Len badger.

[Jonboy60]

happy birthday Len, one of my all-time favourites.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

happy birthday Len, one of my all-time favourites.

 

[Tyler Durden]

I knocked around with his grandson at school.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Stupid fucking thread . After the sorrow of this year , I thought another Blade had past away.

Thankfully it just a birthday . Let's be sensiable .

UTB

 

[blade too long]

let me know when his next dental visit is Ill send him a card

 

[FTPE]

I knocked around with his grandson at school.

Nowt like reminding people they are old TD

 

[Guesty]

My Dad once interviewed the band Half Man Half Biscuit, who are all big football fans (of Tranmere Rovers). They asked my Dad who he supported, and when he said the Blades they said they'd recently been in a cab and the taxi driver had told them he'd recently given Len Badger a lift. To this, the band said that he was 'England's finest ever uncapped Full Back' and asked if them could touch the front of the cab when they got out in tribute to Badger!

 

[silverfox]

Len Badger was a class right back!

 

[Jonboy60]

Len Badger was a class right back!

Different gravy, from today's defenders.

 

[Bladeloyal]

As me and Len have birth days 2days apart happy birthday mate se you in ferdinandoes soon

 

[georgebernardshaw]

Different gravy, from today's defenders.

Best full back Sheffield has ever produced - absolute class

 

[SheepdipBlade]

Best full back Sheffield has ever produced - absolute class

Dunno - The Shaw brothers were no slouches and didn't Cec Coldwell play full back - - what about Nudger Needham - Blades full back and England Captain wasn't he - or Vas Borbokis. Quite rated Wayne Quinn too. Quite a lot of competition for best full back Sheffield ever produced - and Kyle Walker might yet top the lot.

 

[JJ Sefton]

Dunno - The Shaw brothers were no slouches and didn't Cec Coldwell play full back - - what about Nudger Needham - Blades full back and England Captain wasn't he - or Vas Borbokis. Quite rated Wayne Quinn too. Quite a lot of competition for best full back Sheffield ever produced - and Kyle Walker might yet top the lot.

Wasn't Needham primarily a half back?

My dad rated Coldwell and Graham Shaw, not Bernard Shaw. Borbokis was good as a wing back and I liked Quinn too, but he's not in Badger's class.

 

[wizadry]

Has someone just mentioned Vas Borbokis? I have just shot cream meringue all over the place. Reyt player.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Best full back Sheffield has ever produced - absolute class

Reight player but Walker being at Spurs and his England caps may dispute that statement.

 

[Guesty]

I think it's safe to say that Walker has so many caps because there's a dearth of good full backs at the moment.

 

[JJ Sefton]

I think it's safe to say that Walker has so many caps because there's a dearth of good full backs at the moment.

True, but he is a decent player in all fairness.

 

[Pittsburg Blade]

happy birthday Len, one of my all-time favourites.

...and Len is such a fine and pleasant Gentleman. A top class representative for the Blades. Unlike a well-known midfielder, he really does do a lot of good unseen work.

 

[bladeinspain2]

Him and Ted Hemsley...both good full backs.

 

[Bert]

Wasn't Needham primarily a half back?

My dad rated Coldwell and Graham Shaw, not Bernard Shaw. Borbokis was good as a wing back and I liked Quinn too, but he's not in Badger's class.

Indeed, Nudger was known as the "Prince of half backs".

 

[dblade56]

Reight player but Walker being at Spurs and his England caps may dispute that statement.

Sorry, but Badger was class, and still is the best English fullback never to play for England, full stop.

 

[Lane Ender]

Reight player but Walker being at Spurs and his England caps may dispute that statement.

Walker will make the England full back position his own for years to come

 

[Bladesince59]

Dunno - The Shaw brothers were no slouches and didn't Cec Coldwell play full back - - what about Nudger Needham - Blades full back and England Captain wasn't he - or Vas Borbokis. Quite rated Wayne Quinn too. Quite a lot of competition for best full back Sheffield ever produced - and Kyle Walker might yet top the lot.

Definitely Len for me.

 

[GRUMPY BLADE]

Sorry, but Badger was class, and still is the best English fullback never to play for England, full stop.

But Walker might be the best English fullback not to get to 50 caps. full stop.

 

[coaxingstar71]

The story goes (I think it's in Hodgy's book?) that the reason Len never won a full England cap is because he got absolutely sh!t faced once whilst on England U23 duty and Ramsay found out.

 

[BusheyBlade]

Posted this on the thread about bumping into old players earlier before I'd seen this one...

My slightly bizarre Len Badge story - During my gap year I was working in a childrens' village in Israel. I got talking to one of the English teachers there who was from Manchester and when I mentioned I was a Sheffield United fan he told me a story of his younger days when he was quite a decent footballer and was palying at a decent level until his leg was broken in a nasty tackle with an opposing right back - one Len Badger. He was quite proud of this fact actually!

 

[dblade56]

But Walker might be the best English fullback not to get to 50 caps. full stop.

I hope he gets more than 50, then comes back to the lane as a centre half for a few years

 

[BushBlade]

I hope he gets more than 50, then comes back to the lane as a centre half for a few years

That would be typical of the Blades; play him out of position.

 

[dblade56]

That would be typical of the Blades; play him out of position.

LOL... but by that stage he will become a centre half... was funny though

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

Len was a terrific right-back, sound defender, strong in the tackle, good passer of a ball.

He had two specialities, often commented on by me and my mates: the ability to make a sliding tackle and emerge standing with the ball under control at his feet and the ability to kill stone dead a ball dropping from out of the sky by cushioning it on his boot.

I always thought he was at his absolute peak in the 1971 promotion push. Particularly remember my Wednesday-supporting mate commenting after the 0-0 draw at Hillsborough on Easter Monday that Badger had been the best player on the pitch.

And the other great thing about Len is that you could always see how much playing for United meant to him.