Rate the Blades #1 - John Gannon

[Aganarama]

UTB Blade highlighted a thread on a Sunderland forum where they rated former players (Kevin Arnott was #62 in the series). I thought it might be an interesting thing to do for United, especially as it is the summer and there are no games to argue about . I've copied their format (scoring 1-10) and hope that this grows organically. It's always interesting to hear thoughts on players, teams, and times gone by.

It would be the easy option to begin with behemoths like Currie, Deane, Sharp and so to kick the series off and stimulate debate, what are forum member's views/recollections/score out of ten for...John Gannon? I realise this one will spark debate, but listening to former players of that team, he was the one they all said was the most under rated/under appreciated - and so I wondered whether fans thought the same? Or whether the strength of feeling is the other way - I remember him getting a lot of flack. I also remember seeing him most Weds mornings walking in dog in the direction of Graves Park (Derbyshire Lane) as we were on the No.2 bus to school...

Vote away!

 

[Gavlar]

I liked John Gannons cultured left pegg. Then again we also had Dane Whitehouse and Glyn Hodges in the same team. 3 unbelievable left footers. I've given him a 7.

 

[Brian Deane]

Voted a 6. Would have voted higher but he was mainly appreciated around both Easter and Christmas.

 

[Tickhill Blade]

I liked John Gannons cultured left pegg. Then again we also had Dane Whitehouse and Glyn Hodges in the same team. 3 unbelievable left footers. I've given him a 7.

Right peg wasn't bad either

 

[BerksBlade]

Best player named Gannon we've ever had (sorry Jim).
7/10
Does he still work as a scout for Man City?

 

[KeyffSmyff]

Not always sure what he did but we seemed better with him in the team. Thought the same about Jock Bryson.

 

[Aganarama]

Best player named Gannon we've ever had (sorry Jim).
7/10
Does he still work as a scout for Man City?

I think so - covering France.

 

[ZoneManWilf]

6, including an entire extra mark for his cross to Bobby Bobby Bobby Davison for the 3rd at the sty in 1992.

 

[JohnGannonsPerm]

10, obviously

 

[Wilderat Heart]

7 for me a decent player, perhaps a bit underrated in a team with a reputation for bypassing midfield. If I'm honest feels like a 6.5 but with the occasional much higher score. At least one great goal but a lot of little dinks into the box that didn't often lead to much.

 

[The Fox]

6.5 rounded up to 7 . Good little player with a good attitude

 

[Paisley Blade]

5/10. We’ve had a lot better, and a lot worse.

 

[SW12 to S12 to S18]

7

 

[espoo blade]

Right peg wasn't bad either

I remember him most for that strike and also the cultured pass forward that cause the 2 pigs to collide before Whitehouse scored the opener here!

 

[GreasyChipBeattie]

Voted a 6. Would have voted higher but he was mainly appreciated around both Easter and Christmas.

Not with gravy though mate, never with gravy!

 

[Geordie Blade]

9 for me (probably 8.5 if we’re allowed decimals).

An underrated gem. If assists and pre-assists were recorded in that era, he would’ve been right up there with anyone. Hard working, but often accused of hiding, which I never agreed with. He was always a team player and never wanted the focus to be on him. I doubt that opposition players liked being up against him. He was probably on a fraction of the wages that opponents got but always did us proud. Not bad for a southerner.

I absolutely loved that era and he was at the heart of it.

 

[diplomat]

I went with a seven but probably should have gone higher. He was mainstay in a key area when we got promoted with level points as the big spending champions L**ds despite our team being built on a shoe string. He was mainstay in a team that ended fairly comfortable in mid table for the next couple of years (despite horrible starts). He obviously wasn't shit but was labelled as such by a significant minority. However, I don't recall anyone testing our mettle to try and take him away and his time with us was an obvious peak. Part of a jigsaw that saw a team achieve better as a whole than the individual parts might suggest.

Key passes in the amazing double over Wendy.

 

[S17 Blade 1889]

8 for me, was a very good player in a very good, but wrong type of, team. Would probably be much more appreciated today given how football is played. Used to laugh sometimes as he stood in the middle looking like he was watching tennis as the ball flew over his head in each direction, but when he got on the ball he was great.

 

[Bert]

I liked John Gannons cultured left pegg.

It's always struck Bert as odd that left footers have a cultured or a wand of a left foot but right footers don't.

 

[Mario1889]

7.5

He was a mainstay in what was my favourite blades team.

Decent left peg, decent passer of the ball and a great attitude.

As another poster alluded to earlier in the thread, if he were playing today he’d be a lot more appreciated than he was back then and would be a solid Premier League player.

 

[Menage a petit pois]

Gave him a 6. Feel bad now. He never hid in games, could pick a pass. Never really got the credit he deserves. Was an integral part of a team that gave us so many great times. Why did i give him a 6? In all honesty its be because he never ran the game, he was an efficient cog no more, no less.

 

[Rodders]

As a 10 year old in 1990, my recollection was that Gannon was a bit of a boo-boy - “tha’s crap Gannon” always seemed to ring out on the Kop, am I misremembering?

 

[Revolution]

8.

If you doubt Gannon’s ability, or importance, watch the season videos for 1990 to 1993 and see how many goals he’s involved in.

 

[Guesty]

Anyone else go to the football thing he ran up at High Storrs?

 

[Revolution]

As a 10 year old in 1990, my recollection was that Gannon was a bit of a boo-boy - “tha’s crap Gannon” always seemed to ring out on the Kop, am I misremembering?

He was not popular when he took over from Mark Todd and got some stick.

Things came to a head against Swindon early in the Division 2 promotion season. Gannon was injured late on and there was some ironic cheering. Bassett was furious about it. On the Saturday Todd took Gannon’s place and we drew disappointingly 0-0 with Hull. Gannon came back in and barely missed a game after that until breaking his arm towards the end of the season.

Bassett made his point.

 

[Geordie Blade]

As a 10 year old in 1990, my recollection was that Gannon was a bit of a boo-boy - “tha’s crap Gannon” always seemed to ring out on the Kop, am I misremembering?

Very much as it was. Our fans have always had to pick a scapegoat. You can see/hear a lot of it in the ‘United’ BBC2 documentary.

 

[Maurice Maurice]

I played in a tournament with him and he was excellent. So was Beasley who also used to come in for some stick, so next time you're shouting 'I can do better than that', you probably can't, unless it's Monty of course and a fucking three legged Jack Russell could do better than that talentless, splay footed twat @

 

[RAP51]

He was not popular when he took over from Mark Todd and got some stick.

Things came to a head against Swindon early in the Division 2 promotion season. Gannon was injured late on and there was some ironic cheering. Bassett was furious about it. On the Saturday Todd took Gannon’s place and we drew disappointingly 0-0 with Hull. Gannon came back in and barely missed a game after that until breaking his arm towards the end of the season.

Bassett made his point.

I was disgusted by some of our fans at this match and wrote to Gannon and Bassett (who actually mentioned resigning) afterwards saying to ignore this noisy minority as it was not representative of the majority of the fans and carry on the good job they were doing. I received letters back from both and Gannon said he was overwhelmed by how many encouraging letters he had received.
I always thought he was undervalued as his reading of the game was excellent and he had the ability to suddenly switch play with a defence splitting pass.

 

[Sean Thornton]

8.

If you doubt Gannon’s ability, or importance, watch the season videos for 1990 to 1993 and see how many goals he’s involved in.

Never my favourite player but l came to appreciate him far more after watching The Invisible Man trying to play the role.

 

[1066blade]

I remember being at the Chelsea away game in the cup. The chant "One John Gannon, one John Gannon, only one John Gannon.... thank fuck!"