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Post by warehamgas on Feb 9, 2017 9:50:29 GMT
What a good thread, well done gasandelectricity. My favourites are Bert Tann, Bill Dodgin, John Ward, and DC. What a great job did BT did with few resources but a few old fashioned values and to have taken us within shouting distance of Division 1 in the 50s has to be acknowledged as special. And the way he whistleblower when he found out about Edmond Million and the match fixing, a man of total integrity. Bill D, we always just missed out in the league but what football we saw, He was such a gentleman and old-school but as bluebutterfly said with the wingers it was great football and under him I had my best memories about those cup runs, big nights at Eastville, great days. Also he attracted some good players to us and Eastville at the time probably wasn't the most attractive of places and I always thought he must be a good guy to attract players players to come to us. John Ward was always so friendly. You're pitch up at away grounds and he always gave you the time of day. I know about 2014 but feel genuine sympathy at how his legacy was wrecked by those few months. Strangely I've always though had he stayed for those 8 games we would have stayed up, just. The year before he was a true saviour. I liked what Gerry Francis did but for work, family and other things I more or less missed the Francis era and watched from afar, so whilst I know how good he was I could never have the memories of the others. And DC what a guy. Never afraid of showing his emotions and we all know what Rovers mean to him. He just couldn't have done what MT did. And he took us from rock bottom when we could have done a Stockport or Bradford PA (for those with long memories!) and pulled us around and for all the other reasons others have mentioned. Although the stats are interesting, I guess it's more the emotional stuff and the memories (good ones not bad!) that determined it for me. For those who were there GF must be almost the best but as I wasn't there I don't have those. You need the stats to be good because all managers need wins but sometimes the context is more important. The table is really interesting and I loved Don Megsons team of 73/74 my first promotion but as a guy he was always a bit removed from the fans imo. Not a problem but looking back his teams were usually well set up and more cautious than Dodgins or DCs. The trouble with this kind of thread is you always end up thinking "but I liked him as well." But I'd go for BT, BD, DC and JW but in two years time DC might have moved up! UTG!
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Marshy
Proper Gas
Posts: 14,134
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Post by Marshy on Feb 9, 2017 10:03:13 GMT
I will put 3 in the frame Don meson Gerry Francis Dc And I think due to inexperience against the other 2 doc just edges it Who's Don Meson Midland? I didn't realise we had a French manager?
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Post by Squiffy on Feb 9, 2017 10:10:20 GMT
I will put 3 in the frame Don meson Gerry Francis Dc And I think due to inexperience against the other 2 doc just edges it Who's Don Meson Midland? I didn't realise we had a French manager? Which isn't his actual name but a loose translation from the French of "get it in my son"! 👍
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Post by markczgas on Feb 9, 2017 10:21:23 GMT
Bert Tann Gerry Francis and then Don Megson but DC is on his tail.
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Post by markczgas on Feb 9, 2017 10:27:01 GMT
If I think purely about the footie played then I would choose a different list:
David Williams DC Ollie
Williams and Ollie never got us a promotion - but they were close !
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Post by ipswichrover on Feb 9, 2017 10:29:54 GMT
For me, one of the most surprising statistics from the table attached in the OP is that, in terms of games in charge, Trollope would appear to be the second longest serving manager! (Way, way behind Tann though)
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Post by markczgas on Feb 9, 2017 10:35:30 GMT
For me, one of the most surprising statistics from the table attached in the OP is that, in terms of games in charge, Trollope would appear to be the second longest serving manager! (Way, way behind Tann though) Well -spotted and we are led to believe that years ago managers were given more time at clubs - not at Rovers
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2017 11:29:38 GMT
When DC has won us promotion to the championship and kept us there for more than 9 years then you can say he is a better manager than Bert Tann until then he cannot be considered anywhere near his equal
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Post by pirateman on Feb 9, 2017 11:34:13 GMT
Bert is obviously our best ever manager. However he was working in the era of maximum wages and was able to have a no buy no sell policy. Different times. But you can only compare with what happened at that time. I agree with padstow that you have to look at what happens at the highest level we have been at. A manager who can keep us at that level even if he didn't get us there would have to be considered one of the greats.
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Post by beaver132 on Feb 9, 2017 13:38:47 GMT
Has to be a close call between Gerry Francis and DC for me. . Me too. GF edging it for me because it was in exile, and getting to the championship. But DC is gaining fast.
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Post by Topper Gas on Feb 9, 2017 14:04:58 GMT
Bert is obviously our best ever manager. However he was working in the era of maximum wages and was able to have a no buy no sell policy. Different times. But you can only compare with what happened at that time. I agree with padstow that you have to look at what happens at the highest level we have been at. A manager who can keep us at that level even if he didn't get us there would have to be considered one of the greats. Unless you're in at least in your 60's I doubt many fans on here can even recall Bert Tann let alone say he was our best ever manager? Looking at his stats he only only ever achieved one promotion from Div 3 South, at a time when the likes of the snake would never be able to jump ship, DC or GF would probably have got us to the old Div 1/now the Premiership in that era?
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Post by warehamgas on Feb 9, 2017 14:38:14 GMT
If I think purely about the footie played then I would choose a different list: David Williams DC Ollie Williams and Ollie never got us a promotion - but they were close ! David Williams is a good shout Mark, almost forgot about him! But his teams played very good football at a really difficult time when Eastville was truly a tip. And Ollie, though I don't think he was totally at fault for that collapse in 2000 it still hurts! This shows what good managers we've had pre 2000 and what poor managers post 2000 and what utter garbage between 2011 and 2014! UTG!
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Post by yattongas on Feb 9, 2017 14:41:19 GMT
GF is still number one for me but I think in 3 yrs time ( if he's still here) it will be DC.
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Post by warehamgas on Feb 9, 2017 14:41:32 GMT
When DC has won us promotion to the championship and kept us there for more than 9 years then you can say he is a better manager than Bert Tann until then he cannot be considered anywhere near his equal I know what you're saying and I think BT is our best but it is different times and I suspect that will never happen, staying 9 years that is! Mind you Bert Tann had a second career he could fall back on. My grandad said he was a good chiropodist UTG!
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Post by bs9trymer on Feb 9, 2017 15:04:19 GMT
If I think purely about the footie played then I would choose a different list: David Williams DC Ollie Williams and Ollie never got us a promotion - but they were close ! For football I agree with David Williams,but again Bill Dodgin and Bobby Campell played attacking football.
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Post by warehamgas on Feb 9, 2017 15:05:22 GMT
Bert is obviously our best ever manager. However he was working in the era of maximum wages and was able to have a no buy no sell policy. Different times. But you can only compare with what happened at that time. I agree with padstow that you have to look at what happens at the highest level we have been at. A manager who can keep us at that level even if he didn't get us there would have to be considered one of the greats. Unless you're in at least in your 60's I doubt many fans on here can even recall Bert Tann let alone say he was our best ever manager? Looking at his stats he only only ever achieved one promotion from Div 3 South, at a time when the likes of the snake would never be able to jump ship, DC or GF would probably have got us to the old Div 1/now the Premiership in that era? Blimey! Yes Bert Tann only achieved one promotion but that was at a time when only the team finishing top went up! If you were second in Div 3N or Div 3S tough and there were no play offs down to 7th position. To get promotion you had to finish first! If you're going to look at stats and play down Bert Tann's achievement be aware of the context all clubs then played in regarding promotion. By that argument DC would have no promotions on his CV!! And the last point, it reads as if you may think that DC/GF would have got us to the Div 1/PL although your punctuation (?) at the end may mean it is a question. I certainly don't think they would have got us to the Div1/PL, they might have, but I would never say "would" but I don't think you can criticise BT by implication for that. Context and the times managers manage in can be very different! UTG!
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Post by bs9trymer on Feb 9, 2017 15:08:21 GMT
Bert is obviously our best ever manager. However he was working in the era of maximum wages and was able to have a no buy no sell policy. Different times. But you can only compare with what happened at that time. I agree with padstow that you have to look at what happens at the highest level we have been at. A manager who can keep us at that level even if he didn't get us there would have to be considered one of the greats. Unless you're in at least in your 60's I doubt many fans on here can even recall Bert Tann let alone say he was our best ever manager? Looking at his stats he only only ever achieved one promotion from Div 3 South, at a time when the likes of the snake would never be able to jump ship, DC or GF would probably have got us to the old Div 1/now the Premiership in that era? Not true for a start I am not in my 60s and Bert Tann was manager for the first 2 seasons that I went to Eastville. All about opinions but I dont think that anyone would have got Rovers in the old 1st division then,it was hard enough staying in the 2nd division.
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Post by 2nd May 1990 on Feb 9, 2017 15:10:45 GMT
True. And that team of the '50s with Bradford, Biggs, Petherbridge, Pitt, Bamford et al was unquestionably our best ever side.
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Post by pirate49 on Feb 9, 2017 16:49:56 GMT
Still Bert Tann for me, with DC catching up fast. Also wish David Williams had stuck around longer.
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Post by warehamgas on Feb 9, 2017 16:56:47 GMT
Agree pirate. Not sure he liked the number 1 position. Seemed to prefer the coaching side but as others have said we played very good football under him and it would have been interesting to see how far he could have taken us. Quite a way I suspect! UTG!
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