nuttall Street, it was a standard design from the pattern book of Archibald Leitch."

Here is an aerial photo:

A packed Nuttall Street paddock as Bob Crompton leads Rovers out.

 

[jim mk2]

13 hours ago, goozburger said:

Taken from an archived page on the English Heritage website:

"In 1906, construction started on a new main stand seating 4,112 on its upper tier with a paddock for 9,320 infront. Cranked at one end to follow the angle of Nuttall Street, it was a standard design from the pattern book of Archibald Leitch."

Here is an aerial photo:

 

Thanks for this

However it begs the obvious question as to why the Nuttall Street stand was built parallel to Nuttall Street and not parallel to the pitch?

 

 

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

However it begs the obvious question as to why the Nuttall Street stand was built parallel to Nuttall Street and not parallel to the pitch?

It might have just been Archibald Leitch's style. He is also the architect of the Main Stand at Dundee FC's Dens Park. Here's an aerial shot to exemplify the similarity of following the angle of a road rather than the angle of the pitch.

Here is Leitch's plan for St. James Park, which I'm not sure was built. The stand closest to you in the picture seems to angle inwards towards the pitch at one side for no reason. Maybe it was just his thing. Archibald "The Angles" Leitch.

Edited January 11, 2023 by goozburger

[Nuttall is lost]

I always wondered why the upper tiers of the new stands had a different colour seats to the lower tiers.  The upper tier are a lighter shade of blue.

[jim mk2]

1 hour ago, goozburger said:

It might have just been Archibald Leitch's style. He is also the architect of the Main Stand at Dundee FC's Dens Park. Here's an aerial shot to exemplify the similarity of following the angle of a road rather than the angle of the pitch.

Here is Leitch's plan for St. James Park, which I'm not sure was built. The stand closest to you in the picture seems to angle inwards towards the pitch at one side for no reason. Maybe it was just his thing. Archibald "The Angles" Leitch.

Thanks. Interesting photos. Leitch designed many stadiums in England and Scotland and presumably many of them were next to roads. So why did he design the Ewood and Dens Park stands in this way and why did the Rovers and Dundee directors allow him to do it? It's weird, and doesn't make much sense. 

Edited January 12, 2023 by jim mk2

[AllRoverAsia]

There is a FaceBook page about old grounds and almost all were designed to follow existing road patterns. Some in more weird ways than seen at Ewood and the examples above.

I have always assumed it was maximising the use of the land owned by a club rather than gifting it away to a local council in the form of wider pavements or streets outside the ground if the the line of the pitch was followed. Just a guess 

[Guest]

9 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

So why did he design the Ewood and Dens Park stands in this way and why did the Rovers and Dundee directors allow him to do it?

I'm not sure.

Here is an aerial photo of Ewood Park before the Riverside Stand was reconstructed. It probably shows the stadiums wonky-ness  at its best.

I find it interesting that the Nuttall Street Stand and the Darwen End Stand seem to be right-angled to each other.

I had a theory that the pitch was originally parallel to the longer section of the Nuttall Street Stand, and right-angled to the Darwen End Stand appropriately. When the other two stands were built thereafter, the pitch was then re-aligned to the grander Riverside Stand.

I then found this drawing, which probably puts my theory to bed.

To me, it looks like the Nuttall Street Stand (to the right) is under construction. If you observe the detail closely, you can see that the roof is unfinished, and there are wooden planks and all sorts of rubble. Given that the Nuttall Street Stand was completed in 1907, I would perhaps put this drawing at 1906-1907.

At this point, I understood that the Riverside Stand wasn't yet built. It's documented as being constructed in 1913. I believe this refers to the pre-1987 Riverside Stand that many on here will be familiar with. However, does this mean that the above drawing depicts an even older Riverside Stand?

Here is another photo which is from 1906. Based on the drawing, above, the stand in the photo looks to be an old-old Riverside Stand. I'm fairly certain it isn't the Nuttall Street Stand because a) it looks a little too small, and b) the white buttresses appear to match those of the Riverside Stand in the picture, above.

This is like a mystery. I wonder if we'll ever get a definitive answer as to the storyline of Ewood Park during this point in time, and the conclusion as to how we got our wonky stadium.

Edited January 12, 2023 by goozburger

[jim mk2]

3 minutes ago, goozburger said:

I'm not sure.

Here is an aerial photo of Ewood Park before the Riverside Stand was reconstructed. It probably shows the stadiums wonky-ness  at its best.

I find it interesting that the Nuttall Street Stand and the Darwen End Stand seem to be right-angled to each other.

I had a theory that the pitch was originally parallel to the longer section of the Nuttall Street Stand, and right-angled to the Darwen End Stand appropriately. When the other two stands were built thereafter, the pitch was then re-aligned to the grander Riverside Stand.

I then found this picture, which probably puts my theory to bed.

Before the old Riverside Stand was constructed (the one we knew as pre-1987), was there an old-old Riverside Stand? Is this it in the photo, below? I'm fairly certain the below photo is not the Nuttall Street Stand because a) it looks a little too small, and b) the white buttresses appear to match those of the Riverside Stand in the picture, above.

This is like a mystery. I wonder if we'll ever get a definitive answer as to the storyline of Ewood Park during this point in time, and the conclusion as to how we got our wonky stadium.

It is very odd, and the fact Dundee's is the same as Ewood but other Leitch grounds are normal rectangular shape would indicate some local factors are at work rather than Leitch himself designing them that way

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

It is very odd, and the fact Dundee's is the same as Ewood but other Leitch grounds are normal rectangular shape would indicate some local factors are at work rather than Leitch himself designing them that way

I made an edit to the "theory" section while you replied.

Molineux - another Leitch project - is similar. In fact, it is possibly the most prominent ground where you can still see the effects of an angled stand today. Wolves house the away supporters in it. It is subtle, but the angle is there.

Here is a top-down map drawing.

You could as say the same of Goodison Park. Leitch was the architect of the Bullens Road Stand and the Gwladys Stand. Here is an artist's depiction of the plan.

Edited January 12, 2023 by goozburger

[Guest]

On the subject of Goodison Park, it'll be demolished soon. I went there around 13 years ago for an away game. Having been used to the facilities at Ewood Park, and not being a frequent away traveller, I was amazed by the away end. I believe they just call it "The Paddock".

I took a load of photos, but the majority have friends/family in them, so I'd rather not post them here, but here is a couple of the concourse area. The interesting angles, nooks and crannies, rounded walls of brick, etc., are a rarity. You can imagine how it would have looked before the modern bits and pieces and garish colours were added. These stands are grade-listed. I suppose they will keep bits and put it in a museum.

And a few looking onto the pitch and towards the other Leitch stand.

Edited January 12, 2023 by goozburger

[rigger]

2 hours ago, jim mk2 said:

It is very odd, and the fact Dundee's is the same as Ewood but other Leitch grounds are normal rectangular shape would indicate some local factors are at work rather than Leitch himself designing them that way

Something to do with the tram lines at the Blackburn end maybe ? 

[RoversTilliDie]

On 06/06/2020 at 16:38, simongarnerisgod said:

...the presence of John Bond, always a hero to Rovers fans 

absolutely,the man is/was  a legend?

And a true gentleman, a dying breed these days.

[SuperBrfc]

A few clinical finishes from Andy Cole in this one, but the main man of the video is the Turkish maestro. Your favourite Tugay assist? I love how he made Gerrard look silly, but my favourite is the lofted pass through to Cole at Loftus Road. Superbly finished by Cole too. Back when football was alive! 

 

[SuperBrfc]

Even trickier, pick a favourite goal from this collection. The man didn't do tap ins. It's between the Tottenham and Fulham goals for me, I think. Too close to call. Stunning to witness. Happy days indeed.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

11 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

A few clinical finishes from Andy Cole in this one, but the main man of the video is the Turkish maestro. Your favourite Tugay assist? I love how he made Gerrard look silly, but my favourite is the lofted pass through to Cole at Loftus Road. Superbly finished by Cole too. Back when football was alive! 

 

Fantastic.