Tyrone Shoelaces

You can only see what the camera lets you see. What players are doing off the ball and out of the camera's eye is very important. You should only scout players in the flesh and more than once. A pal of mine was a scout for 'City, he used to scout only forwards and he always watched them away from home.

His previous conduct at Sunderland would suggest not. I was in the sign him camp and I'm pleased he's started to look a good signing. I don't think he'll leave any time soon because most clubs will be wary of his past history and will want to see more of him. However if another club came in offering big bucks I don't doubt for one minute he'd be off.

Yeah I remember being at the first game they wore it- Everton at home in November 1962. Do you remember a later round neck shirt with short sleeves Jim ? The vee neck was the first Rovers shirt I ever had. Not the best style of shirt to be worn in Lancashire in mid winter. The guys wearing the round neck shirts are probably the first 11 with MIck as the sub. Fred had gone by then I suppose. I came across a photo on the internet of Mike and Dougie stood by the corner flag debating what sort of corner they were going to take. You got a good impression of Mike's physique and powerful build.

That's a great kit they are all wearing.

He was an insurance policy that we never needed to claim on.

Flying goalie.

I must admit I'm a bit concerned at what appears to be at times as a scatter gun approach to recruitment.

Another memory I have of him is one game against the Dingles at Ewood. He'd been giving their right back John Angus a chasing. Rovers were attacking and Mike crossed the ball in after a tussle with Angus. Both players fell over the goal line at the Blackburn End near the main stand corner flag. I was stood down there by the wall. Burnley's goalie had the ball and kicked it down field. Everybody else was following the ball but the two players were right in front of me so I saw what happened next. Mike got up first and was beginning to walk away, Angus was laid on his side. All of a sudden he swivelled around and kicked both of Mike's legs right from under him ! Pre Tv camera era, he got completely away with it. That's what wingers had to put up with in those days.

Yeah Jack Straw was as good as useless in that respect.

I saw him playing against Ajax in the European Cup. He ran them ragged down the right hand side. When Winston Bogarde was the first choice Dutch left back Donis destroyed him. What went wrong at Rovers I don't know, personality clash ?

If we're going to have a wide right player why don't we sign a player who already plays there ? Too easy ?

I don't see Gallagher as a " Target man ".

I hope you're giving him plenty of grief this season !

Most teams had two out and out wingers in those days. Usually one was a tricky dribbling type player like Fergie while the other one would be a more direct hard running type like Mike Harrison.

From what I've seen of him he's got massive potential but he's got a lot to learn. He especially needs to learn how to manage his body. Thing is he's got age on his side. If he can fulfil that potential we've got a player who can be a real crowd pleaser. He's got that X factor that Dack has only in a different way. Both of them can make defenders look like mugs.

Yep, for a big powerful guy the more rough house right backs of the day could intimidate him somewhat. I remember watching a pre-season behind closed doors trial match at Ewood were the first team attack including Mike played against the first team defence, the reserves made up the other positions. Mike was playing against John Bray who was kicking lumps out of him. Jack Marshall was refereeing and he was pretty tolerant regarding fouls and the two of them got really heated. In that game Mike scored with a header from about 20 plus yards out on the left wing. Certainly the farthest out I've ever seen someone score with a header. He met a cross with a long looping header that Fred Else thought was going wide and the ball just dropped in at the far top corner. Any body else remember a move we had from an opponents corner for a while until other teams found out about it ? When opponents were taking a long corner Mike would loiter around the left hand corner of the penalty area. the other Mike, Ferguson, would loiter on the right wing about 15 yards from the half way line. Both of them trying to look uninterested in play. When Fred Else in goal caught the ball he would quickly throw the ball out to Mike Harrison. Mike would immediately hammer a long straight ball over to the other wing were Ferguson was away like a flash. Invariably Mike would arrow the ball about 70 yards straight into Fergie's path. In the pre televised games era we caught a few teams out with the move until word got around and both Mikes were more closely marked by our opponents

That's a shame. One of my boyhood heroes. He was like a taller quicker version of Mark Hughes without the aggression. Thighs like tree trunks but pace to go with it plus a terrific shot in either foot. A member of the best strike force we ever had. The best penalty taker I ever saw in a Rovers shirt, he side footed them in like rockets ! RIP Mike and thanks for some great memories.

Can somebody remove that bloody weed/bush that's growing out of the wall behinds Jack's head ! I thought they were respecting his memory.

I agree about that but is this lad that sort of player ?

Sounds like Rhodes. Is he going to fit in with our style of play or will we move to two up front ?

He'd do for me, a quick player with end product.

Gestede has had a series of injuries since he left Ewood. It'd be like the time we brought Fred Pickering back. A pale shadow of his former self. I'd keep well away.

That may be so but I'd rather be throwing BA on for the last 20 minutes than BB. Who was the guy we spent page after page on speculating about signing him in summer without anything tangible to link us with him ?

The lad Grayson started for Grimsby yesterday but he was subbed around the hour mark. They won 1-0.

Thank God for that, he's a bit young to be having a " comb over ".