All time footballing Hero

[nozer]

Whos yours and why ?.

[Bremner4]

Billy Bremner, Eddie Gray, Arthur Graham, John Sheridan, Gordon Strachan, Nigel Martyn, Lucas Radebe and Jermaine Beckford for his goal on the 3rd January 2010.
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WE'RE NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE

Little Billy Bremner is the captain of the crew, for the sake of Leeds United he would break himself in two, his hair is red and fuzzy and his body's black and blue as Leeds go marching on!

http://www.lufootballprogrammes.com

[Bremner4]

Nozer. Have you seen the DD fridge magnets on ebay??
_________________
WE'RE NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE

Little Billy Bremner is the captain of the crew, for the sake of Leeds United he would break himself in two, his hair is red and fuzzy and his body's black and blue as Leeds go marching on!

http://www.lufootballprogrammes.com

[ToffeeDan]

Fantastic players and real characters. - and I bet Colin Bell was pretty chuffed they didn't name an End of the ground after him.

As an Evertonian (attending since early 70s) I have a wealth of memories. I can't say these days (and that wouldn't be surprising) that adulation of individual players is commonplace - even amongst the young - as their love for the player is soon dashed by the ever moving conveyor belt that is the Transfer Market.

So, memories - well I guess most Evertonians from the 60s would pick the great Alex Young (anyone see 'The Golden Vision') - a bit before my time .. but Alan Ball was certainly an idol of many Evertonians and when Catterick sold him (I think he was too 'big' for The Cat's liking) a lot of fans we're very upset (ditto when he dropped Young for 16-y-o Joe Royle one night in Blackpool).

As a young lad I was brought up on the latter years of Howard Kendall and Colin Harvey - I must confess I liked Johnny Morrissey, Bob Latchford, John Connolly and later Big Nev Sheedy, Sharp and Trevor Steven - then later that sort of thing didn't seem to matter too much. Never could work out the adulation for Big Dunc myself - maybe cos he stuck it to Man U and Liverpool (a couple of times - which represented a big deal back then). These days I admire Leon Osman (mostly for his work ethic and his willingness to play anywhere and usually with a smile rather than some man-love thing) - and, less so now, Arteta. I might grow to like Ross Barkley if Man U don't come knocking any day soon.

So, I can see the upset the likes of Cesc cause when they want a move (get a move?) - the majority pin their hopes on his role in the Arsenal team. Unfortunately the stay of a footballer is far too transient these days - unless, as a Toffee, you realise that no one is coming or going....

Just going back to those old days there were a lot of characters about - Marsh, Law, Best (funny he never seemed to do much against Everton) etc. Most everyone had players they disliked (and teams - I'll leave that for another day) - but rose-tinted spectacles and all remind me of the hey-days of Worthington, Dougan, Bell, Keegan, Callaghan, Labone, Moore, Banks, Nish, Shilton, Arentoft, Tudor, Macdonald, Glazier, Carr, Hunt, Springett, McCalliogg, Richards, Parkes (both), Lampard, Bonds, Lawrence (the Flying Pig), Sir Roger Hunt, England, Mullery, George, Hector, Todd, McFarland, Mackay, Wallington (and Burridge)...

Just remembered this site now..

http://www.tonyswebspace.co.uk/index.html

Check out the mullets!!

[westyorksnffc]

For me there has to be one footballing hero only, the left-back born in West London, who having been plucked from non-league obscurity at Wealdstone by the then Coventry City manager Bobby Gould was spotted during a game by a certain Brian Clough and in the summer of 1985 signed for Nottingham Forest - Stuart "Psycho" Pearce.

My first Forest game was in October 1983, Forest v Notts County, but it wasn't until 1985/86 that I started going to Forest games regularly, and it was towards the end of the 1984/85 season that Forest played Coventry at Highfield Road. Clough was said to be that impressed with Pearce that when he happened to go down injured, the Forest physio got to Pearce first before the Coventry one could, and asked if he'd be interested in joining Forest, tapping-up at it's best!

For the first two season's Ian Bowyer was club captain, but you could already see how great a leader Pearce was on the pitch, so it was no surprise to anyone that when Bowyer left in 1987 Pearce was given the role of club captain. Despite this, Pearce still wasn't sure he'd make it as a professional footballer, so much so that during the 1986/87 he advertised himself in the home programmes as an electrician (he was already a fully qualified sparky), home phone number too, could you imagine that nowadays!

Pearce's reputation as a touch-tackling left-back soon earn't him the name 'Psycho' amongst the Forest faithful, however, he was not in the same mold as the other 'Psycho' around at the time, West Ham's Julian Dicks. Pearce was only ever sent-off twice in his career, once in a Littlewoods Cup match at Filbert Street in 1988 for two yellow cards, and the other being at home to Tottenham in August 1991 for foul and abusive language to the referee - ironically Pearce had collected the Football League Fair-Play award for the previous season before the Tottenham game!

Pearce had two other footballing traits, the first being his marauding runs up the left wing, at a time when 'wing-backs' were never really popular, his ability to run at the winger (who he'd probably put in his place with a fair but crunching tackle in the first 5 minutes) and then be able to play a one-two with Nigel Clough before storming in to the area to launch a pile driver past a helpless keeper, or drill the ball in for the likes of Chapman, Jemson, Sheringham or Collymore was second to none, and added with his blistering free-kicks meant you were guaranteed around 10 goals a season from the left-back, so much so that in the 1990-91 season he scored 16 goals in league and cup, and not one was a penalty.

Pearce was able to make his runs up the left because of the pace and skill of Des Walker at the back to cover, but as said previously, his other trait was free-kicks. When he first joined Forest, we already had a free-kick taker like no other in Johnny Metgod, so Pearce spent his two seasons with Metgod learning how to take free-kicks, and by the 1987-88 season was confirmed as the man to take the free-kicks. 20 yards, 25 yards, 30 yards, sometimes more, he could curl them hammer them, lift them, and even dink them, but for me the most memorable was at Old Trafford in October 1990. Pearce had of course just missed 'that penatly' in Italia 90, so this gave 50,000 Man Utd fans the chance to give Pearce some stick. "He missed in Italy, he missed in Italy" they sang, so when Forst were awarded a free-kick some 35 yards out, Pearce had no hesitation in hammering the ball past Les Sealey in the Man Utd goal, cue 500 Forest fans (the Stretford End was being rebuilt so we had a small allocation for the game) - "he scored in Manchester, he scored in Manchester". Forest went on to win 1-0.

Pearce is also well known for his love of Punk and Ska, he would often be seen at Rock City watching the likes of The Stiff Little Fingers, The Ramones and The Damned, but his favourite band was The Stranglers, Pearce has even been known to join them on stage. Before games Pearce would have punk music blasting out on the CD player in the dressing room, although this changed in the mid 90's to Madness, who incidentally presented Pearce with a gold disc before his testimonial in May 1996.

He was also a passionate Englishman, other than his 78 England caps (he should have had more, but Graham Taylor rated Tony Dorigo more for some reason?), I'm not going to go too much in to his England career, we all know about that, about his penalty miss, and about the Spain penalty and the celebration after - that picture for me is one of the most iconic England pictures ever, but there are other stories, like whenever he went off to play for England he would raise his St Georges Cross in the front of his farm that his wife Liz had brought him for a birthday present, and how when Forest had a UEFA Cup run in 1995/96 he would shout at the rest of the team in the dressing room before the game about how great it was to be English and all the rest of it. Rumour has it though that Bryan Roy, Alfe-Inge Haaland and Andrea Silenzi and even the likes of Scot Gemmill (Scottish) and David Phillips (Welsh) were non-too boyed up by his rants!

Finally, for me the thing about Pearce is his passion, and his loyalty. Every home game Psycho would run out to the A Block at Forest, and with the fans singing "Psycho, Psycho, Psycho" would clench his fists and raise his arms in-front of the fans, he also went up in the fans estimations when we played Derby. Pearce knew we hated Derby, and when he released his autobiography even said he would rather go on the dole than play for them, he just could not do it to the Forest fans. He did, however, play in a testimonial for Derby in the early 00's, it was Tedd McMinn's testimonial, Pearce and McMinn had been known to have many battles in the late 80's / early 90's, and pearce not only played in a Derby shirt, but captained the side too, but he made sure he wore red boots, and what looked like Pearce kissing the Derby badge in-fact turned out to be Pearce blowing his nose on the badge!

But it was his loyalty and overall commitment to Forest that should be the real stand out. When Brian Clough left in May 1993, Roy Keane and (understandably) Nigel Clough both left as Forest faced up to life in Division One, Pearce could easily have followed, but after talks with the new manager Frank Clark decided that he would stay, but his loyalty to the club and the love for the fans also helped make his decision. It's just a shame that a few more modern day footballers can't be like Pearce). I don't blame him when he left in 1997, he clearly didn't see eye to eye with Dave Bassett, and felt like he was getting stale, but even now, I remember his last ever competitive match involving Forest, and in March 2002, he was playing for Man City at Maine Road, they were beating us 3-0 and when they got a free-kick 20 yards out Pearce lined the ball up, and then all of a sudden just walked off, he couldn't bring himself to take it, and eventually asked Kevin Keegan to substitute him.

Overall, he is a true legend, when the word legend is over-used in this day and age, he has passion, commitment, dedication, loyalty, and is down to earth, and he is a leader and an inspiration to many, many football fans in this country, you would hope one or two footballers have picked a thing or two up also?

Finally, as I bring this issue of war and peace to an end, I'd like to finish with the fact that my son, who is nearly 3, has Pearce as a middle name, that is how much Pearce means to me.
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Nottingham Forest Supporters Club
West Yorkshire Branch Secretary

Forest programme guide: www.nottinghamforestprogrammes.weebly.com (a steady working progress, any help or advice gratefully accepted!)

[westyorksnffc]

Wow, did I just write all that
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Nottingham Forest Supporters Club
West Yorkshire Branch Secretary

Forest programme guide: www.nottinghamforestprogrammes.weebly.com (a steady working progress, any help or advice gratefully accepted!)

[WileBrownAstle]

Darren Moore, great centre, big heart, always gave 100 per cent, Kevin Phillips scored plenty of goals, had that touch of class. Chris Brunt been a Baggie for four years now, scored some fantastic goals. Mulumbu great player in the centre mid.
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Please check out my wants list

[Kickoff3pm]

Astle is King !

First game as a nipper, freezing cold and bored to hell in the Brummie. I had been asking my big brother to take me to the Albion for a few years I suppose and one day he gave in. Suppose his mate couldn't go that day, it's unlikely that it was brotherly love, I was 6 or 7 and he was in his 20s I think.

There I was wishing i hadn't bothered and funny enough I saw similar in my own kids when I started taking them. It does get cold down the Albion

I think it was Leicester but to be honest I really envy those people who can recall games because I never can. Anyway, I turned to my brother and said something like "When we gonna score Bob?" probably also had a few "I'm bored, I'm cold, I wan a wee, whose that, what happened, why did he miss etc etc" in there too

"When the ball goes out to that chap on the wing" he replied.

I was confused but soon got excited as the ball was passed wide and it seemed the whole earth moved a little taking me with it till it I was almost on the pitch. Someone shouted "come on Jeff !"

Over came the ball and my eyes focused right on it as it came out the sky. Then like a slap on the face the was a sudden thud of head on leather and a crisp ripple of stringing as the ball pushed the net up in the air, almost into my face (as it seemed to me anyway).

Now I was on the move again as a an ocean of people screamed, cheering till my ear drums burst. I don't think I have ever been frightened, excited and so happy all at the same time. The was also a strange feeling on belonging and togetherness with everyone around me. When my brother finally found me we cheered together all over again and that created a new bond to. When I could be heard I said "Who scored Bob ?"

"Jeff" came back the answer. Just Jeff and that's all you really need to know about Jeff Astle.

[James]

Being a Spurs fan and attended games going back to the late 80's my footballing heroes are true professional's David Howells, Gary Mabbutt, Paul Walsh and Michael Dawson.

Howells was a midfielder who always worked hard for the team and was a great defensive midfielder for Spurs, always put in 100% every game.

Mabbutt, well what can you say about the guy a true legend at WHL, returning after that facial injury suffered at the Elbow of Fashanu says a lot about the man, should have played more for England IMO

Walsh, little terrior workrate player never gave up always chased down lost cause always gave his all for the team, just a shame we had a guy called Linekar at the team

Dawson, a proper old fashioned English defender, full blood and thunder played who continually puts his body on the line for the team sticks his head in where boots are flying.

My Local team are Gillingham and my hero at Gillingham is completely different mould of player to the ones at Spurs as my Gills Hero is pitbull Billy Manuel, i still remember the excitement i had when on Billy's return to preietsfield for his second spell coming on as a sub he was booked with his first touch (of an opponent not the ball) then two weeks later a York player was being a bit of a div and Billy came off the bench and gave him a good kicking around the pitch
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Maidstone/Tottenham fan

[sharrowblade]

Me Dad says 'Jimmy Hagan, Joe Shaw and Tony Currie'.

But, here is where all conventional wisdom goes out the window, because the player who fired my desire in my formative years from kicking a ball in our side passage to breaking the window of old Mr Johnson on the opposite side of our almost car-less street (you couldn't do it today believe me), wasn't a Blade.
He was a great keeper, and he played for Spurs.

He featured in the first game I heard on the radio, I would have been six. By all accounts he was superb and during the 70s whenever he came to Bramall Lane, I used to marvel how this bloke who was a constant thorn in United's side, and yet he received a standing ovation from the Kop, without fail, now that was respect.

Some will remember the likes of Bobby Charlton and George Best scoring great goals past him, they almost had to be to beat him.

He brought a new element to goalkeeping, I lost count the number of times when we thought that Woody had scored only to see a leg stick out and deny the goal.

I even started to want Northern Ireland to win the Home Championship.

Pat Jennings.

P.S my polish neighbour wants to say Hi and he's banging on about Tomazsewski, Lato, Deyna and Boniek.
I've told him to stay off the Vodka
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharrowblade/sets
A Sheffield United Programme guide

[ToffeeDan]

That eulogy to Jeff Astle (how could I miss him out - oh yes, 1968 and all that) was excellent and reminds me just how of the 1970 England World Cup team are playing now on a higher plane..having left us far too young.

Keith Newton
Brian Labone
Bobby Moore
Alan Ball
Emlyn Hughes
Peter Osgood
Jeff Astle

only Ball and Moore of those played in 1966 - all the other 20 from that winning squad are still with us. Indeed only Moore, Bobby Robson and Johnny Haynes from 1962 have left us - and I think more of the 1958 still survive - quite strange. I often wonder if the exertions of playing at altitude had any effect on their overall health.

[Kickoff3pm]

Another for me was John Osborne a great goalkeeper, great person and great quiz master at times. Not s uprising that he's not with us, he even smoked during some games.

[foxes1]

2 others I remember playing for us from the 1960's we had a midfielder called David Gibson Scottish International who we purchased from Hibernian and he went on to play nearly 300 games for us.

One other from later years Steve Walsh the sort of player fans of other clubs (particularly Wolves) used to hate but he went on to stay at Leicester for 10 years. I always remember his on the field battles with Steve Bull, no half measures were given between the 2 of them and they would go in hard and no rolling around on the floor with either acting as if they had been shot by a sniper in the stands.

[ffc71]

ivor the engine aka gordon davies,played the game with a smile on his face and a true gentleman on and off the pitch,also a very good goalscorer.even though he left us to join the filth down the road,he will always be a true fulham legend in my eyes.

[nozer]

Came across this pic of The "Doog" today ,N/I prob 71.

[goonerboy]

stodin wrote:

Brian Clough and Stuart Pearce Met Pearce a few times, mainly at punk gigs and he was always friendly. Brian Clough watched me fishing once whilst he was having a stroll down trent embankment with his dog Del. he sat behind me for half an hour or so just chatting about fishing and football... great memory of the great man. My girlfriend has many stories about Clough as her dad and (soon to be) ex-husband played under him... she knew him from the day he took over Forest

Who is dad and ex-hsband ?

[Wulfrunian]

Got to throw in a mention for the great Frank Munro who sadly passed away last night. He would always make a Wolves best XI. A true gentleman, who was happy to spend an evening having a pint with fans.
He was probably only second to Billy Wright in the list of best defenders to pull on the Gold and Black.
I remember seeing him make his debut against man utd reserves and thinking that the £65,000 was money well spent, and it was a lot of cash in 1967.
On top of it all he turned down the cash from the dirty Leeds side that tried to buy the double, and scored the goal that stooped them. That alone should make him a great in any football fan's mind.

RIP Big Frank. You will be missed.
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FPC Predictor Cup Winner 2013

"You only have one life, I gave mine to the Wolves" - Stan Cullis 1916 - 2001

[nozer]

Not only was Frank a great center-half but was a Wolves fan also , settled in the area after his retirement and seldom missed a home game when not in the best of helth.RIP The great Frank Munro.

[Footyfan]

Although a Leeds Utd supporter one of my earliest football memories is watching Howard Kendall, then of Preston North End and later Everton, play at Wembley in the 1964 FA Cup Final as a 17 year old. I followed his career quite closely and to me he was the model professional.

It was real shame he was never capped for England at full international level.

However, my real footballing hero was.......

[Footyfan]

My all time footballing hero is none other than Norman Hunter (Leeds Utd, Bristol City & Barnsley).

I would guess a lot of readers may be surprised at my choice. To many Norman is best remembered as a 'hardman' along with the likes of Tommy Smith (Liverpool) and Chopper Harris (Chelsea) and will always be associated with the famous Leeds Utd supporters banner "Norman Bites Yer Legs" at the 1972 FA Cup Final. Norman Hunter, although an England International in his own right with 28 caps and a member of both the 1966 and 1970 World Cup Squads, lived in the shadow of of the late/great Booby Moore at international level and would have won many more caps but for Bobby Moore. At club level he was "Mr Consistency" personified and made a total of 725 appearances for Leeds before moving on to Bristol City and ending his playing career at Barnsley as player/coach where he took Barnsley to promotion .

How many people are aware that Norman Hunter, regarded as a 'clogger' by many, was voted the 1st Ever PFA Player of the Year in 1974?

Surely, there can be no bigger accolade in football than being voted No 1 by your fellow professional players.