BRFC - The Nostalgia Thread

[aletheia]

Much as I am enjoying the nostalgia, it is also very depressing. Mentioning names like Hakan Sukur, Tuguy, Cole, Roque, Benni, Speedie. Compare to the present. Sheesh.

[wilsdenrover]

1 hour ago, aletheia said:

Much as I am enjoying the nostalgia, it is also very depressing. Mentioning names like Hakan Sukur, Tuguy, Cole, Roque, Benni, Speedie. Compare to the present. Sheesh.

 

Just comfort yourself with the thought that our squad is now much better than 6 years ago.

(I picked the 2016/2017 one as I looked at it earlier and it made me shudder!)

[wilsdenrover]

[den]

3 hours ago, aletheia said:

Much as I am enjoying the nostalgia, it is also very depressing. Mentioning names like Hakan Sukur, Tuguy, Cole, Roque, Benni, Speedie. Compare to the present. Sheesh.

 

To George Hirst.

[wilsdenrover]

4 minutes ago, den said:

To George Hirst.

Via Chris Brown and Luke Varney 

(three combined = 69 appearances 0 goals)

Edited May 4, 2023 by wilsdenrover

[Wheelton Blue]

A couple of shots of the old Ewood here...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/extra/DqkhZA6FP7/around-the-92-in-the-1980s

A nice article.

(be forewarned, there's also a photo of The Turd)

[Guest]

19 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

Graham Poll - I’d forgotten about that dickhead 😁

My first time running the line way back in the 1980s was with Graham Poll, in a cup game at Slough Town. I'd done quite a lot of games in the middle by this stage, but never had the chance to do the line, and was selected by Berkshire FA on the basis of my club scores during the season running up to that. Poll was already a well established league referee and on the way up. Needless to say I had a bit of a nightmare, at one point signaling the wrong way for a throw in that had clearly come off the opposition player, and missing a bad foul right in front of me as I was looking across the pitch for an offside as the ball went forward. At half time, Poll came over to me in the officials changing room and said, "Stop trying so hard and don't try to think your way through a game. It is easier if you just relax and let your brain make the decisions for you." It was the best piece of advice I ever had from another referee, and something that helped me get so much more out of the game over the next 20 plus years or so in the middle.

Mind you, it doesn't help at all, when sitting in the Riverside and having to put up with some of the cack we are served by the current crop of officials... Some of them could do with a friendly word from Graham Poll, that's for sure!

[wilsdenrover]

8 minutes ago, Shirley Crabtree Wrestler said:

My first time running the line way back in the 1980s was with Graham Poll, in a cup game at Slough Town. I'd done quite a lot of games in the middle by this stage, but never had the chance to do the line, and was selected by Berkshire FA on the basis of my club scores during the season running up to that. Poll was already a well established league referee and on the way up. Needless to say I had a bit of a nightmare, at one point signaling the wrong way for a throw in that had clearly come off the opposition player, and missing a bad foul right in front of me as I was looking across the pitch for an offside as the ball went forward. At half time, Poll came over to me in the officials changing room and said, "Stop trying so hard and don't try to think your way through a game. It is easier if you just relax and let your brain make the decisions for you." It was the best piece of advice I ever had from another referee, and something that helped me get so much more out of the game over the next 20 plus years or so in the middle.

Mind you, it doesn't help at all, when sitting in the Riverside and having to put up with some of the cack we are served by the current crop of officials... Some of them could do with a friendly word from Graham Poll, that's for sure!

I’m now wondering if @Shirley Crabtree Wrestleris @arbitro‘s alter ego! 😁

[Guest]

1 hour ago, wilsdenrover said:

I’m now wondering if @Shirley Crabtree Wrestleris @arbitro‘s alter ego! 😁

Naahh.. I'm Wild Irish Rover's alter ego, and alter-alter ego of WIR Second Coming... It's all my own words 🙂

I do enjoy Arbitro's contributions though - measured, rarely controversial, yet insightful and informative about the inside track in the game. He refereed at a higher level / standard than I ever did, although I can claim to have officiated several times at Ewood, Deepdale, Old Trafford, Pride Park, Griffin Park, Gawthorpe when the 6 fingered mob ran their reserves there, Pleasington and the bogs between Blackburn and Darwen, not to mention many leagues in the South of England, West of Ireland and even (a couple of times) in the States.

In the end I only stopped refereeing due to the consistently low levels of support coming from the FA for those carrying the whistle.  When I turned 50 I decided I'd done enough, and sent all my gear and several Rovers kits to Africa, for use by charities in community development projects.

Do I miss it? Sometimes. Does it help me reconcile some of the astounding inconsistencies we see regularly from officials on Rovers games? Not very often. I think VAR is a scourge and will destroy the spirit of the beautiful game which should, IMO, be left untrammeled by technical innovation so that skill, human judgment and the rub o the green play the part they have done so effectively for the first 150 years of the sport.

Technology is rarely the answer - but it always raises new and challenging questions.

[wilsdenrover]

13 minutes ago, Shirley Crabtree Wrestler said:

Naahh.. I'm Wild Irish Rover's alter ego, and alter-alter ego of WIR Second Coming... It's all my own words 🙂

I do enjoy Arbitro's contributions though - measured, rarely controversial, yet insightful and informative about the inside track in the game. He refereed at a higher level / standard than I ever did, although I can claim to have officiated several times at Ewood, Deepdale, Old Trafford, Pride Park, Griffin Park, Gawthorpe when the 6 fingered mob ran their reserves there, Pleasington and the bogs between Blackburn and Darwen, not to mention many leagues in the South of England, West of Ireland and even (a couple of times) in the States.

In the end I only stopped refereeing due to the consistently low levels of support coming from the FA for those carrying the whistle.  When I turned 50 I decided I'd done enough, and sent all my gear and several Rovers kits to Africa, for use by charities in community development projects.

Do I miss it? Sometimes. Does it help me reconcile some of the astounding inconsistencies we see regularly from officials on Rovers games? Not very often. I think VAR is a scourge and will destroy the spirit of the beautiful game which should, IMO, be left untrammeled by technical innovation so that skill, human judgment and the rub o the green play the part they have done so effectively for the first 150 years of the sport.

Technology is rarely the answer - but it always raises new and challenging questions.

Just wait ‘til we get AI VAR…

Although I’d be perfectly happy with an AI CEO…

And now I’ve got this in my head:

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by wilsdenrover

[Groundhog]

I know he's been mentioned above but our striker woes have got me looking back at Jason Roberts all misty eyed. I know he'd have one great game, then sulk for 5, but what we'd give for someone who could do this:

...and whoever "Rovers 95" is on Youtube, thanks for uploading all these clips, great to see.

[speeeeeeedie]

1 hour ago, Groundhog said:

I know he's been mentioned above but our striker woes have got me looking back at Jason Roberts all misty eyed. I know he'd have one great game, then sulk for 5, but what we'd give for someone who could do this:

...and whoever "Rovers 95" is on Youtube, thanks for uploading all these clips, great to see.

It is an indictment on Rovers current status. Roberts was ridiculed regularly on here. His finishing was woeful. However, if he was up front for the 22-23 team we'd be looking at automatic promotion. 

[Guest]

42 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

It is an indictment on Rovers current status. Roberts was ridiculed regularly on here. His finishing was woeful. However, if he was up front for the 22-23 team we'd be looking at automatic promotion. 

Aye, but it is all ifs, buts and maybes here at Blackburn Rovers, and it has been ever since the shower of charlatans, football ignoramuses par excellence, took over the club. There's a clip above, where John Williams comes into shot, casting a sage and benevolent eye over proceedings on and off the pitch. There just isn't anyone remotely close to our club these days with any of JW' class, comprehension or care for Blackburn Rovers, because the befuddled pillocks of Pune still haven't got a clue what it takes to run a successful football club in the English Football League in 2023. I'll give them a clue - it is NOT all about fooking money.... look beyond your bling blindfolds, and you will see that BRFCS (and many many other clubs) are a way of life for those who have followed their fortunes up and down over the years.

Blind blingy pillocks.

[Guest]

Talking of Rovers nostalgia, two ex Rovers managers, Gary Bowyer and Owen Coyle battling it out this evening for the Scottish Div 1 championship, live on the beeb https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/football/65446903

Six goals so far in the first half, and plenty of entertainment for the fans.. meanwhile wheels coming off here due to lack of goals threat.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

3 hours ago, Groundhog said:

I know he's been mentioned above but our striker woes have got me looking back at Jason Roberts all misty eyed. I know he'd have one great game, then sulk for 5, but what we'd give for someone who could do this:

...and whoever "Rovers 95" is on Youtube, thanks for uploading all these clips, great to see.

It’d be nice if we had somebody who could consistently put a corner in like the one big Chris scored from.

Edited May 5, 2023 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[SuperBrfc]

He got a bit of stick at times, but Morten was a class act. Two brilliant goals here. Also a sad example (for us) of how owners can completely change the face of a club. City struck gold, whereas we...

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, SuperBrfc said:

He got a bit of stick at times, but Morten was a class act. Two brilliant goals here. Also a sad example (for us) of how owners can completely change the face of a club. City struck gold, whereas we...

 

Nice goal from Derbyshire as well.

[broadsword]

Nicked off of Facebook, who's the fella in the background?

[Nuttall is lost]

10 hours ago, SuperBrfc said:

He got a bit of stick at times, but Morten was a class act. Two brilliant goals here. Also a sad example (for us) of how owners can completely change the face of a club. City struck gold, whereas we...

 

His twin brothers Gamst and Pederson were fairly good as well

[Mattyblue]

Pretty empty pre-oil ground there for the ‘long standing, loyal City fans’…

[SuperBrfc]

A battling striker, who never gave defenders a moment's peace and who could score a few too.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

11 minutes ago, renrag said:

I think it’s Roy Stephenson.

That’s who I think it is. Matt Woods and the dingles Ray Pointer in the foreground.

[wilsdenrover]

3 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

That’s who I think it is. Matt Woods and the dingles Ray Pointer in the foreground.

Don’t tell Chaddy that he played for Burnley before us 😁

Edited May 7, 2023 by wilsdenrover

[broadsword]

Just done a quick Google and it would seem to be Roy Stephenson yeah 

 

Before my time, but I like the older stuff. Makes me forget that venkys are a thing

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, broadsword said:

Just done a quick Google and it would seem to be Roy Stephenson yeah 

 

Before my time, but I like the older stuff. Makes me forget that venkys are a thing

He was a journeyman player but became an integral part of the Ipswich First division winning team that Sir Alf Ramsey put together.