Rollo Dave Image 9 Blackburn Rovers 1923

Description

Belfast born full back Dave Rollo began his football career on the books of Brantwood and Cliftonville, Distillery West End and Mountpottinger before joining Irish League Linfield in the 1911 close season. Multi-honoured as a Linfield player (winning the Irish League in 1914 and the Irish Cup 4 times between 1913 and 1919, being a losing finalist each of the other 2 years!!), for whom he had made his debut in 1913, he went on to play First Division football for Blackburn Rovers in 1919, making his Football League debut that December against Derby County immediately after having signed for Rovers. He was part of Blackburn’s 1925 FA Cup semi final team beaten 3-1 by Cardiff City at Meadow Lane, Nottingham.

He played 225 games for Blackburn, scoring 6 times, every one a penalty, and would play on to his late thirties in a War-interrupted career, eventually losing his place at the beginning of the 1926-27 season, during which he made only 2 appearances. He joined Port Vale in the 1927 close season and finished his career with 2 games for them in August 1927 immediately after his 37th birthday.

His earliest caps for Ireland were won as stand-in for the unavailable Ireland and Everton great Val Harris, but after The First World War he established himself in the Ireland team on merit. In total he won 16 Ireland caps between April 1912, when he made his debut in a 3-2 win over Wales and October 1926, his last cap being a 3-3 draw with England. He played in two Victory internationals in 1919 and also appeared 5 times for The Irish League while at Linfield either side of the War.