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Your Saints 'cult' hero


Colinjb

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John McGrath Those of my age who watched him always run out last, wearing a shirt two sizes too small to emphasise his barrel chest, and his sleeves cut short to show his bulging biceps( Looked more like a bouncer at Winchester Lido Ballroom) than a footballer. Must have put the fear of ##### up most of the opposition. The perfect player for one such as myself not too gifted in skills to try to emulate.

Must give Jimmy Gabriel his partner in crime an honourable mention, as the only player ever to have knocked down an opposing centre forward with one clean punch and got clean away with it because the ref and linesman were all haring up the field trying to catch up with play.

Can't remember who it was but it was one of the cocky centre forwards like Frank Astle, who had the audacity to think they were hard.

These two were the foundation of the celebrated "Ale House Brawlers"

 

PS If anyone else with a better memory can remember who it was Gabby hit I'd be obliged. Think it was probably the 67/8 season.

 

My dad always fondly recalls a game at Elland Road where those two virtually kicked Leeds off the park (and won, I think). And as supporters knowing that while it was enjoyable during the game, it signficantly reduced their own chances of getting out of Leeds unscathed...

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These are obscure players you liked - I don't think any built up a cult following although FB may have just qualify.

 

Yes, that's the point of this thread I believe. It is people listing their own personal 'cult' heroes. The word cult is probably a bit of a misnomer as it implies a group, yet the whole point of this is to find names that are the minority amongst the minority.

 

Francis Benali is a Southampton cult hero, in the sense that to any non-Saints fans he was an average, or below-average Premier League player, a name that has probably been forgotten over the years. But amongst Southampton fans you're hardly sticking your neck out to say you loved Franny.

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Tommy Tommy Tommy Jenkins.

On the wing. On the wing.

My first away game ever was WHU away for an evening game. His goal through my young eyes of those days was one of the best I have ever seen. My dad and older brother on a Saints supporters coach went that night. We just stood in with the West Ham fans oblivious that is was not the right thing to do, althoguh it was well before segregation
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"Chicken" George scored in the first game I saw at the Dell (although it ended up officially as a Peter Shirtliff own goal).

 

No idea why he was "Chicken", but that's what the supporters around me were calling him, and I was happy to defer to their greater knowledge than mine in footballer nicknames.

sadly, I think it was down to one of the stars of Roots that was on at the time
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This. Completely.

 

Didn't he nearly knock himself out going for a header near the post? I seem to recall it was away to Nottingham Forest and it was one of those goals at the end of another season of avoiding relegation that you just knew would be critical. Heroic, fearless stuff.

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Didn't he nearly knock himself out going for a header near the post? I seem to recall it was away to Nottingham Forest and it was one of those goals at the end of another season of avoiding relegation that you just knew would be critical. Heroic, fearless stuff.

 

It was home to West Ham late one season. I was sat in row 2 of the Milton at the time, only about 3 or 4 yards from the goal. The ball went in off both posts, Mickey Evans clattered into one of them. Everyone was celebrating and he had no idea where he was. One of the bravest goals I have ever seen.

 

Talking of bravery, has anyone mentioned Steve Mills on this thread. Both career and life cut tragically short, but a top bloke.

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If you are allowed the following

 

Dave Walker

 

Fred Kemp

 

Dennis Hollywood - Great call !

 

I'll raise you Hugh Fisher.

 

Probably not a "cult hero" as we started out looking for but fits in with the next band of widely popular with a bit of a following at the time and remembered warmly.

 

Fisher was also a bit of a whipping boy at one stage and his name on the team sheet met with groans and often sarcastic cheers when he did something on the pitch. But before his injury he was an integral part of the Alehouse midfield.

 

And he has a place in history with his goal against Villa at The Dell in 1976.

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Already mentioned but David Armstrong, Chris Marsden and Terry Hurlock for me. Give it another 10 years then Steve Davis will qualify.

 

Agree with this lot. Terry Hurlock deserves a special mention just his sheer effort, lack of skill.......and landing a few punches on David Speedie.

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So hard to pick just one out of so many.

Matthew Le Tissier, Stevie Williams, Peter Osgood, Terry Hurlock, Jimmy Case, Ron Davies, John McGrath, Micky Channon, Charlie George, Neil Ruddock, Alan Shearer, Mark Dennis, Anti Niemi, Fabrice Fernandez, Ricky Lambert etc etc

But my vote goes to Ivan Golac

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Just scanning the end of this thread, do people not know what a cult hero is?

 

I liked Van Gobbel for fronting up to Roy Keane and making him crap himself, and for his barrel chested runs where he just barged through people. Also for his no nonsense clearances, he smashed one pretty much from one side of the pitch over the far stand at St James' Park.

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John McGrath Those of my age who watched him always run out last, wearing a shirt two sizes too small to emphasise his barrel chest, and his sleeves cut short to show his bulging biceps( Looked more like a bouncer at Winchester Lido Ballroom) than a footballer. Must have put the fear of ##### up most of the opposition. The perfect player for one such as myself not too gifted in skills to try to emulate.

Must give Jimmy Gabriel his partner in crime an honourable mention, as the only player ever to have knocked down an opposing centre forward with one clean punch and got clean away with it because the ref and linesman were all haring up the field trying to catch up with play.

Can't remember who it was but it was one of the cocky centre forwards like Frank Astle, who had the audacity to think they were hard.

These two were the foundation of the celebrated "Ale House Brawlers"

 

PS If anyone else with a better memory can remember who it was Gabby hit I'd be obliged. Think it was probably the 67/8 season.

 

I remember Jimmy Gabriel scoring a rare goal, a blinder of an overhead kick at the Dell. Can't recall who we were playing, but we were three or four down by then anyway.

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"The torpedo" Federico Arias. Don't think he ever actually made it on to the pitch, but the possibility was eagerly anticipated! I do like players with genuine pace - Shane Long is probably about my favourite at the moment - they have the raw materials to do something special even if in reality they rarely do!

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"The torpedo" Federico Arias. Don't think he ever actually made it on to the pitch, but the possibility was eagerly anticipated! I do like players with genuine pace - Shane Long is probably about my favourite at the moment - they have the raw materials to do something special even if in reality they rarely do!

 

On that note, surprised no-one has mentioned Jonno 'Quick' Forte yet.

 

Purely for that cameo v the franchise, naturally.

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On that note, surprised no-one has mentioned Jonno 'Quick' Forte yet.

 

Purely for that cameo v the franchise, naturally.

Has to be in the mix, first touch "head in hands - oh dear" second touch - back of the net! Third touch - back of the net!! Shame a few more subs for Saints didn't follow his sparkling example :-)

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Didn't he nearly knock himself out going for a header near the post? I seem to recall it was away to Nottingham Forest and it was one of those goals at the end of another season of avoiding relegation that you just knew would be critical. Heroic, fearless stuff.

 

1. Micky Evans, just for this spell of goal scoring. Limited ability, absolute brilliant purple patch just when we needed it.

2. Mark Dennis, a mate worked at the Dell early 80's, Mark "popped out for some milk" from his house and returned 3 days later. It's not all about the football......

3. Terry Hurlock, coming out of the Players Entrance with a crate of beer. It's still not about the football.

4. Steve Williams. For me, as a kid of that era and for the position I played, he was all about the football...

 

That dates me somewhat. :^)

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I remember being sat with the Young Saints for a match against Arsenal (I think).

 

Dryden came on as a sub and, as he got into position, shouted "Never fear, Trigger's f****** here."

 

I remember my dad telling me that too (though he left out the swear word) - not sure if he heard the story or also heard it directly as we also sat in the Junior Saints section. It may well have been Arsenal, certainly a game that we were 0-0 or 1-0 up in as I think the whole reason it was funny was because of how desperate/important the situation was!

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