Still think that Brazil v Italy game is the best international I've ever seen. Not necessarily in terms of absolute quality but for the sheer will to win Italy displayed. I had Italy in the school sweepstake so was particularly pleased in their sudden upturn in form!

Done. Best of luck

Just now, Aqualung said:

Small world! 

Both myself, Andy Grimshaw and Andy Hornsby (left back) were all brought up on Queens way which backed onto Rossendale Uniteds ground. Crying shame what happened to that club. 

Other notable players during the era grimmy were.. Jocky Wiley, Andy Wharton (ex Burnley FC), Jimmy Clarke, Paul Beck, Wayne Haworth, Russell Proctor, Neil Yates. 

All top notch semi pros in my book. 

I know Jimmy Mac aswell. Had a go at managing IIRC. 

Happy memories on Dark Lane - my first football matches in early 70's when they also had a great team. Shrewsbury Town FA Cup tie a particular memory. The Wylie / Clarke / Beck forward line was unbelievable - you used to come off disappointed if Rossy had only won by 2 or 3 goals!! I knew Chris and Andy Hornsby fairly well.

19 hours ago, Aqualung said:

We are all experts right? 

Wether you've actually kicked a ball in your life or gone on to do well in the game of football at a playing level. It's all about opinions of course and even if you've never kicked the bag of fresh air around a football pitch we can all learn about who has been any good and who has been rubbish. 

As for myself  bloody useless. My only experience is playing football competitively was for my junior school in 1975 and then again for Boars Head juniors (rossendale) in a local youth league. I didn't last long as in one game I was threatened to have my head kicked in after the game. Turned out that that player later in the future was jailed for manslaughter! 

That's when I turned my attention to cricket which I enjoyed playing right up until the age of 47. ( North Manchester league followed by the Ribblesdale league). 

Now, some of my closest friends went the opposite way and played to a good standard ie: Northwest Counties League and Conference Level back in the 80s and 90s. A few names spring to mind but I'll concentrate on my longest and oldest mate who I thought should have made the grade but sadly it never happened. 

His name is Andy Grimshaw and what a player he was. Centre midfield. Played for Man Utd reserves, Rovers reserves v Huddersfield, Bury reserves. Also played for Colne Dynamos under Chalky White and played at the FA trophy final for Witton Albion v Colchester at Wembley. Knows bugger all else apart from football and working his arse off to pay the bills. He taught me a lot about the game of football. So his opinions to me, make a lot of sense regarding the game. 

Just wondering how some bms form an opinion of a player, a professional that is. Have you played the game? 

How did you gain your knowledge about our greatest sport? 

Im off now, this Swedish beer is strong stuff! 

Played a few times in same school team as Andy Grimshaw and watched him play later for Rossendale United - now consigned to the dustbin of history. That school team also had Jimmy McCluskie who played league football for Rochdale. Safe to say I wasn't as good as either of them! I was more of a Stuart Pearce style fullback - in tackling terms anyway!!!

Palace for me as well. We should have won the first leg by 4 or 5 as we were that good that night. The Howard Gayle missed penalty gave them something to hang onto. Then the away match was so stacked against us - last 5 minutes of extra time we only needed a goal and they let thousands of Palace fans stand on the edge of the pitch waiting to invade. And my dad got a parking ticket!

Smokey Robinson - I'll Second That Emotion

Was with us in King Kenny's time but hardly ever played. My fault as put him in my Fantasy Football team when we signed him!

Moved onto Huddersfield I think.

Very lightweight midfielder - good skill - just not tough enough

1.76m is actually 5 foot 9 -  still not that big though!

Best

Roves 3 Charlton 1 74/75 season - first game after being taken to several Lancashire grounds by my Dad. Guess it was the kit!!

Rovers 7 Norwich 1 - memorable for my Dad's comment at half-time about Shearer "alright he'll do" - this after not being convinced he was worth signing!!

Bury 1 Rovers 2 79/80 - watching the terrace roof moving as '000's of Rovers sang "10,9,8 more minutes to go and we'll be in the 2nd"

Burnley 2 Rovers 3 - standing on the Bee Hole End at Burnley trying to look miserable (just pips the 2-0 in 2000)

Rover 2 Man Utd 0 93/94 - watching Pallister panic as the ball sailed over his head and Shearer smashed it past Schmeichel

(Sorry I know this makes 6 but couldn't leave this one out!) Rovers 4 Derby 2 - play-offs. Best performance I've seen 'pound-for-pound' by a Rovers team. Worked with Derby fans at the time who were honest enough to admit that 4-2 flattered them and it could have been 6 or 7 easily

Worst

Palace away play-off final 2nd leg - nuff said (and our car got clamped by the Met!)

Chelsea FA Cup SF - Pederson's miss and thinking that might be nearest I get to a Rovers FA Cup final

Preston 1 Swansea 3 - couldn't get to Bristol!

Rovers 0 Wigan 1 - watching Jack's dream being trashed

Rovers 0 Stoke 2  2010 - only 2nd game I've ever taken my Stoke-born wife to!! Still haven't heard the last of it :-)

Always struggled in the mud of autumn but became unplayable on the frosty pitches in winter!

One of my first heroes at Ewood - might have been partly because he was bald like my dad!!

Firstly the belief in the idea that someone is punished for a previous life is purely an act of faith.

But even if you believe that, it only works as a 'punishment' for sins committed in a previous life if the person alive now was aware of those sins they committed in a previous life. Clearly they aren't and therefore it would be the same as being sent to prison without knowing what you had been sent there for. There is no point in a punishment if you don't know what is for as it can't stop you doing it again.

Also as what is deemed 'wrong' changes through time, people would be punished for what is now seen to be good and not punished for what is now seen to be bad. Unless of course you subscribe to a view that these things are laid down form the dawn of time and never change.

From a philosophical and logical point of view the whole theory is b**ll**ks.

Not one of mine but from my late Dad. He was complaining that Alan Shearer wasn't worth the money and his record wasn't good enough. Half way through the 7-1 thrashing of Norwich he turned to me and said 'OK - he'll do' Never one for over the top praise my dad!!