Of course with all the replays postponementing, it was not very long before we were playing the 4th round. It was four days in fact. It was back to Oxford again, for a midweek showdown with Jim Smiths outfit (his team, Oxford United, not a polyester suit, bri-nylon shirt and patent leather loafers). Oxford had not lost at home for about 8 years at this point in their history, and it looked like a toughie to most of us. But the motivation was a fifth round tie at home to Manchester United, Big Rons outfit (more polyester, bri-nylon and even more gold jewellery...). Last season we had played Southampton at home in the 5th round, live on TV ( it may have actually a first for the BBC in some way, cannot remember what it was though, anyone?) and lost to a David Armstrong goal. That was after we had beaten Nottingham Forest in a replay I think, a couple of games worthy of their own thread on here too! (Forest away was an adventure I can tell you...British Rail...Vimto, vodka and porno mags at Crewe Station). So yea anyway, Oxford away on a Wednesday night. How does one get to Oxford and back for a night game with no car? Well, let me remind you of the football special! Basically a whole train gets taken over by bevvied up football fans, no other passengers on, cheap as chips, no stopping at any stations, just get on at the Bouley and get off at the opponents station several hours later. From Accrington to Oxford return, total cost £10. The journey down on the special was bizarre. I went with a mate from Runshaw, Ricky Johnson. Good little footballer was Ricky, didn't support Rovers but was up for a laugh and so was I. About an hour into the journey, some Rovers fan went totally beserk on the train. I think he just flipped, and started lashing out at anyone and everyone he could, seriously attempting to do some GBH on his co-travellers. Was it the drink? Was it a case of train-based Stir Crazy? It took about five men to restrain him, and they literally had to sit on him for the rest of the journey to Oxford to stop any further madness. I think he got to the match though! The Manor ground would never win "Sporting Arenas Of Year" award, if such a thing existed. It looked like it was designed by 10 different people, each one putting their own little bit on and then sticking them all together-like that party game were you fold a piece of paper in three, someone does the head, then you fold it up, someone does the body, fold it up then someone does the legs, then you unfold it and you get a picture of a human with a deep sea divers helmet on, wearing a Tutu and legs of a rugby player. And a cats tail protruding from the arse. Imagine Watfords ground now, but worse. The away end was, once again open terrace, crumbling concrete, caged in on all sides. Images Can Be Found Here. The game it self was quite eventful, Billy Hamilton missing the game after doing his leg minutes before the match warming up, then Jimmy Quinn notched a typical header to put us ahead. In the second half, McDonalds penalty was brilliantly saved by Geno, and despite a bit of a battering we hung on to put us in the fifth round to play United. As I walked back towards the station, I was verbally abused by a Rovers fan who though I was a home supporter-"Cannot win every week can ya you Southern @#/?s!". Didn't bother to put him right, just smiled a bit. It was a rare match in which we played in all red shirts too, a picture, all be it in mono to follow of Quinn in action wearing the red top.

This is the Craig Short Story. Sounds like a crap film! Or should that be carp. Either way I'm happy.

The above photo of the Riverside is great. Got more of these to come towards the end of the season, against the two Manchester teams. If you click on the top bar of the image it will come up full size, and looks sharper.

After the three postponed attempts at playing the FA cup 3rd round replay, we finally got to play the Portsmouth Tag Wrestling team at Ewood on a Saturday, when the 4th round was being played. I had a season ticket this year, it was actually a junior one (under 16) and I was now 18. Was a bit tight some weeks, as there was a separate turnstile at the Blackburn End for juniors (see Bob's Signature photo) , and most weeks I got grilled on my age, or at least a squint-eyed close examination. Anyway I got to the ground with my season ticket, and didn't know it was only for league matches and would not allow me entrance to FA cup games, and had no money to pay to get in (was probably only £1.60 but was a student at Runshaw at the time.) I bought the season ticket off a mate, who by the way was under 16 after about three games in the season. It resembled a small book of old school raffle ticket books. So I am at the ground, with no way of getting in to Ewood to see the match. So for the first and not the last time, I made my way up the hill to see 28% of the pitch and about 5% of the game from the behind the Riverside! I remember trying to work out what was happening in the game based on the level of crowd noise , which was pretty hard really due to the lack of acoustics and numbers involved. Vaguely remember seeing Quinns first goal hitting the back of the Blackburn End net. I cannot really offer any opinion on the match , as I only saw a fraction of it. But Noel Wilds report below from the Sunday mirror Edition of January 27th 1985 makes me chuckle. The highlights include the classic line... "Giant West Indian defender Noel Blake was badly at fault with the first, with the most feeble back -pass I have seen for many a year" Sounds like one of AESFs reports! And... "Portsmouths defence was all at sea and left me alone, and I just whopped the ball hard" ..he quotes of Jimmy Quinn.

How many fillings this time Den?

BBC Radio news are reporting Barton has been jailed for 6 months, though there is no web confirmation of this yet. Not good news for the boy, but I suspect this is not the last of it-cue SuperLawyer intervention funded by Ashleys wadge.

Is Ironman good for a 4~5 year old to watch?

The FA cup 5th round match will be around soon Ray...looking forward to that one, its got pictures in and everything! The review of the season has now taken longer to do than the season lasted it self.

Not too sure about the Ford link, but wouldn't have been surprised by it. I think he went on to play 1,000 games didn't he, for various clubs ? Played till he was about 40 years old I think. Wilkinson was at Boro later on I recall too. Anyway-the 3rd round replay at home to Portsmouth was postponed three times...this was before undersoil heating at Ewood of course. The weather round this time I remember being very very cold, bitter.

Back in the league, on January 12th 1985, we had an away trip to Cleethorpes, to play Grimsby Town. I once again traveled with the official away travel, and we really needed to a win after the loss against Huddersfield and the draw at Barnsley. Although still top of the league, Oxford were now breathing down our necks, speaking metaphorically of course, nobody needs Jim Smiths warm CO2 lingering around your nape. A dull game I seem to remember, as the report below also reflects (twice!) made more memorable by my experience of a Fish Pie pre-match at the ground, the discovery of a football next to the seaside, and a new-ish cute but small grandstand names after the sponsors-The Findus Stand. Made me chuckle that at the time. Bit sad really. Not much else to recall, hers the LETs shabby report of the game.

I didn't hear the whole hour long bit, but Radio Lancs had an interview with Steven Warnock and Neal Mellor (former LFC mates). Warnock, in a small clip I heard around half six, gave me the impression Reid was at full back for the duration now, as he believes that a settled back four of him, Nelsen, Samba and Reid would give more solidity next season.

With the league position looking very healthy, it came to the day in the year that most media types often refer to as the most exciting day in the footballing calendar. Yes of course, it was the Annual Alan Hardacre memorial lunch at Lancaster Gate. Also, it was the FA Cup 3rd round day too. Earlier in this so-called thread I posted reaction tot eh draw made in December, an away tie at Portsmouth Fratton Park. Portsmouth were promotion rivals to us this, meaning that both domestic cup competitions had us playing a team from our division in the shale up for going up. Bit boring really, how about a home tie against Man United for example.... Indeed, the 2nd round of the league cup was a two legged tie with Oxford, FA cup was at Portsmouth, which as you are about to find out was a draw and needed a replay, and then another draw in the next round at Oxford again! So that would be five games against Oxford this season and four against Portsmouth. I think I went on a service train to the match, setting off at stupid O'clock and arriving at just about half two ish. The station wasn't too far away from the ground , a shortish walk along the front, me trying to not give my accent away by keeping my gob shut. Bit rough down there as I recall. The weather was very very cold, I remember being concerned as to whether the game may be abandoned at on epoint, which would be highly un-funny bearing in mind the distance travelled. The away end, as has been the case quite a few times this season, was an open terrace surrounded by cages (and still was until this season too!), and from memory about 300 from Lancs turned up. The game should have been a walk over for Rovers, but I still to this day cannot work out how Chris Thompson missed a open goal from 5 yards, when he hit the post. He blames the pitch, I blame his general crapness! I met Chris Thompson on the Isle Of Man latter that summer, he was very humble and agreed when I told him I didn't think he was very good at football. Jim Branagan was with him at the time though, and he had to be held back as he wanted to kill me for me insults. So it was back on the train, back up north and home at midnight, with the replay scheduled for Tuesday.

Craig `5th Worst signing of the season!`

Anyway, enough chat. The first day of the new year, January 1st came. It was (and still is ) called New Years Day. Cannot remember what kind of state I was in, probably not too bad as I managed to get my arse sufficiently enough in to gear to get on the official coach from the Flat Iron to make the relatively short journey to the Peoples Republic Of South Yorkshire-Destination Nowhere (Barnsley actually). In fact I pretty much recall the bus was the one used on the photo of the Pretty Vacant single, which actually had Nowhere as the official destination on the front. My packed lunch, was two packets of Ritz Crackers left over from Christmas, the ones in the red boxes... Delicious, if a little dry. Nobody missed them. On arriving at the coach park, disembarking on what appeared to be a slag heap, the first thing I noticed was the temperature. It ws cold, very very cold.Probably about 7 degrees lower than when we set off in Lancs. A short walk off the heap led us to the entrance to the away end at Oakwell, which also seemed to built on a slag heap. There was a small hut type thing, built just above the away end, which looked like the sort of thing building site workers would have their tea breaks in. Probably enough room for three wheelchairs and a brazier. Earlier that season, Leeds had played here and they had started trouble with the home fans, and began with missiles being thrown at the disabled hutch. Classy stuff. The terrace was just open concrete at one end of the ground, similar to Boundary Park, in both construction and warmth levels. A fairly boring match, lit up by Noels beauty of an opening goal and a flood light failure. You wouldn't have thought it possible, that Barnsley was the birth place of the Switch The Floodlights Off And Win Lots Of Money In An Asian Betting Scandal, but these were strange times the mid 1980s, the height of Thatcherism, and the denouement of the Coal Industry as a Nationalised industry. But the Tykes were bang at it long before your West Hams and your Charltons. Noels goal was a classic. Picking the ball up on the wide left, near the touch line, he jinked past a couple of defenders, and unleashed a curler right into the top corner. Every bit as good as a Damian Duff ! Barnsley equalised with a penalty a bit later, though I don't really remember much about it to be honest. There was a good sized following from Rovers that day, indeed we took plenty everywhere in those days. Some great days out and adventures were had. You got to see plenty of familiar faces each trip. Where's Wimberley now though eh? Here's the match day report form a local paper I think. We remained top of the table though going into the FA cup third round...more of that next time.

Not for a long time Abbey.

He's a mate of mine too. Used to be a gang of us, drinking gang. I went to Old Trafford a couple of times with him when it wasn't feasible to watch Rovers, just to watch football.

Aye Abbs, that's him.

Great song brilliant video-Mystery Jets HERE!

Anyway, after the glory and joy of the Boxing Day feast against Leeds, it was, as has always been the case by and large with Rovers, back to reality with a bang with the next fixture with Huddersfield. I remember the match as being the worst performances of the season (So far, it did get worse at one point...). Rovers were murdered by an average Town outfit, but recall Dale Tempest as being a particular thorn in the side of apparently hungover Rovers back four. Rovers were missing Terry Genoe in goal, and had one of the Ewood crowds hate figure in Vince O'Keefe as his stand in. Poor Vince had a ropey season, and often took flak when he didn't really deserve it. Mind you thats not unusual at Ewood! Town brought a big following, I think the total on was 15,000 odd and created a good atmosphere under the old covered Darwen End. I was always a little peeved by the fact the Blackburn roof, whilst although I think it held the distinction of being one of the first fully cantilevered roofs in the country, did not help the home end acoustics. The design was made to allow uninterrupted views of the pitch, which it did, but it did make it a little cold in the wind and rain and allowed the singing from the home fans to dissipate quickly into the air. The Darwen End, with it's low inverted Vee shaped roof always seemed to allow even small away followings to generate a lot of noise, which annoyed me a little bit. The 3-1 scoreline to Town flattered us to be honest, we were awful. It was our first defeat since early November in a run of seven wins and a draw, but we managed to stay top of the league. For now.

Captures the zeitgeist to an extent, that when there was no trouble at a football match, it makes the news.

Meanwhile, away from being top of the league, the draw for the 3rd round of the FA cup had been made, and Rovers got a bit of a stinker really, away to Portsmouth. Tough game, no money, no glamour, long journey. Bob Saxton agrees...

Tris-doesn't do food, but my mates Dad has this place. The Prince Of Wales, Chorley Definitely a real ale place, and is beautifully appointed in memorabilia of an old fashioned pub, with old ashtrays, vintage and retro musicians and ornaments. Is a lot more impressive than it sounds, but Dave (Landlord) doesn't tolerate unruliness, swearing, and even shouting. Very pleasant. Worth an hour on a Sunday lunch.

{Drebbin} "Who are you, and how did you get in here?" {Intruder} "I'm a locksmith , and I'm a locksmith." Classic.