The Great Tony Currie

[shorehamview]

I had the pleasure of chatting to TC briefly after the Reading game on Saturday. He’s a real gent, still very knowledgable about the game and obviously about United, says we shouldn’t ever sell any players on the cheap as we have done before. He said it would be inevitable that players like Brooks will attract attention, and if we do sell then it should be at a premium unlike in the past, and that if other clubs didn’t like our valuation of our players then that’s their problem. He was also genuinely pleased to hear that I started supporting United as a young lad when my grandma took me to the Lane to watch him and Woody, you could see the affection he had for Alan Woodward as his eyes lit up and he smiled when I mentioned his name. He’s a top bloke.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I first met him when I was about 10 or 11. I got his autograph outside the Lane and my dad, starstruck, said "I wish you were playing today". "So do I" he remarked, somewhat ruefully.

I chatted to him again at the Bassett promotion dinner. I mentioned that I followed Enfield and he knew all about them, their history at any rate. He's from Edgware so not far really.

 

[itsinyerblood]

Günter Netzer, the German TC was a big fan as well I've heard.

I know you've mentioned Netzer before SEB, and in the days before East and West Germany became one nation, GN played for East Germany and was about as good a player as I can recall from this time. Think his own personal 'homage' to the west, the hair style for example, always played second fiddle to the quality of his game.

 

[TCsLoveChild]

And of course, your name is a track Blades of a certain age will forever associate with TC.

That song is fecking brilliant and still make the hairs on my neck stand up. We should still use it when the players come out, in fact it would just about be as relevant to today’s team as it was to TC. Where Currie could do magic individually today’s team do magic as a unit. UTB and long live TC

 

[Silent Blade]

I first met him when I was about 10 or 11. I got his autograph outside the Lane and my dad, starstruck, said "I wish you were playing today". "So do I" he remarked, somewhat ruefully.

I chatted to him again at the Bassett promotion dinner. I mentioned that I followed Enfield and he knew all about them, their history at any rate. He's from Edgware so not far really.

His uncles often took him to Hendon matches

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I know you've mentioned Netzer before SEB, and in the days before East and West Germany became one nation, GN played for East Germany and was about as good a player as I can recall from this time. Think his own personal 'homage' to the west, the hair style for example, always played second fiddle to the quality of his game.

A little compilation of the great man. Always seemed to have time to pick his pass and he was a big reason Borussia Mönchengladbach became my second team. Still are really

 

[Silent Blade]

A little compilation of the great man. Always seemed to have time to pick his pass and he was a big reason Borussia Mönchengladbach became my second team. Still are really

Saw him play for Real Madrid at Baseball ground in October 1975

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

Saw him play for Real Madrid at Baseball ground in October 1975

Flowing blonde hair, wearing no.10, spraying out the passes; you can see why I liked him. Der TC

 

[itsinyerblood]

A little compilation of the great man. Always seemed to have time to pick his pass and he was a big reason Borussia Mönchengladbach became my second team. Still are really

There are a few things that truly great players have in common - certainly the appearance of having those few seconds extra that marks them out as special, also the knack of seeing angles that seem to bypass less gifted players. Fabulous player of that there was no doubt. One final admission, for some inexplicable reason I seem to imagine Netzer as having played for East Germany. My error and won't mention it again! Think he also played alongside Paul Breitner (another superb player) at Real Madrid, but if I've imagined that too bear with me.

 

[Sirius]

Leeds united were no longer the force of old back then, he should never have gone there.
Can't remember if Any other club was interested in him at the time, but wrong choice for me.

Did he go or was he pushed . Same with Mick Joned

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

There are a few things that truly great players have in common - certainly the appearance of having those few seconds extra that marks them out as special, also the knack of seeing angles that seem to bypass less gifted players. Fabulous player of that there was no doubt. One final admission, for some inexplicable reason I seem to imagine Netzer as having played for East Germany. My error and won't mention it again! Think he also played alongside Paul Breitner (another superb player) at Real Madrid, but if I've imagined that too bear with me.

He was one of only a few to play for both East and West Germany, so you aren't wrong.

 

[itsinyerblood]

He was one of only a few to play for both East and West Germany, so you aren't wrong.

Cheers, got so much on my mind not surprised I'm confused!

 

[Corazon]

Cheers, got so much on my mind not surprised I'm confused!

I remember making the TC/Netzer comparisons myself at the time, but sorry to contradict, he only ever played for West Germany.

 

[itsinyerblood]

I remember making the TC/Netzer comparisons myself at the time, but sorry to contradict, he only ever played for West Germany.

Let me pass you over to SouthEssexBlade and between you you can clear this up.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I remember making the TC/Netzer comparisons myself at the time, but sorry to contradict, he only ever played for West Germany.

Having a quick look it's not listed anywhere, but I did read somewhere that he made a sub appearance for the East in 1965 before he played for West Germany. I've always taken it as right, but maybe not.

 

[Dnblade]

I remember making the TC/Netzer comparisons myself at the time, but sorry to contradict, he only ever played for West Germany.

i think a lot of us made the comparison with Netzer.
I saw him playing for West Germany and thought this guy plays like TC...It was probably v England at Wembley if my memory is right...Germans in green shirts i think.

 

[Corazon]

Having a quick look it's not listed anywhere, but I did read somewhere that he made a sub appearance for the East in 1965 before he played for West Germany. I've always taken it as right, but maybe not.

I remember him completely running the game when England were beaten 3-1 by (West) Germany at Wembley in 1972 (?). Interesting how this thread has changed from TC to Gunther Netzer - but they really were very similar players.

Just looked on Wikipedia and Netzer "was considered to be one of the greatest passers in the game's history". Could equally apply to TC.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

I remember him completely running the game when England were beaten 3-1 by (West) Germany at Wembley in 1972 (?). Interesting how this thread has changed from TC to Gunther Netzer - but they really were very similar players.

Just looked on Wikipedia and Netzer "was considered to be one of the greatest passers in the game's history". Could equally apply to TC.

Think that England game was in Euro 72. He scored a penalty and bossed it, but he always seemed to play well against England.

 

[Silent Blade]

Think he also played alongside Paul Breitner (another superb player) at Real Madrid, but if I've imagined that too bear with me.

Yes, he did. I saw Paul at Baseball ground too

 

[itsinyerblood]

Yes, he did. I saw Paul at Baseball ground too

You ought to consider changing your name to Wiki-Blade.

As ever, many thanks for the confirmation. Seeing that image brought back memories of just how good Breitner was.

 

[Harrisblade]

I first met him when I was about 10 or 11. I got his autograph outside the Lane and my dad, starstruck, said "I wish you were playing today". "So do I" he remarked, somewhat ruefully.

I chatted to him again at the Bassett promotion dinner. I mentioned that I followed Enfield and he knew all about them, their history at any rate. He's from Edgware so not far really.

Around the same age as you were, me and a couple of mates were setting off from John St to walk up to training ground on Myrtle Rd when TC came out of players entrance, saw us with football paraphenalia and asked us if we were going to watch training.
When we said yes, he asked us if we wanted a lift!
Yes please was the answer and so he let us pile in the green cortina
He let us out a few hundred yards from entrance where no-one could see us get out.
He was a great bloke, but without ego in private.

 

[Fred Furniss's Flatulence]

My two favourite TC moments that I've seen/lived. Just old enough to remember him playing but what sticks in my memory is in 1975 he played for England versus Brazil at Wembley ( he clearly was at Leeds at this point) but a banner in the crowd read " Hot Currie burns Brazilian nuts !"...and when I took my wife to her first game 9 years ago and we met him in the car park and she had her photo with him...what a lovely man

 

[snootyfenooty]

Did he go or was he pushed . Same with Mick Joned

Currie wanted out but United were desperate to sell. They were bleeding money due to repayments on the South Stand. We are only just seeing the light at the end of the tunnel since then in my opinion, the Basset and Warnock eras were little more than false dawns.

 

[Sean Thornton]

I know you've mentioned Netzer before SEB, and in the days before East and West Germany became one nation, GN played for East Germany and was about as good a player as I can recall from this time. Think his own personal 'homage' to the west, the hair style for example, always played second fiddle to the quality of his game.

He played for West Germany my good man!

 

[I should coco]

what a lovely man

Fine with the punters apparently, which is what he's paid for, but a bit of a twat with the staff.

I prefer to remember the bloke in the 70s whose poster I had on my wall, rather than the miserable old bastard who gives young bar staff a really miserable time.

 

[Bladeian]

Best player I've ever seen in a Blades shirt ... though the way young Brooks is going he may well be the next best.
That tremor of excitement you hear in the crowd when Brooksy gets on the ball .... used to hear it every time TC played.
You just knew you were watching something special.

 

[urnotbouncinanymore]

I remember going to Middlesboro for a boxing day match. We lost 0-1 but I recall this oldish lady giving TC some right name calling, (bloody gippo, get your hair cut, he's this, that and t'other) then we got a free kick just outside the penalty area. TC took it and nearly snapped the crossbar in two, the ball must have gone 30 feet upwards and over the bar. The old girl stayed very quiet about TC after that.

 

[Silent Blade]

I remember going to Middlesboro for a boxing day match. We lost 0-1 but I recall this oldish lady giving TC some right name calling, (bloody gippo, get your hair cut, he's this, that and t'other) then we got a free kick just outside the penalty area. TC took it and nearly snapped the crossbar in two, the ball must have gone 30 feet upwards and over the bar. The old girl stayed very quiet about TC after that.

Pedro Verde just found a poster in here that watched the Boro v Blades match in Boxing Day 1974.

Were the Blades wearing the all blue kit that day just like they did at Stoke, Liverpool and Arsenal that season?

 

[Marcus Tullius Cicero]

Oh come on, if social media had been around at that time we would have been slagging TC of for being a lazy barsteward, he was nothing without Woody. I was on the kop singing give us a wave but looking back how good was he? Played with his shirt out, glamour post George Best, we thought they were great as kids, Stan Bowles etc. Currie lucky to have us to give him a living in his old age.

 

[bornablade]

Oh come on, if social media had been around at that time we would have been slagging TC of for being a lazy barsteward, he was nothing without Woody. I was on the kop singing give us a wave but looking back how good was he? Played with his shirt out, glamour post George Best, we thought they were great as kids, Stan Bowles etc. Currie lucky to have us to give him a living in his old age.

Bullshit. I talk to lots of football fans of different clubs. As soon as I say I'm a Blade their reaction is 'What a great player Currie was'.

There were others in our team of that era that we are all fond of but to many outsiders they have been forgotten.

We may not have had social media but we used to have the pub on a Saturday night where we would all gather and speak about the game. I can't recall anybody slagging off TC.

He was without doubt the best player I have ever seen in a Blades shirt. This is not nostalgic sentimentality because I hope there's another player in the future who'll take that accolade from him.