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Post by pmjh on Jul 26, 2020 6:42:05 GMT
Stanley Matthews The only player to put an extra 10,000 on the average home gate at away grounds he played. The only player invited to go on personal tours to other parts of the world, when travel was very difficult. The first English League footballer of the year and won it twice. The first European footballer of the year. The first footballer to be knighted. Generally regarded as the greatest ever by his peers. The player, Pele said taught the world to play football. Played on pitches today's footballers would find impossible. Played against defenders who would terrify today's forwards. (Apologies, I digressed.) And. I Believe. Still the only player to be knighted whilst still playing.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2020 6:56:25 GMT
Pele.
One word enough?
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Post by zerps on Jul 26, 2020 7:03:51 GMT
Danny Pugh
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Post by sheds1862 on Jul 26, 2020 7:08:31 GMT
Lionel Messi
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Post by Simon Drainrod on Jul 26, 2020 7:14:46 GMT
Tina Turner
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Post by lexie on Jul 26, 2020 7:19:35 GMT
Bobby Charlton
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Post by Veritas on Jul 26, 2020 7:30:26 GMT
Pele, obviously!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2020 7:55:04 GMT
Ronaldo, Done it in every country and club he’s played for.
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Post by ethers26 on Jul 26, 2020 7:58:56 GMT
Zidane (honourable mention)
Messi (final answer)
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Post by chell_rosey on Jul 26, 2020 8:00:14 GMT
Pele Blibble
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Post by dutchstokie on Jul 26, 2020 8:02:52 GMT
Pele.....sorry Pe-le
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Post by baystokie on Jul 26, 2020 8:20:47 GMT
I'm all for discussion and argument but what is the point of 'the greatest player'? Bobby Charlton was a lousy stand-in goalkeeper, couldn't defend to save his life, was average as a 'goal-provider' and was exceptional as a goalscorer. It's like saying Gordon Banks was average because he couldn't head a ball! On top of this is that current posters have little recollection of players prior to the 60s so ruling out appreciation of players I remember like Raich Carter. Wilf Mannion, Tommy Lawton. Tom Finney, Stan Mortensen, our own Neil Franklin and ignoring Puskas and the other Hungarians of the 50s.
Still, it provides plenty of posts to keep us going until the transfer window takes over this forum and we await 2020/2021!
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Post by biglad180 on Jul 26, 2020 8:27:32 GMT
james Mclean
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Post by Scrotnig on Jul 26, 2020 8:39:56 GMT
Stanley Matthews.
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Post by mrcoke on Jul 26, 2020 8:42:27 GMT
I'm all for discussion and argument but what is the point of 'the greatest player'? Bobby Charlton was a lousy stand-in goalkeeper, couldn't defend to save his life, was average as a 'goal-provider' and was exceptional as a goalscorer. It's like saying Gordon Banks was average because he couldn't head a ball! On top of this is that current posters have little recollection of players prior to the 60s so ruling out appreciation of players I remember like Raich Carter. Wilf Mannion, Tommy Lawton. Tom Finney, Stan Mortensen, our own Neil Franklin and ignoring Puskas and the other Hungarians of the 50s. Still, it provides plenty of posts to keep us going until the transfer window takes over this forum and we await 2020/2021! I fully agree. It is impossible to compare players of different eras and different positions. All you can do really is compare how a player rated against his peers, what impact he made on his sport and on society, and what his peers thought of him. Many of sports greatest are lost in time like Paavo Nurmi, Rod Laver, and Fangio, who not only dominated in their day but transformed their sport and took it to a new level. Then there are the issues of what obsticles some players overcame, like racial prejudice. In football there was the major obstacle of contracts pre Bosman. Wilf Mannion fought against Middlesbrough like Franklin and it damaged the career of a brilliant player. A digression: My wife and I once went to a St. Patrick's Day dance in Middlesbrough and a little guy was walking round shaking hands. He shook hands with my wife who clearly was perplexed and he said "I am Wilf Mannion". When he moved on, she turned to me and said "Who was that?"
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Post by lordb on Jul 26, 2020 8:44:49 GMT
Maradona Won it all Only Messi and Ronaldo come close Sorry but Matthews is nonsense. Great player but not on the same planet Between the ages of 24 to 30 Stanley Matthews career was put on hold because of a slight issue going on in the world. I wonder what Messi and Maradonna plus others careers would’ve looked like if you take these years out of their careers? (Of course it’s a crazy hypothetical point to raise and doesn’t diminish what they have actually achieved) He was terrorising the best defenders in Europe at 17 too
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Post by ab61 on Jul 26, 2020 9:41:08 GMT
Sammy Irvine
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2020 10:06:28 GMT
Diego Maradona.
Horrible little man, but truly a football genius. Made very average teams great.
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Post by OldStokie on Jul 26, 2020 10:38:06 GMT
Diego Maradona.
OS.
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Post by femark on Jul 26, 2020 12:23:44 GMT
Titus Bramble
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Post by thehartshillbadger on Jul 26, 2020 12:25:17 GMT
🤣 That Bramble/Boumsong partnership was hilarious
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Post by lordb on Jul 26, 2020 12:50:52 GMT
🤣 That Bramble/Boumsong partnership was hilarious Used to work with someone who whenever a massive mistake was made, usually by then, he described it as a 'Boumble'
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Post by thehartshillbadger on Jul 26, 2020 12:53:09 GMT
🤣 That Bramble/Boumsong partnership was hilarious Used to work with someone who whenever a massive mistake was made, usually by then, he described it as a 'Boumble' Haha similarly to me then. If someone was having a bad day, they were having a right Boumsong or a right Bramble
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Post by stantheman on Jul 26, 2020 13:07:52 GMT
From a historical perspective - Sir Stan From a modern day fan who's been going since 95/96 - Ricardo Fuller Have an on-line beer from me 👍🏻
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Post by markby on Jul 26, 2020 13:54:05 GMT
George Best. (Charlton not in the conversation from my perspective). Dave Sadler who played n the 1968 European Cup Final for Man U, once said about Best that you could have picked him in any other outfield position in that team and he'd have been better than the player he replaced - possibly the finest compliment I've heard for a player. Ok, Law was missing through injury, but Charlton wasn't.
For myself I've been lucky enough to see Best, Cruyff, Messi, Maradona, Healy and Ronaldo (Portugese) live and I wouldn't like to say who was the greatest.
But if I had to pick one player at the top of his game to play a match to save my life, it would have to be Maradona.
Sorry George.
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Post by peekay67 on Jul 26, 2020 14:47:53 GMT
George Best
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Post by Gods on Jul 26, 2020 15:04:05 GMT
We used to sing "Georgie Best...Superstar...looks like a woman and he wears a bra" Seemed like one of the more innocent songs of the time. But would now fail on 3 counts. Insulting to women, chaps with long hair and transvestites
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Post by silsdenstokie on Jul 26, 2020 15:18:23 GMT
If Messi can ever win the World Cup for Argentina it's probably him, otherwise Maradona
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Post by liathroid on Jul 26, 2020 15:25:50 GMT
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Post by onepara on Jul 26, 2020 16:04:38 GMT
Der Kaiser- Franz Beckenbauer. Would put those attackers in his back pocket.
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