I used to go to Rovers in a collar tie and a suit. What else would you wear ? Casual clothing was for working in then. I got my first pair of training shoes in 1966. We'd been playing one night and I kept them on to go to the pub for an after match drink. When I walked into the pub it was like I was Spencer Tracy in " Bad Day At Black Rock ". A stranger in town ! It was like I had two heads ! Everybody stared at the trainers. The past was a different place. I've walked up that bit of road with a spring in my step on many,many occasions,.

Chaddy will know how much the photographer got paid for taking it. Regarding the age of the photo - looking at the dress of the people involved and relative lack of flat caps on display i'd say post war - 1945-1950 ish.

It'd almost be a shorter list if you quoted the teams that haven't been in the top flight since Preston bowed out. In my time teams that aren't on your list - West Brom, Leeds, Fulham ,Forest,Bristol City, Sheff Wed, Derby, Birmingham, QPR, Reading, Stoke, Boro, Huddersfield, Luton, Coventry, Sunderland, Ipswich,Bolton, Swindon, Northampton, Bradford, Orient,

I agree. We'll be back one day and we need a ground in keeping with that status. I might not be around to see it but if you look down the lower leagues and see how many clubs have played at the top flight it stands to reason that the stars will all be in alignment one day. I was looking down what is the League 2 now ( old 4th Division ) and I counted 6 teams that I've seen play at the top level and looking through the Premier League 8 teams that have played at Rochdale in the league at some point, mostly in Div 4 ! Our Day Will Come.

Reminds me of the first time I saw Rodney Marsh play for QPR at Ewood. He had Ronnie Clayton and Keith Newton going round in circles. Not many did that. I knew then that he was destined for greater things.

When you're as quick as he is he shouldn't need to be pinching a yard all the time.

The worst one was the penalty not given for the foul on Wilcox when we were 1-0 up and a trip in the box was a pen and an instant sending off. Clearest penalty I saw all that season and it was just " Play on lads ".

We used to say - " You've got to win over there to get a draw ". A bit like playing the Red Rats at Old Trafford back in the Fergie era.

I'd say definitely.

Me too. Also glad to be proved wrong. I don't recall anyone criticising the signing of Cunningham given how desperate we were to sign a decent left back.

That's what good keepers do, they're aware of the conditions and how they can affect opponents decision making. Raya would be more aware than most as to how hard the wind was blowing.

Raya did the right thing for me. He made Armstrong go for the chip. On another day the gale could have carried the ball over the bar. As it was Armstrong judged it to perfection.

That says a lot.

That's a dangerous game to play when it's blowing a gale straight down the pitch. Their guy made the same mistake for our first goal.

He couldn't have got that shot more in the top corner if he'd have placed it there with his hands. Even Brad wouldn't have got to that one.

Yes, of course you're right but before long if things carry on as they are the game will become a non contact sport.

One of my criticism of Mowbray is that in spite of him being in charge for over three years our ball retention, passing, and movement off the ball is still laboured, pedestrian and obvious. If we want to do better that has to improve a lot.

I think a lot depends how old you are. Back in the day you had to be caught taking the lace out the the ball with both hands before the ref would give a pen. Now I see some amazingly poor decisions were a player is barely touched and goes down like a log. Huddersfield at home this season stands out but there are loads of others. If you are young and that is all you know both of those incidents today were pens. For me both were harsh.

Two soft ones today. You could see those two incidents in another game and nothing would be given.

If you're the away team and you get a penalty you can bet your boots that if you give the ref a chance to even it up he will.

Lots of players aren't good in that situation, they blink first. Greaves was the acme of cool, he could outwait any goalkeeper.

Wether you like it or not teams that get promoted see those games out one way or another from 2-0 up.

He needs to watch some old film of Jimmy Greaves. He was a master in those situations. If he had a one on one you could get ready for the kick off again.

Not when your goalkeeper can't move for bodies. Get your quickest forward on the halfway line, Armstrong's not going to be much use in defence anyway.

Yes, good stuff. Great to read about away wins.