Pre Premier League Draft

Round 1 Matches

1) EAP vs Indnyc - Thursday, 12th April
2) KM/Invictus/Sjor vs Gio
3) Chesterlestreet vs Tuppet
4) youngrell vs beforekeanetherewasrobson
5) skizzo/pat vs greensmiley - Monday, 16th April ?
6) onenil vs frankgrimes
7) cal vs mjj - Thursday, 12th April
8) enigma vs oaencha

Can everyone schedule their matches and update this post?
 
Goalkeeper: Neville Southall

Outstanding shot stopper. Good in One vs One situations. Comfortable coming off the line to make saves.

FWA Footballer of the Year: 1985
PFA Team of the Year: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90

Left Back - Clayton Blackmore

Combative, attacking left back known for free kicks. Great eye for a pass and know for his thunderous shots. Won the League, FA Cup and Charity Sheild with Manchester United.

Centre Back - Mark Lawrenson

Great tackler, strong and possessed considerable skill and speed, he is known for his formidable partnership with Alan Hansen during Liverpool's glory years.Flexible and comfortable at left back too and has played defensive midfield too.

PFA Team of the Year: 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86

Centre Back - Paul McGrath

One of the greatest ever Irish players, he was an extraordinary athlete. Lightning quick and such a brilliant reader of the game, he just made defending look so easy and effortless. A warrior who would not let any forward faze him.

PFAI Players' Player of the Year: 1981–82
PFA Team of the Year: 1985–86

Alex Ferguson said:
‘’He was an exceptionally skillful and styling defender, with marvelous innate athleticism,

a man whose abilities stood comparison with any central defender in the game. Paul had this really nonchalant way of defending. He could just sally through a game. A ball would come into the box and he’d just back-heel it to safety ....Ian Rush never would score against United while McGrath was playing.’’
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Ian Rush said:
“People talk about the lack of goals I scored against Man United and the reason for that was Paul McGrath, he was too good.”
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Philip Quinn said:
“Paul McGrath played football as though he was wearing a silk smoking jacket with a crystal glass in his hand.”
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Paul Simpson said:
“If I could sign any player from the past it would be Paul McGrath. Although we probably couldn’t afford his bar bill’’
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:lol:

Jack Charlton said:
“Paul McGrath is one of the all-time greats. Someone to compare to Bobby Moore."
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Right Back - Phil Neal

One of the most consistent right back of the 70s. Not a tough tackling defender but rather one with great positional sense and one that drew the mistake from the opposition player. He would force players wider and then nudge the ball clear without giving away daft free kicks. Neal was also a player who through his penalty kicks scored a fair few goals for a defender, as well as having excellent distribution. Comfortable as wingback too with great attack contribution.

Defensive Midfielder - Peter Reid

One of England's brightest midfield talents of the time at Bolton Wanderers. Simple yet effective player, he was good at keeping the midfield ticking. Character of a warrior, he was defensivey astutue and had the eye for a splitting long pass to aid strikers. Intellignet positioning not just to cut off passes and also to make himself always available to get the ball and distrtibute it further.

PFA Player of the Year: 1984-85

Left Centre Midfielder - Arnold Muhren

One of Bobby Robson's genius signings, he was a flamboyant left footed midfielder who was comfortable out wide too. A veteran of the Dutch Total Football, he bought lot of flair, passing and possession based tactics to British Football in Ipswich's most successful era. Gifted with a gloden left foot, he was brilliant at orchestrating the game from the middle. Comfrotable at both flanks.

Right Centre Midfielder - Tony Currie

One of the most gifted players to pull on a Leeds United shirt, Tony was an effervescent and exuberant attacking midfield player with the vision and ability to strike long dangerous passes, A flamboyant playmaker, he conducted the orchestra from midfield, spotting the openings and spraying the passes that captured their imaginations. In full flow he was a memorable sight. Fleet-footed with a powerful physique, long blond hair flying in his own slipstream, shirt flapping outside his shorts, he made the ball do exactly what he wanted. His game combined speed and strength with visionary passing over any distance. He could bend a moving or dead ball spectacularly, coax it with subtle chips and flicks or hammer it into the net with venomous force before blowing kisses to the crowd. Yet there was nothing of the prima donna about him: he protected his talent with a robust physical presence and could win the ball as well as use it. He was a gladiator.

PFA Team of the Year: 1973-74, 1978-79

Winger: Craig "skippy" Johnston

A tireless runner who gave always 100 per cent for the team, he quickly became a crowd favourite because supporters recognised that he would run until he dropped, and his ability, courage and strength were never in doubt. Comfortable across both wings, his workrate was astonishing and he was an one-man flank all through the match!

Free Roaming forward/Winger - "Wee Pat" Nevin

'Wee Pat' as the Chelsea fans still affectionately call him was a pivotal player at Chelsea and a fan favourite. A quick-footed, imaginative and highly entertaining winger comfortable on both flanks and through the middle.

Support Striker - Alan Smith

He was a striker's dream partner and was pretty nifty at banging in the goals too. Standing at over six feet tall, Smith combined his intelligence with an unfailing work ethic to become one of the top-flight's supreme target men. His ball retention was second-to-none and, despite a clear 'English centre-forward style', he also had a penchant for cute, subtle touches. If a team-mate made the right run, he could be sure Smith would find him with a flick-on or well-timed pass.

First Division Golden Boot: 1988-89 &1990-91

Striker - Andy Gray

A complete forward he can score goals as well as create. He had the workrate and commitment to drop deep, collect the ball and then hold it up for fellow strikers to score. He dived in where some forwards would fear to tread and truly was bravery personified, his diving headers were a thing of beauty! His personality, bravery and commitment were an asset to entire squad whilst his ceaseless energy and willingness to put his head where other players wouldn't put their feet endeared Gray to fans across multiple clubs.

PFA Player of the Year: 1976-77
PFA Team of the Year: 1976-77
 
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Round 1 Matches

1) EAP vs Indnyc - Thursday, 12th April
2) KM/Invictus/Sjor vs Gio
3) Chesterlestreet vs Tuppet
4) youngrell vs beforekeanetherewasrobson
5) skizzo/pat vs greensmiley - Tuesday, 17th April
6) onenil vs frankgrimes
7) cal vs mjj - Thursday, 12th April
8) enigma vs oaencha
 
BeforeKeanetherewasRobson said:
Not checked but don't remember....

UK - Stepney, Bailey, Lukic, Norman Hunter, Duxbury, Brian Talbot, Tony Morley, Mike Phelan, Neil Webb, Paul Mariner (lot of goals?), Brian Kidd (traitor), Luther Blissett, Steve Archibald

Foreigners less so.... John Metgod, Nico Claesen, Alex Sabella, Mirandinha and one for @Cal? ..... a member of the great Borussia Monchengladbach team and 1977 European Player of the year.... Allan Simonsen.
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I was glad to see Cyrille Regis eventually get picked as he'd have been a notable omission. Of the ones you mentioned I had my eye on Morley but we got sorted for wingers quite early.

I thought Jimmy Case would get picked in midfield, and Chris Hughton was on our list at left back. Mark Hateley would have been a decent shout as a big lump up front alongside a pacier foil.
 
John Collins was another one that didn't get picked. Very good player imo who was just hitting his stride towards the end of the timeframe. He went off the boil at a young age but maybe Charlie Nicholas could have got a run-out on the basis of his first stint at Celtic.
 
Nobody obvious here to be honest, Mckimmie, Donachie, Beglin, Case, Masson, Bett, Webb, Archibald, Blissett, Johnstone and Mariner couldn't have been far off.

Pat_Mustard said:
John Collins was another one that didn't get picked. Very good player imo who was just hitting his stride towards the end of the timeframe. He went off the boil at a young age but maybe Charlie Nicholas could have got a run-out on the basis of his first stint at Celtic.
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Aye that’s true. Certainly one of the better options at left midfield in a four. Shone at Hibs and obviously did well at Celtic and then Monaco. Him and McStay had a good partnership in the early 1990s.

Agree on Regis too, thought you might pair him with Cunningham in some shape, but glad to see he made the cut.
 
Chesterlestreet said:
Sunday?
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Sounds good.

Round 1 Matches

1) EAP vs Indnyc - Thursday, 12th April
2) KM/Invictus/Sjor vs Gio
3) Chesterlestreet vs Tuppet - Sunday, 15th April
4) youngrell vs beforekeanetherewasrobson
5) skizzo/pat vs greensmiley - Tuesday, 17th April
6) onenil vs frankgrimes
7) cal vs mjj - Thursday, 12th April
8) enigma vs oaencha
 
Round 1 Matches

1) EAP vs Indnyc - Thursday, 12th April
2) KM/Invictus/Sjor vs Gio
3) Chesterlestreet vs Tuppet - Sunday, 15th April
4) youngrell vs beforekeanetherewasrobson
5) skizzo/pat vs greensmiley - Tuesday, 17th April
6) onenil vs frankgrimes
7) cal vs mjj - Thursday, 12th April
8) Enigma/TRV vs Oaencha - Tuesday, 17th April
 
Just sorting by date:

Round 1 Matches

EAP vs Indnyc - Thursday, 12th April
cal vs mjj - Thursday, 12th April
.
Chesterlestreet vs Tuppet - Sunday, 15th April
.
skizzo/pat vs greensmiley - Tuesday, 17th April
Enigma/TRV vs Oaencha - Tuesday, 17th April
.
KM/Invictus/Sjor vs Gio
youngrell vs beforekeanetherewasrobson
onenil vs frankgrimes
 
@Tuppet

Have had something pop up here, so Sunday's a bit inconvenient. Could we do it over the weekend? I'm fine with any day post Sunday.
 
Round 1 Matches - Winners in Bold

EAP vs Indnyc - Thursday, 12th April (10-10, EAP through on average pick time)
cal vs mjj - Thursday, 12th April (6-20)
.
Chesterlestreet vs Tuppet - Sunday, 15th April
.
skizzo/pat vs greensmiley - Tuesday, 17th April
Enigma/TRV vs Oaencha - Tuesday, 17th April
.
KM/Invictus/Sjor vs Gio
youngrell vs beforekeanetherewasrobson
onenil vs frankgrimes
 
Ah here is one I forgot who was a fun story- banned for life for playing for Scotland for breaking a lightbulb in Germany. I should have picked Young instead of Wright :mad:

Big Willie Young

51bf68f066c10bf176b3c76a1c49824d--retro-football-tottenham-hotspur.jpg


Trouble seemed to follow Young around, while he was driving or pulling pints. Leery customers he could handle but after a gangland drugs slaying in the car park he quit the pub. He understood the aggro of football, though, and, early on at Tottenham, had to “sort out” Terry Naylor and John Pratt who had been giving fellow Scot John Duncan a hard time on the training field.

Young was signed by Terry Neill after impressing in a Uefa Cup tie against Spurs. So physical had he been in the first leg that Martin Chivers was reluctant to face him again. “Martin was a lovely guy but he lacked aggression.” Many did next to Young, with Neill complimenting him as being “a big awkward bastard who liked a drink”. Keith Burkinshaw wasn’t so endeared. Says Young: “He got rid of all the Scots and we were relegated.” Young then followed Neill to Arsenal.

Sent off for Spurs in a north London derby for what was described as kung-fu assault on Frank Stapleton – “Ach, it wasn’t that bad” – he re-entered the fray to loud jeers from rivals fans. But, by the end of that game, for battling on with a bloody and bandaged head, he’d won over the Arsenal lot. You’d never have accused that Gunners team of being over-pretty and, to the chant of “We’ve got the biggest Willie in the land”, Young became a Highbury cult favourite.

Arsenal were FA Cup finalists three years on the trot and he liked his time there the best, even though he still couldn’t quite love all his team-mates, with a long-running feud with Peter Nicholas culminating in Young congratulating Liverpool’s Graeme Souness for a ferocious challenge on the midfielder. “I told Graeme I’d wanted to do that for ages. He was flabbergasted. He’d never been thanked for kicking someone before.”

Arsenal still invite Young back for games but, he laughs, there are different grades of legendhood. “Last time I was at the Emirates, Alan Sunderland had been flown over from Malta. I ended up with a 60 quid parking ticket.” Sunderland of course scored the winner in 1979’s “Five-minute final” against Manchester United. The following year at Wembley, Young tripped West Ham’s Paul Allen. Cue national outrage.

“I was the last man and only got booked. After that the rules were changed and the ‘professional foul’, as it started to be called, became a red card offence. Paul was going to score so I had to take him down. Afterwards he said: ‘Don’t worry, big man, I’d have done the same.’ But everyone else was appalled. He was only 17, the youngest to play in an FA Cup final, and I’d ruined the fairytale. Big, bad Willie had done it again.”

The dramas didn’t end there. At Highbury, the brand-new fax machine revved itself up: “Welcome to the 20th century, I want to sign Willie Young.” This was Brian Clough at Nottingham Forest, a bid which surprised Terry Neill, who would remark: “Could you imagine Cloughie and Willie getting on? It was like pouring petrol on a fire.” And so it turned out. Forest were playing Derby County in the FA Cup, the Rams managed by Peter Taylor with whom Clough had fallen out and, desperate to beat his former No 2, he told Young: “Do a good job for me today, Willie, and I’ll never ask another thing of you.” But Forest lost and Clough accused his centre-half of taking a bribe to throw the game. The ill-advised South African tour followed, with Young signing up for Jimmy Hill’s all-star old-lags tour, although he didn’t actually play, the shoddy circus collapsing amid all the protests.

He didn’t fall out with all his managers; well not right away. At Aberdeen, working on the oil rigs in the summer to earn extra money, he got a phone call from Jock Stein. “I thought it was a wind-up but he was boss of Scotland Under-23s at the time and he wanted to take me to a game in Romania.” The pair bonded in unlikely circumstances, as Young was being ripped off by an unofficial Bucharest money exchange. “Underneath the top note there were bits of blank paper. Jock wanted to punch the guy.” Like Turnbull, Stein was protective of the raw and occasionally daft laddie, trying to sign him for Celtic. “He loved me but I let him down. After Copenhagen, when he was running the big Scotland team he gave me another chance. I can’t remember who we were playing but before the game Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness asked if I wanted to go for a drink. We only had one each, maybe two, but I ended up not getting picked. I’ve often wondered if Jock set me up, hoping I wouldn’t go but, unfortunately, I did.”

Aside from not winning a full cap, Young has no regrets. “I may not have been the most skilful but I absolutely hated losing and some folk appreciated that.” His exit from Scottish football was bad-tempered and it is obvious he has come adrift from the scene, being unaware of the off-field malarkey of the likes of Scott Brown and Barry Ferguson. But an old foe is offering him a chance to re-connect. “Joe Harper’s just Facebooked me. ‘Big man,’ he said, ‘I’m making way more money than I did as a player – next time you’re up let’s play golf.’”

The full article is here:
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/foot...lie-young-recalls-scotland-life-ban-1-3731540
 
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