I'm surprised there's no thread yet, unless I missed it? Obviously I never saw him play but he's the centrepiece of my favourite football photograph of all time. You can just see that ****house Bremner trembling in his boots as Mackay grabs him by the shirt. The only way to deal with a coward. RIP.
One of One of my favourite football photographs. A wannabe hard man bricks it when confronted by a proper hard man. Mackay had just come back after breaking his leg for the second time and Bremner had caught him with a disgraceful tackle. The name Dave Mackay won't mean a lot to younger folk,but he was a true hard man, that is hard not dirty, and skilful too. The sort any team would want at their heart.
I like the quote from when he was asked in his later years whether he was a Spurs or Derby fan and he simply replied " I'm a Hearts man".
Far more than just a footballer, but a very, very good footballer, too. Huge respect to a man who any young lad was wise to admire, study and hold up as a real role model. A sad passing, but inevitable, as are them all. The football family has lost an elder statesman of great stature, yet dignified humility. RIP
Cloughie's greatest signing. Hijacked the deal Mackay had in place and persuaded him to join Derby and revert to CB. The only bloke tough enough to follow Cloughie too. RIP
Won a title in Scotland, the Double in England as a player and the league as a manager. A CV few can match. No wonder he was one of the 11 players chosen by the Royal Mail to be on the stamps marking 150 years of the FA. Jimmy Greaves thought him the best player he played with, George Best the toughest and bravest he played against. Surprised to read Greaves was taller than him, he was only 5'7", he seemed larger than that on a football pitch. It is a mystery how he only got 22 caps.
please log in to view this image A giant from an era when tackling was allowed. The master of the slidding tackle. He made Ian Ashbee look like a limp wristed whimp and yes we all know that Ash was not that. Similar to the late Andy Jock Davidson in hardness but DM was a much better player. R.I.P. Dave and thanks for all those great memories. A very sad loss.
One of a number of proper hard men of the day and as has already been pointed that does not mean dirty with it today's ballerinas would really have something to roll about the floor with after a tackle by this guy. RIP. Cloughie knew what he was doing getting this titan for his defence.
Sorry BCC but I can't agree with you about Bremner although Leeds were universally loathed at the time, not least because of Bremner, Giles, Madely, Hunter and Charlton, when Billy doned that City shirt he was a class act. His tactical awareness and astute passing were a joy to watch pity the City players around him were to crap to take advantage. And although Bremner was classed as dirty, that picture with Mackay and his bust up with Kevin Keegan in the Charity Shield at Wembly I thought Johnny Giles was they worse culprit although Bremner got the flak.
Saw Dave Mackay play in London in the Tottenham " Double Year" team in 1960/61. A great player in a great team. Great "Old School" as said before. RIP Dave Mackay.
