petersimple Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 It seems like yesterday. It was a warm sunny afternoon and I was standing in front of the Main Stand towards the Normanton End. Blackburn were the visitors. They'd just been relegated from the First Division. Rovers played well that afternoon but they had a few decades of obscurity in front of them. As for Derby, well, they tried but there was no flair or excitement in their play. It was looking like we were set for another season of Second Division mediocrity. We were not to know that a special player would be arriving soon who would change everything. Despite losing that afternoon the Derby fans were not disheartened. It was still summer and we walked home with the sun on our faces. The talk was about England's tail enders putting on a century together against the West Indies. I can remember all this very clearly, but the one thing I can't remember is the Blackburn team that day. I've tried searching the net but I can only see the Derby team which I more or less remembered anyway. Why do I want to know who was in their team? Just idle curiosity. I am an idle man who just likes thinking about the past. Can anyone work out what game I am writing about? Also are there any people here with memories of that game. I pose these questions as an experiment. There was nothing special about the game but there are probably about 7000 people spectators from that game who are still alive. I don't know how many of them read this messageboard, but there must be some. Perhaps I am the only person alive who clearly recalls that game. An old Blackburn game is hardly "tears in the rain" but it does make you think about the transience of memory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alph Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 I love it when the old boys tell stories. Especially Uttox with his days on the road. Football before Sky Sports sounds like heaven. Wish I'd been there. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Got a feeling this game was just before my time, Blackburn were relegated in 1966 so i presume the player you refer to was Kevin Hector? Didn't start going til 1970. Ask Mo55y, he'd have been in his 30's then and might remember 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ph34r' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':ph34r:' /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Day Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 1954 was the first time we lost to them at home in Division 2 Here's a list of past fixtures, some have team line ups as well http://www.11v11.com/teams/derby-county/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Blackburn%20Rovers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Must have been this one I reckon [url=http://www.11v11.com/matches/derby-county-v-blackburn-rovers-20-august-1966-112908/]http://www.11v11.com/matches/derby-county-v-blackburn-rovers-20-august-1966-112908/ 20th August 1966, lost 2-3. I think Kevin Hector signed just after? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petersimple Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 We have some winners but there are no prizes. Our memories are our own prizes or perhaps punishments. 1966 was the year. A few games later Huddersfield Town were the visitors and there was a new star in the firmament. In fact, he was the only star younger fans had seen a Derby shirt. Older fans could talk about Carter and Doherty but that meant nothing to fresh faced youngsters. They might as well have been talking about Ancient Greece. How apt that our hero should arrive with a name from Greek mythology. Homer called Achilles "fleet footed" but he wasn't at the Huddersfield game. We watched in open mouthed astonishment as our Hector raced past Huddersfield defenders at will. We'd never seen anything like this at Derby. I was standing behind the goal at the Normanton End and we could all sense that this was the start of something. Sixteen years later I was standing behind the goal at the Osmaston End watching a very average Derby team in the Second Division. The good times had come and gone. As we watched the likes of Paul Emson struggle against teams like Wrexham it seemed that the memory of us being one of the best teams in Europe had been only a dream. But then Hector collected the ball near the halfway line. I think this might have been one of his last games for Derby. He left two maybe three players for dead and raced on to shoot. Alas, the strength was no longer there and the shot was easily saved, but that run rekindled memories of great days at the Baseball Ground and we cheered as if he had scored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuespachRam Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I love it when the old boys tell stories. Especially Uttox with his days on the road. Football before Sky Sports sounds like heaven. Wish I'd been there. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' /> Football before Sky Sports WAS heaven....if heaven was violent, dirty, scarey, exciting, engaging and thrilling....yes it was heaven. the rose tinted glasses we all look through probably need a good clean, but those, really were the days my friends....i thought they'd never end..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRam Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 1966's a bit early for me, not that that would make any difference, my memories *****. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ph34r' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':ph34r:' /> I think I live my life in the now - I sat through Michael McIntyre on stage at Snottingham the other week - thought he was dead funny, laughed, clapped - came home and couldn't tell you one thing he said. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':(' /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Day Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Found the match day programme on eBay for £3, if you didn't want to buy it you could message him and ask for the teams inside http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-08-1966-Derby-County-v-Blackburn-Rovers-Slight-Rusty-Staples-Score-Noted-/370658384434?pt=UK_Sports_Memorabilia_Football_Programmes_ET&hash=item564cf61a32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duracell Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Football before Sky Sports WAS heaven....if heaven was violent, dirty, scarey, exciting, engaging and thrilling....yes it was heaven. the rose tinted glasses we all look through probably need a good clean, but those, really were the days my friends....i thought they'd never end..... Equally, some think these days will never end. They will. Everything ends. The mighty will fall. Something inside me says that football will start going backwards again in my lifetime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dimmu Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Something inside me says that football will start going backwards again in my lifetime. Hopefully going backwards means development... I think many of us romanticize the past. I'm definitely one of those. There's lot of players and bands which I would've love to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petersimple Posted October 9, 2012 Author Share Posted October 9, 2012 Duracell says he thinks football will start going backwards in his lifetime. Perhaps he has forgotten Ray Wilkins. Daveo thanks for information about the programme but if I bought a programme for every old game I thought about then I'd be skint. Anyway at my stage in life I'm trying to get rid of stuff rather than collecting it. Some of the Derby players from that game are still working. I read that Alan Durban has recently taken on some role at Stoke and I think Bobby Saxton and Phil Waller are working as scouts. Some of the schoolboys who watched them that day have probably been retired for years and yet their heros are still dragging their weary bodies out of bed every day to earn a crust. It seems unfair yet maybe they don't want to retire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozza Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Got a feeling this game was just before my time, Blackburn were relegated in 1966 so i presume the player you refer to was Kevin Hector? Didn't start going til 1970. Ask Mo55y, he'd have been in his 30's then and might remember 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ph34r' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':ph34r:' /> The only game i remember in 1966 was 'The World Cup Final'.. if i'm not mistaken, England won it? I watched Derby in the last six home games of the 68/69 season..as a 14 year old.. I admit to 'jumping on the bandwagon'.. but at least I didn't wait till we were in the 'First Division' Unlike my biscuit making friend.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 The only game i remember in 1966 was 'The World Cup Final'.. if i'm not mistaken, England won it? I watched Derby in the last six home games of the 68/69 season..as a 14 year old.. I admit to 'jumping on the bandwagon'.. but at least I didn't wait till we were in the 'First Division' Unlike my biscuit making friend.. Glory hunter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozza Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 Glory hunter. I was too..and loved it ever since.. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':D' /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uttoxram75 Posted October 9, 2012 Share Posted October 9, 2012 I think my first game was a 0-0 draw v Everton. Can't remember anyone booing, mind you there was about 38,000 there and they were either Champions or it was the season they won it. Not sure if they all played that day but the Everton team would have included... Gordon West Brian Labone Keith Newton Howard Kendal Alan Ball Johnny Morrissey Joe Royle Colin Harvey that's off the top of me head, without google! For some strange reason the early 70's teams are burnt into my mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pearl Ram Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Same here Utch, not sure if it's because I couldn't wait for All Our Yesterdays (Brian Inglis) to finish so I could see Star Soccer but I remember the most ordinary players like Mike Pejic and John Marsh at Stoke, Ernie Hunt at Coventry and every goalie in the division, I was goalie mad as a nipper. *Short Cloughie story for any insomniacs. As I mentioned, I was goalie mad and was outside the Basie waiting to get Tottenham's Pat Jennings's autograph. Out comes Mr Clough and asks us (about half a dozen of us) what we're up to. "I'm waiting to get Pat Jennings's autograph" I says,delighted the great man had shown interest in us. "You don't want that, we've just stuck five past him, come with me and I'll get you some autographs." he said I really, really did want Jennings's autograph but when Brian tells you you don't, you believe him. Anyway, he led into the ground (under the paddock) told us to wait there so we did. I waited half an hour, he never came back and to cap it all, the Spurs team bus left while I was waiting. Still, I got to talk (albeit briefly) to a legend. 'http://www.dcfcfans.co.uk/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VulcanRam Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Rovers played well that afternoon but they had a few decades of obscurity in front of them. As for Derby, well, they tried but there was no flair or excitement in their play. It was looking like we were set for another season of Second Division mediocrity. I thought you were talking about next Saturday! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StockholmRam Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Fantastic memories there from my childhood days. The 70s really are etched into our brains like no other era as a football fan of Derby County. It was truly remarkable. Every team we played against had some brilliant players... Sheff United with Tony Currie, Alan Woodward, Trevor Hockey. Leicester had Keith Weller and Frank Worthington. QPR with Stan Bowles, Ian Gillard,Gerry Francis... Arsenal had a whole team of them..but we beat them on a regular basis still. Stoke with Hudson, Jimmy Greenhoff and Shilton. Man Utd got good with Hill, Coppell and Macillroy mid 70s. Wolves had John Richards, Hibbit and Derek Dougan. Newcastle with Malcolm Macdonald, John Tudor and Bobby Moncur...the list is endless. Uttox reeled off the Everton mob who really could play a bit too. The FA Cup finals are written in stone in my memory from then too especially Sunderland v Leeds and Liverpool v Newcastle. Happy days for this young un. My 1st game ( guessing me and Uttox started roughly the same time) was boxing day 1970 and a 4-4 draw on a very icey day. My grandad took me on a blue corporation bus from Perth Street just after lunch. He had a pint in the Neptune in town and I waited for him with some other kids. Then we left for the match amongs the throng of Derby fans going to the game. I remember men talking about some Law, Best and Charlton and the excitement was incredible. Much stamping of feet and rubbing together of hands as we queued to get into the Normanton end. We kids( I was 7) were passed down to the front by caring adults we didnt know. As I reached the bottom step I saw Georgie Best smiling to us..I swear it. We were safe, together (100s of little uns on the front row). I never felt scared just in awe of it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyinLiverpool Posted October 10, 2012 Share Posted October 10, 2012 Johnny Morrissey didn't he do animal magic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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