Peter White talks to former Ewood goalkeeper ROGER JONES

HUNDREDS of millions did not witness it 'live' on television and the crowd at Notts County's then-quaint Meadow Lane ground was significantly smaller than the tens of thousands packed into Guadalajara's World Cup stadium.

Yet the class and quality of the save made by Roger Jones from Les Bradd's goalbound header in a crucial Third Division promotion clash was equal to that made in Mexico three years earlier when legends Gordon Banks and Pele came face to face.

April 21, Easter Saturday, 1973, was the date when, as far as I am concerned, Jones stepped up from being an outstanding goalkeeper to an Ewood great.

Shortly before the end of a goalless draw between the promotion rivals, Bradd seemed to have snatched a precious victory for County but Jones simply refused to be beaten and somehow clawed the ball to safety.

It was one of those moments in football when time seems to stand still for a split second and that stays with you long after teams, games and mere statistics have been forgotten.

But maybe such memories are intended for fans and observers, rather than players.

For, when I caught up with Roger - he couldn't remember it!

"I suppose it's because there were so many over the years," said the man who now lives near Keele University and runs a painting and decorating business. "There are a few at home that I can remember but not that one in particular," he added almost apologetically.

Ironically, for a keeper who was a model of consistency, his time at Ewood was one of the most inconsistent for the club.

Now aged 52, Jones cost £30,000 from Bournemouth in January 1970 and stayed for six years, experiencing relegation from the old Division Two before being an ever-present in the Third Division title side of 1974-75.

"That promotion was the big one for me," he said. "But when Gordon Lee left shortly afterwards for Newcastle, it put a bit of a dampener on things.

"It didn't really give us a chance to do well.

"Then me and Graham Oates followed him to Newcastle but I didn't last long."

His transfer caused a huge row between the clubs as Newcastle refused to pay a fee because of alleged medical problems.

Yet Jones was fit enough to go on to play nearly 300 more League games for the likes of Stoke, Derby and York after leaving Newcastle!

He had assumed near-legendary proportions at Ewood among fans who saw the England under-23 star as a rare bright spot amid the gloom of the club's first-ever taste of the lower divisions.

The feeling was reciprocated.

"I loved Blackburn. When I came it was a good club and we had a good side," he said. "Perhaps I shouldn't have left.

"I had some good years at Stoke, Derby and York, but when I got a free from York I decided that was enough."

Jones then went into coaching under a former team-mate, Denis Smith, looking after the reserves and youngsters at Sunderland.

Later he was to be assistant manager of the club when Malcolm Crosby took charge.

Sadly, there is no direct football involvement these days for a man who surely would have something to offer some club's young keepers.

But he isn't even connected with the game at an amateur level.

"I haven't got enough time to run a pub team," said the keeper turned businessman.

"And it's a case of getting back into the game. Sometimes it's who you know rather than what you know.

"I would like to do something but I think time's getting on." His interest these days is restricted to watching for news of his former clubs.

"I always look out for their results, especially Blackburn. I enjoyed my time there and it was always one of my favourite clubs.

"I'd like to see them stay up but they have made it hard work for themselves."

A couple of years ago, Roger did some hospitality work at the ground, travelling up with ex-team-mate Graham Hawkins who lives only a few miles away from him.

And, apart from occasionally meeting up with Derek Fazackerley, that's the only real reminder of a time when the man who made 272 senior appearances for Rovers might well have added an international cap or two, if he had played for a club of higher status.

Ewood fans are happy he didn't.

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