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Thread: Memoirs of.. Blackburn Rovers

  1. #1

    Memoirs of.. Blackburn Rovers

    Not a great deal to go on for me personally. We've seen a lot of each other in recent years but the standout game for me is the League Cup match at Ewood in 2002.

    Blackburn Rovers were an established Premier League club. Not to mention former Champions of England just six years prior to this encounter.
    Rotherham were in the second tier doing what we always do at this level - trying to stay up.
    It was a big game for us back then, and a rare chance for our supporters to visit a Premier League stadium.

    In the days leading up to the game, manager Ronnie Moore had challenged his 'golden generation', players with Premier League aspirations - Alan Lee, Chris Sedgwick, Andy Monkhouse, Mike Pollitt - to prove themselves worthy of those aspirations against genuine top flight opposition for a place in the quarter finals.

    Our little group set off mid afternoon, just five of us in a car, and got there early. Parked in a pub carpark near the ground and spent the next three hours drinking. As the pub filled up with Rotherham fans, the atmosphere grew, as did the belief that we were going to in the quarter final draw.

    Well oiled, we went in the stadium around 15 minutes before kick off and quickly realised this was not a big game for Blackburn. The thousands of empty seats were evidence of that. "Maybe if the fans don't care, the team won't care either" I hoped, as the teams came out.

    Thankfully the three hours of pre match drinking has blurred my memory of the game, and took the edge off witnessing Blackburn tear us a new @rse hole in the first half. 0-4 down at half time, the best we could hope for was a consolation goal or that Blackburn took pity on us and didn't score anymore goals.
    We ended up with the latter.

    Our supposed Premier league wannabes were dealt a brutal lesson in which they learned they were no where near the mark. Only one of that group would go on to play in the top flight - Mike Pollitt, at the ripe old age of 38!

    I never thought at the time that this would ever be a regular league fixture, certainly not a League 1 fixture as it was last season. Probably more a case of how far backwards they've gone rather than how much forward we've come.

  2. #2
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    Aug 2005
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    I remember us beating them at Ewood park 3-0 one snow day in the late 70s which was no mean feat bracause they had the Fazackerley team then, Also saw one of the greatest goals i had ever seen scored at Millmoor when Richard Finney scored at the Tivoli end against them. I remember the ball coming down the middle over finneys head, with one touch flicked it over the last defender then as their goalie raced out with the next touch, and without bouncing, Finney lobbed it over his head into the goal. 2 touches and there it was in the back of the net Think we won that 3-1 again in the late 70s against a decent Blackburn side.

  3. #3
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    Dec 2006
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    10,137
    Roly -the 3-0 away match was on 29/09/79 in the old Division 3. We had a few pints of Thwaites on the way to Ewood Park, which was a good start. The match was one of my favourite Millers games ever, and if anything the scoreline was flattering to Blackburn. The Millers dominated the game from start to finish. The Blackburn team included several international players such as McKenzie and Brotherston.
    Millers team - Mountford, Forrest, K.Tiler, Rhodes, Green, Breckin, Gooding, McEwan, Gwyther, Fern, Finney
    Scorers: Gwyther 2, Finney
    (Blackburn later went on to achieve promotion that season)

    Same again please!
    Last edited by mikemiller; 07-11-2018 at 03:56 PM.

  4. #4
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    Jan 2018
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    Yes 1979 was the last time I witnessed a win at Ewood. We are well overdue a win however I'm going for a well deserved, well battled 1-1 draw and another away point.

  5. #5
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    Aug 2012
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hazza Has A Gazza View Post
    Not a great deal to go on for me personally. We've seen a lot of each other in recent years but the standout game for me is the League Cup match at Ewood in 2002.

    Blackburn Rovers were an established Premier League club. Not to mention former Champions of England just six years prior to this encounter.
    Rotherham were in the second tier doing what we always do at this level - trying to stay up.
    It was a big game for us back then, and a rare chance for our supporters to visit a Premier League stadium.

    In the days leading up to the game, manager Ronnie Moore had challenged his 'golden generation', players with Premier League aspirations - Alan Lee, Chris Sedgwick, Andy Monkhouse, Mike Pollitt - to prove themselves worthy of those aspirations against genuine top flight opposition for a place in the quarter finals.

    Our little group set off mid afternoon, just five of us in a car, and got there early. Parked in a pub carpark near the ground and spent the next three hours drinking. As the pub filled up with Rotherham fans, the atmosphere grew, as did the belief that we were going to in the quarter final draw.

    Well oiled, we went in the stadium around 15 minutes before kick off and quickly realised this was not a big game for Blackburn. The thousands of empty seats were evidence of that. "Maybe if the fans don't care, the team won't care either" I hoped, as the teams came out.

    Thankfully the three hours of pre match drinking has blurred my memory of the game, and took the edge off witnessing Blackburn tear us a new @rse hole in the first half. 0-4 down at half time, the best we could hope for was a consolation goal or that Blackburn took pity on us and didn't score anymore goals.
    We ended up with the latter.

    Our supposed Premier league wannabes were dealt a brutal lesson in which they learned they were no where near the mark. Only one of that group would go on to play in the top flight - Mike Pollitt, at the ripe old age of 38!

    I never thought at the time that this would ever be a regular league fixture, certainly not a League 1 fixture as it was last season. Probably more a case of how far backwards they've gone rather than how much forward we've come.
    Went in a mini bus...murdered us..mini bus lights went out on way back..had pull in into a motorcafe..waited for taxis..cost a fortune..got into bed 5 am..up at 5.45 for day shift..eyes like pi**holes in snow..straight home back into bed all night while next shift..never again...

  6. #6
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    Sep 2005
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    A 2-1 home victory circa 1970, a goal down at half-time, scorsd by the said Derek Fazakerley. It was on Sunday afternoon soccer with Keith Macklin. I originally thourght that this wS the ga e that the Kop choir was filmed.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by jocksgloves View Post
    A 2-1 home victory circa 1970, a goal down at half-time, scorsd by the said Derek Fazakerley. It was on Sunday afternoon soccer with Keith Macklin. I originally thourght that this wS the ga e that the Kop choir was filmed.
    The BBC Kop Choir competition that we won was in 1970... but I think that there may have been more than one competition (?).
    The match that you are referring to is probably Millers 2 Blackburn 1 in the old Division 3 on 16/10/71.
    Millers team - Tunks, C.Hudson, Leigh, Quinn, Mielczarek, Swift, Phillips, R.Johnson, Gilbert, Bentley, Mullen
    (Sub Hague)
    Carl Glibert scored both Millers goals
    I was there, but can't remember much about the match.
    Last edited by mikemiller; 07-11-2018 at 10:17 PM.

  8. #8
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    I can remember the kop choir, always remember it as March 1970 against Halifax Town. A 1-1 draw.
    Old Division Three.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by CASPER-64-FRANK View Post
    I can remember the kop choir, always remember it as March 1970 against Halifax Town. A 1-1 draw.
    Old Division Three.
    You are right Caspy, it was against Halifax - I think towards the end of an 18 match unbeaten run. Remember 'Ilkley Moor B'art'at.'

    The televised game against Blackburn was probably 1972, as I remember Gwyther playing.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by PerigordMiller View Post
    You are right Caspy, it was against Halifax - I think towards the end of an 18 match unbeaten run. Remember 'Ilkley Moor B'art'at.'

    The televised game against Blackburn was probably 1972, as I remember Gwyther playing.
    Gwyther made his Millers league debut v Shrewsbury at Millmoor on 21st Feb... 1976!
    We lost 0-1. The memory can play tricks...
    We drew with Blackburn 1-1 at Millmoor (old Div 3) on 23/12/72 - Trev Womble was centre forward, but Ray Mielczarek scored the Millers goal
    Last edited by mikemiller; 08-11-2018 at 12:50 PM.

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