How many true club legends do we have?

[Paisley Blade]

I've had the Blades curse since 1970.

For legends read best players I suppose.

The best I've seen , playing consistently well against the best the other teams in the top league , and easily good enough to play for England, one selected and one criminally overlooked , were Tony Currie and Alan Woodward.

Nostalgia not even a part of that opinion , look at Currie on Youtube v Italy 1973, and footage v Cov at Highfield Rd the same time ish, , they'd have trained on and adapted to modern techniques in the current era no problem .

Thoroughbreds the pair of them.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

I’d agree on those except Brian Deane. Loved him as a player in fact up there as one of the best but not a legend relative to Sheffield Inited history.

I’d add Doc Pace, Fatty Foulkes and I’m sure there’s others from our earlier history I’ve not mentioned.

The thing is we’re talking true club legends throughout our history and not just great players we’ve seen in our lifetime.

Deane is a funny one.

He didn't score as many goals for us as Keith Edwards for example but I still see Deane as more of a legend.

I think it's perhaps because Deane is remembered as being representative of the entire Bassett era which makes him more iconic.

 

[Silent Blade]

Deane is a funny one.

He didn't score as many goals for us as Keith Edwards for example .

Edwards never scored a goal in the top division

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Edwards never scored a goal in the top division

Very good point.

 

[Silent Blade]

Very good point.

But Edwards is in my list of 20 legends

 

[Bashar Al Asaba]

Des Walker.

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

My top 5 would be:-

1) Ernest 'Nudger' Needham
2) Jimmy Hagan
3) Tony Currie
4) Billy Gillespie
5) Bill 'Fatty' Foulke

Others vying for a place would be the three goalscorers from the interim years Johnson, Dunne and Dodds, from the 60s Hodgy, Joe Shaw, Graham Shaw and 'Doc' Pace, and from the 70s Badger and Woodward. Of more recent times, Deano, Edwards and perhaps Jaggers. Perhaps others from the 1890s team and the 1915 cup winners should be included also.

 

[Silent Blade]

My top 5 would be:-

1) Ernest 'Nudger' Needham
2) Jimmy Hagan
3) Tony Currie
4) Billy Gillespie
5) Bill 'Fatty' Foulke

Others vying for a place would be the three goalscorers from the interim years Johnson, Dunne and Dodds, from the 60s Hodgy, Joe Shaw, Graham Shaw and 'Doc' Pace, and from the 70s Badger and Woodward. Of more recent times, Deano, Edwards and perhaps Jaggers. Perhaps others from the 1890s team and the 1915 cup winners should be included also.

Agree with top 4

 

[Hamburg Blade]

I'm undecided about Deane, to be honest. An important player for us, no doubt, but I link him with Agana, sort of inseparable twins, how can you list one without the other? Plus his departure for Benfica and overall his transformation into something of a journeyman all taints his image a little bit.
Of that era, Glyn Hodges has as much if not more right to be labelled a "legend". If you have one, you probably have to have all three. Or none.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Jimmy Dunne. 169 goals in 173 appearances including holding the record for goals scored in consecutive games in top flight.

Ave it.

Jamie Vardy had nowt on Dunne's record. People forget football existed before 1992.

 

[JohnDenver]

Apparently we've had legends by the score and yet we've won bugger all for almost a hundred years.

Exactly. We’ve had some very good players who achieved nothing, and some lesser ones who actually did. I’m much keener on those with promotions to their name.

Brian Deane stands out an absolute mile in my lifetime. The likes of Sharp, Jagielka, et al can’t touch him.

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Jamie Vardy had nowt on Dunne's record. People forget football existed before 1992.

To be fair to Sky, they didn't and put his name at the top of a table on at least one occasion.

 

[tyneblade]

Exactly. We’ve had some very good players who achieved nothing, and some lesser ones who actually did. I’m much keener on those with promotions to their name.

Brian Deane stands out an absolute mile in my lifetime. The likes of Sharp, Jagielka, et al can’t touch him.

We were in the top Divison from 1893-1934; this approach seems a little unfair to the players of that era.

That said my only problem with Brian Deane being a Blades legend is that less than half of of his games were at our club. I can't help thinking that to be a fully fledged legend at any club you need to clear that bar.

 

[LoughboroBlade]

We were in the top Divison from 1893-1934; this approach seems a little unfair to the players of that era.

That said my only problem with Brian Deane being a Blades legend is that less than half of of his games were at our club. I can't help thinking that to be a fully fledged legend at any club you need to clear that bar.

Not sure I agree with that as a criteria, as it seems to be unduly unfair on those that had crucial parts of their career with us. We were the club that Deane played most for in all his career – I don’t think that Nick Montgomery has a greater claim to the legendary status on the basis that he’s played about three-quarters of his career here.

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

That said my only problem with Brian Deane being a Blades legend is that less than half of of his games were at our club. I can't help thinking that to be a fully fledged legend at any club you need to clear that bar.

Is Eric Cantona not a Manchester United legend?

 

[Hamburg Blade]

Not sure I agree with that as a criteria, as it seems to be unduly unfair on those that had crucial parts of their career with us. We were the club that Deane played most for in all his career – I don’t think that Nick Montgomery has a greater claim to the legendary status on the basis that he’s played about three-quarters of his career here.

But at least it discounts John Ebbrell.

 

[INTERUNITED]

Deane kept us in the premier league while he was here, we got relegated once he'd left. If that doesn't get you legendary status then I'm at a loss to the definition. Whitehouse also was a standout player who happened also to adore the club, legend in my opinion. You ask me who my 2 favourite blades players of all time are, (and I'm 43), the answer is the 2 above. Legends in my eyes.

 

[Addison]

Its too easy to refer to someone as a Legend. That accolade has to be earned. In my mind only those that have won something significant for the Club or achieved something exceptional can expect to be referred to as a Blades Legend. My list below;

Ernest Needham - our greatest player captain of Divison 1 title team in 1898, champions of Great Britain and two FA cups 1899 and 1902.
George Utley - 1915 FA Cup captain
Billy Gillespie - 1925 FA Cup captain
Harry Johnson - record goalscorer
Jimmy Dunne - record goalscorer in a season and record consecutive goal scoring record
Jimmy Hagan - 361 appearances, 117 goals, 17 England Caps a legend for refusing to be transferred to the Pigs who were relegated that season
Joe Shaw - 714 appearances record for his only club.
Alan Woodward - 536 appearances 158 goals SUFC were the only English team he played for.

I'm afraid we are unlikely in the near future to see anyone trouble that list.

 

[Keen Blade]

Monty has got to be up there.

Because of his medical condition ?
That hexagonal head and the problem with his feet corrected only by wearing triangular boots ?

 

[Isaw Joeshaw]

It never ceases to amaze me that when the subject of Blades Legends is raised on here, the name of Colin Grainger is rarely, if ever, mentioned.

This is a man who played for us for the best part of 4 years scoring 26 goals in 88 matches as a winger as well as having the ability to go past 3 or 4 defenders and provide a stream of excellent crosses for others to score from. He was tall, strong , good in the air and an England international who is the only one to have scored two goals against Brazil.

In my early teens, I had the great pleasure of watching him many times and I can tell you he was a special player and, if that' s not enough, he would have a blinder for us on a Saturday afternoon and then turn out at night at Crookes / Walkley / Dial House club as a cabaret singer with a record hit under his belt .

If the above achievements don't qualify him as a Blades legend , then I despair especially as compared to some of the other names that have been mentioned.

Carl Veart etc. !!! ??? FFS .

 

[3-GBlade]

I nailed the once in a generation level of legend in post #41. The rest are up for debate.


I would also like to add Dave Bassett to that list.
He may well not be our best ever manager but his appearance at the right time in the right place probably stopped us being yet another along the lines of Coventry or Port Vale or Wednesday

 

[Rustyblade]

Jimmy Hagan.
Graham Shaw.
Mick Jones.
Len Badger.
Geoff Salmons.
Eddie Colquhoun.
Hodgy.
Edwards.
Jags at a pinch.

 

[Houston_Blade]

I’d have Monty over Jags, he didn’t fuck off at the first opportunity.

 

[niktheblade]

For me, I would add Chris Morgan to the list (probably no where near the top though if you were to rank people) but the man gave everything he had in every game for us!

Alan Kelly for sure.

 

[bettsyblade86]

Its too easy to refer to someone as a Legend. That accolade has to be earned. In my mind only those that have won something significant for the Club or achieved something exceptional can expect to be referred to as a Blades Legend. My list below;

Ernest Needham - our greatest player captain of Divison 1 title team in 1898, champions of Great Britain and two FA cups 1899 and 1902.
George Utley - 1915 FA Cup captain
Billy Gillespie - 1925 FA Cup captain
Harry Johnson - record goalscorer
Jimmy Dunne - record goalscorer in a season and record consecutive goal scoring record
Jimmy Hagan - 361 appearances, 117 goals, 17 England Caps a legend for refusing to be transferred to the Pigs who were relegated that season
Joe Shaw - 714 appearances record for his only club.
Alan Woodward - 536 appearances 158 goals SUFC were the only English team he played for.

I'm afraid we are unlikely in the near future to see anyone trouble that list.

This for me. I'd add Dane Whitehouse who didnt achieve to the same level as the above through no fault of his own.

When, why and how you leave us also has a massive bearing for me and more importantly where you go. Rules out most of the "modern" players quoted on this thread.

 

[Silent Blade]

It never ceases to amaze me that when the subject of Blades Legends is raised on here, the name of Colin Grainger is rarely, if ever, mentioned.

This is a man who played for us for the best part of 4 years scoring 26 goals in 88 matches as a winger as well as having the ability to go past 3 or 4 defenders and provide a stream of excellent crosses for others to score from. He was tall, strong , good in the air and an England international who is the only one to have scored two goals against Brazil.

In my early teens, I had the great pleasure of watching him many times and I can tell you he was a special player and, if that' s not enough, he would have a blinder for us on a Saturday afternoon and then turn out at night at Crookes / Walkley / Dial House club as a cabaret singer with a record hit under his belt .

If the above achievements don't qualify him as a Blades legend , then I despair especially as compared to some of the other names that have been mentioned.

Carl Veart etc. !!! ??? FFS .

My dad liked Grainger but said he had one good year for us and that was in 1956 (played 6 times for England) before moving to Sunderland. To be in my list of 20 legends the player has to have more than one good season/year.

When he was at L**ds Don Revie quickly sold him to Port Vale soon after he became manager in March 1961 and he was only 28 at the time

 

[JackSUFC]

Edwards never scored a goal in the top division

Don't think he ever scored for Leeds at the Lane and ran the length of the pitch celebrating either.