I agree. He was an excellent 'keeper who played for Wales when we were in the 4th Division. He seemed to lose confidence though after an unlucky 4-3 defeat at Villa in the FA Cup. McParland scored a last minute winner for Villa with a cross cum shot which floated over Vic's head.

It couldn't have helped that Bill Glazier, also an excellent 'keeper, was waiting in the wings. Rouse only played eighteen games after that defeat and went off to 4th Division Oxford United when he was still under 30 and should have been in his prime.

lo Selhurst silva felix, lo Selhurst cara nutrix, viget, vigeat, vigebit! Best team:- Jackson; Gilbert, Evans, Cannon, Sansom; Hughes, Kember, McNichol; Byrne, Holton, Wright.

I think Vic took over from Roy Bailey, I was at Villa Park for that cup match and that cross that floated over his head was very speculative in about the 95th minute as well.

As he trudge across to the tunnel after the match a tear was running from his eye, although I didn't think that McParland had scored it, Burrows comes to mind for some reason.

I remember during that match talking with a Villa supporter, as you did in those days, and he said to me that if we gave them Johnny Byrne for Roy McParland & £20.000, they would being getting a bargain.

Johhnny Byrne got a couple and Dennis Uphill the other but me and some mates were gutted to miss out on a replay at Selhurst which would have been a big deal in those days.

I recall Bill Glazier having a good run in the first team before Jackoson took over.
Bill went to Coventry and came back to Croydon with team mate Curtis when Bill had broken his leg.
We had a couple of pints one evening and apparently his departure from Palace was caused by a senior member of our team then, who thought Jacko was superior to him, which Bill didn't appreciate, long story that!

Still reckon Vic is up there with the best!!

........................Then along came Johnny Byrne! and the rest, as they say, is history.....................

Never saw Vic play but heard he was good in the days when keepers took a bit of a bashing. He was the 1st ever player to win an international cap from Division 4, but it was only 1 cap as Wales lost 4-1 to Northern Ireland.

I heard Dick Graham blamed him for the loss at Villa and his days were numbered thereafter.

Met Vic a few years back, great character, a right laugh, and he's been working as a scout for West Ham among others.

One photo here, training at Selhurst Park, 1959. Second one to follow.......

Attachment: Vic Rouse 1959.jpg (130.40Kb)

Zaha, Williams, Murray, Ambrose, Scannell.

A 5-man forward line who scored 3 goals in 10 minutes on 27th September 2011 at .......................

Great to see those VR pix - look at the size of the crowd in the second one! I wonder if I was part of it!

Re that Villa goal, it was probably the only mistake he ever made.

Bill Glazier was good, but I never forgave him for not being Vic Rouse.

John Jackson was great after a wobbly first few games, though he wasn't much of a puncher of the ball. He was good at saving penalties.

I thought Paul Hammond was very good, too, and was sorry when he went off to America - wonder if he's still there.

I thought Paul Hammond struggled

I remember that in those days a couple of players used to 'do the gardening' on the ground's grass banks during the summer.

I would travel home from school on the 68 bus via Whitehorse Lane and used to see Vic and Len Choules doing that work, presumably for a small amount of money during the close season.

How things have changed.

lo Selhurst silva felix, lo Selhurst cara nutrix, viget, vigeat, vigebit! Best team:- Jackson; Gilbert, Evans, Cannon, Sansom; Hughes, Kember, McNichol; Byrne, Holton, Wright.