It made us a couple of bob too!

Well it's boxing day 1984. I had just turned 18, and after only one day of playing Raving Bonkers, eating Terrys Chocolate Orange, and turkey drier than Saharan heatwave, loosing at Top Trumps (Elite Cars) and having already worn the battery out on my new LCD watch that played The Yellow Rose Of Texas as the alarm theme, I was ready for some football. This year the bank holiday game was, as Bob Fleming has already hinted at, Leeds at home. They were just below us in the table, 5th going into the game. They were still getting used to life outside the top flight, after winning titles and cups galore under Revie in the 70s, but had slipped away in recent times, much to the disappointment of the rest of the footballing fraternity. Indeed, some of the great names were still at the club, in Frank Gray and Peter Lorimer, whilst they were managed by Eddie Gray too. Not sure, but I think that nearly every great Leeds player from the 70s has had a go at managing the club at some point!. They also had two skillful midfield players in Tommy Wright and wanna-be Rover Scott Sellers. If asked my favourite game of this season, I think this would have to be up there in the top three. There was so much to be excited about by it. Leeds United at home was in those days a big match in itself, the fact that it would be (and was) a massive crowd by recent standards, some 20, 149 (according to the reports-Reckon there were much more on myself), an absolutely brilliant atmosphere, a ding dong match, two superb goals from Rovers, including what from my memory was a stunning overhead kick from the edge of the box into the Blackburn End net to win it from Colin Randell, the fact that the three points took us clear at the top of league-an absolutely superb game of football, having almost everything you would want in a match. Read the reports, and if you were there, tell me I'm right! I love this photo of Noel heading in the first, cue mass chorus of Noel, Noel, Noel Noel-He is the king of Ewood Park! What a legend was Broth-Head! RIP mate.

I hate people who moan about the weather...but I have to say it's as cold as Pluto out there today-typing in gloves now. Not impressed. Still, was nice to walk out of the offices last night in decent daylight. Pointless post, but then that's nothing new for me though eh?

Colin-Big Eyed Beans from Venus-Capt Beefheart-there's you last sig! Been bugging me for ages that, feel better now!

Let me know if its still on form, could do with another trip soon.

I am about half way through The Damned United, a rather unusual piece ostensibly based on Brian Cloughs short spell at Leeds United. It is fiction I suppose, but based on very well researched facts I reckon, and the first person narrative is interrupted by italicised psychotic flashbacks from his early playing demise in the North East to his rise through managing Hartlepool and Derby to succeeding his nemesis Don Revie. A real page turner and I fully recommend it. Link to Amazon and the reviews The Damned United Apologies if already mentioned earlier in the thread.

How come when you enter www.youtube.com into the address bar, it re-directs you to http://pl.youtube.com/, which I assume is Polish version with loads of erm, Polish in it? Have the Poles all left Poland now and live in the UK, and brought their own YouTube with them?

Got this a week or two ago-not too bad, better than I expected. My two favourite songs at the moment, are The Angry Mob, Kaiser Chiefs which is melodically, sonically and lyrically brilliant, and Hey Man by The Eels, just for feel good factor!

The Saturday before Christmas saw the relatively short trip up the M6 the Carlisle. I got of lift with Gordon Cottam, Bill Gornall and Rob Bennett I think, in Rob's white Escort RS2000. Which made short work of the motorway, as Rob liked to get a move on shall we say. Parked near the castle, and remember seeing tons and tons of cars going north with Rovers flags and scarves trailing from the wound up windows of them. If you were hard, you wound down your window put your scarf in then wound it up again and ran the risk of it blowing out down the motorway. The soft gits just laid their scarves along the back parcel shelf! Carlisle holds the honour of being the first place I ever bought and ate a Doner Kebab too, as we had supped a shed load of cans in the journey up and the only place open for grub on a Sunday was a kebab shop we found. The match it self was won 1-0 by Rovers, Faz scoring a penalty in the second half I think. Bu the game will be remembered for other reasons really, as the whole game saw running battles between the two sets of supporters on the pitch, across the pitch and behind the stands. Sadly, one such battle saw a Carlisle supporter suffer fatal wounds when hit by some bricks or similar. The away following from Blackburn was huge that day, and the atmosphere was ugly all day long, really the nadir of 80s football violence for watching Rovers I think. The game has been touched on in earlier threads, with several memories recorded here. Guardian Report of game ... Handed out at the next match at Ewood...

PS, on the first newspaper report in the last post, the headline reads SUPER ROVERS CALL THE TUNE, and not UPER ROVERS CALL THE TUN. Just thought it may help.

December 15th 1984. I had waited all year long for the predictions of George Orwell, in his book entitled 1984, to come true. As the end of the year approached, it began to dawn on me that the Big Brother scenario, which he depicted and promised would happen, was not going to . I mean, there were only 16 days left in the year, and even with my eternally optimistic outlook and faith in the great writers predictions, I had resigned myself to more of Thatchers iron-fist-in-a-bloody hard-iron-glove style of leadership. I mean 16 days to change the country, christ it took longer than that make a bowl of Instant Whip in those days. Oh, the irony.(The perfect afters to match a Vesta boil in the bag Chinese noodle meal). Anyway, I digest. Next up for the blues was a trip to Moulinex. (There's a rather flimsy theme to todays efforts-care to name it for us Neal?) I did not make the journey to the food-mixer, as I was trying to tape my UK Subs singles all day but struggled, as I kept on pogo-ing when they were playing, and it made the needle jump off the record. But I had the old Radio Blackburn guy on in the background, and they were good enough to relay the events back to me in my studio in Chorley. Ah, technology eh? From the two reports below, it sounded like a cruddy game, (not much has changed ), but the previously perma-benched Jammy Quinn steaked his clam for a starting role by bagging a pear. The Radio guy in the studio was playing Dizzy by Tommy Roe, and as the third went in he actually interrupted the record and came out with the line.."Well I bet Bob Saxton is feeling dizzy now as Blackburn have gone three up against Wolves, over to you Keith Macklin!". The three points saw us back on top of the table, with a trip up the M6 next week for infamous day at Brunton Park. Watch this space!

Colin-Stephen Fry once said when he was a lot younger, he thought Captain Beefheart was actually Captain Bee Fart. Made me laugh! Mind you I just spent the evening in Up Holland, next door to Richard Ashcofts mum and dads so anything is possible tonight.

And of course to the memory of the actual slaves from Africa.

For something a little different in Manchester, try the Armenian Tavern just off the Town Hall front. Link here Can be quite expensive, but the food has always been great when I have eaten there. Saturday night can see live music too, not as bad as it sounds! Or Heathcotes, which is in Jackson Row off Deansgate. Stunning food and service, stunning bills to match! Before the game at COMS last Jan, four of us spent £259 on lunch. Good job we won.

Bloody scanners.... OK-Saturday 8th December 1984, 3 PM Ewood Park-Blackburn Rovers V Sheffield United. This was a game I clearly remember, at a time when legendary marksman Simon Garner was going through a lean spell, and his form was a little patchy. Legend that he is, Saxton was obviously reluctant to drop him as as he could counjor (sp?) up a goal out of nothing and save a point when all seemed lost, and three when all seemed drawn. Big money summer signing (£32,000!) from Swindon Town Jimmy Quinn was chomping at the bit on the bench, and had already shown signs of unrest at his role in the dugout most weeks. But, as the headline below indicates his time was now, and his short appearance against the Blades was most effective. Without getting all dewy eyed over the good old days, excitement like I felt at winning this match doesn't seem to come along much any more, and despite Thenodrogs valid views on the state of the English game back then, one cannot help feel a strong sense of nostalgia and a yearning for a return whilst looking back and reading the reports from over 20 years ago. The points were not enough to keep us op however, as Oxford won 5-0 at home to Charlton to move past us on goal difference. Last point, this match was the biggest crowd of the season so far, just over 9,000!

I preferred it when everybody rowed about racism!

Lucas Getting some stick off his new fans .

Saw The Life Of David Gale last night on VD. Was very good. Had some shagging in it too! (the film, not me)

Even the LEPs Paul Agnew was convinced we were going up, this article written in December 1984 as Rovers shaped up like a top flight team. The other side takes the mick out the North End too!

Bobby Saxton confident his shoestring team capable of staying at the top of league!

Vince O'Keefe, transferred listed!! Always going to be a frustrating being number 2 to the number 1 so to speak, as Geno was in awesome form around this time. Vince got a bit of grief from the Ewood faithful on his rare appearances, but to be honest most of the team apart from Garner did even when we were winning! Only a few years later, the former Torquay shot stopper went on to play a man-of-the-match performance in the Full Members cup win at Wembley, which was undoubtedly his finest hour.

I make it a year ago today that the HMS Rovers set sail from Hull for 3 days of madness in Rotterdam! Happy days...

My god it was SEVEN years ago!

Looks like Robbie Savages jaundiced gypsy uncle.