**Poll - Rovers Cult Heroes.**

[FourLaneBlue]

Not too sure how Shearer could be described as a 'cult hero'. Great player, lethal finisher yes but one seriously boring man for the most part, at least what we saw of him through the media.

Now the likes of Gayle or Speedie - they had an excitement about them that meant you didn't know what they were going to do. They were also nutters mind, which helped. When Shearer popped one in from twenty yards it was fantastic but he was so good at that time it was no shock.

Shearer was a hero rather than being a cult figure surely?

EDIT - Actually I do remember him eating chicken and beans a lot but is that enough to confer cult status?

Edited July 27, 2004 by FourLaneBlue

[jim mk2]

Bryan Douglas

Mike Ferguson

Tony Field

All the rest are pygmies by comparison.

[Alan75]

What's interesting about this topic, is, that the choice of players reflects on the age of the poster.

[MickeFIN]

Colin Hendry

David Speedie

Nicky Marker naaah Tim Sherwood

[Drunx2002]

What's interesting about this topic, is, that the choice of players reflects on the age of the poster.

I think theres a slight hint of "look how long I've been a rovers fan for" mixed in there as well.

I can remember half of the players mentioned so my top three are:

Ooooh Colin Hendry

Simon Garner

Mark Atkins

We cant have shearer because he will almost certainly top Newcastle's poll, and if the Beeb are running a "where are they now" feature, we all know exactly where he is!!

[TROOPER]

Keeley

Garner

Mickey Speight

with a special mention also going out to Paul McKinnon

[SouthAussieRover]

Brotherston

Keeley

Kendall

[RevidgeBlue]

Does nobody ever remember ....Roger Jones an excellent goalkeeper in a mediocre team of the early seventies who was ranked alongside the great Italian keeper of his time Dino Zoff for going so many hundreds of minutes without conceding a goal.

Roger Jones my first Rovers legend !

Wouldn't quite class him as a "cult hero" but arguably my favourite ever Rovers player, and as good as Shilton and Clemence at the time IMHO.

But more or less completely overlooked playing for a third division team.

Then again I'm biased as he and Tony Field were my two idols as a schoolkid.

[Pretzel-Logic]

Marshall Burke.

True he played for the dingles for a while and he only really had six good months for us but to my young self who knew no better, he was what football was all about. This was because he looked liked a punk rocker and scored crucial goals for the Rovers in a seaon when we never scored goals. Yes, I know that season we lost out on promotion to Swansea - but that was on GOAL difference. We only scored 42 in 42 games and Marshall scored a lot of crucial ones. Who can forget that bullet header he scored against Bristol City, and that one he scored against...., no, that's the only one I can remember. But I do know I saw him score others.

Last time I heard of Marshall he had his picture in a match day programme - he was working for (and representing) Matthew Brown Breweries. And sadly, no longer loking like a punk rocker, but like the management executive he now is: an executive who looked like he enjoyed his long working lunches a little too much.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

for me i would choose my number one cult hero as howard gayle. i couldn't care less why he is banned from ewood park.

Pray tell us more Blueboy! .......................................

[Simon Says]

Sir Roger Jones

Ken Knighton

Simon Garner

Honourable mentions for

Johnny Price

Don Martin

Faz

Tony Field

Graham Hawkins

Waggy

Kevin Stonehouse

Jim Arnold

Terry Gennoe

The list could go on and on!

[Exiled in Toronto]

I'm surprised none of the oldies have gone for "Jim, Jim: Bang One In" Fryatt. Best header of a ball that ever lived (and also worst kicker)

I can't decide between the era's I have watched the Rovers, so here are mine, split by the phases I have seen:

i) Pre 3rd Div, post Clayton/Douglas:

a) Ken Knighton

Eamonn Rogers

c) Billy Wilson

ii) 3rd Div days:when we were crap

a) Tony Field

Sir Roger

c) John MacNamee

iii) 2nd Div - 1st spell

a) Waggy

Brotherston

c) McKenzie

iv) 2nd Div - 2nd spell

a) Simon Garner

Killer Keeley

c) Terry Gennoe

v) Premier League

a) Super-Atko

Rippers

c) Colin Hendry

Re-reading the list I notice that they were either capable of the super-sublime moment, or they were out and out dirty cloggers; both of which are noticeable by their absence from the current squad.

[colin]

As has already been mentioned I think the players nominated should not include those who are well known elsewhere, these are meant to be "our" cult heros. Players whose names mean relatively little to other supporters. I hope this doesn't sound too exclusive, but I suppose it's meant to be a bit.

Anyway

Garner

Super Atko

and, breaking my own definition

Kevin "headwound" Moran

[FourLaneBlue]

for me i would choose my number one cult hero as howard gayle. i couldn't care less why he is banned from ewood park.

Pray tell us more Blueboy! .......................................

Come on Blueboy spill the beans...

What happened with Gayle???

[1864roverite]

oh yes

forgot two or three more Icons in the Blue and White

Norman Bell

Don Martin

Mick Heaton

John Waddington

John BUTCHER !!!!!

Kevin Hird

John Bailey

[FourLaneBlue]

What's interesting about this topic, is, that the choice of players reflects on the age of the poster. 

I think theres a slight hint of "look how long I've been a rovers fan for" mixed in there as well.

I'm not sure that's fair.

It's more that for most fans their fondest memories tend to be when they first started watching the team. That's certainly the case with me. As good as Duff was, he couldn't quite match Sellars when it came to hero-worship. Nor could any player mind, it's just that when I was nine or ten and stood on the right hand side of the Blackburn End (so right in front of the left wing) Sellars was the man.

You can tell when people started supporting Rovers because (in most cases but certainly not all) that's when they found their heroes. For some reasons it usually isn't quite the same when they grow up.

[waggy]

started watching regular 69/70

kieth newton

eamon rogers

the dire division 3 days

sir roger jones

tony field

e for b macnamee

don martin-who must have shown garn's how to drink and smoke

local boy stuart metcalfe

beamo

2nd division

hird

bailey

the king waggy

brothead

division 3 part two

jim brannagan

basil rathbone

micky spieght

duncan mackenzie

simon garner

divsion 2

scott sellars

speedie

colin hendry

premier

gordon cowans

shearer

david dunn

rippers

duffer

division 2

who let the bent out

jansen

premier

tugay

stead

they all have a special place in heart,if it comes to it

1st-SIR ROGER JONES

2ND DAVID WAGSTAFFE

3RD DAVID DUFF DAMIEN DUNN

can't seperate them two

[JAL]

Interesting to see one or two of you not only mentioning Roger Jones but calling him..... Sir Roger Jones. Fan..tastic !

We've had some cracking Goalies over the years from when i began watching as a boy in the likes of ;-

SIR Roger Jones

Paul Bradshaw

Jim Arnold

Terry Gennoe

Tim Flowers

Brad Friedal

The ones i've ommitted can live with these guys, all these have served Rovers with distinction. I tink 1864 roverite is having a laugh with Paul Butcher who couldnt catch a cross to save his life.

[RevidgeBlue]

Interesting to see one or two of you not only mentioning Roger Jones but calling him..... Sir Roger Jones. Fan..tastic !

Forgot to mention it before but one of the best things about Sir Roger apart from his unsurpassed keeping abilities was his wont for dribbling the ball round the entire opposition forward line whenever he got bored!

[waggy]

i seem to remenber him getting a hat-trick in a pre-season friendly in sweden once

[Exiled in Toronto]

Interesting to see one or two of you not only mentioning Roger Jones but calling him..... Sir Roger Jones. Fan..tastic ! 

Forgot to mention it before but one of the best things about Sir Roger apart from his unsurpassed keeping abilities was his wont for dribbling the ball round the entire opposition forward line whenever he got bored!

...and getting well past the half way line more than once.

A good acid test for me on the cult status is: did we invent either a song or an adulatory/mocking nickname about the said individual? That narrows the list down somewhat

SIR Roger Jones

Waggy

Beamo

"There's only one Simon Garner"

Killer Keeley

Can't remember the John Butcher one though.....

[Morph]

Shearer

Garner

Hendry

They would be my top three players, but there was only one Jack Walker.

[AllRoverAsia]

What's interesting about this topic, is, that the choice of players reflects on the age of the poster. 

I think theres a slight hint of "look how long I've been a rovers fan for" mixed in there as well.

Perhaps - but the fortunate 'older' posters can also remember all the other great Rovers players mentioned on this thread.

[bob fleming]

Any chance of a Poll or is it a bit late for that now?

I only began watching Rovers in 1981 so wasn't as fortunate as some to have seen some of the older players. Seems to me that Sir Roger Jones is walking away with this.

[den]

We are only allowed 15 options on a poll, Bob. A quick scan is needed for the 15 contenders.