The Great Tony Currie

[Isaw Joeshaw]

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.

Possibly the most ridiculous post I've ever read on this forum ( and, as we all know, that's really saying something.)


It's also very misleading to those members who never had the privilege of watching the great man.

I won't waste my time by trying to point out all his many outstanding attributes which you appear to have overlooked. Rather, I would simply refer you to the comment of the Liverpool supporter in my OP, a young man who clearly knew more about football than you ever will.

 

[super_pig]

my first ever game

 

[super_pig]

1974 pushing for a European place
1976 Sold Currie
1979 Division Three
1981 Division Four

Within 5 years of selling Currie the levels that we had sunk to were quite unbelievable. The entire club had fallen apart.

It's hard to believe for those of us that were there at the time, but when we were playing Halifax and Torquay it was only such a short period of time previously when Currie was dazzling the entire country with his brilliance

The club sold something more than a player the day it sold Currie, it sold its soul, it sold a talisman and an identity, and it has never recovered.

It's like God himself gave him to us and we handed him over to the devil for their 30 pieces of silver, and a curse has followed us around ever since

until now!! Chris Wilder. curse breaker.

 

[super_pig]

As brilliant a player as TC was, your post suggests it was his sale that caused the decline which is untrue. We were on the way down having an abysmal season under Furphy and were already relegated when he was sold (June 76).

Of course your listing of some of the lowlights can't really be challenged but it wasn't the sale of Currie that caused the decline. Rather, it was the decision not to add quality players to that team of the early 70s and instead to sell Salmons to pay for the deposit on the South stand.

didn't John Flynn get injured early on??

 

[super_pig]

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.

absolute bollocks.. ( i was there too) if social media were around.. well it wasn't ..thank goodness..
if my mum had decided to stay in that night and wash her hair she'd have never met my dad??

 

[snootyfenooty]

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.

Good enough to get us 6th in the league. Aided and abetted by Woody & Co of course but he was the catalyst. United ultimately failed because the squad was ageing, the squad was too thin to cover injuries and we were up to our eyeballs in debt so we had to sell quality players (which weakened the team) and replaced them with dross (which weakened the team further). What a nonsensical post.

 

[super_pig]

Good enough to get us 6th in the league. Aided and abetted by Woody & Co of course but he was the catalyst. United ultimately failed because the squad was ageing, the squad was too thin to cover injuries and we were up to our eyeballs in debt so we had to sell quality players (which weakened the team) and replaced them with dross (which weakened the team further). What a nonsensical post.

it's very post-modernist to criticise things that people hold dear these days..but coming on here and criticising our greatest player in living memory is a banning offence IMHO.

 

[Sharrow Snuff Mill]

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.

You might have been slagging him off, but likely you would have been on your own.

 

[BushBlade]

it's very post-modernist to criticise things that people hold dear these days..but coming on here and criticising our greatest player in living memory is a banning offence IMHO.

Banning? Should be assassinated.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Banning? Should be assassinated.

Do you want to issue the fatwa or me?

 

[blade too long]

Currie was a bit languid at times , but like bowles and marsh were worth the entrance fee on their own
remember beating bristol city at their place 1-0 with a real stunner and their fans applauding him he was so good

His ability to throw a feint and send 2 defenders chasing fresh air is a god given gift very few players have ever had. I doubt we will ever see the like of such naturally gifted player again in my lifetime , but thats not too long
Hopefully Brooks might get there

 

[Weasel]

Whilst a very gifted player....magical at times....the old man (who I have always respected in football knowledge as he seems to talk a lot of sense and has been watching Utd since the early fifties) always says that Woody was his man.

He loved Currie..he could win games with individual brilliance if he was in the mood....but he was all or nothing. Regularly went missing but on his day he was special no doubt. Woody on the other hand was a 8 out of 10 every week man...and if you had been outplayed all game and the ball fell to Woody 30 yards out in the last minute....you had a serious chance. Woody was a very underrated player.

Currie was flamboyant and a wonderful player. Woody was your man for a rainy day at Newcastle. Woody for my old man. I think I would have agreed.

 

[Weasel]

Adulation aside. Currie signed for dirty Leeds. Woody didn't.

 

[bornablade]

Adulation aside. Currie signed for dirty Leeds. Woody didn't.

Not wishing to criticise Woody. One of my heroes but a little bit of balance here.

I don't think TC ever asked for a transfer but Woody did.

 

[Weasel]

Not wishing to criticise Woody. One of my heroes but a little bit of balance here.

I don't think TC ever asked for a transfer but Woody did.

Fair enough point. Mind you, wouldnt you have? Utd were on the slippery slope of total shitness then. Woody served 14 years at the Lane, one thing you cannot fault was his loyalty.. Anyway more importantly....c'mon the mighty Blades tonight.

 

[snootyfenooty]

Whilst a very gifted player....magical at times....the old man (who I have always respected in football knowledge as he seems to talk a lot of sense and has been watching Utd since the early fifties) always says that Woody was his man.

He loved Currie..he could win games with individual brilliance if he was in the mood....but he was all or nothing. Regularly went missing but on his day he was special no doubt. Woody on the other hand was a 8 out of 10 every week man...and if you had been outplayed all game and the ball fell to Woody 30 yards out in the last minute....you had a serious chance. Woody was a very underrated player.

Currie was flamboyant and a wonderful player. Woody was your man for a rainy day at Newcastle. Woody for my old man. I think I would have agreed.

The thing is, Woody wouldn't survive the modern game but Currie would. Whilst Woody was a brilliant winger, had a right foot second to none and was a dead ball specialist, he couldn't head a ball, couldn't/wouldn't tackle and his idea of tracking back was a jog back to the half way line. He rarely ventured any further than that. Chasing a back pass down, forget it. He was also a bit nesh and he'd never go 50/50 with one of the hard men of the day. Now before you all fly in accusing me of blasphemy, the plusses far outweighed the minuses back then and his record speaks for itself but I don't think he'd be allowed to get away with it this day and age, especially in top flight football.

Currie had the lot, but I do agree on your point that he wasn't too fussed about rainy days in Newcastle.

 

[super_pig]

Whilst a very gifted player....magical at times....the old man (who I have always respected in football knowledge as he seems to talk a lot of sense and has been watching Utd since the early fifties) always says that Woody was his man.

He loved Currie..he could win games with individual brilliance if he was in the mood....but he was all or nothing. Regularly went missing but on his day he was special no doubt. Woody on the other hand was a 8 out of 10 every week man...and if you had been outplayed all game and the ball fell to Woody 30 yards out in the last minute....you had a serious chance. Woody was a very underrated player.

Currie was flamboyant and a wonderful player. Woody was your man for a rainy day at Newcastle. Woody for my old man. I think I would have agreed.

Woody was my favourite player but TC was different class.. you don’t get in the England team coming from an unfashionable club unless you are exceptional

 

[Weasel]

Woody was my favourite player but TC was different class.. you don’t get in the England team coming from an unfashionable club unless you are exceptional

Hence my point really. TC was capable of the sublime and levels that Woody wasn't. Hence his England caps every month or so. But Woody was more of a week in week out consistent performer. One better for the brilliance and the occasional England performance, one better for a rainy night at Stoke. Utd tended to do more of the latter. Thats what counted.for the old man, and for me for that matter. Still they were both very special players and hero's for the Blades. Love em both.

 

[Weasel]

The thing is, Woody wouldn't survive the modern game but Currie would. Whilst Woody was a brilliant winger, had a right foot second to none and was a dead ball specialist, he couldn't head a ball, couldn't/wouldn't tackle and his idea of tracking back was a jog back to the half way line. He rarely ventured any further than that. Chasing a back pass down, forget it. He was also a bit nesh and he'd never go 50/50 with one of the hard men of the day. Now before you all fly in accusing me of blasphemy, the plusses far outweighed the minuses back then and his record speaks for itself but I don't think he'd be allowed to get away with it this day and age, especially in top flight football.

Currie had the lot, but I do agree on your point that he wasn't too fussed about rainy days in Newcastle.

I agree with what you have said. In fact I would go as far as to say I think you are spot on. Currie would probaby be able to do it now (fitness permitting) whilst Woody....I have my doubts for the reason you state. Fact is though...I'm not talking hypothetically about these wonderful players playing now. I'm talking about how they were then in the 60s and 70s and what they actually have done for Utd in days gone by. Top top players both though and Utd were blessed to have both. I suppose it comes down to.TC was more magical, Woody was more consistently good. You tek your own pick.

 

[Weasel]

[QUOTE="snootyfenooty, post: 1495166, member: 17603" he wasn't too fussed about rainy days in Newcastle.[/QUOTE]

No fucker is really tbf.

 

[Silent Blade]

Not wishing to criticise Woody. One of my heroes but a little bit of balance here.

I don't think TC ever asked for a transfer but Woody did.

Yes TC did make three or four transfer requests during the 1975-76 season. My dad told me that TC was angry with the board when we sold Salmons in summer 1974 , a year after the board made him sign a new contract after promising to buy players to build a team round him

 

[ucandomagic]

Yes TC did make three or four transfer requests during the 1975-76 season. My dad told me that TC was angry with the board when we sold Salmons in summer 1974 , a year after the board made him sign a new contract after promising to buy players to build a team round him

TC may have been angry - I was fucking furious.

 

[B14Nco]

Quick question...

Does anyone know if a picture exists of TC sitting on the ball v Arsenal and of so does anyone have it?

 

[Blade for Sale]

Quick question...

Does anyone know if a picture exists of TC sitting on the ball v Arsenal and of so does anyone have it?

I've just trawled through this entire thread just to get to this request. And I thank you deeply, it's a wonderful read!

 

[B14Nco]

I've just trawled through this entire thread just to get to this request. And I thank you deeply, it's a wonderful read!

I got caught up in it as well. Makes me sad I didn’t get to see him live though.

 

[Silent Blade]

Quick question...

Does anyone know if a picture exists of TC sitting on the ball v Arsenal and of so does anyone have it?

Only a photo of him in the next day sitting on the ball in his back garden and sipping a cup of tea. It was on the back page of the Star and you can see it in the Local Archives in the Central Library

 

[B14Nco]

Only a photo of him in the next day sitting on the ball in his back garden and sipping a cup of tea. It was on the back page of the Star and you can see it in the Local Archives in the Central Library

Cheers buddy. I was only going to use it as a reference anyway...

... in that case if I was drawing it... is there anything unique I should add? Or is it simply him sat on the ball? (E.g, is he saluting or anything?).

Thanks again!

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

Only a photo of him in the next day sitting on the ball in his back garden and sipping a cup of tea. It was on the back page of the Star and you can see it in the Local Archives in the Central Library

In which case it comes as something of a surprise, not to mention disappointment, that you have not sought it out, copied it and posted it on here for the benefit of your brothers in arms. After all, you do have a reputation to maintain.



( Only kidding )

 

[Silent Blade]

Cheers buddy. I was only going to use it as a reference anyway...

... in that case if I was drawing it... is there anything unique I should add? Or is it simply him sat on the ball? (E.g, is he saluting or anything?).

Thanks again!

Wasn't at the match, I am afraid! I was in my third week at boarding school!

 

[snootyfenooty]

Cheers buddy. I was only going to use it as a reference anyway...

... in that case if I was drawing it... is there anything unique I should add? Or is it simply him sat on the ball? (E.g, is he saluting or anything?).

Thanks again!

The thing is, once we were 5-0 up you sensed what was coming. It was sheer fucking pandemonium.