Is Copps the best player ever for Rovers?

[Norfolk N Chance]

To some people this may seem crazy but I honestly say YES!

This is the best hat trick ever I have watched including TV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mPRZis9zDU&feature=related!\"

This season he is performing week in week out ..... breathtaking!!!

So discuss.... simple as!

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Ouch ! Cutting in to the fading memory of king Alec however, it's without doubt the boy is blessed with magic feet.

Looking back at Kitchen, Miller, Laidlaw, Warboys, Snodins, Pugh, Lister, Russell, Moore, Redfearn, Douglas, Bremner ! Nicol, Atkins, there is no equal !

Thank fook he's a humble lad and he lacked that killer instict, otherwise he would not look out of place last against France the other night.

Give me a break, right back Jagielka or Dumbuya ?

Centre mid. Oster (I know he's not English) or Barry ?

Milner or Coppinger ?

Pass and move. England or Rovers ?

[RoversDave]

Alick is still number 1 for me, playing in the second tier at 16. Football League top scorer in 1964/65 with 36 goals. But Copps is definately great to watch, and we are getting more of the end product from him this season.

[Al4475]

Not quite - but he is rather special! If he'd been as consistent throughout his time with us as he has these last 18 months - then quite probably! Although having said that, as I've said (and others too) if he'd had that level of consistency with us all the time - we wouldn't be enjoying his scintillating form right now - someone would've paid decent money to take him off of us!

If we get promoted and he's still with us and entertaining in the way he is now - then the answer will probably be, \"Yes!\" It's a pity we didn't sign him for our first season back in the League - cos obviously then if we get promoted he'd be the only player to play for us in all four divisions (unless of course Mr. Green comes back should we ever get there!)

[Barmby Rover]

The quality that Alick Jeffrey showed at a much earlier stage in a career surely makes him better, but Copps always has had special talent, and he is finally showing the best of it now with Rovers. We are priveliged to see someone like him.

[hoolahoop]

Again it's so difficult to compare the relative merits of any player as you have to factor in a) the era that they played in. b) the level they played at. c) the players who played alongside them. d) the length of their careers. e) the contribution they have made to the success of the team they played in........amongst many other criteria.
Having said that Copps is a very fine player and has now the confidence, ability and now most importantly the 'end product' to put him alongside our greats of the past i.e. Jeffrey, Bycroft, Sheffield et al.
Long may he continue in his current vein of form to compete seriously with at least the 3 fantastic players named above. All a matter of opinion I know but he is getting closer to our historical 'greats' game by game and season by season.Barring any unforeseen injuries he will be alongside them very soon.

[GM-MarkB]

That's a tough question to answer as my earliest memories of watching Rovers revolve around Kitch. He is my benchmark and so in that repsect i'd have to say Copps is right up there with him.

[hoolahoop]

GM-MarkB wrote:

That's a tough question to answer as my earliest memories of watching Rovers revolve around Kitch. He is my benchmark and so in that repsect i'd have to say Copps is right up there with him.

I have to agree with you , he was a very good player alongside Big Bren.

[Norfolk N Chance]

In my life time 80's -  current day - he is certainly the best!

Some players achieved alot more Snodin / Deane but not with us!

[RoversAlias]

Well we can only go on what we've seen ourselves, Alick Jeffrey is revered as the greatest player of all time in the Rovers colours but I never saw him play. Copps for me is the most skillful player I've witnessed in a Rovers shirt, and I think he's right up there for our 'best players' of the last decade odd alongside McIndoe, Stock & Wellens.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

My fondest memory of Kitch was in the 6-3 home win against Workington. I was stood behind the goal on the town end.

The ball somehow reached Kitchen's feet on the penalty spot, their keeper advanced off his line to come and smother Kitch's shot. Kitch whilst shaping to shoot did a drag back, dummied the keeper and placed the ball in to the opposite corner of the gaping net.

The keeper's ears grew in to donkey like proportions !!

Now, we know Copps is capable of doing that sort of thing. Would just love to see him do it.

[billywhitehurst]

Is Copps the best player ever for Rovers?

Easy... YES!

I'd pay to watch him train.  Copps for England

If he played for a \"fashionable\" championship \"big\" club, he'd be worth 5 mill!  As it is he's our's for another 3 years and even if he did nothing for the next 3 years, he's done enough to be the ultimate rovers LEGEND!

[Al4475]

I wrote:
(unless of course Mr. Green comes back should we ever get there!)

OOOPPPSSS! Mr. Green hasn't played for us in this league has he! D'OH!    

[Theresonly1barrowrover]

No disrespect to Cops but as a complete footballer, not a patch on Alick Jeffrey.

[snods big brother]

Could not say whether he is the best player to play for the Rovers - it is difficult to judge people from different era's against each other - but he would be up there in the top 10 of all time greats.

[Big lad up front]

For anyone lucky and old enough to see the great man there really is no arguement.Alick was the king and always will be.

For those to young im afraid its your loss.

Its a graet shame no footage of Alick is around,but for the younger ones  never underestimate what people say about him,he really was that good.........................

[Colin C No.3]

Norfolk N Chance wrote:

To some people this may seem crazy but I honestly say YES!

This is the best hat trick ever I have watched including TV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mPRZis9zDU&feature=related!\"

This season he is performing week in week out ..... breathtaking!!!

So discuss.... simple as!

If you're 14 years old, probably. I'm 55 & he most definitely isn't....................but I like him.

[northbayviking]

Copps is a great player. best controller of a ball I've ever seen and tricky a true legend in his own (playing) lifetime, but King Alick had much more in his locker. If anything Copps is on par with Glynn Snodin.another legend.

[Colin C No.3]

northbayviking wrote:

Copps is a great player. best controller of a ball I've ever seen and tricky a true legend in his own (playing) lifetime, but King Alick had much more in his locker. If anything Copps is on par with Glynn Snodin.another legend.

Did you ever see Alan Brown play for the Rovers?

Now there was a 'cute' striker with a wonderful first touch & an eye for a goal.

Sadly his career was cut short with I believe was a ruptured achilles. His son Colin, formerly a Rovers loanee while at Sunderland, now at Preston, carries on the footballing family tradition.

Hope all well with Alan. He & Ray Dean made a great front pairing for too short a time.

[northbayviking]

Yes I saw Alan Brown, great classy player, he broke his leg in front of me by the touch line popside trying to save a throw in against Lincoln I think - how many games did he actually play for us?

[Theresonly1barrowrover]

Big lad up front wrote:

For anyone lucky and old enough to see the great man there really is no arguement.Alick was the king and always will be.

For those to young im afraid its your loss.

Its a graet shame no footage of Alick is around,but for the younger ones  never underestimate what people say about him,he really was that good.........................

For those of you too young to have seen the great man, here is a laymans breakdown of his skills
l) Could dribble the opposition dizzy
2) A shot like a thunderbolt
3) Bullet like header
4) Ice cool from the pen spot
5) Could land a ball on a sixpence(2 1/2 p in new money)from one touchline to the other

Being able to have watched him is one of the few advantages of being old.

[BobG]

I'm old enough to remember Alick the second time around. He was the best Rovers player I've ever seen. There's simply no question about that. I love Ian Snodin, I love Michael McIndoe, Kitch and Bren, Stevie Lister. But none of them had what Alick had. It's not for nothing that an ex england full back said on Radio 5 18 months ago that the only player he could think of who was on a par with Rooney was Al1ck Jeffrey. I once saw Alick do something that has me puzzled to this day. I still think about it even though it must be well over 30 years ago now it happened. I still have no idea how he did it. Al1ck was running down the wing on the Main Stand side heading towards the Town End. A defender was approaching him from in front. Another defender was coming in at an angle from behind on the inside. Both defenders were going to get him. Al1ck wasn't so fast in his later days. The only Rovers player anywhere in sight was inside and behind Al1ck, behind the defender on that side. So Al1ck keeps on pelting along, full steam ahead. But the ball? The sodding ball sudeenly popped 8 feet in the air, travelling sideways and backwards to land at the feet of the Rovers player behind the converging defender. How the chuff does anyone running flat out forwards make a ball go up in the air travelling sideways and backwards? It's a physical impossibility. But Al1ck did it. I saw him do it. I still don't believe he did it. But he did.

The bloke was a downright genius. Manchester Utd were buying him to join the Busby Babes. They're not buying Copps are they? There's no comparison at all between them.

BobG

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Plus when you think about the standard of pitches and the balls they played with.

To be fair though, for an airy fairy winger, Copps is showing the potential we all hoped he would. I think we can say he has class.

[irishcontingent]

Colin C No.3 wrote:

northbayviking wrote:

Copps is a great player. best controller of a ball I've ever seen and tricky a true legend in his own (playing) lifetime, but King Alick had much more in his locker. If anything Copps is on par with Glynn Snodin.another legend.

 His son Colin, formerly a Rovers loanee while at Sunderland, now at Preston, carries on the footballing family tradition.

.

Think you will find its CHRIS Brown .

In my humble opinion Copps falls short of AJ, LS, CG, AB, BU, TC, IS, GS, PK, ME, But he is still bloody good.