Noel Brotherston

[MCMC1875]

The king would have been 62 today.

 

[ABBEY]

noel noel noel he is the king of eeewoooood park

 

[khmerblue]

 

[khmerblue]

00ps

 

[Drog]

No studs. Must have been freezing weather.

 

[khmerblue]

utd fa cup mate

 

[Drog]

I thought so. (Is that Duxbury?) Strachan scored and they won if I rem correctly. We did enough to get at least a draw that night but I rem the press and media were relived that the 'natural order' of things was maintained and Man Utd progressed to the next round.
btw Was talking to Noel and a few of the players in the Clog and Billy after that match.

This is a nice perspective on it all...... https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...rovers-manchester-united-fa-cup-mick-rathbone

 

[Drog]

38's nowt is it? Signed from Spurs and coming north he must have left his barnett in Barnett!

Lovely fella with a really friendly family. I seem to recall that his Dad and brothers came over from NI regularly to see him play for the rovers.
btw Very similar thing happened to ex rover Mick Heaton around that time. I seem to recall that he had a heart attack at the wheel.

 

[Smells Like Kean Spirit]

Off the pitch, Noel was the type of player you'd see walking round town, despite probably being the most nationally recognisable Rover of the period, mainly due to his great performances for Northern Ireland against the home nations, but also standing out on some of our rare MOTD features.
On the pitch, he could be either infuriating or inspirational; sometimes both at the same time!

It was always great being able to sing "he is the King of E-e-ewood Park" around Boxing Day, especially when there was a blizzard, and we were beating Preston (I think).
One of the nice guys, gone at 38. Life can be tragically unfair, but we'll cherish the memories Noel!

Thanks for the reminder MCMC1875!

 

[khmerblue]

dead at 38 jeez as my mate says only the good die young,thats me living to 100

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

Taken at the Craven Heifer sports day in I think 1978

I were a big bugger even then at the age of fourteen.

 

[Drog]

14???? Kin ell.... I was tiny at that age. You weren't an asylum seeker lying about your age were you? How about an U13 football player for St Mary's / Preston Catholic College?

 

[Alan]

14???? Kin ell.... I was tiny at that age. You weren't an asylum seeker lying about your age were you? How about an U13 football player for St Mary's / Preston Catholic College?

Are you accusing us St Mary's College boys of cheating?

 

[OnlyOneTugay]

View attachment 904

Heck! A bit like Drog I was only about 8 stone wet through at 14 ! I’m glad we played the likes of Darwen Grammar, QEGS and SMC and not those ruffian comprehensives that were becoming the rage in those days !

What a folly getting rid of all those great Grammar schools turned out to be

Great pic ODB

 

[Drog]

Indeed it was folly OOT. On any number of fronts. A ridiculous decision by the government. Only matched in stupidity by New labours 'every kid to go to university' doctrine. Anyone who thinks that Bliar stunt was anything other than another stealth tax feeding unashamedly off parental love should have gone to a Grammar school!
Still it's no good moaning about either is it if the Tories aren't prepared to do anything about it now they are in the driving seat. Similar in concept to Labour's abject failure to re-nationalise industries despite all their empty promises in the Thatcher years.

 

[Old Darwen Blue]

14???? Kin ell.... I was tiny at that age. You weren't an asylum seeker lying about your age were you? How about an U13 football player for St Mary's / Preston Catholic College?

Lol no, Darren born and bred.
At Darwen Moorland High School we tried to convince the PE department to put together a rugby team but they refused as they correctly surmised that we just wanted to fight the posh schools!