Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 11:52:12 GMT
The most underrated Rovers player of all time? 23 goals in a promotion season, including two in the Playoff Final, one in the JPT final, generally overlooked due to playing alongside Lambert. Averaged 1 in 3 for the club and had easily his best spell of his career at Rovers. Isn't it time we embraced Walker as one of those great Rovers strikers?
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 11:56:01 GMT
Yes and a nice man to talk to as well !
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strung out
Administrator
Paul Hardyman
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 758
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Post by strung out on Jan 15, 2015 11:59:12 GMT
Love Trickie Dickie.
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Post by fingers otoole on Jan 15, 2015 12:04:01 GMT
...awaits tbones response (go on, I'll guess, lazy? )
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Post by a more piratey game on Jan 15, 2015 12:04:30 GMT
Tricky Dickie and King Rickie did very well, especially considering their combined top speed is that of a moped
both good players to watch though. Tricky Dickie's Bergkampesque goal at Wem-bi-lee, and King Rickie's goals against 82 and at Luton being my most memorables
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GasPanic!
Rickie Lambert
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 546
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Post by GasPanic! on Jan 15, 2015 12:18:13 GMT
Was my favourite player in the promotion year. Was gutted when we let him go.
Does he still play in the Devonshire league for Beer Albion or whatever they were called??
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Post by Topper Gas on Jan 15, 2015 12:26:06 GMT
Unfortunately RW became a bit of a one season wonder, surely to be a "great" you need to have more than one good season? One of the hero's of our promotion season but surely not one of the all time greats?
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 12:35:36 GMT
Unfortunately RW became a bit of a one season wonder, surely to be a "great" you need to have more than one good season? One of the hero's of our promotion season but surely not one of the all time greats? Played more games than Barry Hayles and scored more goals yet Barry is held up as a great. Richard won more promotions at Rovers than Cureton, Roberts & Hayles put together. He excelled at Rovers and gave his best years to us.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 12:38:26 GMT
Must be the first person in our new hall of fame at the new UWE Stadium, lets hope he lives long enough to view it
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Post by a more piratey game on Jan 15, 2015 12:49:36 GMT
Must be the first person in our new hall of fame at the new UWE Stadium, lets hope he lives long enough to view it dark, but funny
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 12:50:50 GMT
At the end of the promotion season Walker could have been considered our top striker, which is quite a thing when he was playing with Lambert who would go on to play for Liverpool and England. Funny how Lambert moved forward and Walker never really adjusted to the higher level. Even when he dropped back down a level he would never reach the heights he did that year. No doubt will always be a legend for the goals scored in the playoff final quite apart from those scored before that day.
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ashperry83
Rickie Lambert
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 228
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Post by ashperry83 on Jan 15, 2015 12:55:01 GMT
The most underrated Rovers player of all time? 23 goals in a promotion season, including two in the Playoff Final, one in the JPT final, generally overlooked due to playing alongside Lambert. Averaged 1 in 3 for the club and had easily his best spell of his career at Rovers. Isn't it time we embraced Walker as one of those great Rovers strikers? I hold Walker in very high regard. His purple patch was indeed with us and he is one of a very few select bunch of ex gas that I would love to buy a beer for.
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irishrover
Global Moderator
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 3,372
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Post by irishrover on Jan 15, 2015 13:02:26 GMT
The best finisher I've ever seen in a Rovers shirt. Better even than Stewart, Hayles, Roberts and Lambert in that department. Pretty much all he really had in his locker but my goodness he was superb when given a sniff of goal as shown most obviously in the playoff semi finals and final. Certainly not under rated in my book; even with Lambert we don't get promotion in 2007 without Walker, he was the key forward player in that side. I'm quite happy to embrace him as a great Rovers striker. Carl Saunders and Jamie Cureton normally get talked of in those terms so I'll happily put Richard Walker with them.
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Peter Parker
Global Moderator
Richard Walker
You have been sentenced to DELETION!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,920
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Post by Peter Parker on Jan 15, 2015 13:12:46 GMT
Not underated by me.
"Get the beers in Walks"
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Peter Parker
Global Moderator
Richard Walker
You have been sentenced to DELETION!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,920
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Post by Peter Parker on Jan 15, 2015 13:17:06 GMT
Unfortunately RW became a bit of a one season wonder, surely to be a "great" you need to have more than one good season? One of the hero's of our promotion season but surely not one of the all time greats? Walker scored 60 goals in about 140 games for us. MAy not make him an all time great, but a bit bette rthan a one season wonder
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Post by tbonegas on Jan 15, 2015 13:23:59 GMT
...awaits tbones response (go on, I'll guess, lazy? ) Mr Lazy.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 13:25:10 GMT
...awaits tbones response (go on, I'll guess, lazy? ) Mr Lazy. At least you are polite
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brizzle
Lindsay Parsons
No Buy . . . No Sell!
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 4,293
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Post by brizzle on Jan 15, 2015 14:33:29 GMT
But was Richard Walker ''the most underrated Rovers player of all time?''
Personally I think not, and he sits very comfortably in my history pages of BRFC very nicely. As PP has posted ''he scored 60 goals in about 140 games for us,'' that is a more than respectable strike rate and will ensure that he retains his place in the history of the club. His time with us was successful both for him and us, but relatively brief.
As for comparisons with other players, well . . .
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Post by tauntongas on Jan 15, 2015 14:42:38 GMT
"Walks" is one of my favourite Rovers players, of all time.
Typically underrated and a player who I think people were quick, to pick out his flaws but all too slow in recognising his talents. If this thread helps convince me otherwise, then I'm all for it.
Season 2004/05 - Played 27 league games, 10 league goals. (32 games, 14 goals, all competitions).
Season 2005/06 - Played 46 league games, 20 league goals. (52 games, 21 goals, all competitions).
Season 2006/07 - Played 49 league games, 16 league goals. (60 games, 22 goals, all competitions).
Across those three seasons:
122 League games, 46 League goals. 144 games in all competitions, 57 goals.
Walker was brought in on a free transfer and was the foundation of our forward line during the period when we sold Junior Agogo to Nottingham Forest. Rickie Lambert came in and the partnership between them helped bring out the best in each of their styles.
Neither was blessed with much pace. Walker was the more composed and possibly the better finisher but Lambert was more likely to get you a goal from nothing and possessed more flair.
My Dad and I were fortunate enough to be at both the Play-Off Semi Finals vs Lincoln and the Final vs Shrewsbury. Lambert had already demonstrated his brilliance in the league games that originally swept us into the Play-Offs. Once the regular season games were done though, it was mostly about Richard Walker adding the final, golden touches to a wonderful season.
His sublime, volleyed winner in the first leg, ensured we went to Sincil Bank with a lead. The quick thinking by Steve Elliot to pick out the intelligent run of Walker was given the finish it deserved, as "Walks" caressed the ball beyond the Imps keeper.
After assisting Lambert with a great cross for Rovers' second goal of the night, Lambert returned the favour for "Walks" to poach another for the Gas.
The two goals he grabbed in the Final would have been part of any highlight reel for the 06/07 season, if scored by a Premier or top European player. The excellence in his movement for both goals, the perfection required to score from both chances (as they were far from easy) helped highlight Walker's talent in the grandest stadium of them all.
The commentator, following Walker's first goal said "that was a thing of beauty for Bristol Rovers." and he was spot on.
Gary Birtles (I think he was the co-commentator) describing Walker's second goal, said: "The first one was a class finish, this is even better". Again, total agreement from myself.
His last season for The Gas was disappointing but it should not imbalance what was a very good time to have him at the club. He was part of a Rovers side that clinched only our third promotion in our history and for that, along with his goals, assists and attitude should make him a very well remembered player, at the very least.
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Post by mancgas has left the building on Jan 15, 2015 14:52:02 GMT
league 4 was his level and we should have binned him off after Wembley - harsh but in those decisions we didn't make we lost chance of going straight through league 3 imo
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