In years to come, books on Rovers records will be updated, Souness will be in those books, with one of the best records of any manager we have had, most people writing these posts read about who was good in the past, if they have a poll in the futore, on managers, as Den had for players, it would without a doubt include Souness, the all time worst managers are not recorded, but Souness will be, leave him alone now, we all lose what we have at some time, if we didn't we would still be watching Dougie on the wing.

Den, Yes Middlesbourgh beat us 7-1 at Ewood, so you can imagine the pleasure a couple of seasons later, when we got our 9-0 revenge over them, maybe thats the reason they said they had no team and never turned up in the 1990s, we must have given them a lasting impression?

Hello Den, You are right in thinking I've been watching our team for a few years now, and enjoyed it, so I have got my new season ticket on order ready for this season. The first game I went to was against Everton in 1947, but I cannot remember much about the match, only that Ewood seemed a long way from Brownhill. The first game I remember in detail was against Middlesbrough, we were losing 7-0 when Jackie Oakes cut in from the right wing and scored for us, everyone seemed happy then, because we only lost 7-1, - we've always had an odd crowd!

How about the kit Jack Walker played in when he played at Bangor Street? red and green halves

here's another thinker Jim If we play in halves Bristol in quarters what was the black & white Dutch design?

Yes I am afraid its me again, on about our Tommy, sorry but I don't know how to transfer the feature in the L.E.T. on saturday the 5th. all about Tommy Briggs, on to this messageboard, could someone please do it , so people who did not see it get the chance. thanks. Big A in answer to your question, Tommy left the Rovers in march 1958, he only played 12 games in season 1957-58, scoreing 3 goals, but age had caught up with him and that was it, he went back to Grimsby Town, one of he's former clubs. Tommy had a hell of a career, he volunteerd for the Royal Navy during the war, was sent to Malta to defend the Island, when Malta was safe, he came back to Plymouth, serving on a landing craft running soldiers to the Normandy beach heads, it was only when he got demobbed that Tommy turned to football, he was born in 1923 and sadly died in 1984. Another item regarding Tommy was the gates, very few people followed away teams in the fifties, due to no money, and a five and half day week, so when the gates at that time averaged 26,000 or 27,000 they all supported the Rovers, so when we scored, the noise all round the ground, including the Darwen end, was terrific. I was also a fan of Simon's but what a difference the crowd made, I was on Ewood on Simon's finest day ( in my opinion) when he scored five against Derby County, I think the gate was either 4000 or 5000, we cheered like mad, but I'me afraid it could'nt compare to the roars of the fifties, or to the week in week out excitement of following the Rovers with Tommy, cast your vote now for him, Shearer the best ever, Briggs a very close second.

To start with I've been fortunate enough to have watched every centre forward, from Dennis Westcott to the present day. I dont have to say who was the best, we all know that, our Alan, commentators drooled over him, papers filled their back pages with he's photo's, reporters never had it so good, but all of them had one theme, they said "he plays like an old fashioned centre forward", how true that is, but which old fashioned centre forward? only one that played for us, thats Tommy Briggs without a shadow of a doubt , all you supporters who were sat on the rug, in front of the fire, tapping the dog on its head with a spoon, have no idea what 'old fashioned centre forward means' but us old giffers do, it means running through mud on rough pitches, jumping for the corners trying to knock the goalie (with he's knees up) and ball in the net, while the defenders tried to 'drop' you, as you was charged from one side to the other and back again, Tommy was the best, for us he scored over 30 goals a season four seasons on the run, in that time he missed only three games, before he was a Rover he was also the leagues top scorer, beating second placed Tommy Lawton by seven goals. I think everone will know about he's seven goals in one game, he scored one in the first half at the Blackburn end, then six in the Darwen end, also hitting the post, and had quite a few saved, for he's third goal he jumped a bit early, but he just waited in the air then nodded it home in the top left corner , I think David Blaine must have heard of that , he makes a living out of it and calls it levitation. No other team could boast a combination of two strikers with consistant goal scoring form, which is what the position is all about, than Shearer and Briggs, remember its goals that count, Shearer over thirty three seasons running, Briggs over thirty four seasons running, no excuses, we want consistant goal scorers, vote them both, the two top goal scorers from different eras, they were one and the same believe me.

I keep reading about Forrest not being any good today, why not reverse it, Sherwood playing in forrest's era? big boots, heavy ball, mud pitches, knocked down every tackle, all centre halves with one intent, stop the man any way you can, no fancy pasta, or rice, just the usual tripe, trotters and cow heel bits, washed down with stong ale, no I can't see sherwood lasting ninety minutes at all.

Well wrote FLB you could'nt have put Jimmy's case better, my vote for him's going in now.

I agree Thenodrog, Jay McEverly was left marking two men, and when Birmingham realised this they made the most of it, but what a game Melchiott had, he had Emerson in he's pocket, and was still their most danger when he came forward, just wish we had him.

Wrong day, wrong time, lousy opposition, lousy weather, on T.V. and still 19.500 rovers supporters are there, I think the ticket scheme worked O.K. now try it for the next game, with the publicity starting now.

I was in upper J.W. stand B.B.E. and never heard monkey noises, just the boos, and if there's anyone who did'nt expect that, have you never been to a football match before? and ask for yorke's reaction in bringing in the racial issue, which it was, not from what I saw, it's all been done before when Finnigan called us racist for booing him as a lazy sod, if two people did racially abuse him, then get rid of them, but like I said before I never heard it.

Good read that about Tim Drummer Boy, from what I understood at the time, the main culprit was an agent, a real slime ball called Eric Hall, who talked Tim into a stalemate with Uncle Jack, by asking for more money even though he'd just got a rise a few months earlier, but saying Alan Sugar would give him more at Tottenham, it just developed from that, till eventually Uncle Jack said on your way Tim, and take your agent with you, funny thing, we don't seem to hear about Eric Hall these days. Personally I would have liked Tim to have come back to the Rovers, as a coach with a view to be manager someday.

When Ronnie Clayton started playing for us I think he was 17 years old, but he made such an impression, like Colin Hendry did in later years, he was being called a future England player right from the start, Duncan Edwards was the newspapers favourite, obvious, he played for Man Utd, and he was good, but not better than Ronnie, they both played attractive fair football, far better to watch than later England 'greats' such as Stiles, Robson, and Batty, who had to have a new rule brought in for their tackles, not from the back and not two footed, as if they ever listened. But there is not much you can say, thats not already been said about Ronnie, brilliant in attack or defence, read a good game, and geed up the team when he was captain, even wrote a book on he's football stories. The other central player is quite a problem, I liked both Atkins and Sherwood and enjoyed reading their praises here on the board, but my problem is between Mick McGrath and Eddie Quigley, Mick was brought up from a youngster at Ewood, and played from the middle fifties to middle sixties, in ten years of some of the best, consistant football I've ever watched down Ewood, scoring vital goals and the partnership with him Ronnie and Matt Woods/ Mike England was a joy to watch. Now its Eddie Quigley, who played inside left, the Rovers best ever passer of a ball, and with either foot, but he was an inside forward, and as such won't qualify as a striker though at times he did play at centre forward, so this is he's only logical position, he's passes are burnt into my mind, from the centre circle he would drop the ball a yard, in front of a speeding Bobby Langton who would take it in he's stride, run to the byline and cut it back to Quigley who would be running through the centre, what a sight that was. One last story of this tale of when Eddie was the rovers trainer. He assembled the Rovers squad in the Blackburn end penalty area, and said to them "I am fed up about the way we waste indirect free kicks in the penalty box, we just blast them goalwards hoping for a rebound, what I want you to do is hit the crossbar, then the rest of you rush in, and one of you can then head in the rebound", the players just looked at each other and laughed, hit the crossbar? your joking they said, Quigley looked at them, placed a ball on the penalty spot, a quick kick and the ball rattled the crossbar, " what are you all gaping at, and why havent you headed in the rebound?"he said, thats how accurate he was. So my problem is Ronnie Clayton and Mick McGrath, or Ronnie Clayton and Eddie Quigley, I am still thinking.

LeChuck I think ones forgot already, at least I don't remember much about him Richard Witschge.