IN the first of a new series in the Lancashire Telegraph former Rovers ace BRYAN DOUGLAS picks his five-a-side team from his time at Ewood Park

FRED ELSE

THE goalkeeper made more than 600 professional appearances for three clubs, including 221 for Blackburn Rovers.

Born in Golborne near Wigan, in March 1933, it was while playing for an amateur club in the Derwent Valley League on national service in the north east that he was brought to the attention of Preston. He signed for North End as a junior in 1951, turned professional in 1953 and made his debut against Manchester City in 1954.

He went on to make a further 237 appearances for Preston after replacing George Thompson as first choice keeper.

Else helped the club finish Division One runners up in 1957-58, but was sold to Rovers for £20,000 after relegation in 1961.

At Ewood, he immediately became the first choice keeper until a collarbone injury in 1964-65 resulted in a spell out of the game. He returned between the posts, but signed for Barrow in the summer of 1966.

ANDY McEVOY

CAME into the game as an unremarkable defender but made his name and reputation after his conversion to a striker who rivalled Jimmy Greaves for quality and quantity of goals.

A total of 103 goal were scored in 213 games for Rovers, and six in 17 appearances for the Republic of Ireland.

Most were scored from inside the area, although one exception sticks out - when he completed a jinking run which outfoxed Bobby Moore to complete a hat-trick against West Ham in February 1966.

McEvoy was twice the First Division’s second joint leading goalscorer, with 32 in 1963-64, and with 29 in 1964-65, when he was level pegging with Greaves.

After one season in Division Two following relegation in 1966, the Dubliner moved to Limerick FC.

ROY VERNON

A DEBUT for Rovers at 18 and a full Wales international before the age of 20, there was always an air of confidence surrounding this forward, who became one of the most lethal marksmen of the post-war era.

An integral part of the Rovers side that won promotion to the First Division in 1957-58, scoring 15 goals in 44 games, he took to the top flight consummately, netting 17 goals the following term to help the side to a 10th placed finish.

Vernon had rejected Everton and Manchester United to sign for Rovers - although he later went on to join Everton.

At the height of his career in the mid-60s, when asked to name the outstanding goalscorers in the land he replied: ‘There’s Denis Law, there’s Jimmy Greaves and then there’s me.’

FRED PICKERING

BLACKBURN-born, Pickering began a career that was spent largely in the north west with his hometown club.

He started out as a fullback, but his attacking ability was soon recognised.

With 74 goals in 158 Rovers appearances, he will always hold a special place in the hearts of the Ewood Park faithful.

Blessed with a powerful right foot, Everton smashed the British domestic transfer record when they paid Rovers £85,000 for him in 1964.

Pickering went on to play for England, but injury prevented him from having a more glittering international career. He missed out on the 1966 World Cup.

RONNIE CLAYTON

LAST but not least, the right-half was effectively right hand man to outside-right Douglas.

Clayton had the task of supporting and supplying Douglas, and in the 1957-58 season they both played a crucial part in Rovers’ promotion to the First Division as Second Division runners up.

Efficient and reliable in midfield, he was a firm tackler, an accomplished positional player, and used the ball with purpose over panache.

Ewood Fans’ favourite Clayton established a club record 665 appearances for Rovers, and won 35 England caps, captaining the Three Lions on his last five appearances.

BRYAN Douglas explains how he chose his team.

“The goalkeepers I played with were all pretty good, but Fred Else was exceptional in my opinion. Not only that, he was a fabulous person too,” said Douglas.

“As a player his anticipation was never caught short, and his concentration was good.

“In the outfield, Andy McEvoy could score goals for fun and from any angle. He had terrific ball control.

“He was a terrific footballer who represented Wales at every level.

“He would have comfortably graced the Premier League these days.

“Fred Pickering was the Alan Shearer type of striker.

“He knew where the net was. But he was a good all rounder too.

“He had good ability with both feet, he could dribble and he could hold a ball up.”

Last but not least in Douglas’s selection is, perhaps unsurprisingly, Ronnie Clayton.

“I’d have my old pal in there for his stability,” Douglas added.

“He wasn’t very good going forward but he used to stitch the middle up for you. Even in five-a-side he was always there in the way.”

But Douglas was not done there, admitting he found it difficult to narrow his selection into just five players.

“I’d have Bobby Langton on my bench,” he added.

“He used to come to me at half-time and got hold of me by the shirt. tap me across the face and say ‘pass the ball’.

“You had to take it, you didn’t answer back and it was good for discipline.

“But I still used to dribble though.”