Jim Fryatt

[den]

Can’t see this mentioned anywhere, but Jim Fryatt died on Friday in Las Vegas ( believe it or not). The older fans will remember him for his sideburns, his amazing heading of a ball and the goal he scored against a brilliant Man City side at Ewood in front of the last 40,000 (43,000 actually) gate at Ewood.
https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2020/june/05062020-jim-fryatt-passes-away/

[arbitro]

Thanks for posting this Den. Big Jim with his lamb chop sideburns was one of my first heroes. That goal against City is still fresh in my mind as he rose and got a perfect connection on the ball. I can still hear the Blackburn End singing 'Jim, Jim bang one in'.

RIP.

[Parsonblue]

Very sad news.  I remember Jim's debut at Gigg Lane and at that point he became something of a cult figure for me - with the sideburns, balding pate and drooping moustache.  He scored the best diving header I think I've ever seen when he came on as sub against Norwich City.  A friend who is an Oldham Athletic supporter speaks so highly of him and, although not a great success at Ewood, he was a pretty consistent goalscorer wherever he played in the lower divisions.  RIP Jim.

[oldjamfan1]

RIP Jim Fryatt. I only saw him play right at the end of his career but my Darwen Olympic colleagues of the late 70’s and early 80s likened my style of play to his. 
Reat easy big fella

[den]

I remember Fryatts goal in that Man City game - a typical powerful header, but the thing I remember most was entering the riverside through the centre turnstile to be met with a solid wall of fans. Just to get properly into the stand was a battle. Just try imagining the old Ewood Park with 43,000 people crammed into there.

As for Jim, he was as far removed from the modern footballer as could be. He carried the reputation for his heading ability before him. I think it’s fair to say that was probably 90% of his game, he was a cult figure at that time simply for that ability. I would compare his style with that of the black prince at PNE, Alex Dawson who also possessed tremendous heading power with little else to go with it. Very, very effective though.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I was there that night, stood at the back of the Blackburn End, It was pretty scary to be honest. We were unlucky to meet City on a really good night, a mate of mine who was a City fan was there that night and he says that was their best performance in the FA Cup that season and let's remember they actually won it that year. Two of our key players in Billy Wilson and Eamon Rogers were both out suspended but would have been available if the game had have been played on the original date.

The saddest thing about the game for me was to see the great Bryan Douglas coming on as a sub when the game was already lost and him being unable to get a touch as City brushed us aside. It was obvious that a truly great career was over. You could also see that Colin Bell was going to be the new type of midfield player. More of an athlete but less of a ball player.  So galling that we very nearly signed him a year or two earlier. 

Regarding Jim, he was up there with Roque Santa Cruz and Rudy Gestede as the best header of a ball I've seen in a Rovers shirt. I once saw him dive head first at a ball on the ground and actually head a perfect through ball for Malcolm Darling to run onto. That's a pass you don't see very often ! I remember watching him a few times when he'd left Rovers and was playing for Oldham. He formed a really prolific partnership with a lad called David Shaw, Jim got all the flick ons and Shaw, who had pace to burn, got on the end of them. David Shaw is on the front row of that photo of Den's along with ex Rover Maurice Whittle who formed a really good full back partnership with the blonde lad on the back row, Ian Wood.

He used to hold the record for the fastest goal ever scored in League football - 4 seconds. I don't know wether that still stands.

Thanks for the memories Jim.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[jim mk2]

Saw Jim make his debut and it  was an extraordinary sight seeing him run on the pitch. Balding, with a "rotund" figure, he looked  more like an old farmer than a footballer and I couldn't believe we had signed him.

Of course, like many II grew to like him alot and as has been mentioned he was one of the best headers of a ball I have seen.

I beleive his son Ed became a pro on the US golf circuit, but I'm not sure.

RIP Jim. 

[Exiled in Toronto]

13 hours ago, arbitro said:

Thanks for posting this Den. Big Jim with his lamb chop sideburns was one of my first heroes. That goal against City is still fresh in my mind as he rose and got a perfect connection on the ball. I can still hear the Blackburn End singing 'Jim, Jim bang one in'.

RIP.

Free kick on the right wing right in front of me, curled in by Mekky. Fryatt was head and shoulders above the City defence and powered it in. 

And no, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast!

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

13 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

Free kick on the right wing right in front of me, curled in by Mekky. Fryatt was head and shoulders above the City defence and powered it in. 

And no, I can’t remember what I had for breakfast!

I thought it was Keith Newton that took the free kick after Metcalfe had been up ended by Glyn Pardoe out on the right wing by the Riverside-Blackburn End. . Fryatt put it away alright. I thought Metcalfe was our best player on the night, he ran Pardoe, who was no mug, ragged.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Exiled in Toronto]

Just now, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I thought it was Keith Newton that took the free kick after Metcalfe had been up ended by Glyn Pardoe out on the right wing by the Riverside-Blackburn End. . Fryatt put it away alright. I thought Metcalfe was our best player on the night, he ran Pardoe ragged.

I think you are right, I knew Metcalfe was involved somehow. Pity was Bell, Lee and the rest ran our other players ragged.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

5 minutes ago, Exiled in Toronto said:

I think you are right, I knew Metcalfe was involved somehow. Pity was Bell, Lee and the rest ran our other players ragged.

Yeah, they were on fire in that game. We'd be attacking near their penalty area, we'd lose the ball and three passes later the ball was in the back of our net. We couldn't live with how they transitioned the ball from box to box.Tony Coleman on their left wing had the game of his life.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[jim mk2]

We managed to get tickets for the Nuttall Street stand, towards the Darwen End. Can still see Fryatt in my mind's eye rising to head the ball home. Ewood absolutely erupted. Rovers had City rocking for about 10-15 minutes after that but once City went ahead again it was game over. The 4th goal was a belter by Coleman IIRC.

Abiding memory was watching the Riverside Stand crowd opposite us sway back and forth.  Ewood was dangerously over-full; how those barriers stood the strain I don't know.

I was right about Ed Fryatt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Fryatt

 

Edited June 7, 2020 by jim mk2

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

33 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

We managed to get tickets for the Nuttall Street stand, towards the Darwen End. Can still see Fryatt in my mind's eye to head the ball home. Ewood absolutely erupted. Rovers had City rocking for about 10-15 minutes after that but one City went ahead again it was game over. The 4th goal was a belter by Coleman IIRC.

Abiding memory was watching the Riverside Stand crowd opposite us sway back and forth.  Ewood was over-full; how those barriers stood the strain I don't know.

I was right about Ed Fryatt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Fryatt

 

You're right Jim, we had them wobbling for about 10 minutes after the goal, the crowd got right behind Rovers. Then they got the second goal and it was game, set, and match. After that we pushed forward and they caught us on the break for two more break away goals.

Edited June 7, 2020 by Tyrone Shoelaces