Vinnie Jones - 60 today

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1973Blade

1973Blade

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Perhaps one of our most famous former players, but not just for football reasons.
I never really rated him at United - I remember him most for picking up a booking in record breaking time. It is true though that he was part of the team that fought back to stay up when we were dead and buried in the 90/91 season. Was he better for us than I gave him credit for?
 

1973Blade said:
Perhaps one of our most famous former players, but not just for football reasons.
I never really rated him at United - I remember him most for picking up a booking in record breaking time. It is true though that he was part of the team that fought back to stay up when we were dead and buried in the 90/91 season. Was he better for us than I gave him credit for?
Click to expand...
Can't remember him being any good at Bramall Lane. He was another midfield clogger when we wanted a bit of finesse!

He was apparently scared to death of Billy Whitehirst too. So not quite the hard man he made out to be
 
www.examinerlive.co.uk

Untold story of Vinnie Jones and his eventful Sheffield United spell

The former Wimbledon, Chelsea and Leeds star signed for the Blades under Dave Bassett and played a huge part in one of the club's most famous seasons
www.examinerlive.co.uk www.examinerlive.co.uk

Very good article on Jones by Glyn Hodges. He was one of the main reason we stayed up that first season back in Division 1 and the article confirms it. We suddenly had belief and were not frightened of the big teams. Don't disagree with the view it was a master stroke by Basset. He never pulled any trees up on the pitch for us in his 35 games but his influence in the dressing room was vital.

We gave Jones a lot of stick when he came back with Weeds and thats probably why he never mentions us in passing. A controversial character who divides opinion but there is no doubting the impact he made in his short tenure with us.
 
Addison said:
www.examinerlive.co.uk

Untold story of Vinnie Jones and his eventful Sheffield United spell

The former Wimbledon, Chelsea and Leeds star signed for the Blades under Dave Bassett and played a huge part in one of the club's most famous seasons
www.examinerlive.co.uk www.examinerlive.co.uk

Very good article on Jones by Glyn Hodges. He was one of the main reason we stayed up that first season back in Division 1 and the article confirms it. We suddenly had belief and were not frightened of the big teams. Don't disagree with the view it was a master stroke by Basset. He never pulled any trees up on the pitch for us in his 35 games but his influence in the dressing room was vital.

We gave Jones a lot of stick when he came back with Weeds and thats probably why he never mentions us in passing. A controversial character who divides opinion but there is no doubting the impact he made in his short tenure with us.
Click to expand...
I remember my Dad hated Jones as did a lot his age. I think it's because they'd grown up watching TC and Alan Woodward and couldn't stand long ball football as a result. Praise & Grumble used to be a non stop whinge about Bassetts long ball tactics sometimes, despite it getting us back to back promotions.
 

Addison said:
www.examinerlive.co.uk

Untold story of Vinnie Jones and his eventful Sheffield United spell

The former Wimbledon, Chelsea and Leeds star signed for the Blades under Dave Bassett and played a huge part in one of the club's most famous seasons
www.examinerlive.co.uk www.examinerlive.co.uk

Very good article on Jones by Glyn Hodges. He was one of the main reason we stayed up that first season back in Division 1 and the article confirms it. We suddenly had belief and were not frightened of the big teams. Don't disagree with the view it was a master stroke by Basset. He never pulled any trees up on the pitch for us in his 35 games but his influence in the dressing room was vital.

We gave Jones a lot of stick when he came back with Weeds and thats probably why he never mentions us in passing. A controversial character who divides opinion but there is no doubting the impact he made in his short tenure with us.
Click to expand...
I’ll happily hold my nose and agree totally- awful footballer to watch but obviously had a positive effect.
 
McGrath said:
Can't remember him being any good at Bramall Lane. He was another midfield clogger when we wanted a bit of finesse!

He was apparently scared to death of Billy Whitehirst too. So not quite the hard man he made out to be
Click to expand...

Agree he wasn't that good for us from a technical point of view, however he was vocal and enthusiastic both on and off the pitch.
Think it was his enthusiastic influence that helped us, very competitive, always wanting to win....you need a few of these types in your team.

I remember a Billy Whitehurst interview on Talk Sport many years ago and they asked him about Vinny Jones hardman image.
His reply was "I understand Vinny has gone to Hollywood to act in films etc....think I'll just leave it at that".
"Actually Vinnie was a really nice lad, always had a lot to say but his bark was worse than his bite".

Basically he said Vinnies tough guy image was all talk and bravado, he was definitely a character though.
 
Last edited:
1973Blade said:
Perhaps one of our most famous former players, but not just for football reasons.
I never really rated him at United - I remember him most for picking up a booking in record breaking time. It is true though that he was part of the team that fought back to stay up when we were dead and buried in the 90/91 season. Was he better for us than I gave him credit for?
Click to expand...
Although he was a thug (at times) I thought he should have had more credit than he received. His positioning in midfield was good, read the game well and often picked up loose balls in the middle it was just when he needed to tackle that he was a liability.
I mentioned on another thread that his autobiography 'Vinnie: my life' showed he had a softer side and I felt quite sorry for him regarding his wife's health issues ( Heart transplant).
 
He was a good leader, had a very good, direct long throw and he had a decent shot on him, but he had a chronic lack of pace. He beat his own record for fastest booking playing for Chelsea against us in the cup, the same game where Bradders amusingly imitated him by wearing a white headband and then took it off and stamped on it.
 
1973Blade said:
Perhaps one of our most famous former players, but not just for football reasons.
I never really rated him at United - I remember him most for picking up a booking in record breaking time. It is true though that he was part of the team that fought back to stay up when we were dead and buried in the 90/91 season. Was he better for us than I gave him credit for?
Click to expand...
I never really took to him but with hindsight, we would never have had that incredible second half of 90/91 without him. We had four points just before Christmas but finished comfortably in mid table, won seven matches in a row and gave every team a bloody nose. They were great days and his attitude was a big part of it.
 
I cheered at the news that he left us for Chelsea and tormented my Chelsea mate when I made a minicom call to him. He was aghast at the thought of Jones being a Chelsea player.
 
Cheets said:
He was a good leader, had a very good, direct long throw and he had a decent shot on him, but he had a chronic lack of pace. He beat his own record for fastest booking playing for Chelsea against us in the cup, the same game where Bradders amusingly imitated him by wearing a white headband and then took it off and stamped on it.
Click to expand...
Some of Bradders tackles, blimey....

He got sent off for them back then, when you hardly got sent off for anything. The lord only knows what the FA would do now
 
McGrath said:
I remember my Dad hated Jones as did a lot his age. I think it's because they'd grown up watching TC and Alan Woodward and couldn't stand long ball football as a result. Praise & Grumble used to be a non stop whinge about Bassetts long ball tactics sometimes, despite it getting us back to back promotions.
Click to expand...
Understandable I was the same at the beginning. In the 70's we were Sheffield's footballing side marvelling at the skills of Currie and Woodward. The pigs were the cloggers and all they could offer was Tommy Craig. Roles were reversed in the late 80s early 90's. Pigs had the likes of Waddle and Co managed by Francis which is why the Bobby Davison derby and double that season hurts them so much.

Deane, Agana, Tracey, Hodges Bryson, Booker, Gayle and the rest along with the Sheffield lads Whitehouse, Bradshaw and CW soon changed my mind. We had a team that would run through brick walls and best of all had some of the best set piece deliveries I'd seen in years. Leicester away and the Blades up Owls down headline is iconic in Sheffield football folklore. Jones had a small part to play in the 4 years we spent in the top flight but it was significant because without his contribution we may never have experienced the following season when we put the S6 lot in their place, not for the first time.
 
Bath Blade said:
I never really took to him but with hindsight, we would never have had that incredible second half of 90/91 without him. We had four points just before Christmas but finished comfortably in mid table, won seven matches in a row and gave every team a bloody nose. They were great days and his attitude was a big part of it.
Click to expand...
Tracey's return to the team after his injury and the signing of Glyn Hodges were the two biggest factors for our rise up the table
 

Addison said:
We gave Jones a lot of stick when he came back with Weeds and thats probably why he never mentions us in passing.
Click to expand...
Not really watched or read a lot of interviews from Vinnie so can’t recall him mentioning us. He did have Leeds fans frothing on Twitter a few years back though when we pipped them to promotion as he seemed to favour us in the tweet which he deleted because Leeds fans were on his case. He does always seem to love Leeds though which made it more surprising.

On the latest series of his ‘In the country’ programme in his house he has a framed photo of him and Dave Bassett in United gear which was good to see.
 
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