Hardest footballer ever?

[unrepentant]

The launch of The Damned United movie brings back to prominence the Leeds team of the early 70's with such luminaries of thuggery as Norman Hunter and Billy Bremner.

But who was the hardest?

Hunter?

Dave Mackay?

Tommy Smith?

Rattin?

The late Ron Harris?







(He's not dead, just bloody late...........)

[ZR1cliff]

John McGrath, Southampton.
Terry Hurlock, Millwall and Rangers.
Gavin McGuire, Pompey and Millwall.
Steve McMahon, Liverpool.
Stuart Pearce, Forest.

Edited by ZR1cliff on Tuesday 31st March 01:20

[unrepentant]

ZR1cliff said:

John McGrath, Southampton.
Terry Hurlock, Millwall.
Steve McMahon, Liverpool.

Here's one for you.


Cliff Huxford.

Southampton and Basingstoke Town!

[deevlash]

no drunken duncan ferguson?

[ZR1cliff]

Rings a bell but never saw him play. Sorry misread your intial post, from the 70's you say

Harry Crips, Millwall.
Jackie Charlton, Leeds would put it about and take it.
Dave Mckay, Spurs would be a hard one to beat.

[ZR1cliff]

Sorry, Dave I didney mean it

[ZR1cliff]

deevlash said:

no drunken duncan ferguson?

Good shout.

[central]

[central]

[deevlash]

Andoni Goikoetxea aka "the butcher of bilbao" it was him that destroyed maradonnas ankle

[ZR1cliff]

John McGrath

[ZR1cliff]

I think Bremner is misplaced on this thread, he was a niggly tackler but never really a hardman of football, he once fell out with Keegan IIRC.

[DJC]

Pearce
Julian Dicks
Souness

[Get Karter]

I don't think the guys who dish it out are hard. Aggressive cheats more like. Robbie Savage, Roy Keane and Ashley Cole spring to mind.

The real hard guys were the Andy Gray's of this world who went in with the head where others wouldn't go with the boot.
Butcher and Terry have both suffered head injuries to put them up there too.

Don't have to be a cheat to be hard.

Edited by Get Karter on Tuesday 31st March 10:27

[unrepentant]

unrepentant said:

Here's one for you.


Cliff Huxford.

Southampton and Basingstoke Town!

ZR1cliff said:

Rings a bell but never saw him play.

I know that you are a 'Stoke fan Cliff that's why I mentioned him.

Huxford was a tough little midfielder who played a number of seasons for Southampton and was signed by Basingstoke in the mid to late 70's as player manager. By then he was around 40 and slow, especially in the tackle.

I was a regular at the Camrose Ground as a teenager and used to travel with them sometimes as well if Reading weren't playing. One Boxing Day we went to Waterlooville. There weren't enough travelling fans to warrant 2 coaches so we travelled with the players. The goalie, Kelvin Hopkins, didn't turn up so Cliff went in goal! We lost 5-0 and Cliff was not a happy bunny on the coach going back. Never did find out why Hopkins missed the bus.

There were some truly filthy players in the semi pro game back then. (Not that Cliff was filthy, just tough and slow.)

[ClintonB]

Billy Whitehurst must be in with a good shout.

Rumours of bare knuckle bouts with Pikeys, considered by Vinnie Jones & Razor to be one of, if not the, toughest opponent they ever faced.

Edited by ClintonB on Tuesday 31st March 11:45

[ZR1cliff]

unrepentant said:

unrepentant said:

Here's one for you.


Cliff Huxford.

Southampton and Basingstoke Town!

ZR1cliff said:

Rings a bell but never saw him play.

I know that you are a 'Stoke fan Cliff that's why I mentioned him.

Huxford was a tough little midfielder who played a number of seasons for Southampton and was signed by Basingstoke in the mid to late 70's as player manager. By then he was around 40 and slow, especially in the tackle.

I was a regular at the Camrose Ground as a teenager and used to travel with them sometimes as well if Reading weren't playing. One Boxing Day we went to Waterlooville. There weren't enough travelling fans to warrant 2 coaches so we travelled with the players. The goalie, Kelvin Hopkins, didn't turn up so Cliff went in goal! We lost 5-0 and Cliff was not a happy bunny on the coach going back. Never did find out why Hopkins missed the bus.

There were some truly filthy players in the semi pro game back then. (Not that Cliff was filthy, just tough and slow.)

I only started going down the Camrose a few years back, but have heard of the name, I expect some of the old uns remember him. I haven't been down there for two seasons now as I've been looking out for my folks in Poole, and as I always like to support non league grass roots football I've been watching Poole. Some freinds still go down the Camrose though and remark how things are turning around down there.

Back on topic - I think the 70's hard man player status is between Mackay, Smith and McGrath. Back then they were like the guv'nors on the pitch and used to keep their own players in line as well as the opposition. My vote would go to Tommy Smith at Liverpool as he would do it at all levels, even in Europe.

[anonymous-user]

Bryan Robson was hard as nails but as he was more skillful than the average hardman, often gets overlooked in these debates.

[merseyboy]

deevlash said:

Andoni Goikoetxea aka "the butcher of bilbao" it was him that destroyed maradonnas ankle

Oh god yes, most others are kittens compared to this guy.

[dirty boy]

Dave MacKay

Roy Keane

Neither affraid of anything.

Hardest ever though....

Would have to be...Myself.