Hard man XI v fairies XI

[Kent Shrimper]

Dave Martin
Shane Westley
Peter Butler
Paul Clark

I would place them all into the Hard XI

 

[DistantBlue]

Quote[/b] (fbm @ Sep. 09 2005,16:50)]

Quote[/b] (DistantBlue @ Sep. 09 2005,16:37)]I'm v old but it doesn't disqualify me.
Just a reference for Joe Jaques (RIP)
It's Fri night ,long time back, Div 4 - Home v Col U mid winter
Big crowd - ball bouncing v.high on icy pitch in centre circle
2 players aim to make it theirs
Our skipper Joe J,tough,nasty,afraid of nothing and
their captain Bobby Cram ex WBA and if anything perceived to be even harder.
The ball bounces up again ,there's a flourish of waist high studs ..............
And Cram is left in bits on the ground.He's gone in over the top but Joey boy had gone in even higher!!!!


The crowd loved it.He wasn't the best centre half in the world but he had passion and boy he was hard in a way that Dave Webb was when he played.
Anybody recall him?

Oh yes...

but harder than that -

John Kurila!

Kurila the Gorilla they called him.  I don't need to elaborate.

Also a fiery scot called Dave Cunningham, who was about the size of Russell Williamson (fairies XI nomination?) and who suffered from small bloke syndrome.

I remember a game in the mid-late 70's when Cunningham was brought on as sub (there was only1 allowed in those days).  Can't recall who we were playing, and this story has become so embellished over the years it could be that my recollection is incorrect.  Anyway, as he joined the field of play, the keeper took a goal kick (North Bank end) and the ball drifted out to the touchline in front of the West stand.  Cunningham, who had barely broken stride, then clattered into his opponent who ended up prostrate on the deck.  Cunningham was immediately sent off after only being on the field for about 15 seconds.

Does anyone else remember this?

Cunningham was delightfully crazy even if there wasn't anything of him.
And all the other nominations from way back have been valid too.
Albeson,Kurila,Martin were all horrible to play against and took no prisoners..
Add to them Big Bill Garner who could pick a fight in a monastery and you've got a selection of competitors who would keep you turning up even when we used to come second too often.