Question for our older supporters 1958

[The Red Baron]

That's right, Brian. If you go back to, say, the early 50s then the maximum wage was on a par or slightly above that which a skilled worker would earn. But it failed to keep up with inflation, so by the time of abolition professional footballers were comparatively poorly paid.

[Iberian Red]

Another paper clipping from around 53ish?

[idler]

Joining you in going off on a tangent, I read this a couple of weeks ago, an excellent article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/12007208/Jimmy-Hills-heartbreaking-battle-with-Alzheimers-brings-tears-and-laughter.html
[/quote
You can't believe that in the picture it is called  The Rocoh arena.

[RedRover45]

I met Jimmy Hill at Darlington (late 80s/early 90s?) in the players lounge after Darlo had played Fulham. I'd gone up to see a mate (local lad/ex Rover,see if you can guess who), and we chatted together for about twenty minutes.
Here's the clue to the identity of the player...
Jimmy Hill had all of us in stitches when he swore that the player in question was an absolute double for Stanley Baxter!

I met Jimmy Hill at Darlington (late 80s/early 90s?) in the players lounge after Darlo had played Fulham. I'd gone up to see a mate (local lad/ex Rover,see if you can guess who), and we chatted together for about twenty minutes.
Here's the clue to the identity of the player...
Jimmy Hill had all of us in stitches when he swore that the player in question was an absolute double for Stanley Baxter!

Steve Gaughan ?

[Iberian Red]

You've got it!

[drfchound]

I remember the old lights but never saw them switched on.

I first saw Belle Vue lit-up on the 24th Aug 1965, against Hartlepools United on a tuesday night. It was the start of the promotion season when we finished as Champions of division 4.

There was a loud cheer from the crowd when they were switched on, as Belle Vue was seen under bright floodlights for the first time ever.

Rovers won 4-0 !

Just read those new lights cost £15,000. It had also rained heavily for three hours up to ko time. Have you dried out yet BB?

It was also John Nicholsons final game at BV.

[idler]

John Nicholson died in August or September 1966. We had played about two or three league games when he was in the car crash.

[Bentley Bullet]

Nicholson died on September 3, 1966, in Doncaster

[Sammy Chung was King]

Jimmy Hill, i remember watching him on match of the day, not being very impressed, he seemed out of touch with the game at the time he was commenting.
But since they i have learned that he had a big hand in player wages rising, he was a good footballer, had a decent career, and also ran the line at a game when the reserve linesman was injured, as well as the original linesman, if i am remembering right?.
It sounds like he had a good career in football, very sad for him to be ill like he is now.

My Dad had several "sayings" "edicts" on Football that he rolled out at every opportunity

Never judge a Player on one appearance

If a Penalty taker misses the  target I would fine him a weeks wages

... but the one I will always believe in was "when they take the Maximum wage away in Football it will ruin the game" Jimmy Hill helped do that as you say and my Dad would not have been happy because although his view was a little simplistic I think by and large I could say he was right !

By the sound of it your dad had high standards, and expected them to be met, going on the penalty opinion. He was thinking by the sound of it, that if they can't score from twelve yards after all that practice, then there was no excuse.
Judging a player on one appearance, is not usually a good thing to do, but sometimes a player just the way he takes the ball, the amount of space he makes, the brain he has for seeing a pass, sometimes you don't need to see him again.
But if he has a bad game, it could just be an offday, by not going back to look again that's how clubs miss out sometimes.

He was right on the maximum wage, because obscene amounts of money are given to players who haven't achieved a lot. When two minutes ago they hardly had any money. They don't strive to do better any more, they lose the edge that got them there in the first place.
But there isn't a right answer to it really, before the directors were pocketing more of the gate receipts, instead of the guys the supporter paid to watch.
I think there needs to be plenty of ex players working in the game who can advise of the pitfalls, a restriction on flat money deals, incentivise their pay, that for me is how you get the best from them.

[Donnywolf]

Yes ... he would have been chuffed to be proved right on the Max Wage ... and if he is looking down today he will be expecting me to go to watch Wolves on his behalf today at RUFC !

The Penalty view of his was that footballers especially the Pros should never miss the actually Target. He did not mind if the Penalty was saved by the Keeper - in his view it just HAD to be between the sticks and under the Bar

[drfchound]

John Nicholson died in August or September 1966. We had played about two or three league games when he was in the car crash.

Yes you are correct Idler.
It is funny how the memory plays tricks.
I should have know better because earlier this year I sold three programmes on eBay to members of the Nicholson family.
I had listed the match programme from the Rovers v Liverpool John Nicholson Memorial match and they bought it.
After further chats with them I also sent them the programme from Johns' last match at BV  and the programme from the first home game after his death in which there was a special tribute to him.
We had won the first two matches of that first season in Division Three and won a cup game against Bradford after a drawn game at Valley Parade but the car crash robbed us of John Nicholson for ever and the services of Alick for lots of games as well as a third player who I seem to remember was John Wylie.
Alick was out of the team until December and in his first home game back in the team he scored a hat trick against Peterborough.
A point of interest is that George Best played for the Rovers in the JN Memorial game.
I was 14 at the time.

[Donnywolf]

Yes that made me 15 and a half. I lived then in Stainy and opposite a Fireman who worked at Donny FS now Whitbys of course

He was always winding me up with stories I found were not true so as I went to School that morning I met him just coming home. He told me that JN had been killed in a Car Crash and AJ was with him. Course I did not believe him and the more he repeated the story and added more details I just became more and more convinced he was telling Porkies !

How I wish he had been - as Nicko was a tremendous Player and no doubt a great bloke. After his death I think we shipped many goals through the Season and lost a few games by shipping 6 Goals. There was at least one x 6-0 ? QPR I think it was but by then I did not care - we had lost a great Player

[drfchound]

Oxford away was a 6-1 defeat after the 6-0 at QPR.
We also lost 4-0 at home to Darlington.
Of course we were relegated at the end of that season.

[Juddy]

I was 12 when John died in the car crash and remember at the next or next but one game at Belle Vue a blanket was carried around the edge of the pitch which people threw two bobs half crowns and shillings in. My mates and I went on the pitch and walked round following the blanket picking up coins which had missed and chucking them in.

[Bentley Bullet]

The first report of the accident I got was that John Nicholson had been killed, and Alick Jeffrey had lost an arm. I was also told that winger Paul Durrant was in the car with them, but like Jeffrey's reported injury, it was found to be untrue.

[Donny Dub]

I was at this match Jimmy Hill scored 5 goals against us that day.  Johnny Haynes and Mel's Charles ( John Charles' brother) also played for Fulham.  I cannot remember the kick off time but Jimmy Hill was banging them in in daylight and I walked home in the dark!
Good luck!

[BobG]

Good Lord DD!!

My Dad was at that match too. He used to tell me the story, on a reasonably regular basis, of Jimmy Hill banging in 5 at BV for Fulham that day - and some wag in the crowd getting mighty fed up with it and bellowing 'Get that bloody billy goat of the pitch!'

I suppose that will mean nowt to at least half the folk on here now.....

Cheers

BobG

[tommy toes]

Is there anyone alive who attended our last competetive game against Stoke?

[newyankee]

Dear Tommy toes,

 It doesn't take a genius to work out that if we all were at the Fulham game in 1958 then the same people were at the Stoke game in 1960.  There was not a plethera of 10 to 14 year old's who supported Rovers dying in those two years.

Please read this thread from the beginning.

[newyankee]

Actually there are more posts from people who were not at the Fulham game, however there will be a list of people who were old enough to be art that game and still alive, it was only 55 years ago and in those days 9 and 10 year old's went on their own, although most were accompanied by Dad.  Wait for the explosion.

[tommy toes]

Oops sorry New Yankee. I've been supporting Rovers since 1960 and for the life of me couldn't recall us ever playing Stoke. So I looked at a Stoke site which said we last played them in 1930.

[tommy toes]

...and I've read the thread again and as far as I can see there's no mention of the Stoke game.
No need to patronise me either NW.

[newyankee]

The original thread was about the Fulham game in 1958 and I thought more said they were there. Reading again there were follow ups from people about the lights. You did not mention 1960 when you asked your question only the last time we played them.

I do think a lot of people will say they were at the League Cup game  as it was not that long ago relatively speaking. Stoke haven't always been in the top flight either.

I was not patronizing just answering your question. I did notice how the subject changed from Jimmy Hill, to Floodlights to John Nicholson, funny how that happens.

[RoversDave]

John Nicholson died in August or September 1966. We had played about two or three league games when he was in the car crash.

Yes you are correct Idler.
It is funny how the memory plays tricks.
I should have know better because earlier this year I sold three programmes on eBay to members of the Nicholson family.
I had listed the match programme from the Rovers v Liverpool John Nicholson Memorial match and they bought it.
After further chats with them I also sent them the programme from Johns' last match at BV  and the programme from the first home game after his death in which there was a special tribute to him.
We had won the first two matches of that first season in Division Three and won a cup game against Bradford after a drawn game at Valley Parade but the car crash robbed us of John Nicholson for ever and the services of Alick for lots of games as well as a third player who I seem to remember was John Wylie.
Alick was out of the team until December and in his first home game back in the team he scored a hat trick against Peterborough.
A point of interest is that George Best played for the Rovers in the JN Memorial game.
I was 14 at the time.

[idler]

What a player he was. He reminded me of a poor man's Bobby Moore and I don't mean that disrespectfully. He was like Steve Nichol, always having time and very assured on the ball. He was a joy to watch.