Chris Swailes

[BillyStubbsTears]

Classic Jim Parker moment.

Around 1990. We're losing by one goal in the second half. Rufus had already been booked. He's around the halfway line near the touch line when someone pings a ball out to him. 3 foot over his head so it's going out for a throw. To save the ball going into the crowd, Rufus instinctively jumps and catches the ball, puts it down on the touch line for the throw and runs back to position.

Parker rushes over brandishing a second yellow and a red.

As you say TRB, Kettle's dad. Application of the letter of the law with no common sense.

[Chris Black come back]

That Huddersfield cup game converted me form a Main Stand kid to a Popsider. The sight of the old Viva Rovers banner surfing over the crowd and noise created even though we got hammered was brilliant. I swapped my season ticket and from that day on I was bang in the middle of the Pop.

All repenting sinners were welcome on the Pop, Mike. Think most of them came over for our superior toilet facilities.

[keyser_soze]

I was always a fan of Stevie Harper too, although he took a lot of stick. Can't remember Perry Suckling getting much of a run in goal, and Gary O'Connor was a liability.

That Scunthorpe match though. Wayne Bullimore clearance, hits the ref in the arse, Norbury stood on his own in the penalty box lobs it over the keeper in front of the Rovers fans for his hat trick. Don't think I saw him score another goal apart from those three!

[keyser_soze]

Steve Harper ran like he had suitcases under each arm. Thought he was quite effective though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYm-ZxEeIAE
Beautifully illustrated here..

[Mike_F]

Harper could run but nine times out of ten his crossing was on a par with Evina's. He was a danger to low flying aircraft!

[Mike_F]

I've just remembered a shot he had against Barnet too. We were drawing 1-1 and he was clean through in the last minute. He nearly took a chimney pot off a house on St. Anne's Road.

[Chris Black come back]

When he got signed someone at school sourced a photo from when he was at Burnley. Massive moustache and bubble perm. We all thought what the f**k have we signed here?

[Sammy Chung was King]

I always liked Harper, tricky winger a bit of pace, it was very hard to pick a poor player in that side. Maybe he was the 'Resident Scapegoat' at the time, we always have one in our crowd!.
I remember that Huddersfield game, walked from town with my brother, i thought we would win it not realising that Huddersfield had a couple of real top notch players.
 I remember being near the railway station after the game, and some of our fans, they seemed mostly older blokes trying to get at the Huddersfield lot, and just as they were about to have a scuffle, the cops came round the corner and moved them on all on!.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Must admit, I'd forgotten how good that 94/95 team was for a while. Up to Xmas, we looked shoo-ins for the play-offs. Then, as often happens with us, it all fell apart in the New Year...

00:15 onwards here is the only footage I've found from that season. The only goal of the legendary Gunnar Torfason.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLmY4cb2ri8

[The Red Baron]

Some top "goalkeeping" there from Perry Suckling.

Later that season I saw Perry doing his usual flapping routine and letting a corner go in direct. The scorer? A certain D. Beckham, then on loan at Preston.

[Mike_F]

I thought Suckling was poor when he first signed for us. I even remember a well known lad who shares his name with a brand of tea celebrating when he got injured and had to be substituted. Later through when Williams was injured and he got a decent run in the team, Suckling put in some great performances and I was very disappointed to see him go (to play/coach in S. Africa IIRC).

[The Red Baron]

Joe Typhoo? 

[NickDRFC]

TRB - I remember that Beckham goal, I believe it was in front of the Rosso end whilst I was down in the Town End.

Suckling was never as good as Deano. I may be romanticising here, especially as I was very young at the time, but the anticipation when the opposition got a penalty was similar to when we got one. DEAAAAAAAAAAANOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Chris Black come back]

Must admit, I'd forgotten how good that 94/95 team was for a while. Up to Xmas, we looked shoo-ins for the play-offs. Then, as often happens with us, it all fell apart in the New Year...

00:15 onwards here is the only footage I've found from that season. The only goal of the legendary Gunnar Torfason.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLmY4cb2ri8

Brabin got sent off away at Walsall over Christmas for sumo incident and we sold Jamie Lawrence not long after. Team then stumbled and I think people had started to figure out Sammy's tactics. Still picked up enough that season to then hammer Scunny though.

[Chris Black come back]

Some top "goalkeeping" there from Perry Suckling.

Later that season I saw Perry doing his usual flapping routine and letting a corner go in direct. The scorer? A certain D. Beckham, then on loan at Preston.

Wasn't the Beckham goal in the following season? 95/96?

[The Red Baron]

The Beckham goal was at Preston in about March 1995. We drew 2-2.

[idler]

That's right RB. We were a bit disappointed to only get a point that day.
I remember Grahame Jones scoring and running back puffing on an imaginary cigar. Great days.