River Deep Mountain High - Ike and Tina Turner

Rolling Stones - Dirty Work

This could be like our pitch tomorrow if the match goes ahead.

Got a feeling this game may be in doubt because of heavy rain Monday night and all day Tuesday. It may give Mowbray a bit of respite because Swansea are on a roll and we are all over the place at the moment.

Another sure sign of the depths our club have fallen this last decade from top to bottom.

1 minute ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

My latest edition is the 2009 Edition.

Thanks Tyrone

11 hours ago, 47er said:

I've just looked it up on my Jackmans--our lowest-ever average gate was 5000 in 1891-2!

Gates in the 70's/80's were poor but not down as far as 5000. Between 1970-71  and 1990-91 gates were often in the single thousands rather than over 10000. !5 times in fact. The lowest average in the modern era was in 1985-6 at 5826. Lowest crowd in that season was 3587.

Our lowest ever gate was 300! In 1899-00!

What sticks our like a sore thumb is the aftermath of the Cup Final in 1960. Average crowds in that season----27299.

Following season---down to 19344 and 15906 the season after. People don't take kindly to being treated as fools.

Thanks again Mike for a book I never tire of dipping into!

 

Sorry if this is a bit off thread but has anyone knowledge of the latest publication of Mick Jackman's book. I am hoping to purchase a copy but most seem to have been published 2009.

Thanks

10 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

No, Paul Lake was more of a defender. His career was also blighted by injury. I remember an old time pro who was coaching at City describe him as " Bobby Moore with pace " when he was just starting out in the City team. That was praise indeed.

Classy player and person - RIP Colin Bell

Tyrone - was it Michael Johnson?

Error

6 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

Yes he was outstanding that night, We nearly signed him in the relegation season of 65-66 but he chose City who were on the up at the time. He was one of the first of the modern midfield players, were work rate counted for more than dribbling skills etc. He wasn't a ball player as such but he was a tremendous athlete who could cover every blade of grass. The nearest to Colin playing today is Kevin DeBruyne but I don't think Colin was quite as good as DeBruyne. City had a lad come through the ranks a few years back now who reminded me a lot of Bell in his running style but he just faded from the game. He was very injury prone, I can't think of his name now.

Later on we signed " The new Colin Bell " in Jimmy Kerr, also from Bury, but his career was ruined by injury.

RIP Colin, thanks for the memories, you were top class.

Paul Lake?

25 minutes ago, Paul Mellelieu said:

Convinced that Gally could be a centre-half.

I think not. He doesn’t anticipate what’s ahead of him quickly enough and has a poor first touch. Would get himself in all sorts of trouble.

2 hours ago, SkipDonoghue said:

Kaminski

Douglas Lenihan Johnson Bell

Elliot Travis Davenport

Gallagher Armstrong Brereton

 

 

Brilliant Skip. Was going to give the game a miss today and watch a Gene Wilder film but after your prediction, ifollow it will be 😄

1 hour ago, StevenSK said:

Think il pass on today’s game. Infact il pass on each game till he’s gone. It’s a waste of a tenner and two hours of my time watching us atm

These days every game we play with our 'possession based football' feels like a whole afternoon or evening - about 3 to 4 hours.

I posted in the Huddersfield thread just after the match that we had become a team of 'soft pussies' and need some tougher players in the team.

I think around the 1999 to 2001 season, supporters were given the opportunity to select their dream team to be published in the 'Rovertime' programme. Here was mine which you can see was a 'hard man' side. Could do with a couple of these in the team now!'Killer Keeley' a bit unfortunate to make the team but in todays game he would have been suspended for over half the season

9 minutes ago, Mercer said:

and to think Mowbray was on the verge of loaning Travis out and only circumstances forced his hand!

Too many soft pussies in our team over the last few years. Can’t imagine Campbell getting away with his antics tonight if he was up against the Axe or a Lucas Neil or an Andy Todd.

TM wants to play this possession based football apparently after watching Leeds be successful in getting out of the Championship playing that way. 
 

The obvious thing is that they don’t continue to play side to side, slow, back, side to side. They play with intensity through the lines from defence to midfield to forwards. 
 

Sadly, we are miles away from that.

1 hour ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Wed be better off with Douglas Bader. 

I'd even go as far as to say Jack Douglas....

Anyone still think Douglas is an upgrade on Bell?

I always felt George Sharples was a reliable centre back who played most of his games partnering Dick Mulvaney. It was during the time we had been relegated and we always seemed to be a few players short of putting together a promotion push. In my mind a similar sort of player to Zurab.

RIP George. Another player from the 1960’s that has passed away recently.

1 hour ago, Hoochie Bloochie Mama said:

Dack is due back around the start of the new year. He's only just started full training with the rest of the team. He's bound to gave a few niggles after a year out. 

Not sure Shearer was ever only 'half the player' after his injuries. It must have been his good half because he was still incredible. 

Before his 2 knee injuries, Shearer had blistering pace - just watch the 7-1 thrashing of Norwich.

He did lose that bit of pace when he returned but he was such a top class player that he was able to adapt his game and play more with his back to goal, bringing others into play, bullying defenders, whilst still having the ability to score every type of goal.

Still think there are people outside of Lancashire and Newcastle who do not realise what a world class player he was.

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

We haven't had our full squad, so just imagine how good we will be when Dack and Travis come back it. Or do you not think they will make a difference? We arent far off it. 2 results go our way earlier on and we are in the play off places. It's very small margins. Like ,hard to believe, but the other teams want to win too. So many and there is very little between them. 

That's what they say publicly, but I'm sure these results hurt them. It's individual mistakes that are killing us. We are functioning pretty well by and large. The likes of Johnson and Holtby know they need to probably do it this season. Are we lacking leaders? Maybe, but I think this group, manager included deserve the season to give it a go. If we don't make the play offs then, that's it. I honestly can't see Mowbray being here next season if we don't make the play offs this year. 

 

 

I must say I am becoming more and more concerned about Dack for a couple of reasons. Firstly, he has been out for over 12 months now, which seems to be a long long time. Was this such a bad injury or has his rehab not gone as well as expected? He seems to have had a couple of setbacks along the way and my worry is that if he returns and has lost some of his spark or half a yard of pace, then we may not have the player back who we are banking on. Sincerely hope that is not the case because we have missed all his attributes greatly.

Secondly, and just as, if not more worrying is the curse of the last 20 years - Celebrity status. Just hope his recently found fame on trash tv doesn’t make him lose focus and affect his ability on the pitch.

12 hours ago, Herbie6590 said:

Rovers hand Rovers a pasting...

 

Went to this game at Bath City's ground which I'm sure had the dimensions of a Primary School pitch - it was tiny. Horrible journey down and back up the M5. Also went to Port Vale and Barnsley away around that time and lost both those. We were in freefall but Kenny managed to turn things round. Still can't believe we lost these 3 away games with the quality of players we had.

Still not convinced Douglas is much of an upgrade on Bell

Buckley - false 9?

Brereton is totally knackered. 

Played in the usual QEGS Under 12's - 15's and 2nd Eleven in the late 60's early 70's at Lammack on the soggy waterlogged, sandy pitches. Always thought I was a slow coach until I realised  it was like running in treacle on those pitches ?.

Got myself pretty fit in my late 20's early 30's and played in the Blackpool & Fylde Premier League for the Royal Hotel, which became the Boston Hotel with a few ex-pros, 2 of whom stick out.

Kevin Moore who started off at Blackpool but made his name at Newport County, playing in the European Cup Winners Cup with John Aldridge, who of course went on to star for Liverpool. Kevin had a trick that was a cross between a Mike Newell shimmie and a Cruyff turn. No one could suss out which way he was going to turn. 

Also Neil Davids, who started at Leeds but played the majority of his career at Wigan Athletic. I once asked him who was his toughest opponent and he said, Mick Harford. He said that after playing against him he was battered, nutted, elbowed and black and blue and realised he wasnt going to progress any further than the lower Divisions. Interestingly, Mick Harford has been in the news this week about his concerns over dementia with the amount of heading he did. Sadly, Neil passed away about 10 years ago.

3 things that stick out in my mind after playing with ex-pros.

1. They hardly ever go to ground, they stay on their feet.

2. It's hard work trying to get the ball off them and they rarely give it away.

3. They think at least a second or more before any of us mere mortals do and appear to be strolling through games.

Well, we can only dream I suppose. ?