Tyrone Shoelaces

Wow.

There’s a photograph of Bill Eckersley , Rovers and England left back of the 1950’s, taken after training at Ewood. Bill was a notorious practical joker apparently. He sat amongst a group of players on the boundary wall In front of the old main stand. I’ve seen this photo loads of times over the years and I never saw anything unusual previously . Then I saw what must be the uncensored original version on the internet. Bill is wearing loose floppy black shorts and he’s pulled one leg of the shorts up a bit and you can clearly see his todger. You can tell he did it deliberately. On all the other photos it’s blacked out to blend in with his shorts.

That makes your legs look very short. I’m only 5’ 8” so I need to look taller any way I can.

Me too, although I try and get the white trainers a little less white as soon as I can.

I used to laugh at old photos of Stanley Mathews playing in shorts flapping around his knees. I never thought for one minute they’d make a comeback.

Oh and by the way - get rid of those beach shorts Jon, they look awful. The shorter shorts that the women players wear are miles better.

I’ll only be taking hand luggage also. To my shame I must admit I’ve got more clothes out in Spain than most blokes have in total. I need to start thinning down my wardrobe.

What were the queues like ?

Players don’t hang around for long after a relegation these days do they ?

I don’t understand what went wrong with Hilly. He was on the up not that long along ago. Highly rated as a coach. My mate reckons he hasn’t been the same manager since his dad died.

That bench is very, very weak - as are the two full backs.

Is Keith Hill still there ?

I could have told you that about Dack before he kicked a ball. You don’t have to be Pep to realise pressing isn’t big in his skill set. He’s not really cut out for it.

You’re right, talk is cheap. It’s what they can get the players to do on the pitch that counts.

That’s a good point.

I think so too. Somewhat of a luxury player. There are two kinds of players - the ones that get you on top in a game and the ones that take advantage of the situation once their team is on top. He belongs in the second group.

Keep telling players they are tired and they’ll play like it.

Yes, I agree. However the relationship wasn’t poisonous like it is today.

We’ve had twelve years of supporting the “ constantly depressing workplace environment “ known as Blackburn Rovers.

I’ve never been Joe Rothwell’s biggest fan. I still stand by my comment of “ doesn’t do enough often enough for a midfield player “ that I made at the time. Having said that I accept he had a substantial fan club who’s opinion was different to mine. I think the owners were aware of the out cry there would have been if he had have been sold with us second in the league at the time. Especially if the money had gone in the same drawer as the Armstrong money. I would suggest that could have easily been the case.

That was a bitter pill to swallow. It wasn’t the first, for me that was Fred Pickering, Roy Vernon and Peter Dobing were just before my time. And it wasn’t the last by far. Going back to the Jim Smith era although we were poor we were united as a club and we never doubted for one minute that the board were doing all they could to bring success back to the club. Contrast that atmosphere with current events.

It makes me smile when people criticise his positional play. He plays where he’s told to play, just like every other player in a pro football team. Nobody plays just where they feel like it. Of all the defenders at Ewood he was the one I’d least like to play up against.

Well he’s come to the right place for a challenge.

We’re forgetting Alan Hunter, a really top class centre half. He’d be worth £25 Million today.

It was a joke ? Righto.