BLACKBURN-THE HEART OF THE GREAT GAME?

I have been (further) North today (23rd February), to Blackburn for a memorial service, for an old friend, teacher, coach, family man, committee member and  a cracking "lad". He enjoyed Rovers, and seeing youngsters make progress in the great game, some of whom turned into professional footballers. 

Bear in mind that professional football had its origins in the "north-west" and Blackburn (with clubs, Olympic and Rovers) was a central part of all that. 

David Hopkinson was a lovely blokewho produced from  his school, Queen Elizabeth's GS, many excellent students and footballers who played the game in the appropriate manor! God bless, Dave!

Meanwhile, football often seems like a TV soap opera but on February 23rd 1983, the two did seem to merge into one. It was a big night at Old Trafford where Manchester United entertained Arsenal in a League Cup semi-final with Wembley just 90 minutes away. It was also a big night for Manchester’s TV soap opera – Coronation Street – which attracted its biggest viewership of the year for an episode which was another north v south encounter. How would Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride) sort out her tangled love-life? Would she choose the northerner – her husband Ken – or the Cockney boyfriend – Mike Baldwin? 

Mean while, in Lancashire on this day, one of the biggest cheers of the night at Old Trafford came when it was announced that she had chosen Ken. That was 1-0 to the north which became 2-0 when Manchester United won through to the Wembley final. All was well north of the Watford Gap!