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My Rovers Day Ruined by Bob Hatton

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After his idea on our worst ever Rovers away day’s boddingtonblue shares a more in-depth account of one of his occasions… a thrashing we took from Blackpool when Bob Hatton scored all five.

He looked like a cross between Mario Kempes and Cat Stevens as was. A Mexican gun slinger who had joined the Tangerines in the autumn of his career, the sort of striker we would no doubt have been linked with now if had been Eastern European and crap!

He had played in the shadow of a more high profile strike partner at Birmingham City who went on to score thirty league goals for Everton, the first one to do it since Dixie Dean. Bob Latchford went to Everton, Bob Hatton went to Bloomfield Road and Hatton was about to spoil my afternoon big time!

We had been going along reasonably well if memory serves me right, as ever on the fringes of the promotion group. Blackpool however were going well on a decent run and heading up the table.

I cannot remember details of all the goals he scored that afternoon, I am writing this from memory having not referred to the internet at all, but I am sure that there was a header, a right foot shot, a left foot shot, a tap in, by this time I had my eyes closed every time the ball went in his direction. I think he scored 5 goals in all, a record at the time for Blackpool. He also broke another barrier for league goals scored, the details of which escape me now.

After a fantastic run Blackpool went on an equally disastrous run which saw them relegated at the end of that season. Mediocrity again being our achievement at the end of the season.

Unlike many modern day Blackburn bogeymen I have no memory of seeing the gunfighter after that, which is unusual as if they score against you once, they do it a dozen times examples being Robbie Keane, Andy Cole, Ian Rush, Teddy Sheringham etc.

One example of a day when it all went wrong! They stay in my mind as much as the good days. It helps to keep a sense of proportion, viva el bandido.

This article was written by boddingtonblue.

Hopefully more of you will share a more in-depth account of your Rovers memories by sending your stories through via the article suggestion link click here or by e-mailing me at this address editor@blackburn.vitalfootball.co.uk

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Formerly Hughes Da Man (HDM)

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