There is no finer sight in football than seeing a top class winger in full flight.

 At Ewood, those of us who are long enough in the tooth have witnessed some of the finest exponents of the art and craft, particularly on the left wing. Whether it be MacLeod, Harrison, Wagstaffe, Sellars, Wilcox or Duff, who have all excelled in different eras. For me, however, Bobby Langton was my favourite and a true Rovers great.

Bobby Langton was born in Burscough in September 1918 and enjoyed two spells as a Rover which neatly bookended his career. Playing as a youth for Burscough Victoria, the affable Langton was scooped up for a mere £50 and such was his precocious talent that, at 20, he became a major force and contributor to the Rovers promotion back to the First Division during 1938/39 season in which he made 37 appearances scoring 14 goals.

The vagaries of the 2nd World War meant that Bobby was only able to make 3 appearances in the Rovers return to the top flight as the Football League season was curtailed and games were re-organised into a North West Regional League and the Football League War Cup - although he was able to play for us in the 1940 War Cup Final as Rovers lost to West Ham United 1- 0.

Langton enlisted as an Infantryman in the Forces which saw him posted to India where he saw active service interspersed with him playing for the British Army in Representative matches. Bobby returned to Rovers duty during the 1944/45 season in the Football League Northern section where he made 11 appearances scoring 9 times. The resumption of League football in 1946/47 was none too kind for the Rovers and a 17th place finish only served to be a forecast for the inevitable the following season when Rovers were relegated.

Despite the Rovers demise, Bobby Langton's star was on an upward trajectory. Having won the first of his England International caps in 1946 and 1947, neighbours Preston North End paid a £16,000 fee for his services and Bobby played on the opposite flank to the great Tom Finney. Langton's time at Deepdale, however, was shortlived and a year later, in 1949, he was captured by Bolton Wanderers for a Club record transfer fee of £20,000.

Langton's achievement in winning a total of 11 England caps is perhaps the more astonishing since his contemporaries were Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney who occupied the right and left wings respectively. Some observers believed that his skill and industry were worthy of even more honours.

A four-year spell at Burnden Park in which Langton made 118 appearances, scoring 16 goals included an appearance in the Matthews Final in 1953 when he made one of the Bolton goals but had to succumb to the sublime skills of Matthews as Blackpool lifted the Cup in sensational fashion.

The rumour mill, such as it was in those days, began to turn and an emotional return to Ewood by one of its most famous sons was being mooted, even though Langton had reached the ' veteran stage' of his playing days. My Dad, who had seen Langton in his first Rovers stint, impressed on me that if the rumours became reality I was in for some really exciting times at Ewood.

The driver for a romantic return to the Rovers was the inescapable fact that since Langton's departure from Ewood, the Rovers had tried no less than 14 players in that problematical outside left position - Carter, Wharton, Cook, Wilkinson, Fenton, Priday, McCaig, Edds, Horton, Leaver, Harris, Glover, Bell and McLuckie. To be fair, only Fenton, Priday, Edds and McLuckie were actually outside lefts, but such was the dilemma that the Club thought nothing would be lost in using others in that position. Given that the Club had spent in excess of £20,000 on finding a replacement for Langton an outlay of less than £3,000 for his return was considered more than reasonable. The economics spoke for themselves since Bobby was seen as a stop gap measure to buy some time for the Rovers to recruit and develop young wingers. The process had already begun under Mr Carey with the likes of the youthful Bryan Douglas and Roy Vernon (although neither were left wingers) already chomping at the bit to display their precocious talents.

So it proved, that in 1954, Rovers Manager, the great Johnny Carey, looked to persuade Bobby that Rovers was the place for him but the winger wasn't at first convinced, and after a bout of hesitation and more talks Langton finally agreed to return to his old stomping ground. It was perhaps another twist in Langton's somewhat chequered career since Bob Crompton was the man who first brought the youthful Langton to Ewood with the express intention of Bobby assisting in securing the Club's promotion back to the First Division. Now it was Johnny Carey who believed that Langton might be the final piece in his attempt to put the Rovers back were they rightfully belonged, although it was the Carey team Mark 2 which eventually accomplished this in 1957/58. 

There were those supporters who expressed concerns that Langton wouldn't be the same player who had left some 5 years previously but once back in the blue and white halved shirt those fears were put to rest. Langton might have lost a yard of his blistering pace but his tactical acumen and footballing nous was at the fore as he displayed his dazzling skills. The doubters were even suggesting that the older model was perhaps even more effective than he was first time around as he scattered full backs in his wake and laid on the sumptuous variety of crosses chiefly for the on rushing Briggs - it was a joy to watch.

Added to his classic wing play, Langton also possessed a howitzer of a shot and many was the time that the netting and stancheons were sorely tested. It was little wonder that he was the Rovers 'penalty king'. The measure of the man was never more in evidence than on that unbelievable day in February 1955 when Tommy Briggs scored his 7 goals in the 8 - 3 demolition of Bristol Rovers at Ewood. . With the score at 7 - 3, Rovers were awarded a penalty which Langton would have been entitled to take, however, he literally frog marched the reluctant Briggs to the spot and Tommy scored to bring his tally to 7.

In the free scoring front line of Mooney, Crossan, Briggs, Quigley, Langton, the "Fabulous Five" played some of the most exhilarating and entertaining football ever seen at Ewood Park. In the 1954/55 season alone the team scored 114 League goals with every one of the forwards in double figures.

Langton's first game back was a 4 - 2 win against Bury at Ewood on 3 October 1953, and, after a disappointing defeat at Stoke, the following home game at Ewood was a different kettle of fish. The Rovers romped home 5 - 1 against Fulham and Langton had a hand in most of the goals and celebrated his second coming with an 89th minute goal to generate great excitement amongst the Ewood faithful. The Northern Daily Telegraph acknowledged that "Langton's display was the feature of the match......It is quite true to say that he was the best left winger we have had, since Langton." An inventive piece of reporting which got to the heart of, at last, solving Rovers left wing problem which had eaten away at the Club since Langton's departure in 1948.

Bobby Langton's prowess was not just recognised on the field but also in the dressing room where he was a ferocious advocate of players' employment rights, a role subsequently and ironically taken up by his successor, Ally "Noddy" MacLeod.

Langton’s final home game for the Rovers was on 14 April 1956 in a 2 - 1 home win over Middlesbrough, a game in which he signed off with a penalty, his 10th goal of that season. At Ashton Gate the following week, Bobby Langton bowed out of his illustrious Rovers career, having served the Club over two spells - 212 League Appearances and 57 goals.

It was a privilege to have seen Bobby Langton in action, a powerful, skilful and tactically adept winger whose dynamic pace would have done justice to a Powderhall champion and who lit up Ewood Park - he was a true Rovers great.

Langton's career ended with spells in Ireland and more notably at Wisbech Town before returning to Burscough as a highly successful Manager.

Bobby Langton passed away on 13 June 1996 in his home town of Burscough and the Town's favourite son is remembered fondly through "Bobby Langton Way" which borders the Burscough FC ground, whilst in Blackburn, Langton Close on the Fernhurst Estate recognises his service to the Rovers.