Comparisons

[charledrfc]

Recently I was chastised for saying I was distraught over
recent Rovers' results by Glen Wilson.  He suggested I compare
the present with the Richardson days and then rejoice. If
comparisons really are valid, here are a few
1. Compare Harry Gregg with our present custodian... and weep
2. Compare 38000 in Bellevue with a half filled Keepmoat
3. Compare the year 1946/47and the years 1950/58 with our
   present offerings... and weep again
4. Compare the excitement of Jeffrey, Jordan, Doherty, Todd
   and others with the present lack luster
5  Compare hundreds of hats flung in the air v Manchester City
   amidst jubilant noise against sterile apathy.
Where you are going is more important than where you have been. We shall see
It has been said though that where you have been is of less
importance than where you are going.  We shall see

[The Red Baron]

I think I take as much pride in the history of our great club as anyone else, but I don't see how you can make valid comparisons between the 1950s and the present day. Football was played much differently then, and was the dominant entertainment form (at least for men) in a much smaller leisure market. I never saw Harry Gregg play, but from what I've read of him he'd be sent off every week nowadays for flattening the opposing centre-forward (who were also given licence to charge into goalkeepers, of course!)

[graingrover]

it was Nat Lofthouse who flattened Harry in the MAN U v Bolton final ... a few weeks after the Munich air disaster . Gregg was brave both after the crash , returning to the burning wreck to help survivors ; as he was at the flailing feet of Centre forwards.

[drfcsteve]

Recently I was chastised for saying I was distraught over
recent Rovers' results by Glen Wilson.  He suggested I compare
the present with the Richardson days and then rejoice. If
comparisons really are valid, here are a few
1. Compare Harry Gregg with our present custodian... and weep
2. Compare 38000 in Bellevue with a half filled Keepmoat
3. Compare the year 1946/47and the years 1950/58 with our
   present offerings... and weep again
4. Compare the excitement of Jeffrey, Jordan, Doherty, Todd
   and others with the present lack luster
5  Compare hundreds of hats flung in the air v Manchester City
   amidst jubilant noise against sterile apathy.
Where you are going is more important than where you have been. We shall see
It has been said though that where you have been is of less
importance than where you are going.  We shall see

He asked you to compare with the Richardson era, why are you going on about the 50's???

[dijit8]

Both comparasions can be classed as pointless as it is even possible to pick good times from the Richardson era.

When he took over we were in serious financial trouble and his money helped us at a time when we needed it.

Breaking the transfer record a few times in buying Russ Willcox and Darren Moore

Winning at Scunny 5-0

Pushing for play-offs when Sammy Chung was manager.

However this can never excuse what he went on to do to us, i suppose Glenn's point is to remember how close we came to going to the wall and we should be thankful that we still exist never mind be in the Championship

[vaya]

.....1. Compare Harry Gregg with Weaver’s fat mate... and weep

2. Compare 800 in Bellevue with a half filled Keepmoat

3. Compare the year 1946/47and the years 1950/58 with 97/98... and weep again
4. Compare the excitement of Jeffrey, Jordan, Doherty, Todd and others with Guy Ipoua, Michele de Piedi and Nic Priet.

5 Compare hundreds of hats flung in the air v Manchester City amidst jubilant noise against jubilant noise against Southend.

Football like most things evolves over time.

Perhaps people automatically look back to when they first started going to games, when the whole thing first made an impression. You can cherry pick comparisons from points over the last 60 years and it can look good or bad to suit.

Some elements of the modern game people will recoil from, some they won’t, but things move on.

[VivaRovers]

Err... I remember neither this chastising, nor suggesting \"compare
the present with the Richardson days and then rejoice\".

I would not 'chastise' anyone for saying they were distraught over recent results. Recent results have been poor, and understandably would make Rovers fans disappointed.


NB. Having had a rummage Charles, what you actually said was \"Nobody and I repeat NOBODY has supported the Rovers longer than me. And never have I been so depressed,\" which I did take issue with, because I cannot see how it is possible to be more depressed about being at the foot of the second tier than it was to be on the verge of collapse at the whim of Uncle Ken.

[benaldo]

I think I take as much pride in the history of our great club as anyone else, but I don't see how you can make valid comparisons between the 1950s and the present day. Football was played much differently then, and was the dominant entertainment form (at least for men) in a much smaller leisure market. I never saw Harry Gregg play, but from what I've read of him he'd be sent off every week nowadays for flattening the opposing centre-forward (who were also given licence to charge into goalkeepers, of course!)

I think you CAN compare the two Rovers eras. The players are not the same, but the Town is still there and the population has increased. Leeds utd, the sheff clubs, man u, chelsea, were all still around back then too. SO why are the attendances so low compared to back then.

Is it TV? Apathy for modern football because people perceive it to be the preserve of the mentally challenged, cheats, divers, men who fall over when lightly brushed against, pretend headbutts, etc etc? Or, as I suspect, is it the stupidly high price charged for just watching some men kick a ball around on a grass lawn? We've got the players themselves and the greedy sharks who accompany them to thank for the demise of their own employment. Ironic really.

[charledrfc]

I also maintain that comparisons between now and the 1950s are valid.
It has been pointed out that things and times change. That is certainly
very true.  Change is a constant in our lives and evolution continually
evolves, and football is not immune to these variations. I think that
we assess each time scale by the personal satisfaction we get from it.
I have made my choice.

Of course things are different but the players of the 50s operated far
more successfully in their environment than our present squad do in theirs.
No hard feelings Glen just clarifying my opinions.

[graingrover]

it's a different ... very different situation . I went to watch Rovers with 25,000 others at Belle Vue when we had no tele at home ... very few had ,so going to Belle Vue was our only football fix for the week!

[The Red Baron]

Back in the 1950s people didn't travel distances to watch other teams, for a variety of reasons. Cost, availability of transport (fewer people had cars) and the fact that many still worked on Saturday morning and didn't have the time to travel to other towns to watch games. There were very few away supporters- except at local derbies or big FA Cup ties. The phenomenon of Doncaster people going to watch Leeds United or the Sheffield sides only really began in the late 60s and 70s.

Price is undoubtedly a factor in attendances, as is the fact that people can watch a high quality of football on TV several times each weekend (let alone almost every week-night). However, compare our current attendances with those between about 1970 and 2003, and we still come out very favourably.

And on a more personal point, if you think our players are over-paid prima donnas, why do you continue to contribute to their (and their agents') incomes?

[andyst79]

When I used to watch rovers in the conference I think it was no more than £8 at Bellevue. I'm on the same money now as I was then but now it's £27!

[The Red Baron]

I also maintain that comparisons between now and the 1950s are valid.
It has been pointed out that things and times change. That is certainly
very true.  Change is a constant in our lives and evolution continually
evolves, and football is not immune to these variations. I think that
we assess each time scale by the personal satisfaction we get from it.
I have made my choice.

Of course things are different but the players of the 50s operated far
more successfully in their environment than our present squad do in theirs.
No hard feelings Glen just clarifying my opinions.

To be honest, I probably enjoyed watching Rovers in the mid-70s (the Stan Anderson, Peter Kitchen, Ian Miller era) more than I've enjoyed them at any other time- even though history tells me that they were a fairly mediocre side in the old Fourth Div. But that is probably more about my perceptions of football and the age I was then.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

In the 50s an early 60s many factors were so different. Attendances - fluctuated massively from match to match. A game of football then was so much more of an 'event' or day out with trains criss-crossing the country with folk making their way en masse to different games.

If Donny v A N Other happened to be the biggest game in South Yorkshire/N Lincs etc on any given Saturday, then folk would travel to see it. Many people used to watch/support different teams and this tribal 'one man one club thing' wasn't as big a deal as it is now.

Even in the late 60s and early 70s, when I was a lad I'd be carted off to see Leeds one week, Rovers the next, Sheff Utd another etc., depending what was seen as the most attractive fixture. I cost virtually bugger all to get in and to get a train or a bus.

People harp on about the record attendance at BV vs Hull City thinking Donny folk turned out in 10s of thousands. In reality a large percentage of that attendance were folk from Hull, Scunny, Barnsley, Sheffield etc, who just came along to watch the prospect of a cracking game.  

Totally different gravy then. These last 10 years in my memory have been the most stable ever for DRFC and that has to be down to JR.

[graingrover]

true memories embellish but for those who can go back this far try to imagine a floodlight match at Belle Vue and
           
                        Gregg
              Makepeace,          Graham
         
         Patterson  Teasedale   Brown.  
 
    Mooney  Tindill  Mc Morran Jeffrey G Walker

       _________________________________________

                    Sharp Hayter      
           Oster  Stock Gillet Coppinger

            Spurr   Friend   Martis O'Connor
                         Sully

[DonnyBazR0ver]

This might sound a bit odd, but I remember the smells !! Perhaps a heady combination of Bovril and Woodbine fumes got me high !!

[DonnyRTID]

When I used to watch rovers in the conference I think it was no more than £8 at Bellevue. I'm on the same money now as I was then but now it's £27!

I'd be looking for a new job if i was you.

[VivaRovers]

Of course things are different but the players of the 50s operated far more successfully in their environment than our present squad do in theirs.

No hard feelings Glen just clarifying my opinions.

No worries Charles, just didn't want to be seen as some great villain of free speach.

[Draytonian III]

£8 at Belle Vue and £27 at the Keepmoat, and your still on the same money,you must love your job

[bobjimwilly]

This might sound a bit odd, but I remember the smells !! Perhaps a heady combination of Bovril and Woodbine fumes got me high !!

The only smells I remember are of piss (when all the mens toilet was, was a wall!), fags and pies.