I was talking with my brother this morning with whom I used to go to the Cottage - he's unable to attend these days. Fulham have had a good few well-known players, but who in your view have been unsung heroes, largely forgotten? Three we talked about from the 70's were Alan Slough, John Cutbush and Barry Lloyd. George Cohen was our famous 60's full-back but there was a great character on the other flank called Jim Langley. In recent times I think Maik Taylor did a great job in goal for us. I won't drone on, just be interested to hear your forgotten ones.
I used to love 'Gentleman' Jim Langley - very good left back, equal to George Cohen I thought. Good from the penalty spot, frequently used overhead kicks (with the old leather ball remember) and a great sliding tackle. Les Barrett would get my vote though - a great, fast left winger and a thoroughly nice guy. With Rod Marsh and Steve Earle in the middle it was quite a flambouyant team.
I always think of Les as more well-known. Especially after that goal up at Carlisle in 1975. Great player, him on the left, Jimmy Conway on the right.
Maik - a true pro. wasn't he in line to be our starting keeper and we got VDS? He didn't moan he got on with it. Fair play. Geoff Horsfield another who I enjoyed watching builder to footballer. Life gave him a nasty spin but he's thankfully still around. Nice bit of biz by KK. In truth there are many many more.
For me as a real oldie,it was the fabulous trio of ROBSON JEZZARD HAYNES. All playing for England in the mid to late 50s. For those of you who may wonder who Beddy Jezzard,was look up his goalscoring record on the club files.The hardest hitter of a ballI have ever seen,and quoting Brian Clough, can that lad head a ball.
It's funny. We joke about Salcido, but do you remember that stuff people wrote on the 606 board about Baird and Zamora. At the end of the 08/09 season, "What good is a front man who doesn't score goals ... blah blah blah." Just goes to show you never know who will become a hero.
Can't disagree about the oldies mentioned. But for me Graham Leggat was the it - a real flying scotsman.
Nice idea Rocky. In addition to Barry Hayles, Geoff Horsfield and Chris Baird, permit me to add Terry Angus, Robbie Herrera, Moritz Volz (unsurprising given my signature line below).
For me Sylvain ' leggie ' Legwinski was the bulldozer in the middle of the park who never really got much credit - brilliant player with an amazing attitude Still Danny Murphy does not get the credit that he deserves, he is rarely mentioned when we talk of essential players to our squad, without him we do create much, a true playmaker.
You're probably right frogman. What with his nearly 18,000 succesful passes last year (second only to some Stammy Blue Knob) and Danny is a very, very good captain - although I wish he'd get off Bairdhino's back on the field. That said he's not an icon (yet) like Ifor, Morgs and your own Leggie.
you know when I moved from the UK to Canada back in the 80's Leggie used to the run the show on TSN - a Canadian football show every Sat morning where they showed a live old 1st div game. Legend totally agree. I loved it.
I think the man who I took my nom-de-board from, Simon Morgan, is too sung to be an unsung hero, but I think he belongs in the company of the players mentioned above. I still remember when Jeff Eckhardt came on as a sub for Cardiff against us a few years after leaving. He got a standing ovation (well, we were all standing in the Hammersmith End in those days, but you know what I mean) which must have bemused some of the Cardiff fans, but spoke volumes for how his time with us was appreciated.
Yep, the likes of Morgan and Cohen can't be called unsung, I believe one of them won a World Cup medal once. It's those many players who we've enjoyed over the years and are now in the almost forgotten parts of our memories that I was interested in, and Eckhardt is in that category.
To those already mentioned I'd add Mark Blake. A key part of the promotion team from Div. 3, without which, where would we be now?
