#16: Tony Field, Rovers 5–0 Watford, Saturday 17th November 1973

One of the most outstanding individual goals seen at Ewood was played amidst a global oil crisis, a backdrop of industrial pay disputes and the introduction of a three-day week across Britain

The Ewood faithful, just shy of 9,000, went along to Ewood that day hoping for just 90 minutes in which to escape from the political strife of the times. The visitors to Ewood on 17th November 1973 were Watford, formerly the stomping ground of Rovers boss, Ken Furphy. In addition to Furphy two other former Hornets players were in the Rovers line up, captain Terry Garbett and Barry “Dumper” Endean.

Following a far from auspicious start to the 1973/74 season, the Rovers form had rallied to such an extent that they had gone six games unbeaten and were currently on a three-match winning streak. Could the Rovers continue to bolster their promotion credentials or would an all too familiar anticlimax be on the cards?

As it happened any fears were soon cast aside as the Rovers dominated the game from start to finish. It was an accomplished and error-free performance as you could wish to see. Rovers rolled out all the qualities you might expect from a team high on confidence and with the finishing power to match. “Overwhelming” was the considered opinion from the media with little or no respite being extended to the visitors.

With Rovers in cruise control, and to all intents and purposes the game won, events were shifted to such a dramatic crescendo, when, on 70 minutes, Rovers’ free-scoring wingman, Tony Field scored his second of the game, a goal of such individual brilliance that the proceedings were elevated to a different level.

Following a Roger Jones clearance, the ball was picked up in the centre circle by Field and it led to the winger playing a neat one-two with Parkes before in his familiar crouching gait, Field set off at pace on a mazy 50-yard diagonal run leaving four Watford players in his wake and gasping for air. Having moved across the Blackburn End penalty box, and with more Watford players treading water, Field looked to cut into the box. The Watford keeper, Andy Rankin, anticipating Field’s intentions, moved quickly from his line to force Field to just outside the box close to the Riverside byline. 

Believing he had closed off all possible angles and averted the immediate danger, Rankin attempted to stand Field up only for the ace marksman to execute the impossible by maximizing what little space there was and astutely wriggling through Rankin’s spreadeagled last-ditch challenge and, from the byline, somehow finding the net with an outrageous piece of skill not bestowed on Ewood since the halcyon days of the Maestro, Bryan Douglas. Ewood was in uproar and frenzy. That Duggie was there in the stands to witness this gem of a goal, made it even more pleasurable and lending it the ultimate stamp of approval.

To add to the drama, and in scoring the goal, the fact that Field had to receive treatment for what appeared to be an ankle injury only added to the occasion. It was pure theatre. Once on his feet, Tony Field was able to enjoy the plaudits of an ecstatic crowd as he made his way back to the centre circle amidst a standing ovation which rang around Ewood.

Like all of us there that day, Ken Furphy best summed it up by remarking – “Tony Field’s second had the mark of genius” – as for Tony, modest as ever he simply stated – “It was one of the best I have scored”

Later that season, Field joined his former Rovers boss, Ken Furphy at Sheffield United and later played under him in the North American Soccer League for the New York Cosmos, where he famously lined up alongside both Pele and Franz Beckenbauer.

Tony Field made 106 league appearances, scoring 45 goals in a 3-year spell for the Rovers and was undoubtedly one of the most popular Rovers players of any era. Tony passed away on 7th January 2026, aged 79. 

For the record: Rovers 5 Watford 0 (Field 2, Parkes, Endean, Metcalfe)

Thanks for reading. This article was originally in Issue 110 of the 4,000 Holes fanzine and forms part of the 100 Great Goals collection.