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Post by CabbagePatchBlues on Jan 15, 2015 15:15:08 GMT
His class goals at Wembley say yes.
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dagnogo
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 872
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Post by dagnogo on Jan 15, 2015 15:23:48 GMT
Top scorer in a promotion year and 2 goals at Wembley? The man's a god as far as I'm concerned.
His finishing was up there with any of them, even if he fell short in other areas (let's be fair, if he didn't fall short in other areas we'd never have had him)
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Gashead
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 260
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Post by Gashead on Jan 15, 2015 15:28:40 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 Hindsight. Walker had a great season, and just unfortunately didn't make the step up. If there was anyone we were going to 'bin off' it would have been Lambert. We could have signed any realistic target in that summer and I still don't think there would have been any chance of us ousting Forest, Leeds, Swansea et al. League One was incredibly strong when we were in it, only really in 2012/13 did the quality of teams start to lessen. If that same squad had been promoted in 2011/12, for example, I'd possibly agree that we could have gone straight through in a season or two. EDIT: In fact, it was getting rid of the 'old heads' (Elliott, Disley etc.) that probably cost Trollope as he looked to build a side with lots of quality, but little team spirit or determination.
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Post by mehewmagic on Jan 15, 2015 16:05:35 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. no, he WAS our top striker, not only in terms of goals, but also quality of the goals, and also the way we made sure we got him on a new contract.
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Post by mehewmagic on Jan 15, 2015 16:20:14 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 LOL. the funniest thing I've read on a football forum for along time. what team would 'bin' a striker who was still of a decent age and had just scored 20 goals in consecutive seasons, including several in very important games. I would say the opposite in fact. I could never understand why they fought so hard to keep him, yet then discarded him so quickly when things didn't start so perfectly in Lge 1. I think that mentality of Trolls and LL was actually our undoing. They made massive sweeping decisions and would never revisit their opinions. So apparently Walker (and later Disley, Elliott etc) were never going to be good enough for Lge 1 but Coles, Regan etc were always going to be good enough. what rubbish. Life is far more grey than that.
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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 17:51:42 GMT
His class goals at Wembley say yes. The question posed by chewbacca was ''is Richard Walker the most underrated Rovers player of all time?''I would answer the question with a definite ''no,'' because he was not underrated as I remember. Everyone was fully aware of his goal-scoring prowess and abilities, and as the above quote shows he scored excellent goals in big games. But for a player to be rated, then there must be others who are considered to be poor, moderate, average, above average and excellent. I would rate Richard Walker as being an excellent player over a couple of seasons, but during his brief time with us he was never underrated. Equally he was not a legend in the mould of some of great players from yesteryear, and they weren't all goalscorers either. They were time-served club men.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 18:09:39 GMT
I don't know where that notion came from. I haven't met another Rovers supporter who has a bad word to say about Walker. What that man lacked in pace he more than made up with his skill, vision and eye for goal which may have been overlooked by some. Those two finishes against Shrewsbury in the play off final were top drawer finishes. His treatment the following season was not good imo.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 18:33:06 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. spot on though ill add how intelligent his link up play was too, to think atkins preferred that doughnut thorpe
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Post by clockendgas on Jan 15, 2015 20:51:55 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 lets hope any of us live long enough to see it, probably get me season ticket and telegram from king william on the same day 2060
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 20:55:47 GMT
I don't know where that notion came from. I haven't met another Rovers supporter who has a bad word to say about Walker. What that man lacked in pace he more than made up with his skill, vision and eye for goal which may have been overlooked by some. Those two finishes against Shrewsbury in the play off final were top drawer finishes. His treatment the following season was not good imo. I just think he gets forgotten, he's never really mentioned by a lot of people. A bit of an unsung hero now I guess. I'd like to see him invited back at some point, scored two of the most important goals in the clubs history.
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Post by Topper Gas on Jan 15, 2015 21:18:48 GMT
Unfortunately like a lot of footballers he will always live in another footballers shadow, if Lambert had been poor in the season following our promotion everybody would probably still talk about Walker, as it is everybody associates Lambert with that era.
What's odd is how he never recovered his goalscoring form after our promotion season as you'd think a striker would always score goals, I sense that's why he's not talked off in similar ways as we do Saunders & Cureton etc.
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 21:29:49 GMT
What did Carl Saunders ever do apart from a two or three year spell with us?
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2015 21:56:11 GMT
What did Carl Saunders ever do apart from a two or three year spell with us?
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ricardo
Steve Elliot
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 138
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Post by ricardo on Jan 16, 2015 0:03:37 GMT
great memories on this thread, thanks!
I can only add to it by mentioning what a top bloke he was, remember being in the bar of the centenary stand when it seemed clear he was going having a chat with him, had nothing but good things to say.
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Post by mehewmagic on Jan 16, 2015 11:14:51 GMT
What did Carl Saunders ever do apart from a two or three year spell with us? scored goals in the top division and championship before us (Stoke). 4 years with us, mostly in championship, scoring goals.almost 1 in 3 games. that's enough I'd suggest. he was 29 when he left. Unless you want to bring the Romans into the equation
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2015 18:01:20 GMT
I don't know where that notion came from. I haven't met another Rovers supporter who has a bad word to say about Walker. What that man lacked in pace he more than made up with his skill, vision and eye for goal which may have been overlooked by some. Those two finishes against Shrewsbury in the play off final were top drawer finishes. His treatment the following season was not good imo. I just think he gets forgotten, he's never really mentioned by a lot of people. A bit of an unsung hero now I guess. I'd like to see him invited back at some point, scored two of the most important goals in the clubs history. Fair point. I suppose with our other more famous strikers they were on their way up the leagues and went to the top division whereas Walker went backwards so easily forgotten. He may not get the same `forum time` as some but is still held in high regard by myself and thousands of other Rovers!
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harrybuckle
Always look on the bright side
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 5,425
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Post by harrybuckle on Jan 16, 2015 18:13:17 GMT
Quality striker and superb record and valued by me. His two goals at Wembley besides the obvious occasion will live long in the memory. Funny how most just recall the Igoe goal but the equaliser by Walker was more vital and top drawer finish.
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Bridgeman
Alfie Biggs
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,549
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Post by Bridgeman on Jan 16, 2015 22:05:06 GMT
Quality striker and superb record and valued by me. His two goals at Wembley besides the obvious occasion will live long in the memory. Funny how most just recall the Igoe goal but the equaliser by Walker was more vital and top drawer finish. I think the commentater said they were goals that would have graced a European Championship final.
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Jan 17, 2015 6:03:45 GMT
What did Carl Saunders ever do apart from a two or three year spell with us? Score with Dev's missus... !!!
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Deleted
Joined: January 1970
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2015 11:56:16 GMT
i messaged him let him read the thread
Cheers for that mate really appreciate it great to see I am still held in high regard by the fans and really loved reading the comments both good and not so good that's what footballs all about different opinions. To be talked about in the same sentence as some of the great strikers that have played there is amazing so thanks for sending it on to me. Loved every minute of my time at Rovers what a great club with great fans and will always be my team promotion this season then a new stadium and hopefully the club can get back to where it should be. Thanks again for sending it on to me loved reading it cheers
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