Jagtag Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 The statue outside Old Trafford isn't there for nothing.Best the best British player ever,Denis the king,Charlton the soul of Manchester. I wouldn't even have Best in the top 20. A waster who was brilliant on his day but was only on he's day occasionally and for about 5 or 6 years. Dalglish is the greatest "British" player ever in my opinion anD produced regularly for over 15 years. Law would be a close 2nd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyHead Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I wouldn't even have Best in the top 20. A waster who was brilliant on his day but was only on he's day occasionally and for about 5 or 6 years. Dalglish is the greatest "British" player ever in my opinion anD produced regularly for over 15 years. Law would be a close 2nd. You're dead right about Best. He gets mythologised because of some folk's envy about his drinking and women, but he was simply (at the most generous) the third best player in a very good United team, and was effective for only 3 or 4 years, quickly being exposed as short of top class when he was asked to do it for a declining United side. Greatest British ever? Well, that's an interesting one to discuss - Bobby Charlton, Gordon Banks, Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, Tom Finney and (my slight favourite) John Charles would all be in the frame, I think - but not Best, no way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bannannan Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I hated and still hate the fact he wasted his talent ,but nothing can change my opinion of how good he was before he went off the straight and narrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bannannan Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErsatzThistle Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 You're dead right about Best. He gets mythologised because of some folk's envy about his drinking and women, but he was simply (at the most generous) the third best player in a very good United team, and was effective for only 3 or 4 years, quickly being exposed as short of top class when he was asked to do it for a declining United side. Greatest British ever? Well, that's an interesting one to discuss - Bobby Charlton, Gordon Banks, Kenny Dalglish, Denis Law, Tom Finney and (my slight favourite) John Charles would all be in the frame, I think - but not Best, no way Good shout for John Charles. Everything I've read about him and the footage there is shows the guy had something special. A while ago now I was listening to some idiots on the radio (think it was on 5live) discussing who the greatest ever Welsh footballer was. All they talked about was Giggs, Rush, Hughes and Southall (great players but none are the greatest ever Welsh footballer) whilst totally ignoring Welsh international greats like Billy Meredith, Ivor Allchurch and John Charles. Another nugget of wisdom they pulled out was that Ally McCoist had to be "Scotland's greatest ever player". Stan Matthews, Tommy Lawton, Bobby Moore, Dixie Dean are others I'd consider for England. Billy Bremner, Hughie Gallacher, Alex James, Billy Liddell, Dave Mackay, Billy Steel, Jim Baxter and Gary Teale would be on my list for Scotland alongside Law and Dalglish if we were considering the "greatest British player." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil L Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Law was the greatest Scottish player ever. Did anyone see him being interviewed in the BBC Alba football documentary on 2nd January - Tartan Pride? Maybe still on iplayer. At the very end Law gets all choked up talking about playing for Scotland (while Caledonia plays in the background). I only had the pleasure of seeing him once on the park - Czechoslovakia. And for the first time in my life I watched a player off the ball rather than follow the ball. I remember thinking at the time it was like watching Rod Stewart front The Faces. I was utterly mesmerised by the man. He just didn't have the legs left then to complete a clear run in on goal to clinch the game near the end; I was almost running for him sitting in the stand with my Dad. Years later at Glasgow airport, the night after he was inducted in the Hall of Fame, he was in the queue boarding the flight to Manchester. I was so shocked that I was taller than him - nobody should be taller than Denis Law ! - that I stammered hello and walked on, regretting to this day not having at least a 30 second chat with him and getting his autograph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robroysboy Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 Law was the greatest Scottish player ever. Did anyone see him being interviewed in the BBC Alba football documentary on 2nd January - Tartan Pride? Maybe still on iplayer. At the very end Law gets all choked up talking about playing for Scotland (while Caledonia plays in the background). I only had the pleasure of seeing him once on the park - Czechoslovakia. And for the first time in my life I watched a player off the ball rather than follow the ball. I remember thinking at the time it was like watching Rod Stewart front The Faces. I was utterly mesmerised by the man. He just didn't have the legs left then to complete a clear run in on goal to clinch the game near the end; I was almost running for him sitting in the stand with my Dad. Years later at Glasgow airport, the night after he was inducted in the Hall of Fame, he was in the queue boarding the flight to Manchester. I was so shocked that I was taller than him - nobody should be taller than Denis Law ! - that I stammered hello and walked on, regretting to this day not having at least a 30 second chat with him and getting his autograph. I watched tartan pride and that was the inspiration for this thread. I am jealous of you having the opportunity to watch him play for Scotland, sounds a real star and worthy of his hall of fame status. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flora MaDonald Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 He signed his book for me in Borders, and I told him he went to primary with my Aunt. Queue held up for aboot 10 minutes, as he reminisced! A great man in all respects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyHead Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Good shout for John Charles. Everything I've read about him and the footage there is shows the guy had something special. A while ago now I was listening to some idiots on the radio (think it was on 5live) discussing who the greatest ever Welsh footballer was. All they talked about was Giggs, Rush, Hughes and Southall (great players but none are the greatest ever Welsh footballer) whilst totally ignoring Welsh international greats like Billy Meredith, Ivor Allchurch and John Charles. Another nugget of wisdom they pulled out was that Ally McCoist had to be "Scotland's greatest ever player". Stan Matthews, Tommy Lawton, Bobby Moore, Dixie Dean are others I'd consider for England. Billy Bremner, Hughie Gallacher, Alex James, Billy Liddell, Dave Mackay, Billy Steel, Jim Baxter and Gary Teale would be on my list for Scotland alongside Law and Dalglish if we were considering the "greatest British player." Gary Teale and Bobby Moore - you're a wag!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErsatzThistle Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Gary Teale and Bobby Moore - you're a wag!! They were all set to give Gary Teale the Ballon d'Or a few years ago but he he smashed into the back of Platini's new Bentley before the ceremony and that was that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redstevie007 Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Almost. Stan Matthews (very complimentary about Scottish players and Scottish football in his autobiography) picked Law and Alan Gilzean to play in his own team of players versus the ROTW in an exhibition matchat Stoke's old ground. Willie Henderson and Jim Baxter got picked for the ROTW. These were the teams Matthews XI: Tony Waiters, Jimmy Armfield, George Cohen, Johnny Haynes, Bobby Thomson, Denis Law, Stanley Matthews, Jimmy Greaves, Bobby Charlton, Alan Gilzean, Cliff Jones Subs: Bryan Douglas, John Ritchie, Ray Wilson, Roger Hunt, Kai Johansen Rest of the World XI: Lev Yashin, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, Wolfgang Weber, Ján Popluhár, Josef Masopust, Jim Baxter, Willie Henderson, Raymond Kopa, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Eusébio. Subs: Hans Tilkowski, Uwe Seeler, Hans Schäfer, Wolfgang Overath, Francisco Gento, László Kubala, Godfried van den Boer. The ROTW won the match 6-4. Must have been incredible for those watching it. What a compliment for Law and the others to be rated by a giant of the game like Matthews. ####in hell Puskas, Eusebio, Di Stefano and Kopa. That's some front line. Gento and Kubala on the bench too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyHead Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 They were all set to give Gary Teale the Ballon d'Or a few years ago but he he smashed into the back of Platini's new Bentley before the ceremony and that was that. Aye, and those wristwatches that Platini and all the rest of them got given as a 'gift' a wee while back - shame Bobby Moore's not around anymore, he'd have nicked a few o'them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flora MaDonald Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 They were all set to give Gary Teale the Ballon d'Or a few years ago but he he smashed into the back of Platini's new Bentley before the ceremony and that was that. With his heid nae doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherwell Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Remember him scoring against Peru in the early 1970s & a few of us trying to run on the park to celebrate from the North Terracing. Never got any further than the red ash. Met him in the Electric Bar in Motherwell at a Q & A session sponsored by a drinks company. Had a few choice words to say about Bob Wilson playing for us. Absolute Legend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auchinyell Sox Change Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 Gary Teale and Bobby Moore - you're a wag!! Bobby Moore was class , as much as it pains me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auchinyell Sox Change Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 the elephant in the room am assuming is with respect to politics tbh am totally bored by the whole thing now ; where every thread turns into the same guff at some point some folk may clue in that a working class boy from the tenements with borrowed boots made it to the top of the game, represented his country with pride can have his views without being labelled a turncoat or some other infantile pish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellyman Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 In the early 70's i went to see Ipswich Town v Man Utd, for those to young to remember, Utd were the glamour team. I can recall the girls all coming to see George Best, the English guys to see Bobby Charlton but I was there to see the "KING" Denis Law. The other two were great players as we all know but for me Denis was the KING ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pool Q Posted January 10, 2015 Share Posted January 10, 2015 I can just about remember watching the qualifier against Czechoslovakia (my Dad was at the game, he came home half-jaked but happy at about 1 in the morning). He was well past his prime by that stage, but ran himself into the ground for the team that night. I think he was so fvcked he had to lie down at one point (may have been cramp I suppose) and the commentator (probably the late, great Arthur Montford) making a joke about it. By the time the games in Germany came around he really was on the way down as a player, but still it was fitting such a great player actually got to play in the Finals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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