Rovers Heroes

[Herbert Anchovy]

Following on from a chat I had with some blokes at the weekend over a beer (including with one fella who claims that he saw Duncan Edwards play for Man U!), who was your first Rovers hero?

I didn't go to games that much as a kid, but I do remember thinking that Peter Kitchen was fantastic when I did go to Belle Vue. A bit later on when I used to go regular it was probably Alan Little who I never saw give an inch or have a bad game!

[Draytonian III]

Ian Miller, especially after he scored a 10 minute hat trick in third game I ever saw. Peter Kitchen was a close 2nd because it seemed he scored in every game I went to in my first couple of seasons

[Dutch Uncle]

Although you might think it would be Alick Jeffrey, my boyhood hero was definitely Laurie Sheffield. We moved to Doncaster from South Wales when I was 5. A few years later, after being told by my Dad that I could never play cricket for Yorkshire (I was born in Swansea, only Yorkshire born allowed at that time) I decided I must be Welsh. Laurie (also from Swansea) certainly helped me with my friends, who had been typically scathing about my Welsh leanings. Laurie showed that good things can come from Swansea, and it became OK, cool even, to be Welsh in Doncaster at that time. He will always be my boyhood hero, even in my second childhood years.   

[Reg of the Rovers]

Mark Rankine for me when I was a kid, always thought he looked quick and athletic and exciting through a young lads eyes! The good old days!

[BillyStubbsTears]

Ian Miller, especially after he scored a 10 minute hat trick in third game I ever saw. Peter Kitchen was a close 2nd because it seemed he scored in every game I went to in my first couple of seasons

Definitely Ian Miller for me. I was never going to be a strapping centre forward like Bren, or a genius goalscorer like Kitchen. But I was quick and I could cross a ball. Every time I played I was telling myself this is what Ian Miller would do.

Just before that (although I wasn't going to many matches as a 5-6 year old and I wouldn't have recognised him when I did) I'd picked up from the grown ups that Mike Elwiss was the star. I was mortified when we sold him.

[Wild Rover]

Laurie Sheffield and Alec Jeffrey ( cant make mind up which).

[drfc1951]

Tony Leighton

[Lesonthewest]

Peter Kitchen.

[ravenrover]

As a defender in my playing time John Nicholson or Stuart Robertson in my early days, later Rob Jones

[welloffside]

 
   Archie Irvine. (Who I think may have died recently)

            I was always 'Him' in the kick abouts!     I remember him going an interesting shade of red after running about.   

           

[roversdude]

 
   Archie Irvine. (Who I think may have died recently)

            I was always 'Him' in the kick abouts!     I remember him going an interesting shade of red after running about.   

           

Yes you are right, remember seeing him in the refreshment stand at Feethams and for him to speak to a young lad has lived with me.
On the pitch it was Kitch

[Lifelong supporter]

I suppose it would have to be Alick Jefffrey.
But I only saw him when he came back from Australia so my first Rovers hero was Ronnie Walker.
He was such a talented player, great vision, great passer and scored goals as well.
I also liked Johnny Mooney as a kid and later John Wylie who was a real hardman before the days of Alan Little.
Keith Ripley became an overnight hero when he scored a hat trick in, I think, a Sheffield County Cup game...the only time I ran on the pitch along with hundreds of others at Belle Vue at the end of the game.
Great memories.

[turnbull for england]

Lee Lee super Lee!  Although firmly and probably permanently replaced by Colin Cramb

[Drover]

Glynn Snodin for me,most banged on about Ian when he made the first team,but I loved watching Glynn more,often stuck in a corner or byline with 2 even 3 opposition players around him and he would come out alone with the ball,great free kicks too,also the 2 Alans come a close second for me,loved Warboys and Animal probably due to the physicality.

[vaya]

Wigan towel bloke.

[Hounslowrover]

Has to be Alick Jeffrey with Laurie Sheffield close behind.  Also on the pitch for Keith Ridley’s hat-trick.  Liked Colin Booth, but he didn’t stay long enough.  Always a soft spot for Yogi Broadbent, and I seem to remember a winger called Phil Robinson when I first started going who I quite liked, but not quite a hero.

[Alickismyhero]

Its easy for me its got to be

                                               ALICK

What might have been?

He had made it in to the U23 England team at 17 but then followed by those tragic breaks.

Busby promised to come back and sign him when he signed Gregg

Charlton said Alick would have replaced him at Man U, he Could have been in that 66 world cup?

I only saw him play during his second spell and what a player he was.

My best memory.......He gave me my runners up cup medal.

[philsky]

Following on from a chat I had with some blokes at the weekend over a beer (including with one fella who claims that he saw Duncan Edwards play for Man U!), who was your first Rovers hero?

I didn't go to games that much as a kid, but I do remember thinking that Peter Kitchen was fantastic when I did go to Belle Vue. A bit later on when I used to go regular it was probably Alan Little who I never saw give an inch or have a bad game!

Similar vintage.

Miller, O’Callaghan and the Snods.

[Darren]

 Miller and Kitchen.

[RoversInSpain]

Miller, tearing down the wing. Scored a cracker away at Barnsley in a 1-1 draw just to seal him as my first real favourite player.

[Bentley Bullet]

Its easy for me its got to be

                                               ALICK

What might have been?

He had made it in to the U23 England team at 17 but then followed by those tragic breaks.

Busby promised to come back and sign him when he signed Gregg

Charlton said Alick would have replaced him at Man U, he Could have been in that 66 world cup?

I only saw him play during his second spell and what a player he was.

My best memory.......He gave me my runners up cup medal.

That leg break could well have saved Jeffrey's life. Had he gone to Man Utd he would have probably been in the plane at Munich.

[Bentley Bullet]

Alfie Hale.

[the dons]

Colin BOOTH and Ronny WALKER.

[Nudga]

Eddie Gormley was one of my favourites as a young lad.
I thought he was a fantastic footballer but not sure if he actually was?

[graingrover]

Bert Tindill …411 games for Rovers over 14 years and 122 goals .Played in every of the five forward positions over his carrer at Donny but best as an inside forward .He was rarely injured and the most reliable who you would put as your first name on the team sheet even though he played with Internationals like MCMorran , Len Graham and Harry Gregg .When Peter Doherty left to manage Bristol City  the first thing he did was to sign Bert Tindill .BT was a legend for Rovers   and it is  a shame he is not recognised as such ,,. because of the passage of time .

[Ldr]

Dennis Peacock, even down to getting my mascot picture with him ( despite my dad trying to get me to choose one of the snods)

[scawsby steve]

King Alick and Harry Gregg. Both world class.

[essexrover]

Glynn Snodin for me,most banged on about Ian when he made the first team,but I loved watching Glynn more,often stuck in a corner or byline with 2 even 3 opposition players around him and he would come out alone with the ball,great free kicks too,also the 2 Alans come a close second for me,loved Warboys and Animal probably due to the physicality.

Ditto. Always Glynn for me too.

[Branton Rover]

Alan Warboys was my first Rovers hero growing up - he was tough, strong and took no nonsense from opposition players. He bamboozled a young Tony Cunningham who was a young, exciting centre forward at Lincoln at the time & Billy Bremner pulled off a master stroke by playing Alan at centre half against him. Young Cunningham hardly had a kick as Warby used all his experience to get one over the young upstart.

I was only 8 years old when I first saw Alan play and his style of play which was shall we be kind was robustness over skill was right for the era which he played in. He wouldn’t get many games today because the modern day player couldn’t hack competing against him. Sadly Alan had to retire a mere two years into me going to DRFC regularly, and my affections shifted to one Glynn Snodin.

[IDM]

Warboys for me too, being that my first regular season was 1980/81.  At that age all I wanted to be was a striker (I was crap) so naturally I favoured then it bloke up front.  Glynn a close second.