Andy had an equally prolific partnership with John Byrom when he replaced Fred Pickering. Andy in two seasons. - 36 goal from from 41 games in season 63-64. ( 3 hatricks plus 4 goals in 2 games ). 32 goals from 42 games in season 64-65. ( 2 hat tricks ). All playing at the top level.

Pedersen instead of Duff ? Not fit to lace his boots.

If you never saw Eamon Rogers play he was a David Dunn who could tackle. He could play anywhere apart from centre half and frequently did. Mainly in centre midfield but he played out wide some of the time and full back.on a few occasions. All the time looking a natural in whatever position. He had that priceless ability carry the ball from the half way line to the penalty box. He didn't take a backward step either. He missed his way and just allowed his career to fizzle out after a badly advised move to Charlton. Andy Mac fell out of love with football when he still had plenty left in the tank. He packed it in to go driving trams in Dublin allegedly !

I'd have Mick McGrath in there instead of Reid. He was very much in the David Batty mold of a gritty, hard working unspectacular player who was more skillful than he was given credit for. He suffered in comparison from playing in the same team as Ronnie Clayton. He holds the record of being the first Rovers player ever to be subbed. Against the red rats at Old Trafford. I was there.

He was some player on his day. I remember Northern Ireland playing him in a deeper role for the home international championship . More midfield than out on the wing and he was outstanding. I think like a lot of players - the more you could get him into the game the better he was.

Bohinen was good in midfield for a while. I liked Santa Cruz and Benny but Bellamy was in a different class for me.

Easy. Freidel USA, Neil Aus, Henchoz Swiss, Nelsen New Zealand, Bjornaby Norway. Donis Greece, Nzonzi France, Tugay Turkey, Duff Eire. Shearer Eng, Bellamy Wales. You could have Emerton or Diouf on the right wing.

Allan Hunter would get in it, with Kevin Moran. Dougan shouldn't be selected for disciplinary reasons. Keith Gillespie ?

Savage ? Not fit to lace Batty's boots, or Flitty's for that matter.

Ally Mac Leod back in the day. Christian bloody Dailly. Barry Ferguson , Callum Davidson.

I agree with you about David Batty. A very under rated player.

I know they were all good players but they'd be better still with one more player !

Andy was a true great, he made his name as an assassin in the penalty but he was a really good all around footballer. We were playing Arsenal in a top the table clash. When I got to the ground the word was Bryan Douglas was injured ! " Bloody Hell, we're stuck now " I thought. Anyway when the teams were announced Andy was playing in Dougie's place as a playmaker with a young kid in Andy's place. I shouldn't have worried, Dougie was hardly missed because Andy was great in that position and he still managed to get on the score sheet in a 4-1 win. For those interested big Fred Pickering got the other three.

That's what I think when I hear people telling me the players of today are miles better, fitter etc, than the old timers. Maybe, but who would you rather watch ? 5 minutes of Bryan Douglas was worth a whole 90 minutes of most of what's on display today, Bradley Dack excepted. It's all about goal mouth incidents and excitement. The early sixties team I grew up on would have you dizzy with excitement.

Leon bloody Best, he should be in all time worst 11. Mick McGrath was twice the player that either of McAteer or Andrews was. Central midfield should be Rogers and McGrath. Have you never heard of Andy McEvoy ? Up there with Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law in the goal scoring charts back in the day. A real top striker, him and Stapleton would be my front two

Thanks for that. As you say chances are there will be clubs that won't survive. On a similar musical theme can I recommend Joe Tex - " Hold On To What You've Got ".

It might be a problem if there was anything else to do but there isn't going to be.

" There but for the grace if God ".

Wasn't Mark Twain killed off in the same way - " The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated " or words to that effect. Good news if it's true.

No, I was in the machine tool game, building lathes, milling machines etc. I'd been loaned out for 3 months whilst the real weaving shed fitter was off sick. You should be able to give us chapter and verse on looms if you built them.

Oh dear I was hoping nobody would ask me that. The last time I had to deal with these was in 1970 for three months. Most of my time then was spent removing and replacing broken loom crank shafts and not actually working on running machines. Here I go making a fool of myself. The diagrams you are looking at are an actual cross section of the weaving process. As I remember it the " Sley ", carrying the " Reed ", rocks back and forth off a lower pivot tightening up the cloth as it goes. The Reed itself is a frame carrying lots of vertical wires, the threads ( warp ? ) goes between the wires. The " Healds" shoot up and down in conjunction with the sley allowing the shuttle carrying the weft to weave the cloth. I'll ask my mum next time we speak for the real info. She ran a dozen " Northrop " Automatic Battery looms which were actually made in Blackburn, I believe the late Fred Pickering started out as an apprentice at " Northrop's ". I can't be the only one on here who's seen a loom working surely. Blackburn was a textile town with lots of weaving sheds back in the day.

In the article it refers to " Harry Oates & Sons " being the makers of " Reeds & Healds ". I worked in a weaving shed during my engineering apprenticeship for about 3 months repairing looms so those are some of the terms I recall from long ago.

They are parts of a loom to be slightly more precise. My mum was a weaver and my extended family were mill workers back in Blackburn when it was a textile town. My uncle was a drayman at Twaites.

The article mentions a maker of " Healds and Reeds ". How many people on here know what they are ? 60 years ago nearly everybody would have known.

I agree with you wholeheartedly but I suspect a decision will have to be made in the future to sacrifice elements of the populations to ensure the survival of the current economic system. I hope I'm wrong.