BRFC - The Nostalgia Thread

[rigger]

7 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Good article. The Plymouth game was a few years too early for me but my old man always talks about it as one of the best days he's ever had at Ewood. I've always had a bit of soft spot for Plymouth as a result. Good to see them in with a shout of a repeat promotion from the same league this season.  

 

BTW, who did we clinch the title against in front of 21k?

Was it Wrexham ?

[Sweaty Gussets]

2 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Wrexham. 0-0, and it really was a 0-0.  It was like watching paint dry but nobody was too bothered.

I was at the Plymouth game. It was everything people say it was, a real game of two halves. Once we got going it was one way traffic. A bit like the first half of the recent Leicester game.

Thanks.

Apparently Plymouth brought thousands that day and Blackburn was painted green?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

14 minutes ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Thanks.

Apparently Plymouth brought thousands that day and Blackburn was painted green?

That’s not really how I remember it. The was no segregation then so it was hard to say how many came up from Plymouth. People stood wherever they felt like it. I got my usual 5-15 bus back to Rochdale from the Boulevard and I wasn’t conscious of hordes of fans in Green at the railway station.

[jim mk2]

It was a long time ago but Plymouth took over the entire Darwen End IIRC, looking at it I seem to remember a sea of green. Of course they went potty when they went 2-0 up. Great bunch of supporters having a good day out. 

Mike Hickman's finest hour. 

Edited March 8, 2023 by jim mk2

[Exiled in Toronto Mk2]

As I recall their coaches travelled up overnight and they were all over town centre at 8am. There was green paint on walls for many years after.

[rigger]

2 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

That’s not really how I remember it. The was no segregation then so it was hard to say how many came up from Plymouth. People stood wherever they felt like it. I got my usual 5-15 bus back to Rochdale from the Boulevard and I wasn’t conscious of hordes of fans in Green at the railway station.

They came mainly by coach and took over the town center before many were out and about. They bothered a lot of shoppers. Retribution was dished out on Bolton road before the game..

[Leonard Venkhater]

6 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

That’s not really how I remember it. The was no segregation then so it was hard to say how many came up from Plymouth. People stood wherever they felt like it. I got my usual 5-15 bus back to Rochdale from the Boulevard and I wasn’t conscious of hordes of fans in Green at the railway station.

The old Darwen End was teeming with green and white...

[R0verb0y]

The way we turned round that Plymouth game in 1975 left me so fired up that I went home that Saturday teatime  via an - unannounced - visit to the home of an older colleague whom I knew to be as dyed-in-the-wool as myself! I had to discuss the game with someone and I knew where Wilf lived!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

22 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

It was a long time ago but Plymouth took over the entire Darwen End IIRC, looking at it I seem to remember a sea of green. Of course they went potty when they went 2-0 up. Great bunch of supporters having a good day out. 

Mike Hickman's finest hour. 

I can’t remember any of that. I was more interested in what was going on out on the pitch. If they were at the Darwen End they’d have had a good view of most of our goals.

I see Jim Furnell was in the Plymouth goals. He was a lucky keeper for Rovers. I remember him throwing one in when he played for Arsenal in a top of the table clash at Ewood. Fred Pickering had a shot at goal from about 15 yards out but he kicked the ground as well as the ball. It trundled straight to Furnell who knelt down to pick it and inexplicably let the ball got through his legs. It just had enough pace to roll about a foot over the line and then stop.

[jim mk2]

6 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I can’t remember any of that. I was more interested in what was going on out on the pitch. If they were at the Darwen End they’d have had a good view of most of our goals.

I see Jim Furnell was in the Plymouth goals. He was a lucky keeper for Rovers. I remember him throwing one in when he played for Arsenal in a top of the table clash at Ewood. Fred Pickering had a shot at goal from about 15 yards out but he kicked the ground as well as the ball. It trundled straight to Furnell who knelt down to pick it and inexplicably let the ball got through his legs. It just had enough pace to roll about a foot over the line and then stop.

Hickman scored his goals at the Darwen End IIRC. Did Beamish get the others? This is all very hazy, nearly half a century ago. Cracking match though.

Jim Furnell obviously liked Rovers. He was born in Clitheroe and was on Burnley's books for 8 years! He was also Rovers coach for 17 years from 1981-98, a long time in football. Still around at 85. 

[rigger]

1 hour ago, Sweaty Gussets said:

Thanks.

Apparently Plymouth brought thousands that day and Blackburn was painted green?

I thought it was about a thousand.

[Darrenbot]

Just seen this on Twitter,some people on here must have been to it.It's a cold enough place on any day but Oldham on Boxing Day must have been freezing.

[Aqualung]

4 minutes ago, Darrenbot said:

Just seen this on Twitter,some people on here must have been to it.It's a cold enough place on any day but Oldham on Boxing Day must have been freezing.

Me and a van full of mates went to the game. It was absolutely freezing. I remember some rovers supporter playing the bagpipes and the police being pelted with snowballs. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

7 minutes ago, Darrenbot said:

Just seen this on Twitter,some people on here must have been to it.It's a cold enough place on any day but Oldham on Boxing Day must have been freezing.

If you thought Boundary Park was cold you needed to go to Watersheddings, the old Rugby League ground in Oldham. It was cold there in Summer.

[oldjamfan1]

5 hours ago, arbitro said:

I came across this some time ago and I've kind of guessed it is Rovers apprentices from the 70's on a referees course and was the norm at that time. I think they are back row: David Lloyd, ?, Richard Dinnis, Kevin Hird, ?, Front row: ?, ?, David Bradford, ?, ?, Dennis Letts. The instructor is Ivan Smith.

any ideas?

 

John Bailey to the left of Dennis Letts? Mick Higgins to the left of Dave Bradford?

Edited March 8, 2023 by oldjamfan1

[Gav]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I see Jim Furnell was in the Plymouth goals.

Friend of the site, not to sure about his son though, dodgy swine that one….

[R0verb0y]

1 hour ago, jim mk2 said:

Hickman scored his goals at the Darwen End IIRC. Did Beamish get the others? This is all very hazy, nearly half a century ago. Cracking match though.

Jim Furnell obviously liked Rovers. He was born in Clitheroe and was on Burnley's books for 8 years! He was also Rovers coach for 17 years from 1981-98, a long time in football. Still around at 85. 

Beamish, "Dear old" Don Martin (2) and Hickman (2) got the goals against Plymouth; but I'm afraid I can't tell you in what order.

 

 

 

 

 

[arbitro]

1 hour ago, oldjamfan1 said:

John Bailey to the left of Dennis Letts? Mick Higgins to the left of Dave Bradford?

Mick was an apprentice Andy but I can't see the likeness. Just checked and David Bradford was born in Feb 53 making him about three years older than Mick. Along with Mick two other Blackburn lads got apprenticeships, Dave Eastwood and Paul Read. I don't think they are on the picture.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, R0verb0y said:

Beamish, "Dear old" Don Martin (2) and Hickman (2) got the goals against Plymouth; but I'm afraid I can't tell you in what order.

 

 

 

 

 

McCauley ( Plymouth )

Delve ( Plymouth )

Beamish ( Rovers )

HT

Martin ( Rovers )

Hickman ( Rovers )

Hickman ( Rovers )

Martin ( Rovers )

Team - Jones

Heaton, Hawkins, Fazackerley, Burgin.

Metcalfe, Oates, Parkes

Beamish, Hickman, Martin.

Att 17,818.

Edited March 8, 2023 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[R0verb0y]

33 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

McCauley ( Plymouth )

Delve ( Plymouth )

Beamish ( Rovers )

HT

Martin ( Rovers )

Hickman ( Rovers )

Hickman ( Rovers )

Martin ( Rovers )

Team - Jones

Heaton, Hawkins, Fazackerley, Burgin.

Metcalfe, Oates, Parkes

Beamsh, Hickman, Martin.

Att 17,818.

Thanks, @Tyrone Shoelaces.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I just got down my copy of “ Blackburn Rovers A Complete History “ to check up on the Rovers v Plymouth game.

The book fell open by chance on season 1954-55. Before my time.

What caught my eye was we fielded 18 players that season. 42 game season.

Reg Elvy played 41 league games

Bill Eckersley “ “ 41  league games

Ronnie Clayton  “.  “ 42 league games

Billy Kelly “   “ 38 league games

Eric Bell “.   “ 42 league games

Frank Mooney “   “ 42 league games

Eddie Crossan ‘“    “ 40 league games

Tommy Briggs “   “  41 league games

Eddie Quigley “   “ 40 league games

Bobby Langton “   “ 42 league games

Ron Stuart and Bill Smith shared the right back slot more or less equally.

5 fringe players shared 8 appearances.

We must have had a good treatment team in those days. Bring back the dreaded magic sponge !

 

Edited March 8, 2023 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Waggy76]

2 hours ago, oldjamfan1 said:

John Bailey to the left of Dennis Letts? Mick Higgins to the left of Dave Bradford?

Behind David Bradford , is it Neil Wilkinson ??

[Gav]

I found this Plymouth season review from 74-75 - Sadly no footage of the game at Ewood, but Rovers feature at Home Park 28mins 30 seconds

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

59 minutes ago, Gav said:

I found this Plymouth season review from 74-75 - Sadly no footage of the game at Ewood, but Rovers feature at Home Park 28mins 30 seconds

I always thought that Billy Rafferty was a better all round player than Mariner in those games but Mariner went on to play for England and Rafferty didn’t.

[Gav]

10 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I always thought that Billy Rafferty was a better all round player than Mariner in those games but Mariner went on to play for England and Rafferty didn’t.

Great footage Tyrone and a great shirt.