13 hours ago, darrenrover said:

It's off piste and not in Darren Mark, we both know that!

Too right Nick, Brownhill Arms is in Darwen North and, as you say, off piste. I used to pass it every day though when I worked in Clitheroe. 😀

2 hours ago, Gav said:

Where is that photo taken?

Is that The Brownhill pub in the background?

Not the Brownhill pub but don’t know where it is.

On 10/01/2021 at 13:02, Ghost7 said:

He has lost the fans, something that most club owners respond to naturally by sacking the manger. Not ours. 

If a non supporter tuned in to this site, he/she would undoubtedly assume that he has, indeed, lost the fans.

However, a look on some of the Rovers Facebook sites would show a roughly 50/50 split as to Mowbray’s future here.

The number of fans on the Facebook pages both fawning over Venky’s tenure and being willing to stick with TM, is staggering. We have ‘plateaued out’ following our promotion from L1 and, whilst stats bear this out, half of the Facebook lot think we’re still improving and the playoffs are attainable. Either this year or next with little or no change in the squad.

15 hours ago, darrenrover said:

Could have done with that last Wednesday night Mark!

Too right Nick! Loving your family history by the way. I haven’t been on this thread for a while, so I’ve only caught up over the last few days. The photo of your great grandad, just like looking at your dad! 
 

My auntie lived on Bolton Road, opposite St Bartholomew’s, Rovers mad and also went to the 1928 Cup Final. Passed away a good few years ago but was still going on during the early Premier League years. Wish I’d asked her more about the final.

You have my sympathy re the sciatica. I’m a fellow sufferer but have been free of it for three years. I know how to manage it, thankfully. I remember staying back in the Blackburn End after one game (with Arbitro actually), protesting at Kean/Venky’s and I was really struggling.

Anyway, I look forward to the next instalment!!

On 29/12/2020 at 22:06, Exiled in Toronto said:

I love that Crompton gets to wear a belt!

Six of the best at the final whistle to those that were under par..

20 minutes ago, alcd said:

In the c55 years I've supported the club he's only just in the Top 10 managers based on league position and value added - behind Furphy, Smith, Kendall, Saxton, Mackay, Kenny, Souness, Hughes and possibly Big Sam. 

We never got to see what Gordon Lee could have done for us in the Second Division but I would have him in front of TM all day long.

1 hour ago, simongarnerisgod said:

speedie brilliant hat trick and has a go at winding up the geordies as well,fantastic😊

I’m pretty sure he succeeded 😆

The lads inside Ewood, November 1959. Some great players on show. Ronnie must have been in his shop.

Just a few weeks left in the old Top Flight before relegation, brief hope, then decline.

2 hours ago, Elvis Biro said:

Didn't Keith Newton have a newsagents on Sudell Cross at one time? I'm sure he had 'Keith Newton- Blackburn Rovers - Burnley  -England' on the shopfront.

Can’t remember it Elvis but I’ve just googled it and yes, a newsagents at Sudell Cross. 

1 hour ago, renrag said:

This is a picture taken from Ronnie Claytons book  ‘A Slave To Soccer’ published in 1960
 

Thanks for that renrag! I grew up in that area of Darwen and, whilst I was only a kid in the early 60s, I hadn’t realised they had run the newsagents for that length of time. My parents had been friends of Ronnie and Val since the mid 60s.

9 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Lets see how observant people are - I can see two ex Rovers in that photograph. Anybody else spot the other one along with Adam Blacklaw. There might even be three.

I wonder what " Adidas " gave them for wearing the boots

Nine players listed but there are eleven in the photo. Three of those you can’t really tell who they are. I’m assuming one could be John Connelly, behind Ray Pointer?

Blackburn’s Mr Whippy (see bottom of door ?) handing out free laxative flavour ice creams to the Burnley players prior to the 1962 FA Cup Final. Well, they got beat, so I reckon it worked.

A bit more nostalgia.

3 hours ago, renrag said:

It was the very early 60’s and in many peoples opinion what caused a dip in his form and his England place and captaincy

Regarding losing both his England place and the captaincy, I was led to believe that the southern biased press made Ronnie the scapegoat for England’s 3-3 draw with Yugoslavia in May 1960, his last match. England had twice been behind in the game before scoring late on to snatch a draw.

3 hours ago, renrag said:

It was the very early 60’s and in many peoples opinion what caused a dip in his form and his England place and captaincy

His last England cap was in 1960. To be honest, I can’t remember the exact date he bought the newsagents but I would guess mid to late 60s, rather than at the beginning of that decade. I may be wrong though.

Found this on one of the Rovers Facebook sites. Not a good memory but nostalgia (I think!) nonetheless. Rovers fans shoehorned into the corner of the Holmesdale End, Playoffs 1989. Can’t see myself for some reason..?

The Grand Final, last night, was one of the best Rugby League games I have ever seen. An absolute arm wrestle of a match. Saints won 8-4 with a freakish try right on 80 minutes. They had enjoyed the better of the possession and territory but Wigan’s defence was immense. When Wigan edged ahead 4-2 with 10 mins left, that could have been it but more drama was to come. St Helens levelled it to 4-4 with a harsh penalty for an alleged high tackle and then Wigan were awarded a penalty of their own with 2 mins remaining. They opted to try for the two points on offer instead of going for field position and going for the drop goal, which would have undoubtedly won the game. Zak missed, Saints came upfield, went for their own drop goal. They also missed but the ball bounced back off one of the posts, down into the field of play then spun wildly, taking it into the in goal area, where one of theirs touched the ball down to win the game. You couldn’t have written it.

The tackling during the game was brutal and both teams must take credit for their defence and stamina. It’s not very often that low scoring games have you on the edge of your seat. To put (association) footballers to shame with their play acting and cheating feigning injury, Wigan’s centre Oliver Gildart tweeted a photo of himself with Joe Burgess, saying between them they had a broken finger and a broken jaw. Wigan’s Jackson Hastings took studs in the face, leaving him cuts to his forehead, eyebrow and cheek, two of which looked like they could have done with stitches. St Helens’ James Graham took a tackle early on that could have damaged one or more ribs (when that lad stays down, you know he’s hurt) and their Walmsley somehow managed to finish the game, despite being severely injured. All the aforementioned carried on playing, without even the hint of a whinge towards either the ref or their own bench. Most of these lads are on about £75k per YEAR or less.

A big shout out to two legends of the game who retired after the match, Warriors’ Sean O’Loughlin and Saints’ James Graham. It’s been a pleasure to watch you both.

What an advert for the game. If no one can get interested in Rugby League after that, then there’s no chance. I am deeply disappointed but there’s always next season. We go again.

Played for our Darwen junior school with Arbitro and Exiled in Toronto. Played for the first year at SMC going on to beat Witton Park in the Blackburn Schools final on Ewood. Was a left winger but didn’t really have any pace to talk about. I was always keen on Cross Country whilst at school and, later on, fell running. I could never really decide on either running or football and despite a few seasons in the Darwen League, my football finished when I dislocated and broke my right ankle. Thereafter it was fell running, cycling and swimming.

4 hours ago, Claytons Left Boot said:

Fancy us tonight 2-0.

Not far out. Haven’t read the last ten pages yet but will enjoy doing so. Looked at the stats and it seems like we murdered them. Come on Rovers and TM. Let’s take the game to the opposition every time. This squad could just have what it takes.

3 hours ago, Crimpshrine said:

I have the misfortune to work in Preston and have been getting the expected levels of stick this morning.

I had the misfortune to work in Preston thirty years ago. Never met a true Preston fan, the odd one or two you could find were part timers who never went much and also had a ‘backup’ team like Liverpool.

We used to go in the Blue Bell on Church Street where the landlord was a Rovers fan and the pub was adorned with Rovers pictures. Used to drive in through Higher Walton and remember seeing kids walking in to school wearing Rovers scarves. If ever there was an area with a disproportionate amount of fans of another club, it’s the Preston area and Rovers fans. Must be the main reason they have this feigned dislike of us.

One of the best days out following Rovers was in September 1974, a nil nil draw, but we absolutely took over the place. Beat them 3-0 at Ewood over Christmas in front of over 24k.

Fancy us tonight 2-0.

On 25/10/2020 at 21:21, m1st said:

In the same way I just know Burnleh'll never be Lancashire's Most Historic Club. Every time they've won a trophy, they've found our name already on the Winners' Board.!!?

I like that last sentence. I’m going to use it whenever I can.