Just seen a thread on another site about toughest footballers. Who would yours be for (a) City and (b) Other Teams? Mick Harford would be mine for City I'll go for Graeme Souness for the non-City category
Fellaini is a dirty **** when playing. Although I do like him, On his day he can be a quality player.
For us mark aizlewood seemed to like mixing it, julian dicks i always remember him stamping on a guys
for city, seem to remember johny quigley could look after himself, other than city a toss up between ron harris and tommy smith (all for us old ones)
Never saw Bite your legs play for City, but I do remember "don't piss me off" Gerry Gow. Shame players of his ilk have long since disappeared from Ashton Gate.
Wait for this one but I watched a player at Chelsea called Ron "Chopper" Harris try and take the legs out from under a footballing legend named Stanley Matthews who was over 50 at the time and he spent the rest of the game being booed by his home crowd. Yes I am that old.
Gerry Gow and Norman Hunter for City-Tough ones were all then from the past- Tommy Smith, Ron Harris were probably the toughest.Nobby Stiles was harder than he looked too- Those guys wouldnt last 5 minutes on a pitch today and would be forever banned!
To be fair to Gow he could play football as well the tackling was hard but usually fair whereas Norm thought eveyone was fair game.
Did none of you guys see Mike Thresher and Nobby Stiles? They'd have both lasted less then ten minutes if yellow cards had been issued then.
Old 'uns: Dave Mackay (Spurs and Derby) Johnny Giles, Billy Bremner or any of 'that' Leeds team Peter Storey (Arsenal) Ron Yeats (Liverpool) Tommy Smith (Liverpool) Younger 'viewers' may disagree, but I reckon that 'back in the day' players were generally harder/tougher. Look at the pitches they had to play on, and the heavier ball they played with. There are a number of ex-pros around with early stages of dementia which doctors have put down to heading the old ball. Initially there were no subs, then one. So if you were injured you stayed on unless you were immobile. Boots were anything but lightweight and shinguards were flimsy, if worn at all. Referees gave you little protection. Load of softies these days!
Gerry Gow and Harford for City. Elsewhere Hurlock and Whitehurst. Modern day football players in comparison are effeminate, and their play acting cringeworthy. Many of the tackles now would not budge a six year old.
I remember Norman Hunter playing for City - it seemed in the first few minutes he would go through the back of the centre forward and get booked - he then continued to kick him for the rest of the game but never got sent-off - could never happen now!!! Another name to think about is Terry Hurlock? Must be some Italians as well!!
