Forgotten Players

[oldjamfan1]

Duncan Shearer came with a massive reputation and scored with just about his first touch of the ball on his debut at Barnsley. We went on to lose that game and he very quickly nosedived at Ewood then went on to play for Aberdeen. His name was still being chanted for a few years afterwards for some reason 😉

[booth]

18 hours ago, HugeChin said:

Anyone else remember Richard Brown or Tony Dobson?

Nine year old me saw them as important first team players back in 1991 (I don't know how accurate my memory is about that - they might well have been crap).

Any other players that were regular first teamers but hardly ever get a mention?

I remember seeing Richard Brown at Jans Petrol Station after a match. He also played in the 7-1 drubbing of Norwich. I remember seeing him on the team sheet and thinking bloody hell this is going to be a tough game. Norwich were top of the league I think.

Tony Dobson wasn't crap by the way.

Edited August 29, 2022 by booth

[speeeeeeedie]

50 minutes ago, oldjamfan1 said:

Duncan Shearer came with a massive reputation and scored with just about his first touch of the ball on his debut at Barnsley. We went on to lose that game and he very quickly nosedived at Ewood then went on to play for Aberdeen. His name was still being chanted for a few years afterwards for some reason 😉

My take has always been that Rovers bought Duncan Shearer to supper Swindon. 

He was flying for them. Came to us, scored one (maybe two) then didn't play much after that.

I have a memory of him in a suit at Wembley, not even a sub.

[Sweaty Gussets]

39 minutes ago, speeeeeeedie said:

My take has always been that Rovers bought Duncan Shearer to supper Swindon. 

We bit off more than we could chew. 

[Armchair supporter supremo]

I remember Richard Brown, mainly just because he was on the first squad poster i had on my bedroom wall... Along with fatty andy morrison and a few others. 

 

We had a few forgetable foreigners during Roy Hodgson time..

Sebastian Perez (paid a bit for him and he actually seemed good but hated England and made that very clear, think he went on to have a pretty respectable career in the game abroad)

Anders Anderson (only played a few games but won a lot of caps for sweden)

Martin Dahlin obviously (seriously top quality striker but we bought him when he had one foot in the knackers yard)

Stephen Henchoz (he and Hendry were probably one of the best defensive pairings we've had in the Premier league era onwards sadly they only had one season together)

Oumar konde (shit player but pretty good on champ manager🤷‍♂️) 

Patrick Valery (servicable rb but the most cliched sulky french man you could picture)

Tore Pedersen (another one of Roys scandy signings that had a ton of international caps, but i don't even think he played a game for us)

 

Oh and not a foreigner but Roy Hodgson spent about 500k to sign him as a very young kid with a reputation of havingvhuge potential as a rw, think he broke his leg not long after and I don't think he ever played a game for us sadly... Jimmy Corbet. 

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Armchair supporter supremo

[SuperBrfc]

I've got to give the mysterious Dario Marcolin a mention.

It feels like he only played one game for us, at Old Trafford, scoring in a 3-2 defeat. Only to be never seen or heard from again.

He must have played a few more times for us, I haven't looked it up, but that goal is the only thing I can remember about him.

[Armchair supporter supremo]

Special mention also for Georios Donis, 

Came with high hopes, probably one of the fastest players in the game at the time (but only when running in a straight line down the right wing, but had no real crossing ability or end product 😅) Wasn't he nicknamed the Steam Train or something like that? 

First greek player to play in England and i think he was our first "bosman" signing as well.

Not a bad player though, just not prem standard but think he had a respectable career in the lower leagues and as a manager. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Armchair supporter supremo

[HugeChin]

3 hours ago, glen9mullan said:

Couple spring to mind, remember Pete Thorne bagging hat-trick against Chorley pre-season, never broke through but had decent career in lower divisions

Patrick  Anderson, think off memory could be wrong he made his debut against sheff wed away? Never happened for him here but then played for some of biggest clubs in Europe afterwards including barcelona, bought him same week as Berg if i remember.

Think I was at that preseason game. Remember Bob Dewhurst playing and thinking "who the hell is that?!"

[Miller11]

I don’t know why I remember so much about Richard Brown, but he was actually knocking about a lot longer than people realise. 
We signed him from Kettering and he wasn’t a kid then, he was about 23. He had a brief loan (Maidstone I think) but he played a fair few games under Kenny in the promotion season, occasionally brilliant and occasionally horrific! I remember him getting a run out as a winger the odd time too.

He remained part of the squad until midway through the title winning season. He had the number 15 shirt that was eventually taken by Richard Bloody Witschge. So he was with us 5 years altogether and if I remember correctly he went to Stockport but retired shortly after. His injury struggles weren’t really publicised when he was with us as he wasn’t really in the team. He’d quite often be sat with the subs and staff on a match day though even when nowhere near the squad.

He played masters football for us maybe 10 years ago, I remember he did a pitch side interview and said something derogatory about Burnley.

[Miller11]

I just googled Richard Brown, this interview was the top result… looks like he played more of a part than any of us realised!!

 

Richard, how did your move to Rovers come about?

Weirdly enough, I was playing for Kettering Town at the time, but I was on loan at Cheltenham and I played three of my best games consecutively ever and Rovers came to watch a 20-year-old. I was 23 at the time and they took me instead of him. So my career progressed, but then I was curtailed by quite a few injuries and come the 1994-95 season I was getting released, but the club said that they’d look after me until I got myself fit. So in my first training session back after 16 months, I pulled my thigh muscle. So that took me into October, when I was going to play my first Reserve game – my first game of football in 18 months – and in the training session in the morning, prior to the game in the evening, I tore my medial ligament. To be fair to the club, they really looked after me. When it got to March, they said ‘we can’t keep paying you, we’re going to release you and Stockport want you to go and play for them’. So I went to Stockport, played one game, got injured again, so they said ‘we can’t continue your contract, we’ll let you go back to Blackburn to do your rehab there’. By this time, I’d watched virtually every Rovers game and in every game I’d watched, Rovers had never got beat. I was really close friends with Jason Wilcox, so Kenny Dalglish asked Jason to ask me whether I’d come to the game at Anfield, because apparently I’d become his lucky mascot! And then the rest is history.

With all of the injuries and setbacks you had, how frustrating and mentally tough was it for you?

Absolutely. I’d pretty much retired from the professional game at 27. It’s always great in hindsight, but I can remember Ray Harford saying to me that season ‘listen, we’re going to release you, just take the insurance money because you’ve had too many injuries and how do you know your body is going to last?’ and I thought, I’m only 26-27, I’ve got to keep going. So I tried to get myself fit and keep playing.

What was Ray Harford like to work with?

He taught me the game. He was a great man, a great personality and I loved him to bits. Especially when I compare him to some other coaches, who weren’t for me, but Ray is the person who I owe a lot to, purely because I learnt the game through him as a kid. Kenny Dalglish was very much a man manager, very tactically astute and tactically aware, but Ray was my man if I’m being honest.

Was the move from playing non-league football to joining a club like Rovers a big opportunity for you?

It was a massive opportunity for me and one where I actually ended up earning less money. I wanted to be a pro and I wanted to have a legacy of actually playing. Incidentally, I went on loan to Maidstone United for a month and that’s where I made my professional debut. And then when Kenny came in, I was already playing in the first team and he continued to play me in the first team, before we got promoted.

You played a number of games during the 1991-92 promotion season. What was that like?

Fantastic. The camaraderie of the lads was magnificent and I think that’s what got us through more than anything.

Was it a really special group to be a part of?

It was. There were no big-timers, everyone just mucked in together. There was no animosity around the place and it was just a really, really good time to be at the club.

Even though you didn’t feature in the 1994-95 season, what was it like to be in and around the club, to watch the game and to ultimately see Rovers crowned champions?

Interesting enough, when all the players were brought in, again, there was no big-timers. Kenny kept a lid on everything. No-one could step out of line, even the big players. No-one stepped out of line, It was a real team effort. Alan (Shearer) got all of the plaudits, because he was a top striker, but in the main there were no big issues.

What was that historic day at Anfield like?

It was weird because everybody was nervous, all day. And then when the game kicked off, there were still a lot of nerves on display, but they always believed. The weirdest thing, for me, is that everybody always believed that they’d win it. Whether it be winning the game or United losing it. I can’t explain the feeling, but it just felt like our name was on it!

How do you look back on your time at the club now

?Really fondly. You don’t miss the money, you miss the camaraderie, the day-to-day, the stories, the fun, the banter, the togetherness of the players.

And are you still involved in the game now?

Yes. I was at Manchester City for 10 years and then I left to become an intermediary, which I’ve done for the past 18 months. 

[Upside Down]

48 minutes ago, Armchair supporter supremo said:

Special mention also for Georios Donis, 

Came with high hopes, probably one of the fastest players in the game at the time (but only when running in a straight line down the right wing, but had no real crossing ability or end product 😅) Wasn't he nicknamed the Steam Train or something like that? 

First greek player to play in England and i think he was our first "bosman" signing as well.

Not a bad player though, just not prem standard but think he had a respectable career in the lower leagues and as a manager. 

He was known as the locomotive. Probably because it rook four hours to get him going.

[Armchair supporter supremo]

45 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

I don’t know why I remember so much about Richard Brown, but he was actually knocking about a lot longer than people realise. 
We signed him from Kettering and he wasn’t a kid then, he was about 23. He had a brief loan (Maidstone I think) but he played a fair few games under Kenny in the promotion season, occasionally brilliant and occasionally horrific! I remember him getting a run out as a winger the odd time too.

He remained part of the squad until midway through the title winning season. He had the number 15 shirt that was eventually taken by Richard Bloody Witschge. So he was with us 5 years altogether and if I remember correctly he went to Stockport but retired shortly after. His injury struggles weren’t really publicised when he was with us as he wasn’t really in the team. He’d quite often be sat with the subs and staff on a match day though even when nowhere near the squad.

He played masters football for us maybe 10 years ago, I remember he did a pitch side interview and said something derogatory about Burnley.

Sign of how times of changed! But as a kid one reason Richard Brown stood out for me at the time was because he was the only black player in our squad and at that time it felt to me like you didn't see many black footballers playing outside of the city clubs (and living in Blackburn as a kid there where literally only a handful of black families living in the town, so felt a bit novel to me tbh) 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Armchair supporter supremo

[tomphil]

A strange signing at the time Richard Brown especially when we were throwing money around but he played his part. Always thought he was an ok player to be fair it was a big step at the time.  If he'd stayed fit i could have seen him being another super Atko type cult hero maybe.

Simon Ireland is another  curved ball that springs to mind he might have done ok but got injured i think.

Edited August 29, 2022 by tomphil

[Upside Down]

1 hour ago, Armchair supporter supremo said:

I remember Richard Brown, mainly just because he was on the first squad poster i had on my bedroom wall... Along with fatty andy morrison and a few others. 

 

We had a few forgetable foreigners during Roy Hodgson time..

Sebastian Perez (paid a bit for him and he actually seemed good but hated England and made that very clear, think he went on to have a pretty respectable career in the game abroad)

Anders Anderson (only played a few games but won a lot of caps for sweden)

Martin Dahlin obviously (seriously top quality striker but we bought him when he had one foot in the knackers yard)

Stephen Henchoz (he and Hendry were probably one of the best defensive pairings we've had in the Premier league era onwards sadly they only had one season together)

Oumar konde (shit player but pretty good on champ manager🤷‍♂️) 

Patrick Valery (servicable rb but the most cliched sulky french man you could picture)

Tore Pedersen (another one of Roys scandy signings that had a ton of international caps, but i don't even think he played a game for us)

 

Oh and not a foreigner but Roy Hodgson spent about 500k to sign him as a very young kid with a reputation of havingvhuge potential as a rw, think he broke his leg not long after and I don't think he ever played a game for us sadly... Jimmy Corbet. 

 

I remember all of them except the very last one.

Henchoz wasn't forgotten though, he was top class. He even came back for a season when we went back up.

[Upside Down]

28 minutes ago, Miller11 said:

I just googled Richard Brown, this interview was the top result… looks like he played more of a part than any of us realised!!

 

Richard, how did your move to Rovers come about?

Weirdly enough, I was playing for Kettering Town at the time, but I was on loan at Cheltenham and I played three of my best games consecutively ever and Rovers came to watch a 20-year-old. I was 23 at the time and they took me instead of him. So my career progressed, but then I was curtailed by quite a few injuries and come the 1994-95 season I was getting released, but the club said that they’d look after me until I got myself fit. So in my first training session back after 16 months, I pulled my thigh muscle. So that took me into October, when I was going to play my first Reserve game – my first game of football in 18 months – and in the training session in the morning, prior to the game in the evening, I tore my medial ligament. To be fair to the club, they really looked after me. When it got to March, they said ‘we can’t keep paying you, we’re going to release you and Stockport want you to go and play for them’. So I went to Stockport, played one game, got injured again, so they said ‘we can’t continue your contract, we’ll let you go back to Blackburn to do your rehab there’. By this time, I’d watched virtually every Rovers game and in every game I’d watched, Rovers had never got beat. I was really close friends with Jason Wilcox, so Kenny Dalglish asked Jason to ask me whether I’d come to the game at Anfield, because apparently I’d become his lucky mascot! And then the rest is history.

With all of the injuries and setbacks you had, how frustrating and mentally tough was it for you?

Absolutely. I’d pretty much retired from the professional game at 27. It’s always great in hindsight, but I can remember Ray Harford saying to me that season ‘listen, we’re going to release you, just take the insurance money because you’ve had too many injuries and how do you know your body is going to last?’ and I thought, I’m only 26-27, I’ve got to keep going. So I tried to get myself fit and keep playing.

What was Ray Harford like to work with?

He taught me the game. He was a great man, a great personality and I loved him to bits. Especially when I compare him to some other coaches, who weren’t for me, but Ray is the person who I owe a lot to, purely because I learnt the game through him as a kid. Kenny Dalglish was very much a man manager, very tactically astute and tactically aware, but Ray was my man if I’m being honest.

Was the move from playing non-league football to joining a club like Rovers a big opportunity for you?

It was a massive opportunity for me and one where I actually ended up earning less money. I wanted to be a pro and I wanted to have a legacy of actually playing. Incidentally, I went on loan to Maidstone United for a month and that’s where I made my professional debut. And then when Kenny came in, I was already playing in the first team and he continued to play me in the first team, before we got promoted.

You played a number of games during the 1991-92 promotion season. What was that like?

Fantastic. The camaraderie of the lads was magnificent and I think that’s what got us through more than anything.

Was it a really special group to be a part of?

It was. There were no big-timers, everyone just mucked in together. There was no animosity around the place and it was just a really, really good time to be at the club.

Even though you didn’t feature in the 1994-95 season, what was it like to be in and around the club, to watch the game and to ultimately see Rovers crowned champions?

Interesting enough, when all the players were brought in, again, there was no big-timers. Kenny kept a lid on everything. No-one could step out of line, even the big players. No-one stepped out of line, It was a real team effort. Alan (Shearer) got all of the plaudits, because he was a top striker, but in the main there were no big issues.

What was that historic day at Anfield like?

It was weird because everybody was nervous, all day. And then when the game kicked off, there were still a lot of nerves on display, but they always believed. The weirdest thing, for me, is that everybody always believed that they’d win it. Whether it be winning the game or United losing it. I can’t explain the feeling, but it just felt like our name was on it!

How do you look back on your time at the club now

?Really fondly. You don’t miss the money, you miss the camaraderie, the day-to-day, the stories, the fun, the banter, the togetherness of the players.

And are you still involved in the game now?

Yes. I was at Manchester City for 10 years and then I left to become an intermediary, which I’ve done for the past 18 months. 

Shame about all his injuries. I wondered why I never saw him play.

[Aqualung]

Did Franz Carr ever make a senior appearance? 

Big things expected from him Iirc. 

[Mike E]

I feel like Jason Brown is easily forgotten from the Sparky era, even though he saved a penalty in one of his appearances.

[Tom]

Yordi was a good one, made his debut with his floppy hair in the league cup final, looked decent, then didn’t do much else 

Always thought Hakan Unsal and Sebastian Perez could have done more here in different circumstances 

Edited August 29, 2022 by Tom

[roverandout]

Patrik Anderson.  Played 12 times for us but went on to have a stellar career with the likes of bayern Munich and Barcelona 

 

Edit  already been mentioned 

Edited August 29, 2022 by roverandout

[roverandout]

Alan fettis. He was so bad I remember when rovers fans used to cheer when he saved a shot. 

[SuperBrfc]

3 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Alan fettis. He was so bad I remember when rovers fans used to cheer when he saved a shot. 

That instantly reminds me of a game against Arsenal at Ewood in 1998. Bad memories of us being 4-0 down after 20 minutes. It was as if every Arsenal attempt on goal either went through or under him. An awful display it was. Him and Steele are two of the worst I've seen.

[Aqualung]

4 minutes ago, SuperBrfc said:

That instantly reminds me of a game against Arsenal at Ewood in 1998. Bad memories of us being 4-0 down after 20 minutes. It was as if every Arsenal attempt on goal either went through or under him. An awful display it was. Him and Steele are two of the worst I've seen.

Was that the season when Arsenal ( the Invincibles) went unbeaten during the season? 

If its the same game I went to we were 0-4 down at half time and for me, probably the best football team I've seen play rovers at Ewood. 

[Nuttall is lost]

Frank Talia a reserve keeper.  Not so much forgotten but Roy Wegerle isn;t talked about much.  Always remember seeing him score against Sheff Wed in the 4-2 at Ewood and kissing to the crowd. That was some collapse that night. 

David May?

Gary Tallon was always in the team photos but never played.

 

 

[Upside Down]

35 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Alan fettis. He was so bad I remember when rovers fans used to cheer when he saved a shot. 

He had an absolute nightmare against arsenal.

[Upside Down]

20 minutes ago, Aqualung said:

Was that the season when Arsenal ( the Invincibles) went unbeaten during the season? 

If its the same game I went to we were 0-4 down at half time and for me, probably the best football team I've seen play rovers at Ewood. 

It was snowing in march