POLL: The Ultimate 150 Rovers List - Part 3/9: Inter War Years and Post World War II 1930-1950

[rog of the rovers]

The Ultimate 150 Rovers List

 

Part Three - Inter War Years and Post World War II (1930-1950)

Poll runs from - 29th October to 5th November

Some additional notes

Ted Harper - Most league goals in a season for any Rovers player, 37 apps 43 goals.

Jack Roscamp - FA Cup Winner 1928 - A brace in the Cup Final ensured his legacy in Rovers history.

Syd Puddefoot - FA Cup Winner 1928 - 2 England Caps - Formidable strike partner of Ted Harper, a 1920s Chris Sutton if you will. Key member of the cup winning team scoring four times en route to the final. Great football brain and wonderful attributes made him a crowd favourite.

John 'Jock' Crawford - FA Cup Winner 1928 - Made the starting goalkeeper by Bob Crompton. A member of Blackburn Amateur Dramatic and Music Society whilst playing for the club.

Willie 'Bill' Rankin - FA Cup Winner 1928 - Towering centre half would lift the FA Cup in his first full season at the club.

Harry Healless - FA Cup Winner 1928 - 2 England Caps - Blackburn born and bred, FA Cup winning captain. Rovers coach in the 1950s.

Jock Hutton - FA Cup Winner 1928 - 3 Scotland Caps - Robust, hard tackling, stocky yet talented full back.

Arthur Cunliffe - 2 England Caps - Blackrod born outside left had four fruitful years at Ewood earning England honours in the same team as the legendary Dixie Dean. Sold to Aston Villa in 1933.

Herbert 'Taffy' Jones - FA Cup Winner 1928 - 6 England Caps - Quite the career before joining the Rovers including working as a plumber in his home town of Blackpool. Also took part in the second Christmas Truce of World War I in 1915. Jones played a game of football with some German soldiers in No Man’s Land. He later wrote, “It was really sad to play football with them, then a few hours later have to start shooting and killing them…Those Germans were actually fine fellows…”

Bill Imrie - Combative, strong centre half/centre forward. Already a Scottish international when he joined the club.

Tommy McLean - One of Bob Crompton's first signs as Rovers boss. McLean scored the second goal in the 1928 FA Cup Final victory as Rovers shocked Huddersfield Town. His goal was a right footed rocket into the top corner.

Jesse Carver - Regular centre half who worked his way up the ranks at Ewood. Would go on to have a stellar coaching career on the continent, winning the Serie A title as manager of Juventus in 1949/50 before spells at Lazio, Torino, Roma and Inter Milan 

Ernie Thompson - Bustling, forceful centre forward a shining light in the early 1930s despite Rovers falling down the table. Left for Manchester United when Rovers were relegated in 1935/36.

Cliff Binns - Goalkeeper of the inter war period. All 183 of his League appearances for Rovers came in the top flight.

Jimmy Gorman - Long time full back a regular between the Wars. Never scored for the club, despite over 225 appearances.

Jack Bruton - Evergreen winger in the 1930s, would go on to manage Rovers in the late 40s.

Jack Weddle - Division 2 Champion 1939 - Fearless forward from Sunderland was every bit the former pit-lad. His tenacity allowed Butt, Clarke and himself to shine as Rovers won the title. He would later become Rovers' head trainer from 1949-1961.

Albert Clarke - Fired Rovers to the Division 2 title in 1938/39 finishing as top goal scorer with 23 goals in total. Formidable duo with Len Butt. Sadly this would be his only season in Blackburn as he went to war, dying in Normandy in 1944 where he is buried at Ranville War Cemetery outside Caen.

Len Butt - Prolific second tier striker. Career severely hindered by WWII. If only the Butt/Clarke partnership could have had more time together?

Walter Crook - Division 2 Champion 1939 - Holds the record for most consecutive Football League appearances by a Rovers player (208 between 1934 and 1946)

William 'Billy' Rogers - Division 2 Champion 1939 - Brought to the club by Bob Crompton (at the start of his second spell as manager) the winger scored 18 goals in Division 2 as Rovers clinched the title. Part of a formidable front line alongside Clarke, Butt and Weddle.

Arnold Whiteside - Division 2 Champion 1939 - Skillful half back and partner of Bob Pryde. Career interrupted by WWII but one of the few to play over 400 times for the club.

Robert 'Bob' Pryde - Division 2 Champion 1939 - A club stalwart through the wartime, 16 year stint at Ewood Park, featuring over 500 times for Rovers.

Other names to consider - Clarrie Bourton, Dennis Westcott.

Edited October 29 by rog of the rovers

[Herbie6590]

Voting now open…

[rog of the rovers]

When I was growing up my maternal grandad (who had absolutely no interest in football whatsoever) always talked longingly about Bob Pryde. I assume this must have been because it was a name he had heard from his friends and colleagues growing up.

From further reading it appears he had his own 'Sammie Szmodics style' season as his performances in 1946/47 were a key feature in Rovers avoiding relegation. Also went on to manage Wigan Athletic and stayed in the area. Dying in Blackpool aged 85 in 1998.

If my grandad knew who he was, he must have been a popular figure!

[GHD]

In the pen pictures above the cup final goalkeeper is referred to as John Crompton. It should of course be John Crawford.

[rog of the rovers]

29 minutes ago, GHD said:

In the pen pictures above the cup final goalkeeper is referred to as John Crompton. It should of course be John Crawford.

Changed, thanks for pointing this out!

You can really see the patterns of names in the lists so far

Part One was Jack and Jimmy 

Part Two was full of Walter and Arthur

Part Three is full of Bill, Billy and Jack

Part Four (spoiler alert) is full of Mike and Mick

Part Five is the era of Tony!

[Herbie6590]

23 minutes ago, rog of the rovers said:

Changed, thanks for pointing this out!

You can really see the patterns of names in the lists so far

Part One was Jack and Jimmy 

Part Two was full of Walter and Arthur

Part Three is full of Bill, Billy and Jack

Part Four (spoiler alert) is full of Mike and Mick

Part Five is the era of Tony!

This reads like a Roy Of The Rovers comic book…😁

[Mike E]

Jesse Carver reminds me of Fred Pentland… @Herbie6590 😉

[Mike E]

Some wonderful entries. The reminder of Taffy (one of my favourite historical characters, as I love the history of the wars) brought goosebumps.

[rog of the rovers]

No wanting to sway any votes obviously, but another brilliant read from our archives. This time from everyones favourite Buffalonian, Rick Lewis.

https://www.brfcs.com/articles/a-deserved-legend:-albert-clarke

[Herbie6590]

@rog of the rovers Arnold Whiteside…any relation? 

[rog of the rovers]

39 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

@rog of the rovers Arnold Whiteside…any relation? 

Alas not, though he’s probably a distant relation.

Whiteside a very popular last name on the Fylde coast. A relation of mine, way back, moved from Poulton to teach at Osbaldeston school, my side has been in Blackburn ever since. I do often think “if he hadn’t moved to take that job….would I be a Rovers fan? Probably not.”

A nice personal family tale from my family was that my great grandfather Walter, his father (my great great grandad) and his brother all tried to get tickets for the 1928 FA Cup final. Only the sons got them. Ever the dutiful son Walter gave up his ticket so his dad could go in his place.

Edited October 29 by rog of the rovers

[Herbie6590]

2 hours ago, rog of the rovers said:

Alas not, though he’s probably a distant relation.

Whiteside a very popular last name on the Fylde coast. A relation of mine, way back, moved from Poulton to teach at Osbaldeston school, my side has been in Blackburn ever since. I do often think “if he hadn’t moved to take that job….would I be a Rovers fan? Probably not.”

A nice personal family tale from my family was that my great grandfather Walter, his father (my great great grandad) and his brother all tried to get tickets for the 1928 FA Cup final. Only the sons got them. Ever the dutiful son Walter gave up his ticket so his dad could go in his place.

Precedent has been set…😆

[rog of the rovers]

A weekend bump to this thread with a couple of YouTube clips. 

 

Edited October 31 by rog of the rovers