Battle Of The SUFC Legends - Last 16 - Kevin Maher vs Ron Pountney

[manor15]

Vote for who you want to win. Poll closes at midnight.

Kevin Maher (Supported by the great manor15 King Kev won group A with 75 votes. After beginning his career with Tottenham Hotspur, Maher moved to Southend United on a free transfer on 23 January 1998. He quickly broke into the first team, making 18 appearances for the first-team that season. During the 1998–99 season, Maher scored his first career goal in a 1–1 draw with Rochdale. Over the next 10 years Maher was a virtual ever-present for Southend, rising to be team captain and subsequently club captain. During this time he made more than 400 appearances for the club, and captained Southend to promotion twice, from League Two to the Championship, in successive seasons including a fine display in the League 2 play-off final. Maher also captained his side to a famous victory over Manchester United in arguably the clubs most successful spell from when he lead the Blues out at the first ever cup final until the famous victory over Manchester United. In the 07-08 season he had to look elsewhere for first tem football and joined Oldham. The fans favourite scored 22 goals for the Shrimpers in over 400 appearances.)

Ron Pountney (Matt the Shrimp's choice was the runner up in Group I with 37 votes. He managed to score 35 goals in 403 appearances during a 10 year spell at Southend. A stylish midfielder, he always gave his all and still lives locally as a decorator.)

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

You might want to mention that Pountney won the player of the year award a record three times, won Southend's first ever title and didn't (to my knowledge) take every other game off during his first five years at the club.

 

[Smudger]

You might want to mention that Pountney won the player of the year award a record three times, won Southend's first ever title and didn't (to my knowledge) take every other game off during his first five years at the club.

Back that with a stat - for my money Maher was our most consistent performer (regularly in the top 3 for player of the season winning it a couple of times) and provider of goals in the past 20 years. He had a ropey first couple of seasons but Ronaldo would have looked **** playing for Alvin Martin and Brian Little.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Back that with a stat - for my money Maher was our most consistent performer (regularly in the top 3 for player of the season winning it a couple of times) and provider of goals in the past 20 years. He had a ropey first couple of seasons but Ronaldo would have looked **** playing for Alvin Martin and Brian Little.

Ronaldo might have looked ****, but I'd at least expect him to look as if he gave a ****.

I've seen Maher stroll through far too many games not giving a ****, for me to call him a Southend legend.

IMHO Maher gave 5 years excellent service to the club, but he also took the **** for 5 years.

 

[manor15]

At the end of the day you can't put everything that went wrong in his first 5 years on King Kev but he was 1 of our key players in the next 5 years and the next 5 years are the 1s people will look back on SUFC history and say "that was a good 5 years"
Kev must have set up half of Freddy's goals at least, he took set pieces for years, and like Franno, he wasn't great but was the best we had.
Think of the passion he's shown in games like Col Ewe and then claim "he didn't give a ****", another stat; in the book, A Century United, where some readers voted for their favourite ever player, Kev got 20 votes whereas Ron got 12.
He was KING Kev for a reason.

 

[manor15]

A big part of this competition is stats. Look at Kevs: Over 400 appearances, one of the most in SUFC history, 22 goals from a defensive midfielder, 2 promotions; a play-off win and a championship, getting us to the highest division we have only been in once before, captain for 5 years, countless assists. What else is there that you could want a player to have?

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

A big part of this competition is stats.

All stats from Robin Michel's excellent SUFC Database:

Pountney (403 apps) played more times for us than Maher (382 apps)
Pountney (35 goals) scored almost twice as many goals for us as Maher (18 goals)
Pountney won a Div 4 championship medal, unlike Maher (*).
Pountney won Player of the Year on three separate occasions, which is more than Maher (who won it once, IIRC?).

When it comes to pure stats, or longevity, or numbers of goals, or commitment to the cause... those are the battlegrounds on which Kevin Maher ought objectively to lose to Ronnie Pountney.

I suspect Kev will win because he played for us more recently - but it's not because he was a more loyal servant to us than Sir Ron.



(*Maher may have won a Div 3 championship medal, but no one ever calls it "Maher's" season... it was Freddy & Spinner that won us that title, and it is merely Pountney's misfortune not to have played with players as gifted as those two.)

 

[Uncle Leo]

Pountney played more times for us than Maher
Pountney scored more goals for us than Maher
Pountney won a Div 4 championship medal, unlike Maher.
Pountney won Player of the Year on three separate occasions, which is more than Maher.

Three of those points are fair enough, but seeing as Maher won a League One (ok, Division Three!) championship medal then he trumps Pountney there.

 

[manor15]

Also while Pountney won 3 it for 3 years Kev has been in the top 3 much more consistently and won it at least once. I never saw Pountney play but from what I know he played more of an attacking role then Kev played and Kev probably got more assists.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

At the end of the day you can't put everything that went wrong in his first 5 years on King Kev but he was 1 of our key players in the next 5 years and the next 5 years are the 1s people will look back on SUFC history and say "that was a good 5 years"

Where did I say everything that wrong in his first five year's is on his shoulders.

You are using the fact that he played ten years for us as something in his favour, I'm pointing out, because I rather suspect you didn't see his first five years at the club, that his first five years or so at the club weren't all that and he coasted by on his talent, rarely giving 100%.

Yeah, he might have been up for FA Cup games, derby games against Orient, maybe the big Bank Holiday games or the start of the season but in between, in those trips to northern hell-holes like Halifax, Hartlepool and Macclesfield his effort dipped and he coasted through games without breaking into a sweat, safe in the knowledge that one good performance every three or four games would keep him in the team.

Kev must have set up half of Freddy's goals at least, he took set pieces for years, and like Franno, he wasn't great but was the best we had.

I can assure you Maher did not set up "at least" half of Freddy's goals. I suggest you get the DVDs out and you'll see that Freddy had to create more for himself than Maher set up for him.

Think of the passion he's shown in games like Col Ewe and then claim "he didn't give a ****",

Nice piece of quoting out of context. The passion he displayed in the Col Ewe game actually strengthens what I was saying. Where was that same passion away at places like Darlington and Hull? I saw that passion from lesser players like Stuart Thurgood, but Maher was only ever up for the big games in the early part of his career.

another stat; in the book, A Century United, where some readers voted for their favourite ever player, Kev got 20 votes whereas Ron got 12.

You do realise that that poll is as fundamentally flawed as your battle of the legends?

He was KING Kev for a reason.

Geoff King Kev?

Also while Pountney won 3 it for 3 years Kev has been in the top 3 much more consistently and won it at least once.

LOL

 

[Sean 2]

Fairly tough one this, but i'm going with Sir Ron Pountney.

A true SUFC legend and where my boy got his name from!

 

[shaneyshrimper]

Go for Ron. Definately a SUFC legend and a damn fine decorator. He did my house last year!!!

 

[BoyWonder2]

Kevin Maher for me, as his more my era.

I loved watching Maher play for us. Very rarely gave the ball away, and always created space from himself that others struggle to do. Good players find time on the bar, and Maher found plenty.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Very disappointed but not surprised to see Maher winning thus far. The arguments have been laid out in the previous posts.

Therefore I'll make a pleas for the waverers or those that haven't voted yet.

Vote Ron Pountney.

 

[OldBlueLady]

It's an age thing again Harry, anyone who looks at Pountney's record here will find he is/was superior to Maher in more ways than one.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Indeed that's true Kay, I can't blame people for voting for players they've seen, but would think that recognition of their achievements should be taken into account.

 

[Tinks]

It's an age thing again Harry, anyone who looks at Pountney's record here will find he is/was superior to Maher in more ways than one.

Agree fully here that Pountney IS far superior to Maher.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Fairly tough one this, but i'm going with Sir Ron Pountney.

A true SUFC legend and where my boy got his name from!

Fancy calling your son Pountney ;)

 

[Sean 2]

Fancy calling your son Pountney ;)

I thought it was original:whistling:

 

[Smudger]

Indeed that's true Kay, I can't blame people for voting for players they've seen, but would think that recognition of their achievements should be taken into account.

Very true and those achievements don't get any higher in our entire history than the spell when Maher was our captain and playmaker.

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.