Tyrone Shoelaces

I wouldn’t say that. I think we’re still getting to know each other. Having said that it’s a bit puzzling that having identified the “ Dutch Disease “ as a way of playing to be avoided he appears to have adopted it.

Good little left back. I remember him having a real battle with Stuart Ripley when Ripley was playing for ‘Boro. Honours were even on the day but Ripley caught my eye. I was really pleased when we signed him later on.

Every town had a sports shop like that back in the day. In Rochdale it was called “ The Sports House “ , they sold everything related to the most popular sports. One Saturday afternoon a gang of about 5 of us were heading up to the local sports ground for a game. One of our team was a kleptomaniac. On the way up one of the gang decided he wanted some new shin pads so we all trouped into the shop. On the counter was a fully inflated football and not much else. It stood out like a sore thumb. In those days everything was kept behind the counter in shelves and drawers. When the old guy who owned the shop got his little steps and turned his back to get up to the drawer that held the shin pads the “ klepto “ whipped open his kit bag and stuffed the ball in it ! We were all aghast at this and we were making faces at him but he ignored us ! We were all expecting all hell to kick off when the old guy turned around but amazingly he said nothing, put the shin pads in a bag, took the money and that was that. Nothing we could say outside would convince the “ klepto” to take the ball back. The shop shut as a sports shop years ago and now it just sells paint and wallpaper etc.

Good keeper in my estimation. Unlucky to break his arm in that 7-2 thrashing of Sheff Wed.

Easy mistake to make as neither of them did much to remember them by at Rovers.

Hodgson signed Peacock.

Yeah, he certainly signed some garbage. Simon Grayson was another.

Well he did do a lot of sideways moving on the pitch. Not much going forward unfortunately.

You’re not listening matey. Kiddo signed Frandsen. You’re only 2 seasons out. He signed in Sept 1999.

14 goals in 60 odd games apparently.

Injured, long term job. Forget that, I thought you meant Barnes.

Show pony.

Kiddo signed Frandsen. I wish we had a Craig Hignett now. Have a look at some of the goals he scored.

How did that happen ! I’m sure I typed Hyam.

Sounds like the ball that Asia was discussing. What about the boots ? My first boots would have been ok as safety shoes in a foundry. The boots with no name. My next pair were some “ Slazenger “ . Really nice boots and they served me well. Once I saw the “ Puma “ boots that Keith Newton wore I had to have a pair. After saving up my paper round money I managed to get a pair. Exactly the same as Keith’s. They also served me well for several seasons. I couldn’t wear them out. Eventually I decided I needed a new pair of “ Puma “. Nothing wrong with my old pair, I just “ needed “ something new. First real game I played in them I broke my leg right from the kick off. 5 seconds in to the game at the most ! Unlucky boots. I was still wearing them when I broke my leg for the second time.

Nyambe-Ayala-Wharton Dolan-Travis-Morton-Pickering Hedges Gallagher-Brererton Maybe ?

Strange team. 3-4-1-2. ? Time to stop chopping and changing ? I’ll be surprised if things aren’t changed at half time - again.

Too hard, a Frido ? What can I say, maybe we were bred hard back then. I never saw a brown one, they were always white in my experience.

Our you’d be having a 15 a side thriller and some bloody mongrel would run on and bite the ball !

I think they were slightly dimpled. Without doubt the best of the plastic balls on offer at the time.

A tall, long haired striker. A sort of poor man’s BBD. He played in the 7-1 banging at Shrewsbury. The low point in the history of the club. He scored twice against my adopted home town of Rochdale in a 3-0 win.

Yeah, dead right. “ Frido’s “ were good balls. Some of the other plastic balls were cheap and too light.

I remember that game. As you say two really pointless bookings. Especially the one for handball. I think we ended up losing 4-0. I think Djorkaeff played in that game and scored a good goal- only for it to be disallowed for off-side.

I remember putting Dubbin on my boots. I never had a real ball of my own. We always played with the plastic “ Frido “ balls that were made in Stockport I believe. Whenever one burst we just had a whip round and bought another one. They were about 10/- or 50p in todays money.

I saw him play at Ewood a few times and although he scored he was very quiet other than that. Best British goalscorer I ever saw though. If he was through on goal you could get ready for the kick off, goalies had no chance. He was lethal in broken play in the penalty area, cool and very deft. You never saw him blast the ball, always just enough on the ball to score. Regarding the balls - when I was a 17 yr old kid making my way in mens football the guys would be blowing the balls up before the game. The more air they pumped in, the harder the ball got ! When they’d finished it was like kicking a cannon ball. As for heading it, I remember playing left back and heading one of those towering kicks that came straight from the opposing goalies hands 50 yards away. It came down like a mortar bomb. I honestly saw stars !