Best players you've ever seen at Bramall Lane XI?

[Sothall_Blade]

Reading the thread about "Your first match" reminded me that one of the first matches I ever saw at Bramall Lane featured a certain George Best, Rodney Marsh and (I think?) Bobby Moore playing against us for Fulham in the old Second Division.

As you do, I happily spent the next half hour picking out the best players who I've personally seen grace the turf at BDTBL. I've based my selections on how good players were throughout their career and their standing in World Football. Inevitably, most of my selections come from our brief forays into the top flight plus the aforementioned Fulham match and here they are:-

GK Schmeichel
RB G Neville
CD McGrath
CD Moore(?)
LB Pearce
RW Ronaldo
CM Keane
CM Gascoigne
LW Giggs
CF Best
CF Shearer

Subs:- De Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Gerrard, Robben, Lineker, Rooney

I'm interested to see which World Class players I've probably seen and yet forgotten about from the Warnock and Bassett years. I missed the visit of the great Liverpool team in the late 70's but I suspect a few of those would be pushing for a place.

How many players from the 50's, 60's and 70's would get a place ahead of those I've selected? Anybody seen Duncan Edwards, Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney, Gordon Banks play at The Lane? Did they ever?

 

[Yossarian]

To be honest, the only 2 I remember were Gazza and Cantona.

 

[Bladesman]

I remember Ronaldo missing the 6 yard sitter when we last played Manure.

 

[IOM Blade]

He's certainly not world class, but probably the best individual performance i can remember at the lane during the latest Premiership season was that of Andy Reid for Charlton.

 

[TAMUS]

River Plate in 1978 would fill half my team , Blades 1971/72 the other half , with Piggy pressman in goal .

 

[Pinchy]

He's certainly not world class, but probably the best individual performance i can remeber at the lane during the latest Premiership season was that of Andy Reid for Charlton.

He was excellent. I wonder what happened to him?

 

[Rustyblade]

GK Gordon Banks
RB Len Badger
CB Bobby Moore
CB Jack Charlton
LB Ted Hemsley
RM Alan Woodward
CM Johnny Giles
CM TC
LM George Best
CF Mick Jones
CF Jimmy Greaves

Apologies for the Dirties in there but one hell of a team.

 

[S64 Blade]

The player who stood out the most for me when we were in the Premier League a few years ago, was Gerrard (minus his dive for their penalty).

 

[Barney Rubble]

Pat Jennings was a fantastic keeper and made a load of great saves for Spurs in the last match of the 1972-73 season. We won 3-2 and in my memory both sides attacked flat out for 90 minutes in the best meaningless end of season match I've seen. The Dynamo Kiev keeper who played against us in a friendly the previous season has also stuck in my mind. I think he'd replaced Yashin as the Russian national goalie, but I might have dreamed that bit up.

 

[S64 Blade]

Slightly controversial, but what about Pressman as well? How many times did he bail the pigs out over the years against us?

 

[shorehamview]

Slightly controversial, but what about Pressman as well? How many times did he bail the pigs out over the years against us?

That's possibly the most controversial AND the least controversial one-liner in a long time. Pressman always upped his game against us. He could be having a run of letting in goals against every side he faced, yet when he faced the Blades he was like a man possessed, or at least a fat octopus possessed. He seemed like he had two good games in him every season and he saved them for us. Liking the fat twat might be going a bit far, but there must be some grudging respect from us for the way he played.

I'd still like to chase him across the wide wild oceans and harpoon him though.

 

[muttsnuts]

Daniel Passerella, River plate 1978

 

[Hodgyman]

The most memorable ones for me that played for United were : Hodgy (of course), Joe Shaw, Tony Currie, Phil Jagielka and Jimmy Hagan (appearing in a testimonial beyond his playing years).

Memorable visitors to the Lane that stick in my mind were Stanley Mathews and Tom Finney (both appeared in testimonial matches when I saw them), George Best, Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Dennis Law, Gazza,

But I had to go to Porksville to see the best of all, Santos were twice visitors which gave me the opportunity of seeing the great Brazillians of the 60's and early 70's including the undisputed World's best (at that time at least) Pele and friends.

---------- Post added at 07:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:36 PM ----------

Apologies, I also saw Gordon Banks a number of times. He was also the undisputed world's No 1 keeper in his prime. Other great goalies seen at the Lane : Peter Shilton, Pat Jennings, Neville Southall, David Seaman and Phil Parks.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Lothar Matthaeus World Cup winning captain of West Germany played at the Lane in the under 21 Euro final in 1982.

 

[SE1Blade]

Been watching from 84 onwards and one of the best players I've seen, even if he was past his best at the time, was Robert Prosinecki of Portsmouth.

 

[metty]

I've seen both Matthews and Finney and I must say both were past their prime but TC must be one of the best I've ever seen.

 

[bramptonblade]

Malcolm Macdonald v Arsenal in the Fa Cup back int' 70's, we lost 5-0 at the Lane!

 

[gavtheblade]

peter beardsley and shearer in there newcastle days

 

[sitwell]

The player who stood out the most for me when we were in the Premier League a few years ago, was Gerrard (minus his dive for their penalty).

Gerrard was crap against us ,they played him wide and he just got frustrated.
The best performance ever against us for me was Paul Gascoigne for Spurs when they beat us 2-0 ,never seen anyone control a game of football like that before. Other mentionables would be Dean Saunders for Derby and Michael Bridges for Sunderland. In the premiership season Scholes ,Phil Neville and Obefemi Martins were all outstanding.
Steve Kabba for Grimsby got the best reception I've seen for a visting players performance.

 

[diplomat]

I always seem let down when seeing 'superstars' in the flesh. I recall Gazza in the Spurs game you mention but don't remember him running the show but do remember he was clearly the most talented player by a mile.

Kabba for Grimsby was v memorable and I was o the back of the kop and remember an incredible warmth for an opposing player.

 

[MunXy]

not actually at the lane cos in the return leg he played pretty shit, but the other "tc" over at S6 the boxing day season, for a virtual unknown in a pretty mediocre team terry curran stands out for me with a kinda grudgeing respect, keith edwards purely for his goal scoring for the blades and of course tom mc callister a great keeper, a very brave man and after meeting him a coupla times a nice guy too, i believe had he been english he would have been in the full england team.
paul mcgrath, dodgy knees, bad attitude and ugly as a bag of blunt chisels (anyone else thnk he looked like craig charles as dave lister in red dwarf? ) but still probably one of the best defenders ive ever seen for natural defender ability and reading the game.

MunXy

 

[JohnDenver]

Just think how good McGrath would have been without the ale. Baresi, Maldini, McGrath?

 

[SteelCity Blade]

Wayne Rooney - one of the best individual displays I've ever seen at the lane.

Dennis Bergkamp - one of my all time favourite players but never did it against the Blades.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

There was one game I recall when we played Man City after their relegation from the Premiership when Georgi Kinkladze single-handedly ran the show for City - one of the best individual performances I've seen at the Lane. Nobody could get anywhere near him, and he scared the hell out of everyone when he had the ball at his feet. Can't remember the score, but think he did something particularly special in injury time to help level/win the game.

 

[SteelCity Blade]

There was one game I recall when we played Man City after their relegation from the Premiership when Georgi Kinkladze single-handedly ran the show for City - one of the best individual performances I've seen at the Lane. Nobody could get anywhere near him, and he scared the hell out of everyone when he had the ball at his feet. Can't remember the score, but think he did something particularly special in injury time to help level/win the game.

I remember that game well. If memory serves we drew 1-1 and Kinkladze scored a late equaliser. I remember his performance being one of a typical flair player. He was quiet for large parts of the game but when he got the ball he terrorised us. The goal I recall was particularly fabulous.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

I remember that game well. If memory serves we drew 1-1 and Kinkladze scored a late equaliser. I remember his performance being one of a typical flair player. He was quiet for large parts of the game but when he got the ball he terrorised us. The goal I recall was particularly fabulous.

That sounds about right - was it the Spackman season? The goal if I'm thinking of the right one involved Kinkladze taking the ball round 4 or 5 players in the move for the goal.

 

[sitwell]

Wendy wanted Kinkladze but wouldn't put the money up for him ,and Culley who was on their board ended up being his solicitor. I earned a lot of money on the back of Kinkladze running between embassies and solicitors ,and we had to promise utmost secrecy in case anyone else jumped in.

 

[Maidenhead]

Duncan McKenzie for Everton when we lost 3-0 in the league cup many moons ago. Unbelievable performance from a great player.

Gary Linacre for Spurs, not for what he did in the game but for knocking a ball around around with our mascots in the centre circle before the game whilst his team mates were kicking in at the Bramall Lane end and there was not a United player in sight. He must have spent 10 minutes with the kids and he didn't have to do that. A shame some modern day players can't emulate his attitude. Never booked and a great goal scorer to boot. Crap tv presenter tho ;-)

 

[Rooks]

Duncan McKenzie for Everton when we lost 3-0 in the league cup many moons ago. Unbelievable performance from a great player.

Gary Linacre for Spurs, not for what he did in the game but for knocking a ball around around with our mascots in the centre circle before the game whilst his team mates were kicking in at the Bramall Lane end and there was not a United player in sight. He must have spent 10 minutes with the kids and he didn't have to do that. A shame some modern day players can't emulate his attitude. Never booked and a great goal scorer to boot. Crap tv presenter tho ;-)

I am sure it was Gary Mabbutt, not Lineker.

 

[Studge]

GK Banks G
RB Nish D
CD McFarland R
CD Todd C
LB Cooper T
RW Best G
CM Bell C
CM Charlton R
LW Giggs
CF Law D
CF Shearer A