18 years ago today

[normal rules]

Rovers 3 villa nil

[Donnywolf]

Is this the way to Hammervilla 

[turnbull for england]

Wow time flies

[drfcsteve]

Unbelievable, I remember standing on the pop side like it was yesterday.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I don't think I really took it in at that time, but looking back..
That must be the greatest Rovers performance of all time.

Look at their side.

Barry, Milner, Baros, Angel, Mellberg, Phillips etc. And we simply took them apart.

[MachoMadness]

Remember being packed in on the main stand when McIndoe scored that pen. It was never in doubt he'd score, and tbh the result was never in doubt all night. It was such an assured, professional performance. Nothing like the scrappy underdog win you might expect. They put out a full strength side out too. One of the best nights I can remember at Belle Vue.

[Butchers Red]

Sean Thornton's goal absolutely capped off that night - unforgettable.

[danumdon]

I know times are different and things change but could you imagine our current side having the gut busting work rate and absolute desire and drive to do well.

Some of those players were pretty average and jobbing footballers but as a unit they managed to squeeze every last bit of collective effort to enable them to take on the likes of Villa, Man City and Arsenal and not look out of place doing it.

Just a fraction of their drive and togetherness would work wonders in this current side, we just need to find another 10 Tom Nixon types (a budding McIndoe) job sorted.

[Mike_F]

In terms of work rate last night the player that stood out head and shoulders above everyone in my opinion was Mo Faal. He tracked back relentlessly all night.

[danumdon]

Yes, Faal did work very hard up and down and is getting better with every game. I’m just hoping we have screwed down his loan deal so we don’t loose him in Jan.

[acacia94]

That was a night eh. That run in the cup right up there with the best of the best. Remember O'Leary afterwards surrounded by reporters microphones stuffed in his face and blathering on about a below par night for Villa. Ha!

[normal rules]

Yes, Faal did work very hard up and down and is getting better with every game. I’m just hoping we have screwed down his loan deal so we don’t loose him in Jan.

Maybe that’s why Mcann has mentioned striker(s) as as target for Jan. Maybe Mo will be going back . ?

[scawsby steve]

Yes, Faal did work very hard up and down and is getting better with every game. I’m just hoping we have screwed down his loan deal so we don’t loose him in Jan.

Maybe that’s why Mcann has mentioned striker(s) as as target for Jan. Maybe Mo will be going back . ?

Doubtful, NR. GM mentioned the need for cover, as he only has 2 senior strikers available. I think he'll be desperate to hang on to Mo in this situation.

[richtherover]

As Des O'Connor sang "1, 2, 3 O'Leary".

[Bentley Bullet]

I still think Amarillo should be our signature tune. It would be a brilliant entrance song and the local connection with singer Tony Christie gives it legitimacy.

We are absolutely missing a trick here.

[ForsolongaRover]

Yes, Faal did work very hard up and down and is getting better with every game. I’m just hoping we have screwed down his loan deal so we don’t loose him in Jan.

Maybe that’s why Mcann has mentioned striker(s) as as target for Jan. Maybe Mo will be going back . ?

Can they renege on the length of the the loan agreement?

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Yes, Faal did work very hard up and down and is getting better with every game. I’m just hoping we have screwed down his loan deal so we don’t loose him in Jan.

Maybe that’s why Mcann has mentioned striker(s) as as target for Jan. Maybe Mo will be going back . ?

Doubtful, NR. GM mentioned the need for cover, as he only has 2 senior strikers available. I think he'll be desperate to hang on to Mo in this situation.

Yes, if it's a season long loan then there's only exceptional circumstances, where both clubs agree, the loan can be terminated early.

Most obvious being injury, as with Andrews last season and possibly Marsh this.

If the loan isn't working out for all parties (maybe Roberts) where he's not getting sufficient game time and isn't developing at the rate Wolves would want, and we won't guarantee more game time, they  could agree to terminate.

In Faals case, I doubt WBA would see him as Championship ready anyway, and there would be little point in bringing him back to benchwarm. I would guess they'll be delighted to continue the loan with us to it's full term.

[Pancho Regan]

That truly was one of THE most unforgettable nights as a Rovers fan.

I was working in Blackburn at the time and was due to fly to China the morning after the match. For the first time in my frequent visits to China, I was to be accompanied by my bosses, the two brothers who owned the company I worked for.

We met at Manchester airport the following morning; I was still buzzing from the night before despite very little sleep. One of my bosses said he had a present for me and handed me a DVD. He had ‘burned’ the entire Sky live coverage of the match for me! I couldn’t believe it.

I watched the whole match coverage on my laptop on the flight to China, reliving every moment.
A quite surreal experience which made the whole thing even more unforgettable!

[Nudga]

One of my best nights in the Pop Side

[Sammy Chung was King]

Can’t believe it’s so long ago. Rovers were fantastic that night and during the whole cup run. The side had an aura about it, that no matter who we drew in the cup it seemed like we were going to come out on top. Just lacking that bit of nous in the final seconds against Arsenal, cost us going even further. Where that added time came from I will never know.

[pib]

It just felt like we could beat anyone on our day in that era at BV. Happy days.

[IDM]

Should have been 5-0 that night.. bloody shite Bramall.!!