A Blackpool Hard Man XI

FY16JJ

FY16JJ

Well-known member
Have we had a tough nut slightly unhinged keeper? Les Sealey always seemed a bit of a character. Not sure we have had a ruthless no nonsense striker either but pretty sure we can fit in the rest. I'll start with the obvious with Gary Brabin.
 
All these posts have beaten me to some names I would have mentioned
Although not the biggest of midfielders, I always thought Billy Ronson could be a hard player (and a little bit nowty of course)
 
The goalie has got to come from the era where, attacker could bundle him and ball into the net, and it was a goal surely?
 
I was reading recently about Billy Ronson and how he was sanctioned by the club and banned on a few occasions for his excessive disciplinary record. This was on top of any FA bans he would have had . This was mentioned as a reason why a number of transfer deals fell through when bigger clubs were checking him out. I was only a kid mid 70s and didn't know that.
 
Lee Collins.. Dave linaghan( who apparently used to get of the coach at Preston every Saturday , sink a load of ales in the pub then have a scrap 😂)
Andy Morrison used to put the fear factor in a few also
 
FY16JJ said:
Have we had a tough nut slightly unhinged keeper? Les Sealey always seemed a bit of a character. Not sure we have had a ruthless no nonsense striker either but pretty sure we can fit in the rest. I'll start with the obvious with Gary Brabin.
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What about Walwyn and Cunningham who played together under Sam Ellis. I remember a game at Brighton where we were frighteningly thuggish and they both played. One paper called us the Clockwork Tangerines!
 
Wizaard said:
Chopper McPhee
Billy Bentley hatchetman
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John McPhee hated being called "Chopper".

Jimmy Armfield said of him: "The nickname 'Chopper' was something we never heard in the dressing room. It was more of a fan thing. He was a tough player. He played for keeps, put it that way.”
 
John Hills wasn't the biggest of players, but he never backed out of a 60/40 challenge and didn't stop to think he may get injured, which he often did!
 
Grumpy_no_more said:
John McPhee hated being called "Chopper".

Jimmy Armfield said of him: "The nickname 'Chopper' was something we never heard in the dressing room. It was more of a fan thing. He was a tough player. He played for keeps, put it that way.”
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The other chopper Ron Harris down at Chelsea relished in his moniker. He made it is lifes work to live up to it. Dirty bastard he did too.
 
All teams will have their "hard" players and to single out one from Blackpool is difficult.
There is hard and then there is dirty and also physcho. I think Gary Briggs fits the criteria well.
Speaking of hard players I have read a few who have labelled Tony Mowbray as the hardest player they have seen or played against.
 
Bobby Thomson, banned from Scottish football for an altercation with a linesman.

Also needs a notable mention for the goal he punched into the net whilst laying on the floor. Bristol City had 2 players sent off for dissent when the ref allowed it.
 
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scunner said:
Bobby Thomson, banned from Scottish football for an altercation with a linesman.

Also needs a notable mention for the goal he punched into the net whilst laying on the floor. Bristol City had 2 players sent off for dissent when the ref allowed it.
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Yep remember him, was just about ready for the knackers yard,judging by his performances.
 
scunner said:
Bobby Thomson, banned from Scottish football for an altercation with a linesman.

Also needs a notable mention for the goal he punched into the net whilst laying on the floor. Bristol City had 2 players sent off for dissent when the ref allowed it.
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Scunner. I always thought that Thomson hand ball was against Darlington towards the end of the 86/7 season but I wont argue and I definitely wouldn't argue with Bobby Thomson! I think he worked the doors in town 😝
 
It depends how you determine "hard". On the pitch it has to be Gary Briggs for me, absolutely hard as nails in the tackle and regularly nutted the back of forwards heads to remond them who was marking them. Off the pitch I believe Gary Brabin is the boy, apparently can have a row "on the cobbles" so to speak.
 
Phil Brown - even towards the end of his career.
I watched a friendly at Leek Town and was stood behind Sam A and the bench with my daughters. One of their 'Sunday league' type players clattered and injured John Hills in his first start as a young player. With some very choice words, Sam instructed Brownie to sort the Leek player out and Brownie duly obliged by taking the ball, the player and a load of turf, leaving a pile of dust and the player taken off injured. Like Gary Brabin he could run through a brick wall!
 
Dave62 said:
All these posts have beaten me to some names I would have mentioned
Although not the biggest of midfielders, I always thought Billy Ronson could be a hard player (and a little bit nowty of course)
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Please tell me I'm not dreaming this but I'm sure I remember Billy Ronson and Archie Gemill knocking shit out of each other in a FA Cup match at Bloomfield Rd in the '70s
Match ended 0-0 Derby won replay 3-2
 
Wizzerboy said:
Please tell me I'm not dreaming this but I'm sure I remember Billy Ronson and Archie Gemill knocking shit out of each other in a FA Cup match at Bloomfield Rd in the '70s
Match ended 0-0 Derby won replay 3-2
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Although I can't remember that particular incident (so guessing I wasn't there), I can remember a match where Billy received the ball from our right wing and looked to switch play to the left. Someone had a nibble at him, so he just let the ball roll away whilst he ran back to kick the guy. I liked him as a player but, like I said in my original post, he could be a nowty chap.
 
Heard from several who were attending late 50's/ early 60's that Peter Hauser left Spurs hard man Dave Mackay writhing in agony at Bloomfield Rd when they both went for a 50/50 ball.
 
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