Stockport EFL Trophy

[MickyD]

13 minutes ago, embankment said:

Julian Derby was and is BWFC through and through 

I recall stopping at services on way down to West Ham for a Carling Cup quartet final. Julian Darby was getting stick from a few Bolton fans for being in a team who lost against another team which effectively meant a team was saved from relegation and relegated Bolton… or something like that.

It was such a convoluted load of bollocks I doubt Jules D knew what the fuck they were on about.

[bolty58]

11 hours ago, woolli said:

Greaves wore the number 9 shirt when i first started watching in 1969, prob until 1971/72 season if i remember rightly,.

At least that much if not a little longer.

[paulhanley]

My first Roy Greaves team would be: 1. McDonagh, 2 Nicholson 3 Dunne 4 Greaves 5 Jones P 6 Allardyce or Walsh 7 Morgan 8 Whatmore 9 Worthington 10 Gowling 11 Reid 

First memory of him was the winner he got on the first day of 77/8 at Burnley. Also remember his winner v Spurs that same season, was sat level with it in the Manny Road North. Great that its on You Tube

 

[Ani]

 

Number 4 here. Classic Burnden. 

[Whitesince63]

Can you even imagine todays players on a pitch like that and how lenient we’re refs then compared to now? It was a completely different game then played by men not whiners and definitely better in my view.

[Rizlar]

2 hours ago, Ani said:

 

Number 4 here. Classic Burnden. 

That takes me back bloody awful pitch . 

[jmjhb]

1 hour ago, Whitesince63 said:

Can you even imagine todays players on a pitch like that and how lenient we’re refs then compared to now? It was a completely different game then played by men not whiners and definitely better in my view.

Yesterday's players would probably pull up unfit after 10 minutes in today's game

[Dr. Feelgood]

22 minutes ago, jmjhb said:

Yesterday's players would probably pull up unfit after 10 minutes in today's game

Sadly true. The speed today is phenomenal. Added to the requirement for near constant movement as players are required to 'show for the ball' so much.

But, of course, as in any 'would x have made it in today's game ?' you have to imagine those old players on perfect pitches, with modern coaching & training, diet, modern medical support etc., etc.

Plus the degree of protection.

I suspect that, for the most part, the cream would rise to the top.

 

But DO enjoy seeing an old fashioned kicking match in the mud. Proper takes me back.

[batton carrier]

4 hours ago, Ani said:

 

Number 4 here. Classic Burnden. 

That was the team that made me a Bolton fan. I still have all there autographs in a book somewhere.

 

[frank_spencer]

44 minutes ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

Sadly true. The speed today is phenomenal. Added to the requirement for near constant movement as players are required to 'show for the ball' so much.

But, of course, as in any 'would x have made it in today's game ?' you have to imagine those old players on perfect pitches, with modern coaching & training, diet, modern medical support etc., etc.

Plus the degree of protection.

I suspect that, for the most part, the cream would rise to the top.

 

But DO enjoy seeing an old fashioned kicking match in the mud. Proper takes me back.

How good could Franky Worthington, George Best and Gazza be in todays game if they stayed off the booze and had the fitness work that todays players undergo. Would they have the discipline to stick it out.

[Whitesince63]

4 hours ago, jmjhb said:

Yesterday's players would probably pull up unfit after 10 minutes in today's game

That’s plainly nonsense, the fit young sportsmen of yesterday would be just as agile as those today given the same diets and fitness regimes but the whole point is that yesterday was what it was and today is what it is but give me yesterday every time rather than the sanitised stuff we watch now, as illustrated by that horrendous display by England last night!!  😊

[Johnnyrotten]

5 hours ago, jmjhb said:

Yesterday's players would probably pull up unfit after 10 minutes in today's game

They'd get a rest every 5 minutes in our games, when Santos stands on the ball for a bit!

Joking aside, the pace of today's game is exaggerated, so many stoppages and breathers.  In the 70s and 80s keepers got the ball and booted it down the pitch, they didn't pontificate for 2 minutes.  And because the ref's give a free kick for breathing on a player, its constant rests and stoppages.  Roy Greaves and Peter Reid would find it easy.

[Johnnyrotten]

8 hours ago, Ani said:

 

Number 4 here. Classic Burnden. 

That was one of my first games, I was stood on the embankment.  I'd never heard of Blackburn, had no idea where it was, and was surprised there were so many away fans there.  There seemed to be plenty trouble to my left towards the back with bottles etc being chucked between the 2 sets of fans.  With all our goals at the far end I didn't see much, a load of goalmouth scrambles that ended with Whatmore scoring from 2 yards.  I was hooked by the atmosphere and feel and smell of the place.

[Ani]

It is a totally different game these days. Players from yesteryear with the benefit of the same training and diet regime would be totally different players. 
 

forget the 60s and 70s the players in the  80s and 90s were still in comparison to today massive drinkers. These days if you ain't a fully fledged athlete you won't get a sniff. Add in the state of the pitches and they days of the big lumps at the back have gone.Even the changes to the balls have made the game different, it many ways better but also in many ways worse. 

[tomski]

11 minutes ago, Ani said:

It is a totally different game these days. Players from yesteryear with the benefit of the same training and diet regime would be totally different players. 
 

forget the 60s and 70s the players in the  80s and 90s were still in comparison to today massive drinkers. These days if you ain't a fully fledged athlete you won't get a sniff. Add in the state of the pitches and they days of the big lumps at the back have gone.Even the changes to the balls have made the game different, it many ways better but also in many ways worse. 

Agree it’s impossible to compare.

Also needless I think.

I much preferred Rioch era and team but if they played now v current team in today’s environment I think Evatts team wins. I appreciate they are all 20 years older before it’s pointed out😂)

If you could teleport these back to the 90s and get em on a night out then Bruce’s boys would wipe the floor with them.

[Casino]

I watched 'united' last night

It ends before the final

Dunno who it was but one of the players was on a pipe every match while getting changed

[tomski]

4 minutes ago, Casino said:

I watched 'united' last night

It ends before the final

Dunno who it was but one of the players was on a pipe every match while getting changed

🤮

[Ani]

42 minutes ago, Casino said:

I watched 'united' last night

It ends before the final

Dunno who it was but one of the players was on a pipe every match while getting changed

Watch that video I posted Greaves and Mulhall sat on the bench smoking , sign of the times. 

[Dr. Feelgood]

4 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Joking aside, the pace of today's game is exaggerated.

It really isn't. 

When, back in those days, I stepped up a level the speed was the challenge. Not just of body, but of mind.

I coped after a while until one particular step up was beyond me.

The old days & now would be like that. Some would step up, some wouldn't. But it's the speed that's the difference.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

4 minutes ago, Dr. Feelgood said:

It really isn't. 

When, back in those days, I stepped up a level the speed was the challenge. Not just of body, but of mind.

I coped after a while until one particular step up was beyond me.

The old days & now would be like that. Some would step up, some wouldn't. But it's the speed that's the difference.

With the level of support that is now available to players, I'm quite sure plenty of the "older" players would still achieve a similar level to what they did then. 

Indeed with some of the pitches then, I reckon they had more practice at controlling difficult passes!

All relative.

[Johnnyrotten]

4 hours ago, tomski said:

Agree it’s impossible to compare.

Also needless I think.

I much preferred Rioch era and team but if they played now v current team in today’s environment I think Evatts team wins. I appreciate they are all 20 years older before it’s pointed out😂)

If you could teleport these back to the 90s and get em on a night out then Bruce’s boys would wipe the floor with them.

I don't agree.  Bearing in mind this is a Div 3 team and Rioch's team won promotion to the Prem, for me they were streets ahead.  Goalscorers throughout the team and hard runners like McAteer, Lee, Tomo, Sneekes.  And the finishing of McGinlay, Walker, Mixu, Coyle.  Stubbs at the back, as fit and strong then as Santos is now, with the same ability to ping 30 yards passes, but with either foot. Just not sure which of today's team other than Santos would get in that team.  I do think the "fitness" thing is exaggerated, Lee could run all day and how much fitness did SJM or Walker need to rise like a salmon at the back post and nod it in, or for Sneekes to hammer a shot on target from 25 yards.

[Alf Hartigan]

4 hours ago, tomski said:

Agree it’s impossible to compare.

Also needless I think.

I much preferred Rioch era and team but if they played now v current team in today’s environment I think Evatts team wins. I appreciate they are all 20 years older before it’s pointed out😂)

If you could teleport these back to the 90s and get em on a night out then Bruce’s boys would wipe the floor with them.

Nearer to 30 years ago. This team is nowhere that level, in that if we go up we won't challenge in the higher league, we'll be relegation fodder if we go up. I'm basing that on the league cup game against Middlesbrough.

[tomski]

Just meant purely in fitness. I have no way of proving it so all options and opinions open

[Alf Hartigan]

19 minutes ago, tomski said:

Just meant purely in fitness. I have no way of proving it so all options and opinions open

No, I agree in that respect, just think this current squad/team will struggle to make the jump to next level. 

[tomski]

8 hours ago, Alf Hartigan said:

No, I agree in that respect, just think this current squad/team will struggle to make the jump to next level. 

It’s an interesting one as from all accounts as Ipswich seem to be finding it a bit easier as it’s more gung Ho. Plymouth finding their feet (I suspect we’d be the same) and Sheff Wed are just a car crash.