favorite players

I know I'm going back a bit but I always wanted to see Stanley Mathews play, I went to Grimsby when they were in div 1, Middlesboro, and Huddersfield to see him play (for Blackpool) but he never played in either of those games. I found out later that he only played in away games which suited him. A few years later he played in a friendly at Boothferry Park but I was away at the time so I still didn't see him. That game finished 5-5.
How far would you travel to see a favorite player?.

 

That Blackpool friendly was great entertainment but Mathews was outshone by the Tigers winger I think it was Stevens but I do suffer from an ageing memory lapse so don't hold me to it. Mathews was unplayable in the Bolton v Blackpool cup final .I'm sure he had the ball tied to his right boot he was amazing.

 

Don't want to sound ageist but maybe in those days before TV you would have to travel to see players?

 

I think the player I'd travel to see live is Messi.

 

There are no individual players I'd travel to see. Occasionally, if City make a big new signing, I'll be tempted to travel to an away match I'd otherwise have looked at and thought "I'll save my money".

 

The greatest player I've seen live was Hagi (Galatasaray) when I was living in Turkey, it was also a great match in the large local Ataturk stadium. We're talking a huge concrete bowl (51,000 capacity) and all-terracing, eastern block style. It poured down and there were rivers running down from the stands. Game finished 5-4 (they beat local Izmir team Altay)

 

Im taking my son to the Nou Camp in november for his 10th birthaday not just to see Messi but to watch what i personally think is the best club team in history
Its costing a few quid to go for 4 days but a few years from now we ll be glad we saw them

 

Just out of interest, how can you claim they're the best club team in history when they havent managed to retain the Champions League trophy?

 

I said personally I think they are.
Who do you think was a better team?

 

The best player I've seen play is Thierry Henry. Having said that though most of the players you're all talking about had long since retired when I first started getting into football.

 

I actually grew up as an arsenal fan (clearly that won't go down too well here) and my footballing idols growing up were Tony Adams and Dennis bergkamp, the latter of which is without doubt the finest footballer I've ever seen.

 

I did in my early years. I've seen Bergkamp too, but in his fading years. Was still a genius on the ball though even at the age of 35

 

Duane Darby, no contest!

 

My favourite player as a kid was Tony Cottee. I idolised him. I finally got to see him play when I was 14, West Ham vs. Norwich City. I did see him at Boothferry Park eventually, the season he took Barnet down as Player/Manager!

 

My current favourite player is Messi and I went to see him play in Barcelona last year in the Champions League game against Arsenal. He scored the 4 goals in the 4-1 win. So all in all travelled quite a distance from about 100 miles west of Sydney.

 

Some of the other best players I've seen live are.. Gary Lineker (Spurs), Mark Wright (Derby), Juninho (Lyon), Hakan Sukur (Galatasaray), Rustu & Elvir Bolic (Fenerbahce), Paul Ince & Mark Hughes (Man U), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Geovanni (City)

 

Watched Zenedine Zedan at the Bernabeau some years ago. He was perfection on that night.

 

We watched that match on some sort of screen the following week I think it was Regal cinema in Ferensway. Blackpool were brillient their team was full of internationals at the time it must have been one of the best finals ever 4-3 was the final score. (I think) it was 1953 so like you, my memory fades a bit.

 

Tony Norman

 

Ive travelled and paid to see alot of the all time greats. Best - Cruyff - Charlton - Bobby Moore - Banks - Hurst - Waggy to name only a very small few. But......

Nowadays i would only go out of my way (HULL CITY GAMES APART) to watch Barcelona and Messi.