Blackpool's Best Ever Signing

Wizaard said:
Alan Ball wasn't bad. His legacy was tarnished for those of us with a certain longevity by him coming back as player-manager. Without that, he'd be far better appreciated.
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I’m not old enough to have seen him play for us but the buzz around the club when he came back as manager was fantastic, add in ted mac douglall and it seemed like we were really going places as you say it’s a shame it ended so badly
 
1966_and_all_that said:
I get where the OP is coming from so fair enough with the choices. I do think though, that the span can be too wide. For example, Stan Matthews never left a legacy that has lasted to this day. Should he have had to? No. Would we have been promoted in 2007 without Joe Hart in goal for those last six league games? Maybe not. The same might be said about our promotion from the Championship without Seamus Coleman. Would Blackpool have been relegated from Div 1 much earlier without Alan Ball? In other words, what makes someone the best ever signing? I don't think I'm able to answer that question.
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So you've never heard of 'The Mathews Final' then?
He was the nest player of his generation without a doubt.
His appearances at other clubs put thousands on the gate many times.
 
In my time watching, Green and Suddick stand out from the early days, and I would also add in GTF, who ws my Player of the Decade for the time he was with us.

Before that, Hampson looked like outstanding value.
 
Davepick said:
So you've never heard of 'The Mathews Final' then?
He was the nest player of his generation without a doubt.
His appearances at other clubs put thousands on the gate many times.
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No Dave I've never heard of the Matthews Final. I know full well that that match has gone down in history. I meant there is nothing tangible that benefits the Club today because he played for us. I did also say that there didn't need to be.
 
tommytwojags said:
Only one winner here. Tony Green. £13,500 from Albion Rovers.
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Totally agree. Best player I have ever seen in a BFC shirt in 70 years of watching.
Jimmy Armfield, Tony Waiters and Alan Suddick fill the minor places.

More recently Charlie Adam must be a frontrunner not just for his individual talent but for where he took the club. He was a better player than he thought he was according to Ian Holloway. Hope Charlie gets a good reception when he brings the Cods to Bloomfield Road next month.
 
Bobtheretiredbroker said:
Totally agree. Best player I have ever seen in a BFC shirt in 70 years of watching.
Jimmy Armfield, Tony Waiters and Alan Suddick fill the minor places.

More recently Charlie Adam must be a frontrunner not just for his individual talent but for where he took the club. He was a better player than he thought he was according to Ian Holloway. Hope Charlie gets a good reception when he brings the Cods to Bloomfield Road next month.
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So how would you rate Alan Ball who virtually singlehandedly kept us in the old first division in 64/5 & 65/6? Look what happened when he left , we
were as good as relegated by Xmas the following season.
 
FessParker said:
So how would you rate Alan Ball who virtually singlehandedly kept us in the old first division in 64/5 & 65/6? Look what happened when he left , we
were as good as relegated by Xmas the following season.
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I really rate Bally. I was lucky enough to have had a ticket for the 1966 WC Final and was so proud that Alan who many voted Man of the Match was one of our own.
In terms of ability Alan and Tony were very close in my view but Tony edges it for me because of his temperament. They both got clattered in every game but Tony just picked himself up and got on with running rings round the opposition. Bally would have collected 5 or 6 red cards every season if he was playing in the current climate.
 
FessParker said:
So how would you rate Alan Ball who virtually singlehandedly kept us in the old first division in 64/5 & 65/6? Look what happened when he left , we
were as good as relegated by Xmas the following season.
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Agreed.
Fans need to look at Alan Ball's stats at Pool. Green was very good / exciting but there's no comparison to Ball after the halcyon days.
A midfielder with 44 goals in 126 appearances between the age of 17 & 21.
Also a WC winner.
 
My dad always talked about Tony Green and Alan Suddick.
In my era there have been certain players that have been catalysts for success. Paul Simpson was a huge part of us getting out of league 2 in 2001 and beginning a great decade. Wes Hoolahan (my favourite pool player still) a similar effect to push us into the championship.
And then really you could pick anyone from the great team of 2009-2011. Obviously Charlie takes some beating and we could not have done it without him. Seamus Coleman gave us a huge push second half of that promotion season as I recall, a massive signing.
 
FessParker said:
So how would you rate Alan Ball who virtually singlehandedly kept us in the old first division in 64/5 & 65/6? Look what happened when he left , we
were as good as relegated by Xmas the following season.
Click to expand...
Alan Ball was a great player and we were blessed to have him wear tangerine. We have had some amazing players over the decades, but the feeling I and thousands of others had when TG had the ball at his feet was indescribable and unique. It was like the world stopped for 10 seconds and everyone held their breath while we waited for the magic to happen. The best part was that he always looked like a lost little boy while he was dismantling the best defenders in the world.

I once discussed this with a geordie and he said it was exactly the same for Newcastle fans when he played for them. He described one game in particular in which TG played and beat ManU at Old Trafford almost single handed and left the crowd in awe. I've seen most of the greats at Blackpool but none of them had this effect on the fans. Have a look at what Newcastle fans think about him.

www.themag.co.uk

The legend that still is…Tony Green

Tony Green was immortalised and inducted into the Newcastle United Hall of Fame in 2008…and this is why.
www.themag.co.uk
 
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tommytwojags said:
Alan Ball was a great player and we were blessed to have him wear tangerine. We have had some amazing players over the decades, but the feeling I and thousands of others had when TG had the ball at his feet was indescribable and unique. It was like the world stopped for 10 seconds and everyone held their breath while we waited for the magic to happen. The best part was that he always looked like a lost little boy while he was dismantling the best defenders in the world.

I once discussed this with a geordie and he said it was exactly the same for Newcastle fans when he played for them. He described one game in particular in which TG played and beat ManU at Old Trafford almost single handed and left the crowd in awe. I've seen most of the greats at Blackpool but none of them had this effect on the fans. Have a look at what Newcastle fans think about him.

www.themag.co.uk

The legend that still is…Tony Green

Tony Green was immortalised and inducted into the Newcastle United Hall of Fame in 2008…and this is why.
www.themag.co.uk
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It's hard to argue against your comments re TG but for me it wasn't just Ball's creativity but the goals he scored ( 16 league goals in 65/6) which
sets him apart . A striker and midfielder rolled into one.
 
1966_and_all_that said:
Ian Holloway.
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If we're doing managers as well might as well put Joe Smith in there as well, winning 1 FA cup, twice runners up as well, plus 30+ years in the first division. Plus to a lesser extent Major Frank Buckley in the 1920's, apparently started our Youth academy, this would be the 100th year since he signed for us.
 
Wizaard said:
Alan Ball wasn't bad. His legacy was tarnished for those of us with a certain longevity by him coming back as player-manager. Without that, he'd be far better appreciated.
Click to expand...
Regarded by many as MOM World Cup final.
Anyone old enough to remember him being chased all over the pitch by Billy Bremner at Bloomfield Rd when he took Bremner out onto the cinder path surrounding the pitch? It was hilarious as the referee and 20 players were running after the pair of them to stop them scrapping!
 
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