Bill Paterson

[Draytonian III]

This is one for the knowledgeable, I know he joined Rovers from Ramsom and Marles in Newark, which later became RHP. Their ground was on Elm Avenue in Newark and they used to share it with the cricket club, in fact it use to hold a county championship match their each year, I saw Notts play Worcestershire there in 1974, Garfield Sobers,Derek Randall,Glenn Turner, Basil D’ Oliveara,Norman Gifford played.
 When Bill Paterson got transferred to Newcastle United did the clubs play a friendly at Belle Vue, if so what was the date of this match.

[ForsolongaRover]

The implication is that there was a friendly and I can’t even remember which year Paterson moved to Newcastle. Friendlies in those days would feature the full first team of the visiting club and would be really well attended, but I cannot remember such a game. Perhaps it was at a holiday time. So this is a “Don’t know”.

[Dutch Uncle]

Looking in Bluff & Watson's 1994 book of the history of Rovers the answer is yes. Patterson's last match for Rovers was 9 October 1954 (Bury  H W 1-0) and on 18 October there was a friendly at against Newcastle at Belle Vue with 16479 spectators. Rovers won 7-2 with goals from Mooney 3, Walker 2, Tindill & Jeffrey (I am assuming Jimmy Walker as he scored far more than Geoff and Ron Walker that season)

Edit: No idea of the strength of the Newcastle side, but Rovers were in the top half (8th) of the old Division 2 at that point.

[selby]

  I was at that game as a youngster, the friendly being part of the transfer agreement.
  As for the strength of the Newcastle side Jimmy Scouler definitely played and I think Len White who was from Skellow and Simpson the Celtic goalkeeper in their European Cup winning side.
  From memory it was a strong side but how much they were at it is up for debate.
  Paterson never really fitted into the Newcastle style of play which was at the time very much physical and getting the ball forward quickly and was transferred to Glasgow Rangers where he had a good career.
  In 1968/9  Joe Harvey a strong half back in his playing days for Newcastle managed Newcastle to win the European Fairs Cup, he was from Edlington.

[graingrover]

I have got the programme of that friendly that in fact I attended .It is amongst hundreds of not more in a box in the attic .I promise to search for it over the summer .
I was in the big crowd that Dutch mentions .I do remember being disappointed that Wor Jackie Millburn  did not play .I know that Patterson had a nightmare against Tommy Taylor at St James’ v Man U soon after his move .He never made the grade there and went on to Glasgow Rangers where he was successful .He was a classy centre half for Rovers  in that team that Peter Doherty put  together early / mid 50’s .I was 11 yr old ( already lol )

[graingrover]

Got it !

[graingrover]

Len Graham  in pen portrait

[Draytonian III]

18/10/54, 21 years to the day before I went to Belle Vue for the first time, so this will be my 50th season.

[selby]

  That's a strong team of the time Mitchell in goal not Simpson then, White one of the Doncaster lads the club used to get pelters for missing out on local talent in the top leagues along with Ron Flowers and others when local football in the area with Barnsley area was considered a hot bed of talent.
  Doncaster schools always had a good side in the English schoools area competition as did Barnsley Rotherham and Sheffield and senior football was mostly driven by company social clubs such as collieries, and many other large employers.
  A different world from today where the emphasis is now on hundreds of junior clubs who have age group teams from 6 years old  and travel a lot further with modern personal travel more available and the biggest change the involvement of more mothers as a driving force.
   In many ways a lot better in others around Doncaster still the facilities we had in the 1950s and not kept to the same standard as the companies in many cases had full time groundsmen. and the amount of lottery monies spent on sports facilities  seem to have bypassed the colliery areas compared with the cities of York and Leeds etc. and the number of players and clubs  playing men's football at local level has reduced with a lot of junior players of good standard dropping out of playing all together from 16 yrs old on as they find girls and other things to do.

[ravenrover]

Good post Selby, I played for Broddie in the early 70's, 1st team pitch and changing rooms top notch. The Welfare grounds were kept immaculate playground bowls cricket running track and of course 2 football pitches.
And if any other work was needed a quick call to Pit Manager and a team of men would be sent to carry out the tasks.

[BobG]

Ah... The days before 'service' became a dirty word; before profit became the only thing that mattered; before accountants became the be all and end all of business management. The days before Friedman, Hayek and Thatcher led us to worship nothing but money.

BobG

[Bentley Bullet]

Yeah, now we worship other people's money.

[Herbert Anchovy]

Yeah, now we worship other people's money.

You'll have to let me know who has it is then because I don't have any!

[Herbert Anchovy]

Didn't we play a friendly against Newcastle at Belle Vue when Keegan was a player and/or manager for them too? I want to say that it was something to do with some new floodlights but I've very likely made that bit up!!

[Ldr]

Didn't we play a friendly against Newcastle at Belle Vue when Keegan was a player and/or manager for them too? I want to say that it was something to do with some new floodlights but I've very likely made that bit up!!

Wasn’t it when Keegan managed Man City, the albrighton / Barton incident day?

[Sammy Chung was King]

Didn't we play a friendly against Newcastle at Belle Vue when Keegan was a player and/or manager for them too? I want to say that it was something to do with some new floodlights but I've very likely made that bit up!!

Yes it was to do with the Mike Jeffrey deal. We drew 1-1. It was just before Newcastle started doing really well. They had a good side out. Seem to remember we got David Roche as part of the deal.

[idler]

I thought that Mike Jeffrey played for us in that match and did so well that Keegan signed him Sammy. My memory isn’t what it was though.

[Draytonian III]

David Roche, now there’s a name from the past, another one to add to the Rovers Rogues Gallery

[BobG]

Good midfielder though.

That midfield of Brabin, Roche and Sean Parrish was one of the two best midfields I've seen at the Rovers in over 50 years. And it was Firestarter who got them. Despite his horribleness he did know a good footballer when he saw one.

Hands up all those at St James' Park for the 5-1 thrashing of Exeter. David Jones got himself sent off early in the second half. We'd have won 8-1 if he'd not done that. That midfield trio were absolutely awesome that day.

BobG

[Draytonian III]

I was at St James Exeter that day, as  you said it could have been 8 or 9

[BobG]