Tyrone Shoelaces

I think BBD is more likely to be a success in the Prem than Armstrong. His all round game is better.

Harwood-Bellis is one for the future but I wouldn’t be expecting him to feature in a promoted team. He’s not at that level yet. Tosin obviously was.

Branthwaite was he called, Everton - failed. Harper, WBA - failed.

I think Mick was a very under rated player apart from by Rovers fans of course. Although he did get picked along with Ronnie and Matt Woods to make up the half back line for the English League in one fixture, I can’t remember who it was against. For those who never saw him play he was a busy un-fussy player, a good firm tackler and a tenacious man marker. Very consistent, he was never the MOM but very rarely had a poor game. A player who kept his passing within the range of ability. Get it and give it to Dougie or Mike Harrison. He wasn’t much of a goal scorer, most wing halves weren’t in those days. Two I do remember - one was a fine 20 yard shot into the top corner at Old Trafford that sent us on the way to a 3-0 win. The other was in the famous game against West Brom were Bryan Douglas beat most of the Baggies team to score the best goal I’ve ever seen at Ewood. Mick was being kept out of the team by the emerging colossus that was Mike England by then but on this day he was in for an injured Ronnie Clayton. Fergie got away down the side and crossed a low ball into the goal mouth. Mick came sliding in on a greasy pitch, he was about 3 yards from goal. He blocked the cross with his left foot and then swept the ball home with his right foot. Almost all in one movement. I was right behind the goals at the Darwen End and it was right in front of me. Unfortunately the goal he’ll be in all the record books for was the own goal in the 1960 Cup Final when he deflected another low cross into the Rovers goal to open the scoring for Wolves. I suppose Mick’s claim to fame was being the first Rovers player to be substituted. We were desperate for points and we’d played Mick as an extra defender in an away game, again at Old Trafford, in the hope of grinding out a result. It didn’t work and we were losing at half time. Mick was subbed off and John Byrom came on to take his place. It sort of worked because all though we were outplayed we got a very fortuitous draw courtesy of United’s keeper Harry Gregg deciding to chin Mike England from a corner right in front of the referee ! A pen which Mike Harrison converted against stand in keeper outfield player David Herd and a sending off. An even luckier equaliser made my day. That was Mick’s only game that season and his last for the Rovers first team.

You need a re-build. You should also have the finances to make a success of it. The management at Rovers squandered our chances. That can happen with the wrong people in charge.

Yeah but we had the “ added degree of difficulty “ that was the Chicken Chokers and Kean.

He’s ok when he’s in space and he’s not jumping with an opponent. When it is an opposed header it can go anywhere.

Correct, you can thank Mowbray for that.

I’m not surprised by that but being honest anybody would be like a breath of fresh air after Mowbray and Venus. They’d being there far too long.

The Welsh lad they’ve already got is good enough for this division.

Yeah, you’ve got to take the blue and white coloured glasses off when it come to football. “ You can fool everybody else but never fool yourself “. They’ve much more chance of being promoted than being relegated.

We were out in Spain for six weeks once with no UK TV. Spanish TV is awful, commercial breaks are longer than the bits of programme in between. I didn’t watch a single TV programme for six weeks and I can honestly say I didn’t miss it. Mrs Shoelaces wasn’t happy though.

Yeah I’d fire them all and get a new population.

We needed Jack to be born a decade or two earlier. That 1964 team just needed a couple of defenders brought in. The forward line was the best in the league bar none.

I think might be the fee with several add ons - such as when he plays in a World Cup winning side for England etc. £8 to £10 million is what is being rumoured on some sites.

Sounds like they’ve brought the Chicken Chokers in to run the show.

Yes I think you’re right. Lots of potential but still has a daft mistake in him. It’s a position you want experience in for a promotion battle. Like Berg and Short.

Yeah but wasn’t it great when the goals were flying in ? And McEvoy, two 4 goal performances and then three hat tricks and Fred Pickering, three hat tricks, that’s in the 63-64 alone. When did we last have two players in the same team both as prolific as that ? Anybody ask me which was Rovers best ever team ? That team.

Before the last woman's World Cup the English centre forward was running all over the place but hardly scoring any goals. Neville took her to one side and said “ Imagine two lines down the pitch parallel to the edge of the 6 yard box. When we have the ball in their half I don’t want to see you outside of that zone at any time “. After that she couldn’t stop scoring.

How things change. I remember when the dingles got to the cup final in 1962 all 5 forwards ( yes 5 ) had scored over 15 goals each ! That was when teams usually had more or less the same 11 playing for all the 90 minutes of every game. Defenders didn’t normally get more than a goal or two between them then. No wonder they got fed up with Dycheball.

I had a row with somebody on here about his lack of heading ability when we signed him the second time. For a big guy he’s pretty poor at making contested headers. Unopposed, he’s not too bad. Same goes for Brererton.

The Chokers will be thrilled to hear that !

Just make sure it goes in the right bank account matey.

If Dolan left and he was replaced with Harry Kane permanently I wouldn’t complain at all and it’s just as likely to happen. Just my opinion of course.

Of course it’s too early to say who’s going to do well or otherwise. We’ll know more after half a dozen games.