Bill Eckersley

Al - Bill (Telescopic Leg) Eckersley for me. Bill had a long run as England left back despite playing for a 2nd division team (Rovers). Extremely loyal (He could have had his pick of the 1st division teams but chose to stick with Rovers) and was way before his time with his ability to dribble all the way up to the opposition penalty area. Superb ball control and his party piece was that if a player went past him he could extend his left leg behind him and nick the ball away, clean as a whistle, leaving the other player looking around him wondering where the hell the ball had gone. This earned him the 'telescopic leg' tag. Very entertaining to watch and a dependable full back. Has my vote every time.

Ianrally - It has to be Bill Eckersley for me. He was the first left back i saw playing for Rovers so maybe I am biased in that respect, but to have such an accomplished International player in our team and to have his greatness underlined by both Tom Finney and Stanley Mathews who both said that Bill was won of the best full backs they ever played against, and then to be told by the great Sir Alf Ramsey ( Bill's full back partner in many an England Internetional match) that he was the greatest partner he ever played beside anywhere in any team. Enough said.

bob fleming - It's got to be Bill Eckersley. Not only does he sound Northern and therefore dead hard (be honest if we had four Bill Eckersley's in our defence now, any team would fear coming to Ewood) but he also made 432 appearances over 14 years. Plus he had a telescopic leg. What more does anyone want in a left back?

ABBEY - well i rember my grandad a few years back,he used to come up to my house and watch sky and drink my home brew and i recall ince with ball and grandad stood up and shouted GIVE IT TO ECKERSLEY!!!!!! He looked at me and laughed because he knew what hed said and then he said to me WELL HE WAS BLOODY BRILLIANT !!

billy - The trouble with Eckersley v Le Saux was the different games they played. Eckersley had to mark a winger, good wingers, who attacked him with speed and dribbling skills, which we hardly see in todays game but Le Saux always had help from a winger who had to tackle back. In fact the wingers job ( Wilcox ) was to stand by the post for corners and run the ball out. But Eckersley'ss winger ( Langton or Macleod ) would stand on the halfway line at corners waiting for the ball to be passed to them. Thinking of Le Saux trying to stop Tom Finney - not a cat in hells chance, but Finney said Eckersley was one of the hardest fullbacks he ever played against. All the votes for Le Saux must have come from supporters unlucky enough not to have seen Eckersley in action.

bazza - Just to even things up I've seen Bill Eckersley put a penalty kick well wide of goal. sad.gif (Jonathan Stead style) He was Rovers regular penalty taker and "never missed". He did that once and I saw it, It was at the Darwen End.

thenodrog - Anyway I should think that 50 votes (at this point in time) over 40 years after he finished playing is one hell of a compliment to the man, and one that he would prob be overjoyed with. I doubt Le saux will receive as many votes 40 odd years from now.

Simon Says - Tom Finney once said that Bill Eckersley was one of the most difficult opponents he ever faced in his career. Thats good enough for me!

bazza - "Sir" Bill Eckersley. The finest left full back I have ever seen wearing the blue and white halves. A regular England player and captain of the Rovers. I once had the pleasure of a quick conversation with the retired hero in the Fox and Hounds. What a nice man and what a great player.