Recognise this Blades legend?

[8lade]

My first guess was Sabella based on his hair but then...Varadi son of the great Ollie.

 

[Cheesebored]

This is a family photo, my cousins (the children in this pic) would spend a lot of time with this legend but they only started telling me the countless stories today! None of them are even remotely interested in football.

View attachment 70794

Oh the happy days of putting flock wallpaper on internal doors.

 

[Blade for Sale]

Is it Pinchy?

 

[CrookesBlade]

The most individually skilful player I’ve seen playing for us in 45 years.
His ball skills were on a par with Diego Maradona.....sounds impressive eh?....the problem with Sabella is he was quite slow and lightweight/ lacking physicality.
Sabella was also well known for struggling when the pitches were muddy (which was common in Winter) or rainy/ windy, he just didn’t like the physical stuff.
In the late 70‘s teams could get away with fouling much than in today’s game, so opposition teams use to target him with hard challenges and fouls.
Where as Maradona was as strong as an ox and had a great burst of speed, loving the physical stuff.

I used to love watching Sabella doing his pre match warm ups.
He was like a top level skills free styler. He’d be juggling the ball from shoulder to shoulder, then catching it on the back of his neck etc.
He used to do amazing skills in matches too, look in one direction and flick it in another.....I was totally mesmerised.

It seems odd really that he was particularly averse to the physical side. I can't imagine Argentinian football in the 60s and 70s was for the faint hearted.

 

[Sheffsteel]

It seems odd really that he was particularly averse to the physical side. I can't imagine Argentinian football in the 60s and 70s was for the faint hearted.

Think it was because Sabella was quite small and slim and it sounds like he was a bit nesh too.
Im sure I heard a story that Bergara used to advise Haslem not to play Sabella if it was windy, muddy or raining....as he knew Sabella couldn’t perform.

His knickname in Argentina was “The Sloth`’ because he had such little pace.
Seems impossible that a player could a “the wizard of the dribble” but have no pace.

Remember a night game at home to Dundee in the Anglo Scottish cup.
Sabella jogged past 4 players, he had amazingly quick feet and great body swerve/ balance, to score a brilliant individual goal.
He was on a totally different level (skill wise) to his team mates so he wasn’t a good fit at the club....also in some games he went missing.

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

I'm going for either Moose, or Fatty Foulkes

 

[Kev Gee]

Nice brown 70s decor... And pimp hat.

Looks like sabella?

 

[JohnDenver]

I think Cork, a moderate success in the top tier initially and an icon of our FA Cup semi final run, is more of s legend than Sabella, a failure in Division 2.

I agree with your logic wholeheartedly. But I still think Cork was bloody awful.

 

[bypassblade]

I think Cork, a moderate success in the top tier initially and an icon of our FA Cup semi final run, is more of s legend than Sabella, a failure in Division 2.

In fairness I think Messi would be classed as a failure in the team Alex played in, he was miles in front of them with creativity and such.

 

[Hillsboro Blade]

Mungo Jerry.

 

[SouthEssexBlade]

It's Jimmy 'Jinky' Johnstone

 

[JohnDenver]

It's Jimmy 'Jinky' Johnstone

Nah, you’re thinking of Charles “Charlie” Charles, one of the famous Charles brothers.