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TOP 10 BRITISH FOOTBALLERS OF ALL TIME


Walter Bishop

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Walter Bishop

Having a wee "debate" at work on the back of another thread on the terrace regarding Scotland's contribution to English football,Im sitting here with a proper "Engerlund" fan and we are discussing the greatest British players of all time(alot based on hearsay and old footage), here is my 10 and his( :yucky: )......

 

Mine.

 

1.Kenny Dalglish

2.George Best

3.Duncan Edwards

4.Bobby Moore

5.Dave Mckay

6.Stanley Matthews

7.Dennis Law

8.Bobby Charlton

9.John Charles

10.Paul Gascoigne

 

His.

 

1.Bobby Moore

2.Geoff Hurst

3.George Best

4.Gordon Banks

5.Bobby Charlton

6.Tony Adams

7.David Beckham

8.Alan Shearer

9.Graeme Souness

10.Jimmy Greaves.

 

 

What would yours be???

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Charlie-Brown

I think that Gordon Smith, Jim Baxter, Jimmy Johnstone & Tommy Walker would all be strong candidates from a Scottish perspective.

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Having a wee "debate" at work on the back of another thread on the terrace regarding Scotland's contribution to English football,Im sitting here with a proper "Engerlund" fan and we are discussing the greatest British players of all time(alot based on hearsay and old footage), here is my 10 and his( :yucky: )......

 

Mine.

 

1.Kenny Dalglish

2.George Best

3.Duncan Edwards

4.Bobby Moore

5.Dave Mckay

6.Stanley Matthews

7.Dennis Law

8.Bobby Charlton

9.John Charles

10.Paul Gascoigne

 

His.

 

1.Bobby Moore

2.Geoff Hurst

3.George Best

4.Gordon Banks

5.Bobby Charlton

6.Tony Adams

7.David Beckham

8.Alan Shearer

9.Graeme Souness

10.Jimmy Greaves.

 

 

What would yours be???

 

 

He doesn't have Dalglish!!!

 

Ask Beckenbauer what he would think about that! (he rated Dalglish as the best player on the planet)

 

FFS Dalglish came runner up as world player of the year (to Platini) at 32 years old!

 

Feck me that is insane. He has Beckham and Hirst on it!!!

 

Oh my your pal knows jack shit

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He doesn't have Dalglish!!!

 

Ask Beckenbauer what he would think about that! (he rated Dalglish as the best player on the planet)

 

FFS Dalglish came runner up as world player of the year (to Platini) at 32 years old!

 

Feck me that is insane. He has Beckham and Hirst on it!!!

 

Oh my your pal knows jack shit

 

 

1. Dalglish

2. Best

3. Law

4. Moore

5. Charlton

6. Banks

7. Keegan

8. Gascoigne

9. Scholes

10. Gerrard

 

 

I really should have Stanley Mathews on this but I don't think any player from his era (no matter how world class he was in his day) would get a sniff in any modern team.

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Walter Bishop

He doesn't have Dalglish!!!

 

Ask Beckenbauer what he would think about that! (he rated Dalglish as the best player on the planet)

 

FFS Dalglish came runner up as world player of the year (to Platini) at 32 years old!

 

Feck me that is insane. He has Beckham and Hirst on it!!!

 

Oh my your pal knows jack shit

Thankyou! Been saying the same for past hour now!! He is too biased and thinks Beckham is better choice than Dalglish as "he brings more to the table" !!! :lol: :lol:

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He doesn't have Dalglish!!!

 

Ask Beckenbauer what he would think about that! (he rated Dalglish as the best player on the planet)

 

FFS Dalglish came runner up as world player of the year (to Platini) at 32 years old!

 

Feck me that is insane. He has Beckham and Hirst on it!!!

 

Oh my your pal knows jack shit

 

he also misses out keegan. so that`s no keegan, no dalgleish but tony adams at number 6. adams was a good defender but not the sixth best brit of all time.

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1. George BEST (Northern Ireland)

 

2. Bobby CHARLTON (England)

 

3. Duncan EDWARDS (England)

 

4. Stanley MATTHEWS (England)

 

5. Jim BAXTER (Scotland)

 

6. Kenny DALGLISH (Scotland)

 

7. John CHARLES (Wales)

 

8. Bobby MOORE (England)

 

9. Denis LAW (Scotland)

 

10. Gordon BANKS (England)

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Kenny Dalglish. Voted by Liverpool fans as their greatest ever player.

 

That's Liverpool, the most successful English side ever....

 

Your mate is rather silly.

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Trying to find 10 players from 140 years is impossible. Although Bobby Walker has rightly been mentioned, I can't believe Tom Finney, Brian Clough and John White haven't been quoted.

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George Best

Duncan Edwards

Jimmy Greaves

Denis Law

Kenny Dalglish

Bobby Charlton

Stanley Matthews

Tom Finney

Bobby Moore

Billy Bremner

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Charlie-Brown

Gordon Smith has to be in there.

 

I would think so too - 5 Scottish championship medals with 3 different clubs and none of them Rangers or Celtic, also universally recognised as the best Scottish player of his generation - even by Hearts fans though he mostly played for Hibs although later Hearts & Dundee.

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No room for lineker anywhere? Second top England scorer of all time and conquered Spain, where he is a legend too. Not many manage that.

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Hearts Heritage

FFS did football start in 1960 then?

 

Pre wwii players for consideration

 

Nick Ross

Bobby Walker

Billy Meredith

Jimmy McGrory

Stanley Matthews

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FFS did football start in 1960 then?

 

Pre wwii players for consideration

 

Nick Ross

Bobby Walker

Billy Meredith

Jimmy McGrory

Stanley Matthews

 

 

We all appreciate the great footballers of the past but no player how amzing from the decades of pig skin and lace would make a top team today.

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Charlie-Brown

We all appreciate the great footballers of the past but no player how amzing from the decades of pig skin and lace would make a top team today.

 

 

Stop slavering such utter pesh! football ability is football ability regardless of what era you were born in - the great players could have played in any era - FACT! End of.

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Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC

FFS did football start in 1960 then?

 

Pre wwii players for consideration

 

Nick Ross

Bobby Walker

Billy Meredith

Jimmy McGrory

Stanley Matthews

 

You can only go by what you've seen, shirley?

 

You say Bobby Walker is the best of all time but I don't believe that tbh. Sorry. :)

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Charlie-Brown

You can only go by what you've seen, shirley?

 

You say Bobby Walker is the best of all time but I don't believe that tbh. Sorry. :)

 

Jimmy McGrory scored over 500 competitive goals - you don't need to have seen that to accept he must have been quite special?

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Mr Romanov Saviour of HMFC

Jimmy McGrory scored over 500 competitive goals - you don't need to have seen that to accept he must have been quite special?

 

Clearly a wonderful player but in these lists no one is going to pick Jimmy McGrory over George Best, are they?

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Tommy Lawton was no bad in his day, Willie Waddel, Willie Thornton, Eric Caldow, Pat Crerand, Alec Parker, Billy Steele, Billy Brown, Tommy Walker, Joe Baker, Denis Law, Duncan Edwards, although his death reduced his legendary status as he died so young. The point is certainly relevant about how they would do in todays game, most of the old great ones were individually good in their team, today mind you I am probably wrong, but in addition to individual skill the ability to play to the programmed system would possibly have reduced the old guys individualism.

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1. Best

2. Law

3. D.Mackay

4. Dalglish

5. B.Charlton

6. Giggs

7. G.Banks

8. Moore

9. Matthews

10. Keegan

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The reason I say that players would not make the grade now is that the modern athlete is

 

FAR fitter

FAR stronger

FAR more skillful

FAR more tactically aware

 

They can read the game better too.

 

The game is a different game now. It?s much faster and far more physically demanding.

 

Players used to have a can of beer and a fag at half times back in the olden days.

 

The players back then were outstanding for their time but they simply wouldn?t belong in todays? game.

 

Technology is far advanced, more emphasis on strategy etc. People are just in better shape.

 

I take running a mile for example:

 

Roger Banister ran the mile in 4 minutes. That is just remarkable. When I?m on the treadmill I look at my speeds and distance and I?m double that (although I?m going for a long run and he sprinted)

 

But today we have shaved 17 seconds of that record and people run the mile in under 4 minutes frequently.

 

Would Roger Bannister get in a top 10 runners of today?

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1. Best

2. Law

3. D.Mackay

4. Dalglish

5. B.Charlton

6. Giggs

7. G.Banks

8. Moore

9. Matthews

10. Keegan

 

 

Scholes is a must IMO.

 

His fellow footballers rate him as the best they have ever played with/against

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Say What Again
Roger Banister ran the mile in 4 seconds. That is just remarkable.

That's more than remarkable!!!!!!!

 

:P

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Who are these jet propelled people?

 

 

:lol:

 

 

In the words of the great philosopher Homer

 

Doh!

 

4 minutes I obviously meant

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I couldn't do a best of all time because it would be hear say I could only do the "my best of my life time".

1 Pat Jennings Great goalie under estimated because he is not Scottish or English

2 Danny McGrain Had everything bar goals

3 Ashley Cole Has everything bar Cheryl

4 Emlynn Hughes Hated him but he was that good

5 Willie Miller Hated him but he was that good

6 Jim Baxter Caught the tail end of his career and he was still awesome

7 Jimmy Johnstone One of the bravest and skilful players I've seen at Tynie

8 Stan Bowles Got about 18 caps less then Charlton Palmer

9 Dennis Law See Jim Baxter

10 Kenny Dalglish Complete footballer

11 George Best Just because

 

12 Peter Shilton Nearly as good as Pat Jennings but not quiet

13 Laurie Cunningham Would have gone on to be one of the best if he hadn't died

14 Billy Bremner Scotland captain who was on the edge of being a dirty player ;)

15 Alan McLaren Could play anywhere and be great at it

16 Gary Linaker Shit at fitba' but could score goals

 

You may not agree, I may not agree later, but there the best in my lifetime, off the top of my head.

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alwaysthereinspirit

Having a wee "debate" at work on the back of another thread on the terrace regarding Scotland's contribution to English football,Im sitting here with a proper "Engerlund" fan and we are discussing the greatest British players of all time(alot based on hearsay and old footage), here is my 10 and his( :yucky: )......

 

Mine.

 

1.Kenny Dalglish

2.George Best

3.Duncan Edwards

4.Bobby Moore

5.Dave Mckay

6.Stanley Matthews

7.Dennis Law

8.Bobby Charlton

9.John Charles

10.Paul Gascoigne

 

His.

 

1.Bobby Moore

2.Geoff Hurst

3.George Best

4.Gordon Banks

5.Bobby Charlton

6.Tony Adams

7.David Beckham

8.Alan Shearer

9.Graeme Souness

10.Jimmy Greaves.

 

 

What would yours be???

 

His has no Dalglish anywhere so is therefore null and void.

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The reason I say that players would not make the grade now is that the modern athlete is

 

FAR fitter

FAR stronger

FAR more skillful

FAR more tactically aware

 

They can read the game better too.

 

The game is a different game now. It?s much faster and far more physically demanding.

 

Players used to have a can of beer and a fag at half times back in the olden days.

 

The players back then were outstanding for their time but they simply wouldn?t belong in todays? game.

 

Technology is far advanced, more emphasis on strategy etc. People are just in better shape.

 

I take running a mile for example:

 

Roger Banister ran the mile in 4 minutes. That is just remarkable. When I?m on the treadmill I look at my speeds and distance and I?m double that (although I?m going for a long run and he sprinted)

 

But today we have shaved 17 seconds of that record and people run the mile in under 4 minutes frequently.

 

Would Roger Bannister get in a top 10 runners of today?

 

There are some other factors to be considered though that would boost the performance of the older players. They played with bad boots and a heavy ball. They played on bad pitches. There were no substitutions. The tackle from behind was legal. You could get away with far more aggressive tackling in general/challenge the keeper etc.

 

If you made modern players play with these constraints then you would find that they performed significantly worse than they do currently. Think about all the fuss over the new balls at world cups.

 

I don't think Giggs for example would have had the same success if he had to try to dribble a cannon ball across a bumpy pitch wearing work boots whilst getting booted up and down from all directions without any chance of a rest if he got an early injury. In fact his career might have ended pretty quickly. The greats from the past had to be even more skilful and strong to cope with all of these problems.

 

In reverse an olden day player brought forward in time would find a yard extra pace from the lightweight clothing and footwear, smooth surface and light football. He would shrug off tackles that would enrage/cripple a modern footballer. One would have to assume he would get six months to acclimatise to being beamed forwards in time, during which he would be able to gain some benefit from modern nutrition and training methods, learn some modern tactics, and enjoy getting to stand in beneficial positions that would have been deemed offside back in his own day.

 

Obviously this is all fantasy, but imagine how hard Charlton would have been able to hit a Finale with a pair of Total 90s on? The one thing retired players always say when asked about the game now is how much they would have liked using the modern ball (unless they were keepers).

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There are some other factors to be considered though that would boost the performance of the older players. They played with bad boots and a heavy ball. They played on bad pitches. There were no substitutions. The tackle from behind was legal. You could get away with far more aggressive tackling in general/challenge the keeper etc.

 

If you made modern players play with these constraints then you would find that they performed significantly worse than they do currently. Think about all the fuss over the new balls at world cups.

 

I don't think Giggs for example would have had the same success if he had to try to dribble a cannon ball across a bumpy pitch wearing work boots whilst getting booted up and down from all directions without any chance of a rest if he got an early injury. In fact his career might have ended pretty quickly. The greats from the past had to be even more skilful and strong to cope with all of these problems.

 

In reverse an olden day player brought forward in time would find a yard extra pace from the lightweight clothing and footwear, smooth surface and light football. He would shrug off tackles that would enrage/cripple a modern footballer. One would have to assume he would get six months to acclimatise to being beamed forwards in time, during which he would be able to gain some benefit from modern nutrition and training methods, learn some modern tactics, and enjoy getting to stand in beneficial positions that would have been deemed offside back in his own day.

 

Obviously this is all fantasy, but imagine how hard Charlton would have been able to hit a Finale with a pair of Total 90s on? The one thing retired players always say when asked about the game now is how much they would have liked using the modern ball (unless they were keepers).

 

 

All good points and i've heard them before (i've had this debate so many times, usually half pished in a pub) but the fact is that is just how it was then and how it is now and we are living in now.

 

It can neevr be proved or disproved.

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Stop slavering such utter pesh! football ability is football ability regardless of what era you were born in - the great players could have played in any era - FACT! End of.

Without doing any research so I could be wrong, I reckon that Bolt is probably the greatest sprinter because he is so far ahead of the rest, and has cut unbelievable margins off the world record in such a short space of time.

 

If Jesse Owens was born 25 years ago however, he'd be one giving Bolt a right good run for his money.

 

Sorry I8, Charlie is correct and you miss the point completely.

 

Great talents will survive in any environment.

 

Indeed I'd argue that half these modern day pansies would struggle if the tables were turned.

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There are some other factors to be considered though that would boost the performance of the older players. They played with bad boots and a heavy ball. They played on bad pitches. There were no substitutions. The tackle from behind was legal. You could get away with far more aggressive tackling in general/challenge the keeper etc.

 

If you made modern players play with these constraints then you would find that they performed significantly worse than they do currently. Think about all the fuss over the new balls at world cups.

 

I don't think Giggs for example would have had the same success if he had to try to dribble a cannon ball across a bumpy pitch wearing work boots whilst getting booted up and down from all directions without any chance of a rest if he got an early injury. In fact his career might have ended pretty quickly. The greats from the past had to be even more skilful and strong to cope with all of these problems.

 

In reverse an olden day player brought forward in time would find a yard extra pace from the lightweight clothing and footwear, smooth surface and light football. He would shrug off tackles that would enrage/cripple a modern footballer. One would have to assume he would get six months to acclimatise to being beamed forwards in time, during which he would be able to gain some benefit from modern nutrition and training methods, learn some modern tactics, and enjoy getting to stand in beneficial positions that would have been deemed offside back in his own day.

 

Obviously this is all fantasy, but imagine how hard Charlton would have been able to hit a Finale with a pair of Total 90s on? The one thing retired players always say when asked about the game now is how much they would have liked using the modern ball (unless they were keepers).

 

I should also have added that performance enhancing drugs were banned relatively recently as well so that may have also aided the older players.

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Charlie-Brown

Without doing any research so I could be wrong, I reckon that Bolt is probably the greatest sprinter because he is so far ahead of the rest, and has cut unbelievable margins off the world record in such a short space of time.

 

If Jesse Owens was born 25 years ago however, he'd be one giving Bolt a right good run for his money.

 

Sorry I8, Charlie is correct and you miss the point completely.

 

Great talents will survive in any environment.

 

Indeed I'd argue that half these modern day pansies would struggle if the tables were turned.

 

Exactly - the great players, athletes & sportsmen of the past were naturally products of their era and made the best of what natural talent they had and what training methods & coaching theory & motivational techniques etc that were available to them. IF they were alive today and had access to the same facilities and methods as modern sportsmen who is to say they wouldn't be just as good if not even better than they were in their day? Okay their goals/games ratiosetc might not be the same if football is more defensively oriented and stronger now than in the past however if McGrory was one of the greatest goalscorers Britain ever produced then you don't lose that talent and instinct for scoring so he'd almost certainly be up there with the best goalscorers of the modern era.

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Without doing any research so I could be wrong, I reckon that Bolt is probably the greatest sprinter because he is so far ahead of the rest, and has cut unbelievable margins off the world record in such a short space of time.

 

If Jesse Owens was born 25 years ago however, he'd be one giving Bolt a right good run for his money.

 

Sorry I8, Charlie is correct and you miss the point completely.

 

Great talents will survive in any environment.

 

Indeed I'd argue that half these modern day pansies would struggle if the tables were turned.

thats a very good example. Sprinting is difficult to assess in terms of great because you could argue that the top 5 times clocked must be the best five sprinters of all time but its not that easy. Owens wasfar more remarkable than say Donovan Bailey because of his ability in his era.

 

I8 of course Stanley Matthews circa 53 playing in the Premiership now would be swallowed up. But in '53 he was abolsutely incredible. What we are saying is if he was born 25 years ago, he would be one of the greats again.

 

You can only measure someone by how good they are against their surroundings. By your logic, Robbie Savage is a better player than Dave Mackay cos the latter couldnt handle todays pace, when obviously this isnt true.

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Hearts Heritage

By all measures Sir Don Bradman was the greatest cricket batsman of all time. That includes the objective measure of batting average AND the subjective measure of those who on the one hand who had seen cricketers from' the golden age' and those who then lived to see Sobers etc in the 1960s.

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Seymour M Hersh

George Best

Duncan Edwards

Jimmy Greaves

Denis Law

Kenny Dalglish

Bobby Charlton

Stanley Matthews

Tom Finney

Bobby Moore

Billy Bremner

 

He reckons Dave Mackay is Spurs' best ever player.

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Dr. Sheldon Cooper

Best aint british....

 

Well he was from Northern Ireland and last time I looked that was in Great Britain. :thumbsup:

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Well he was from Northern Ireland and last time I looked that was in Great Britain. :thumbsup:

 

It's not. It's in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But for the purposes of this debate - because Northern Ireland are always regarded as a home nation - I'm treating him as British.

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By all measures Sir Don Bradman was the greatest cricket batsman of all time. That includes the objective measure of batting average AND the subjective measure of those who on the one hand who had seen cricketers from' the golden age' and those who then lived to see Sobers etc in the 1960s.

 

Except cricket's different - because it has statistics to prove Bradman's timeless greatness. There are no such stats in football, so things become far more subjective.

 

Around the world, if you asked fans or even people versed in football history who was the greatest ever, how many people would respond with "Bobby Walker"? Hardly any; not even that many Hearts fans.

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Geoff Kilpatrick

Shaun's list revised: -

 

 

1. George BEST (Northern Ireland)

 

2. Bobby CHARLTON (England)

 

3. Duncan EDWARDS (England)

 

4. Stanley MATTHEWS (England)John CHARLES (Wales)

 

5. Jim BAXTER (Scotland) Dave MACKAY (Scotland)

 

6. Kenny DALGLISH (Scotland)Tom FINNEY (England)

 

7. John CHARLES (Wales) Stanley MATTHEWS (England)

 

8. Bobby MOORE (England) Denis LAW (Scotland)

 

9. Denis LAW (Scotland) Kenny DALGLISH (Scotland)

 

10. Gordon BANKS (England) Bobby MOORE (England)

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Shaun's list revised: -

 

 

1. George BEST (Northern Ireland)

 

2. Bobby CHARLTON (England)

 

3. Duncan EDWARDS (England)

 

4. Stanley MATTHEWS (England)John CHARLES (Wales)

 

5. Jim BAXTER (Scotland) Dave MACKAY (Scotland)

 

6. Kenny DALGLISH (Scotland)Tom FINNEY (England)

 

7. John CHARLES (Wales) Stanley MATTHEWS (England)

 

8. Bobby MOORE (England) Denis LAW (Scotland)

 

9. Denis LAW (Scotland) Kenny DALGLISH (Scotland)

 

10. Gordon BANKS (England) Bobby MOORE (England)

 

Mackay was an incredible player: certainly my all time Hearts hero. But sorry: he's just too high in that list.

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Geoff Kilpatrick

Best aint british....

 

 

People from Northern Ireland are classed as British, if they choose to be so.

 

Ironically, Matt LeTissier could have made the list even though he is from the Channel Islands as they are actually classed as part of Great Britain but not part of the United Kingdom!

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Dr. Sheldon Cooper

It's not. It's in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. But for the purposes of this debate - because Northern Ireland are always regarded as a home nation - I'm treating him as British.

 

Yeah that's fair enough. I always just treat it as being British.

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