Remembering Rocky - the player I used to bunk off school to watch in the Arsenal reserves

By John Cross

Published 00:02 31/03/11

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Everyone remembers their first childhood football hero.

Mine was Liam Brady. My Dad, born and brought up on north London's Blackstock Road, used to take me to Arsenal and Brady was brilliant.

Then came Raphael Meade (I can't really explain why), Stewart Robson (there were a couple of seasons when, if he didn't play, Arsenal had no chance) and Pat Jennings, with his frying-pan hands. Paul Davis and Steve Williams, too.

The David Rocastle Collection: see amazing unseen pics of, and original Daily Mirror pages on, the Arsenal legend  

By the time I started going with my mates, Arsenal were producing a wave of young talent - Niall Quinn, Michael Thomas, Martin Hayes, Paul Merson and David Rocastle.

It was Rocky who really caught the eye. Strong, robust and determined. He got games in the middle as well as wide. He was exciting to watch, loved to dribble and cross and had an eye for goal.

I will always remember, with great pain, the day George Graham sold Rocastle to Leeds.

The story doing the rounds was that he wanted to sign Geoff Thomas with the proceeds. I was inconsolable.

Rocky was the player who made me bunk off school most Monday afternoons to go to watch the reserves at Highbury and see him and the likes of Quinn, Merson and Thomas coming through.

The fans loved Rocky because he had a great will-to-win and desire, the sort of spirit and determination they would show if they had the chance to play for their team.

I can remember those days like yesterday.

That's why it seems all the more incredible that on Thursday, March 31, it is 10 years since Rocastle died.

A boyhood hero taken at just 33 years of age.

I was lucky to meet him while working in my first job on the local newspaper and he was such a genuine, nice and unassuming person.

Arsenal will mark the occasion on Saturday.

The fans will go one step further and have organised a Rocky Remembered gig at the Rocket bar on Holloway Road, on Saturday after the Blackburn game.

There will be a charity auction, money will go to Great Ormond Street where Rocastle enjoyed visiting children, and his family will also attend with celebrity fans and former players.

A good tribute to a true legend.

PS. I don't like writing or talking about who I supported as a boy. These days, I endeavour to be impartial in my job. And I believe I am. But I still get plenty of e-mails accusing me of supporting one team or another, which is in itself a great compliment.

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