Ozz

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.

Plastic Head-thanks very much for the link, have not seen that since actually being there on the Blackburn End. I remember it as being a horribly violent match, on and off the pitch-My memory was correct!

Sadly, working.

Finally a cure for excitement. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

He's a Scottish G.

Been sorting my computer filing system out , (no I haven't got anything better to do) and I found some footage I took before the away match in the FA cup t'other year. Mildly amusing WARNING-Contains foul and abusive language-do not click on the links if offended by industrial language.

Hughes recognizes MGP is in a bad trot. But thinks he sees enough in training to keep him in the team. SSN

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?