Another one of my school boy Rovers hero has left us. John Edward Wylie, an integral part of our 1965/66 D4 Championship winning side was an uncompromising, hard as nails right half. He was born in Newcastle on 25 September, 1936, and died in Doncaster Infirmary just one week short of his 77th birthday. After playing for Newcastle boys, Wylie signed schoolboy forms with Huddersfield Town in 1954. He never made the first team at Leeds Road, and in 1957 signed for Preston North End. Wylie made his debut in a D1 (Premier League) game at Deepdale v Leeds United on 6 September, 1958, deputizing for the injured Frank O’Farrell, and played in four more league games that season alongside the legendary Tom Finney. He didn’t appear in the Lilywhites first team again until the 1960/61 season, and turned out for them 39 times – but PNE were relegated to the top division that season -- nevertheless Wylie scored his first ever league goal on Easter Monday 1961, at Deepdale in a 1-1 draw with Manchester City. Wylie appeared 38 times for Preston during the 1961/62 D2 campaign, and nine times the following season. After 110 league and cup games for Preston over almost six seasons, he joined Stockport County for 3,500 pounds in November, 1962. Wylie made 69 appearances for the Edgeley Park Club, before Bill Leivers snapped him and Graham Ricketts up from Stockport for the Rovers in July, 1964. On August 29, 1964 John Wylie made his Rovers debut v Aldershot in front of a 6,449 crowd. He missed just two games in his first season and was an ever-present in the 1965/66 Championship winning team. He battled on valiantly in the terrible 1966/67 season, and made his last appearance for the Rovers in a 2-2 draw with Wrexham at Belle Vue on 5 September, 1968, having made 124 league appearances and scoring two goals during his Belle Vue sojourn. He left the club during George Raynor’s rebuilding season, but he did not leave the town. An abiding memory of Wylie, beyond his ferocious tackling was in a remarkable game v Mansfield Town in November 16, 1966 at Belle Vue. Rovers went 4-3 up but lost 6-4, and the injured Wylie went up front and played a blinder! He never stopped trying, and had a heart as big as a Lion – and despite his hard man role in Rovers midfield almost 50 years ago, he had some tremendous skills. My most recent memories of John are of seeing him cycling around Lakeside, and sitting near him at the Intake Club during a couple of Sunday lunch time sessions about a decade ago. Farewell John, and thanks for all the memories, and for your services to the Club I love.
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 00:45:25 +0000
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