Legend - The Life of Roy 'Chopper' Hartle  - written by my mate John Gradwell - lifelong BWFC fan is available now!!

 

 

 

 

Legend - The Life of Roy 'Chopper' Hartle  - written by my mate John Gradwell - lifelong BWFC fan is available now!!

 

 

That Number 11 should be sat on Burnden's shale surround rubbing his gravel rash though.   

 

Cheers Mr Hartle. Great memories.

I think the "Chopper" nickname detracts from what a good player he actually was.

 

Chopper always has the dirty, cynical connotation, but he was a belting player by all accounts.

Harry Webster used to speak very very highly of him.

"Cover illustration by Walt Howarth. who wittily captures Roy's distinctive playing style"

 

He used to carry a bloody axe with him on the pitch?!

I heard that Tommy Smith rated Roy as one of his toughest opponents and that's respect from one of the toughest ex pros there is. When I met Hartle I was surprised at how well spoken and what a gent he was I expected a tough rough personality and he was exactly the opposite. Bolton Legend.

I think the "Chopper" nickname detracts from what a good player he actually was.

 

Chopper always has the dirty, cynical connotation, but he was a belting player by all accounts.

Harry Webster used to speak very very highly of him.

 

People go on about how the long ball game is lacking skill, but Roy could drop a 60 yard ball on a sixpence.

 

Legend - The Life of Roy 'Chopper' Hartle  - written by my mate John Gradwell - lifelong BWFC fan is available now!!

 

 Cheers pal - steamed straight in.

 

One of my earliest heroes in a back four which included John Hulme in front of the brilliant Eddie Hopky.

Tony Kelly was on radio 2 peddling his wares to Simon mayo.

I met a bloke who'd played for arsenal years ago. I told him I supported Bolton. Straight away he said burnden was a hard ground to play at. He described it as being surrounded by a Moat that the full backs would happily spend half the match kicking you into. Said you couldn't get annoyed though because just as you were pulling yourself together checking no bones were broken the same bloke who'd assaulted you would pick you up and say how terribly sorry he was, he must have mistimed the challenge and wished you all the best

He played bowls with my old man

Should be a good read, will probably get my old man a copy of this for christmas.

Jimmy Greaves on playing against Bolton's defence: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/we-will-never-see-another-lionheart-like-1695044

 

"Bolton Wanderers were just horrible. Defenders like Big Derek Hennin and Bloody Massive John Higgins were the most physically and verbally intimidating I ever went up against. Remarkably, I went there once with Chelsea and won – and as we walked off the pitch I distinctly remember Big Derek telling Bloody Massive John “how the hell did we manage to get beaten by this bunch of ****ing pansies?” You just could not wait to get in the dressing room, lock the door, then get on the coach to Manchester and the train back to London."

Sample chapter is now on John's web site

Sample chapter is now on John's web site

 

"The Reserve team’s trainer was an even more illustrious part of the Burnden story – he’d even lived at the ground! Harry Nuttall’s dad Jack had been trainer and groundsman whose home was a cottage stuck on the corner of the railway embankment terrace"

 

That's one for Mounts Kipper.

"Cover illustration by Walt Howarth. who wittily captures Roy's distinctive playing style"

 

He used to carry a bloody axe with him on the pitch?!

My Grandpa! Bloody wonderful, internationally known artist. Knew Roy and Nat personally, so they'll all be up there now having a pint! Great book.