He was a "character". We old farts always complain that there are not the "characters" in the game these days, but I suspect that is partly the old problem of our telescoping several decades together to compare with the present. What constitutes a "character"? Certainly they needn't be at the top of their profession, though one or two were. Sometimes it is the ability to conjure moments of seeming genius amid a generally plodding or disappointing career. Harry was one of those. Sometimes it is the cheerful ability to battle on despite the player's all too obvious limitations. Tosh Chamberlain of Fulham was a generally incompetent winger but a regular pick. It was rumoured he was only in the team because he was Johnny Haynes' best mate, although Haynes used to give him withering looks every time he failed to control one of Haynes' pinpoint passes or sent a cross into the Thames. Jimmy Hill, their contemporary and later Charlton chairman, was another "character". Partly because he made up for his limited ability with maniacal enthusiasm, but mainly because he sported a beard at the time that was almost unheard of in the sport. Harry Cripps was a "character" at Millwall, though a bit more subdued at Charlton. Johnny Robinson was another, again making up for limited ability with unbounded enthusiasm, not to mention his constant whingeing which could have turned the crowd against him, but coming from him it somehow just seemed comical. Charlie Wright, our former 'keeper, was a "character" for bantering with the crowd behind his goal, sometimes even turning his back to the play to do so. I guess he would be given his cards for doing that these days. It took him ages to do his shopping in Sainsbury's, Lewisham, because he stopped every five yards to engage in conversation with fans. Paolo di Canio certainly, and Balotelli is another (so they don't necessarily have to be lovable). Unpredictability can be a big ingredient. Who else? And what makes them a "character"? I am not taking here about "entertainers" like Marsh, Bowles or Best, though some (like di Canio) could be both.
I suppose one name that springs to mind immediately is Killer, Eddie - now, if ever there was a 'character' ! I suppose you could call him the Quiet Assasin, in more ways than one, the first being that he would do nothing all game, then score a hat-trick, and also, if ever any defender gave him stick, you sure knew at some stage in the game, said same defender was going to end up in Row Z with Killers boot mark up his backside - a true legend.
Excellent thread, Eddie. The characters that come to mind for me are Duncan McKenzie - this guy smoked twenty a day throughout his career (occasionally in the tunnel) and was once famously pictured jumping over a Mini (!) - the ironic title of his autobiography "The Last Fancy Dan" in many ways marks the passing of an era. Micky Quinn, who made Jon Parkin look like Weight Watcher of the Year and once stopped during a game to take a bite out of a pie that had been thrown at him but still scored 200+ goals and probably the most eccentric and brilliant of them all, Robin Friday. It is reputed that during one game, Friday was so p*ssed that none of the defence bothered to mark him and he promptly stuck the winning goal in with no-one near him. I'm sure the reason we don't see more 'characters' in the game these days is simply money - they're unpredictable, you never know whether they're going to have a blinding game or an absolute stinker - much easier to invest your money in 'consistency', however boring and predictable that is.
Joey Barton for me is quite a character. From his tweeting to his uncontrollable nation on field. Banter with the fans winding oppositon up into getting sent up total package. I am actually quite fond of the guy and he has got some ability to go with it.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A4aDmp7Ow.../s400/B3B4D14A-AF1B-6EE4-C33B412E3F7E1A9F.jpg I want to get this as a large print. I didn't exist in the 70s, so I know very little about him.
I must admit to being quite a fan of Joey Barton. Love his honesty, and has been a breath of fresh air on Twitter w/regards to football players. Doesn't just type DENCH every 5 minutes. Danny Murphy was a character. Shame it was a **** character though.
Frank Worthington Always been a bit of a hero to me, think this tells you why http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story/_/id/1018904/the-mavericks:-frank-worthington?cc=5739# [video=youtube;W0z_arXZ8nM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0z_arXZ8nM[/video]
I remember this one well, AllHell - it came so late in the season (probably the last game) that it didn't get included in the Goal of the Season competition, which it would have won by a mile. Fabulous piece of skill. Didn't put him in my 'characters' list because he was such a whiner - I did see him play once at The Valley (for Leicester?) and he was in the ref's ear from about five minutes in and never stopped all game.
JA is a character, you don't have to want to polish biscuits on someone's ear horns to consider them a character, there are very few characters left, I will happily hug JA even if he is naked and it will excite me, not like that I'm not gay lol, but trust me you will miss the characters eg JA and Seb The Worm when they are gone, the plastics are no fun at all, they are biscuit gravying stale-eyed sweetmeats, no offence, all hail characters!
Regardless of whether Barton is a 'character', he is an absolute scumbag, he destroyed a youth team players life by stubbing out a cigar in his eye and his shown very little remorse for doing so. He seem's to think he is this 'reformed character' and that everyone should bow down and worship him when, in reality, all he does is flagrantly mis-quote great-Philosophers, mouth off about issues he hasn't got a clue about and make unprovoked and unjustifiably offensive remarks towards others.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...lks-free-admitting-assaulting-girlfriend.html Not the saint himself. I can't defend Barton, but if the man is trying to better himself then good luck to him. He attends AA meetings and has counseling for depression and anger, so if he continues to put the effort in then hopefully he can one day change public perception (though I doubt it).
