Great Captains

[Nick Jansky]

To lighten the mood on here a bit, apart from anything else.

No matter who else we sign this summer, I think we have already done our best piece of business, with Morgs. He has had his critics, and still has a few, but he brings fantastic leadership to the team and always leads by example, with his heart on his sleeve. He is also loyal. Morgs is rapidly becoming my favourite Blades captain in my years of watching us.

So, who has been your favourite skipper of the Blades?

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

HOLDSWORTH - by a country mile.

Long live Sir Reg.

 

[beightonblade]

Captain Blade

 

[Grecian2000]

Eddie Colqhoun

 

[Sean the Blade]

Stan The Man!

But why on earth did Tony Pritchet when writing in The Star always say "the man who the fans refer to as The Giant"?
I never heard ANYONE call him 'The Giant' I thought the chant "STAN, STAN, STAN THE MAN!" may have given a clue to his nick-name????

 

[SwissBlade]

Morgs all the way! An absolute legend

 

[Silent Blade]

1.Eddie Colquhoun
2. Paul Stancliffe
3.Chris Morgan

 

[mickle-blade]

1.Eddie Colquhoun
2. Paul Stancliffe
3.Chris Morgan

[/B]
BEST
1.Joe Shaw (Setting an great example - in a different era though)
2. Chris Morgan (Totally different type of inspiration)
3. Stan and Reg (Both top class - and Reg maybe a future Blades manager !)
4. Eddie Colqhoun (Does he still have the buses in Dinnington ?)

Worst Captains. I suppose we have had a few but I will nominate a certain Mr Vinny Jones.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Stan The Man!

Id second that. Historically it would have to be someone like Needham or Gillespie. Back then the captains were in charge of team tactics and we actually won some stuff! Morgan for player/manager.

 

[JohnDenver]

Stan for me too. I remember being shocked as a little'un when Bassett binned him after we got promoted. Harsh world...

Also, wasn't Bob Booker captain for the QPR game? Got to deserve a mention.

 

[Sean the Blade]

[/B]
Worst Captains. I suppose we have had a few but I will nominate a certain Mr Vinny Jones.

Now I'm neither a fan nor a detractor of Mr Jones, but I thought that his particular 'style' of leadership helped keep us in the top flight that first season. Although his talents as a footballer had a rather large question mark above them, I always thought his never say die attitude went a long way towards keeping us up.

 

[Revolution]

Although his talents as a footballer had a rather large question mark above them, I always thought his never say die attitude went a long way towards keeping us up.

That team was better when he wasn't in it. I think we won every game he didn't play in after he signed (7-2 vs Oldham and 4-1 vs Southampton being the first two).

700 grand for a long throw. He did more standing around and pointing than James Harper, if such a thing can be believed.

We'd have been better off without him. There are about a dozen other players, notably Deano, Tracey, Bryson, Hodges and Booker, who made more of a contribution.

I might also add, in response to the original post, I've always felt that the question of who should be captain of a football team is one of the most pointless debates ever. It doesn't matter.

 

[Sean the Blade]

That team was better when he wasn't in it.

I think the team was of a better quality when he wasn't in it, as to whether it was more motivated and up for 'the challenge', I would disagree there. As for quoting that that we won every game he didn't play in, I really couldn't comment, as in all honesty I don't know and I would have to genuinely defer to your knowledge.

There are about a dozen other players, notably Deano, Tracey, Bryson, Hodges and Booker, who made more of a contribution.

I'd have to agree with you insofar as (again) footballing contributions, and would make a couple of other suggestions from that era, such as (love him or loathe him) Bradshaw, and of course Whitehouse. As for Hodges, I thought he was a class player, but bone idle once he'd earned a contract. Didn't he arrive after Jones had left though? Either way, they were exciting and entertaining times at The Lane in those days.

I might also add, in response to the original post, I've always felt that the question of who should be captain of a football team is one of the most pointless debates ever. It doesn't matter.

In an age when tactics, strategies, player positioning etc are pretty much decided before the game, by the tactical genius on the sidelines (Sorry, technical area), and then throughout the game by the same tactical genius, I think the position of captain has been diluted somewhat. But, I do think that bit of extra leadership, that little bit of Je ne sais quoi, can make that crucial but minute difference between winning and losing.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I think the team was of a better quality when he wasn't in it, as to whether it was more motivated and up for 'the challenge', I would disagree there. As for quoting that that we won every game he didn't play in, I really couldn't comment, as in all honesty I don't know and I would have to genuinely defer to your knowledge.



I'd have to agree with you insofar as (again) footballing contributions, and would make a couple of other suggestions from that era, such as (love him or loathe him) Bradshaw, and of course Whitehouse. As for Hodges, I thought he was a class player, but bone idle once he'd earned a contract. Didn't he arrive after Jones had left though? Either way, they were exciting and entertaining times at The Lane in those days.



In an age when tactics, strategies, player positioning etc are pretty much decided before the game, by the tactical genius on the sidelines (Sorry, technical area), and then throughout the game by the same tactical genius, I think the position of captain has been diluted somewhat. But, I do think that bit of extra leadership, that little bit of Je ne sais quoi, can make that crucial but minute difference between winning and losing.

We had Jones pretty much all season (I think we signed him after the third game) and we flogged him in the summer, I think. We were a crap side with him in it (before Christmas) and we were a decent side with him in it (after Christmas). The catalyst was Glyn Hodges.

 

[davidpinder]

Didn't Alan Kelly captain for a while??

 

[JJ Sefton]

[video=youtube;vJ1MWYAJbWs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ1MWYAJbWs[/video]

 

[Revolution]

I think the other 2 games Jones missed were the 1-0 win over poorly supported mid table scufflers Chelsea and the 2-1 win over Norwich on the last day. So 4 wins out of 4.

Jones deals with his time at United in his autobiography in less than a page.

We sold him shortly after the start of the 1991-2 season. I think he played the first couple of games.

 

[Sean the Blade]

Didn't he make his debut for Chelsea against us at The Lane?

 

[Revolution]

Didn't he make his debut for Chelsea against us at The Lane?

He certainly played in that game for them. Don't know whether it was his debut.

 

[Silent Blade]

The catalyst was Glyn Hodges.

Fully agree. Vinnie Jones said in his autobiography that he won the man of the match award every week at SUFC. What utter bollocks!

 

[Silent Blade]

Didn't he make his debut for Chelsea against us at The Lane?

He certainly played in that game for them. Don't know whether it was his debut.

His debut for Chelsea was a home game (against Luton, i think) few days before the match at the Lane

 

[broomhillblade]

Now I'm neither a fan nor a detractor of Mr Jones, but I thought that his particular 'style' of leadership helped keep us in the top flight that first season. Although his talents as a footballer had a rather large question mark above them, I always thought his never say die attitude went a long way towards keeping us up.

I thought Vinnie Jones was a better footballer than many gave him credit for.

It's all about opinions....

 

[Nick Jansky]

I thought Vinnie Jones was a better footballer than many gave him credit for.

It's all about opinions....

I agree with that. Wouldn't have believed it until I watched him playing for us & saw him every week. There was more to him than the tabloid hype, not a lot admittedly, but he held his own at the top level, albeit it wasn't of the same standard then, for quite a few years. He was a much better player in that position than, say, Charlie Hartfield, but not as good as Monty.