It was always Burnley for us Darreners but Bolton were a very close second. In the early 70s, there was load of trouble at a youth club near the railway station when a group from Bolton came over. I also remember, early to mid 70s, a big banner being strung up over Bolton Road saying, ‘Last Chance Bolton.’ Never sure whether it meant for Bolton beating us or some reference to a fight between the fans. You can also throw into the mix the fact that many Boltonians come over the hill to live in Darwen and also that Darwen Grammar School/Darwen Vale’s catchment area included Turton which, strangely, is part of Blackburn with Darwen. Despite all that, main rivals have always been the Clarettes.

Don’t think that’s correct mate. The only thing they’ve got on us is that their highest average attendance for a season is higher than ours. 32k when they won the league in 1960, against our 30k in 1958-59. Other than that, old Ewood was bigger than old Turf Moor, new Ewood is bigger than new Turf Moor, our record attendance is bigger than theirs and our major honours blow them out the water, 10 to their paltry 3. Their trophy cabinet is full of dust.

Here’s an entry from a kits website, showing the ‘Maltese Cross’ shirts. Not sure I’ve seen any photos of us in those kits but I’ll have a look at some point.

This style, without the badge.

I know of a coach going from one of the Darwen pubs. Apparently, we’ve sold ‘just short of a thousand.’

A few days ago, I heard of two Darreners who each had a £20 bet @ 1000 to 1. They’ve agreed to share winnings, so have cashed out at £10,000 on one bet (£5k each) and are keeping the second bet alive, hoping that it comes in by the end of the season.

A stalwart. Happy Birthday Faz.

Can someone please drag Micah Richards out of the studio and then keep on dragging him away from punditry altogether.

After recently seeing Genesis in Liverpool, then Steve Hackett in Carlisle, I’m giving both some serious airplay. Away from his solo stuff, Steve Hackett generally concentrates on the early Genesis numbers, so that gig was certainly special.

You’re forgiven my son.. But your penance will be three hundred Hail Marys before the ninety minutes are up.

For me, Newcastle needs to done in stages. Firstly a half decent manager to keep them up, then stabilise them. No doubt they’ll then jettison that guy and throw money at some foreign manager/coach to try and elevate them to a Man City or Chelsea. Trouble is, there are now several PL clubs owned by multi billionaires who are more than prepared to splash the cash and, as each year goes by, that number is increasing. Chelsea, the two Manchester clubs, Liverpool, Arsenal, Spurs and Aston Villa. Not sure of the wealth behind Leicester, Wolves and Everton but they could well be in the ‘billions’ bracket as well. And now Newcastle. It just needs another two or three take overs at this sort of level and there will then be around 14 clubs in the PL who will probably never be relegated because of the money behind them. The remaining 6 clubs will end up as ‘yo yo’ clubs between the PL and the Championship. The likes of Palace, Southampton, Watford etc. Virtually a closed shop. Anyway, let’s hope it takes Newcastle years or better still goes t!ts up. Unfortunately, it won’t.

My lad cashed in his bet, by the way, for £6k. Not bad for a £10 stake. Sensible decision, I think.

To lighten the mood somewhat..

Everything about Newcastle is a cross between a pantomime and a circus.

The useless, stay away owners adopt a strategy of silence. Despite everything thrown at us since November 2010, we the supporters, adopt a strategy of silence. If the status quo remains, how are we ever going to get out of this mess? You couldn’t make it up. Fans of other clubs must look at us and think we’re getting what we deserve.

It was mayhem bazza! Rocks, bricks were being hurled around and fights were breaking out everywhere. Bolton away was always a nightmare, partly because their fans are a set of knuckle dragging Neanderthals and partly because the police never gave two hoots.

This is a photo from our defeat to Manchester United in May 1966. At first glance, it looks like a full scale pitch invasion but it’s just fans moving from the Blackburn End to the Darwen End at half time.

It was in the early 70s as hooliganism was taking hold. As a Darrener, I used to enter the ground at the Darwen End turnstiles and if we were kicking towards that end in the first half, we stayed put. Otherwise, we stood on the Riverside, about two thirds the way to the half way line. I started going in 1966 and you could get to the Blackburn End from the Riverside but it was through a relatively narrow gap. I remember us playing a ‘friendly’ versus the Clarettes in 1970 and winning 2-0. Rovers fans came from the Blackburn End, through the Riverside and into the Darwen End, late in the game, to attack the Burnley fans, so you could still change ends then. Even for a fight 😆. Certainly, by the mid 70s there was a fence inbetween the Darwen End and the Riverside and the small gap inbetween the Bburn End and the Riverside had been removed. To answer your question, I would guess in 1971 or 1972.

Thanks for the two links Andy. There’s certainly some stories there and if there are half as many in his book, it should be a blinder. I never knew Patty but his mum used to call in to where I worked in the late 70s and I remember her being as proud as punch when she told me he had signed for the Rovers. He would have been around 13 or 14 at the time, so schoolboy forms, I would guess.

Bugger! I was just about to mention that Furphy also took Terry Garbett as well as Dave Bradford (the first £1m player…not) and Tony Field. I can’t think of a better preview. Excellent work!

First game for a while and, despite the disappointment of letting Coventry back into it, I thought it was an entertaining ninety minutes, especially the latter part of the second half. Both teams went for the winner and it was reminiscent of a cup tie. We have a squad of very good players and the odd tweak here and there, coupled with a new, young, dynamic manager, could see us going places. If only we had someone of the calibre of Jack Walker around the place. Not from a finance point of view, just someone with the foresight to realise how little could be required to get to the next level. Very frustrating.

Yeah, can see it now, versus Everton at Highfield Road on Match of the Day. Just seen the clip a few posts back!

A bit like Leeds. No one had heard of them until the mid 1960s, neither of them having won a trophy of note either. I went to the game at Ewood in March 1967, not long after I’d started going to watch the Rovers. The Sky Blues won 1-0 and I think there were 26k on. We had just come down from the top flight and Coventry went up at the end of the season with Wolves. For several seasons after they were promoted, Coventry struggled but managed to avoid relegation, each time, by the skin of their teeth. I had a soft spot for them with relatives on my aunty’s side coming from Coventry. They had a very good side in the early 70s (Bill Glazier, Mick Coop, Dennis Mortimer, Jeff Blockley, Ernie Hunt, Willie Carr, Neil Martin & John O’Rourke amongst others) and they actually beat Bayern Munich 2-1 at Highfield Road, in a European game but were trounced in the away leg. I remember watching Coventry away, around that time, at both Turf Moor and Maine Road. Nice memories.

With Armstrong gone, he has had to step up to the plate and he’s grown in confidence and done well so far. For the first couple of seasons, at least, he was utter tripe. Not my description of a talented player. Since then, however, and to his credit, he has turned things round. Not quite ‘made it’ yet Chaddy.

Let’s get a bit of perspective here, Brereton has most certainly not yet ‘made it.’ He showed glimpses last season of what just may be round the corner and this season he has continued to improve. Prior to that, the opinion of most Rovers fans was that it was a damned long time since we had seen such a poor player. Let’s be honest, he was poor with a capital P. A friend of mine went in corporate, not long after we had signed him from Forest. That game was against Forest and a couple of their fans couldn’t believe the fee they had secured for him, given his abilities, or lack of them. They thought it was their best bit of business for years. The fact that he has (so far) turned things around is superb. We all want the best for the player, whichever player, and the best for the club. The problem is, it’s only October. He could lose form, suffer a serious injury, get dropped or whatever. In my opinion, if he scores 18-25 in the Championship, two seasons running, we will have a valuable player on our hands and he will have gone some way to ‘making it.’ Unfortunately, I can see his head getting turned. Agents and all that, people on the make. Money, money, money. Should he finish this season with a tally like I’ve mentioned, I can well see him then ending up at a Watford or a Southampton and it all ending in tears. No, he’s not made it yet but, as we all do, I wish him well.