Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

Your favourite all-time British and Irish XI (non Liverpool)


Tony Moanero
 Share

Recommended Posts

1 minute ago, Tony Moanero said:

Ha ha. I almost negged you for Andy Cole.

More for his Newcastle days to be honest. My dad had a few mates from Newcastle when I was a kid and one of them lent me a coupe of Newcastle videos. Div 1 winning season and first season in the prem. Cole was a goal machine. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I once wrote to Tommy Boyd, enclosing a Celtic footy shirt and a stamped addressed envelope, asking if him and his teammates would sign it. I didn’t hear anything for about 6 months, so I wrote to him again, saying I thought it was arlarse that he hadn’t sent the shirt back. A few weeks later, it dropped through my letter box, with just his autograph on it. Lazy sod!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Tony Moanero said:

I once wrote to Tommy Boyd, enclosing a Celtic footy shirt and a stamped addressed envelope, asking if him and his teammates would sign it. I didn’t hear anything for about 6 months, so I wrote to him again, saying I thought it was arlarse that he hadn’t sent the shirt back. A few weeks later, it dropped through my letter box, with just his autograph on it. Lazy sod!

 

 

Hahaha he probably thought the custard creams were a piss-take. 

 

He was Celtic captain in 98, lifted the title when we stopped 10 in-a-row. I'll never forget that day. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sticking with players I’ve actually seen play so no room for George Best, Jimmy Greaves, John Charles etc. Basically nobody who retired before 1980.

 

I’ve also gone for those I rate highest as players, not whether I liked the cut of their jib or not.

 

Lastly, fuck balance of the team. No defensive midfielders for me. This lot would score ten every game anyway.

 

Neville Southall 

 

Danny McGrain

Paul McGrath

Tony Adams

Stuart Pearce

 

Paul Gascoigne

Liam Brady

Glenn Hoddle

 

Alan Shearer

Wayne Rooney

Mark Hughes

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, YorkshireRed said:

Sticking with players I’ve actually seen play so no room for George Best, Jimmy Greaves, John Charles etc. Basically nobody who retired before 1980.

 

I’ve also gone for those I rate highest as players, not whether I liked the cut of their jib or not.

 

Lastly, fuck balance of the team. No defensive midfielders for me. This lot would score ten every game anyway.

 

Neville Southall 

 

Danny McGrain

Paul McGrath

Tony Adams

Stuart Pearce

 

Paul Gascoigne

Liam Brady

Glenn Hoddle

 

Alan Shearer

Wayne Rooney

Mark Hughes

 

 

My criteria was favourite players, not necessarily the best ones I’ve seen.

 

I’m not old enough to have watched Best or Greaves in person, but having seen plenty of them on video, I couldn’t leave them out.

 

I’ve only seen Mackay, on video, in the 1962 and 1967 FA cup Finals, along with other bits and pieces. However, I grew up with my dad waxing lyrical about him. On reflection, I should have picked Billy McNeill instead. Again, a player I never saw live, but I as good as wore out my 1967 European Cup Final video.

 

Loved Paul Gascogne as a player, so he makes my bench.

 

McNeill

Le Saux

Aitken

Gascoigne

Regis

 

 

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, YorkshireRed said:

Sticking with players I’ve actually seen play so no room for George Best, Jimmy Greaves, John Charles etc. Basically nobody who retired before 1980.

 

I’ve also gone for those I rate highest as players, not whether I liked the cut of their jib or not.

 

Lastly, fuck balance of the team. No defensive midfielders for me. This lot would score ten every game anyway.

 

Neville Southall 

 

Danny McGrain

Paul McGrath

Tony Adams

Stuart Pearce

 

Paul Gascoigne

Liam Brady

Glenn Hoddle

 

Alan Shearer

Wayne Rooney

Mark Hughes

 

 

That midfield would never lose the ball.

 

I would find a place for Giles who was a magnificent player even if he was one of the biggest thugs in the game. Maybe Giles, Brady and Gazza or keep Hoddle as well and go two up top. 4 beautiful midfielders who are hard to separate. Can you imagine Souness with any of those four. 

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Ronnie Whelan said:

That midfield would never lose the ball.

 

I would find a place for Giles who was a magnificent player even if he was one of the biggest thugs in the game. Maybe Giles, Brady and Gazza or keep Hoddle as well and go two up top. 4 beautiful midfielders who are hard to separate. Can you imagine Souness with any of those four. 

As I was making my selection I kept thinking who are the very best players I’ve seen in each position. Wonderful how many times the answer was a Liverpool player. We’ve really been blessed. Souness with Gazza and one of Brady or Hoddle would be a midfield from the gods.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Tony Moanero said:

My criteria was favourite players, not necessarily the best ones I’ve seen.

 

I’m not old enough to have watched Best or Greaves in person, but having seen plenty of them on video, I couldn’t leave them out.

 

I’ve only seen Mackay, on video, in the 1962 and 1967 FA cup Finals, along with other bits and pieces. However, I grew up with my dad waxing lyrical about him. On reflection, I should have picked Billy McNeill instead. Again, a player I never saw live, but I as good as wore out my 1967 European Cup Final video.

 

Loved Paul Gascogne as a player, so he makes my bench.

 

McNeill

Le Saux

Aitken

Gascoigne

Regis

 

 


Yes - If I’d used your criteria then Best, Greaves and Mackay would certainly be selected. The first two are absolute shoe ins. Two of the very greatest players these Islands have ever seen.

 

It’s been out a good while but I recently read Greaves book and he waxes lyrical about Dave Mackay throughout. I’ve seen a bit of him on video so that and the endorsement of Jimmy Greaves is good enough for me. 
 

My late Dad would enjoy this. He was a Geordie, so would be pushing for the inclusion of Jackie Milburn (great player although maybe not quite good enough for the absolute best XI). Like many of his generation, he’d also refuse to acknowledge any team choice not including Tom Finney.
 

He also used to tell me that he thought Steven Gerrard was the most complete footballer he’d seen since Duncan Edwards. Sadly the world never got to see just how good he might have become. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...