A drinking buddy of mine was showing me his playing career memorabilia a few years ago. One of the items was a little " Manchester " schoolboys V " Lancashire " schoolboys programme. Lancashire had an F. Pickering ( Blackburn ) playing on the right wing. This would be in the mid 1950's.

The cynic in me thinks that maybe he's signed again because he's no longer confident that he'll be back to his previous standard. After all by all accounts he was on his way this time last year before the injury. Better a bird in the hand than two in the bush.

Mrs Shoelaces says " Money Heist " is the best thing she's watched for a while. Do you like my new font ? My computer obviously does.

I got the impression that Wharton won't play again this season. Or at the beginning of next season. That's if there is a next season.

Keith Hill eh, the first overlapping centre half. What do you think our current team would play like on a pitch like that ? Matt Dickens ! He went on loan to Rochdale and is still reckoned to be the keeper in their worst ever loans team.

That sort of thing happened a lot. I remember going to a Rochdale V Tranmere top of the table game around Christmas time. It was really foggy, you couldn't see much further that half way to the half way line when they kicked off, They gave it about 20 minutes then called it off. Tranmere had scored down the other end allegedly. No refunds of course.

Attendance 28,990. I was a paper lad then and on the morning of the game I remember a cartoon on the back of the " Express " or " Mail " showing a bloke selling cricket style scorecards outside Ewood Park !

Before Covid I was visiting an ex workmate who had been in the Marines in WW2. He just passed 100 this autumn. He was a Bren gunner and he ended up in the English Channel when his landing craft was sunk at Dieppe. He got picked up by a passing destroyer after about an hour of staying afloat. When he got back to the UK they wanted to take the cost of the missing Bren gun out of his pay !

Jim Standen John Bond Peter Burkett Martin Peters Ken Brown Bobby Moore Peter Brabrook Ronnie Boyce Johnny Byrne Geoff Hurst John Sissons They made one change for the game at Ewood, dropping Martin Peters for Eddie Bovington who was an Aaron Moekona type. He followed Bryan Douglas everywhere and nulified our attacking play. The rest of the team played like drains as well, We'd got back into the game on the hour when we were 2-0 down to make it 2-1, We had a good ten minutes after that and we had the Hammers on the run for the first time in the game. Then they scored a sloppy third goal and that was that. I'd gone in the main stand for the first time with a City supporting pal and his older brother.

The images are too distant for me to see. The Spurs team that day was - Bill Brown. Peter Baker, Ron Henry. Danny Blanchflower, Maurice Norman, Dave Mackay. Frank Saul, John White, Bobby Smith, Jimmy Greaves, Terry Dyson. Only Cliff Jones missing out of the all conquering Spurs team, that's why Frank Saul was playing.

I think we'd evolved into a pretty loose 4-2-4 formation by then. One of the wing halves ( Mick McGrath usually ) playing a lot nearer to the centre half and the full backs who were out wide. Then one inside forward ( Andy McEvoy ) playing up front with the centre forward most of the time and the other inside forward ( Bryan Douglas ) dropping back into midfield to team up with the other wing half ( Ronnie Clayton ). Lots of teams were trying this way of playing in the light of Brazil's success with it in 1958 and 1962.

From L to R Ron Henry, Mike England, Bill Brown ( goalkeeper ), unknown behind Bill Brown, could be Maurice Norman, Bobby Smith, Fred Pickering, Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay ( with the barrel chest ) Peter Baker. Not many players in the area for a corner, only two Rovers, and both full backs on the posts as was the way back then. Not that it did Spurs much good ! Nowadays it would just be a mass of players all trying to hold on to each other !

On their day, and they had plenty of great days, they were the best team in the division. When they were on song they were a goalscoring machine. We were just so lucky to see them. They just lacked the financial backing to really challenge for trophies. We were just a couple of players short in defence and we'd almost no back up players of equal ability if any of the first 11 got injured.

51,000 on that day Gav. According to the record books with one of the quirks the FA Cup throws up regularly we'd played them in the League the Saturday before and drawn 3-3, 41,789 at that game. So in eight days we'd 90,000 plus through the gate. Players on £20 a week if they were lucky, no wonder following your football team was cheap then. 2/- ( 10p ) to get in for a grown up I would imagine. So if my maths is correct gate receipts of £9,000.

Hi Jim, just for accuracy - Rovers beat Arsenal 3-0, McEvoy 2, Byrom 1. We'd beaten them 2-1 in the League at Ewood the Saturday before.

Left to Right - Ron Henry, Mike England, Bill Brown in goal, unknown behind Brown, Bobby Smith, Fred Pickering. Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, Peter Baker. Interesting to see Spurs had both full backs on the posts for that corner as teams did then and it still ended up a goal.

Rovers played towards the Darwen End in the First Half against Spurs. I was right behind the goals. At half time I " migrated " to behind the Blackburn End goals. I was right in line with that Mike England header. If the net hadn't have got in the way I might have caught it. That is without doubt the best Rovers performance in my life time and I saw the thrashing of Norwich and Notts Forest in our Prem years. It could easily have been 10-2. Spurs had no answer to us.

He doesn't do " going around the keeper ".

Teams that are going for promotion you have to work at beating them. Poor teams beat themselves.

Howard Kendall's team got promoted partly by winning 11 games 1-0. Just saying.

Yes bur we knew all three first choice centre halves regularly miss games. We got lucky with Wharton making the grade.

I couldn't understand why we let Magloire go out on loan when we knew all of Williams, Ayala and Lenihan would go missing from time to time. What experience is he going to get in non league football ?

We got the winner with one against Rotherham. " Just chuck it in the mixer ". I wish I had a £ for every time I've seen really good teams get in a right tangle trying to deal with one.

Two ale house balls = two goals.

Mm, the bad luck continues. We were vulnerable under the high ball back then also.