City’s toughest player.

[Robbored]

Just saw an article on the BBC sports site highlighting the toughest player of the current PL clubs. Not surprisingly Ron ‘chopper’ Harris got the Chelsea vote and Duncan Ferguson got the vote and both Everton and Newcastle. Billy Bremner got the Leeds vote.

Obviously it’s generational but for me two players would get my City vote. The late Gerry Gow who was the toughest and hardest midfielder I ever saw in a City shirt and Shaun Taylor who although not the most gifted player he was as hard as nails. I remember him colliding at Hillsborough with an opponent at full speed and the sound of the clash could be heard all around the stadium. The opposition player was laid out flat but Taylor just leapt straight back up. I was amazed. He also played ( I use that term loosely) with 100% commitment and was fortunate not to sustain serious injury.

Clearly a huge gulf of footballing ability between Gow and Taylor but both hard bastards in their own right.

Edited April 14, 2023 by Robbored

[archie andrews]

Dave martin.... 

[Sandhurst Red]

Shaun Taylor for me all day long. I remember him v Millwall on Boxing Day in our promotion season where he was a juggernaut and went head first in for every ball, despite some questionable arms from their strikers. 

I still believe that had he not been injured (Taken out) in the Easter Monday game v Watford at home, we would have won the league under John Ward that year.

Our dip in form, and goals leaked in the last 3 games of the season were no coincidence of him being absent. Mind you, we'd sold Goater by then too - so that didn't help matters.

[beaverface]

56 minutes ago, archie andrews said:

Dave martin.... 

Hard or dirty?

[Enclosure Old Timer]

Mike Thresher.

[ralphindevon]

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

Just saw an article on the BBC sports site highlighting the toughest player of the current PL clubs. Not surprisingly Ron ‘chopper’ Harris got the Chelsea vote and Duncan Ferguson got the vote and both Everton and Newcastle. Billy Bremner got the Leeds vote.

Obviously it’s generational but for me two players would get my City vote. The late Gerry Gow who was the toughest and hardest midfielder I ever saw in a City shirt and Shaun Taylor who although not the most gifted player he was as hard as nails. I remember him colliding at Hillsborough with an opponent at full speed and the sound of the clash could be heard all around the stadium. The opposition player was laid out flat but Taylor just leapt straight back up. I was amazed. He also played ( I use that term loosely) with 100% commitment and was fortunate not to sustain serious injury.

Clearly a huge gulf of footballing ability between Gow and Taylor but both hard bastards in their own right.

Loved these two players.

I’m not sure about a ‘huge gulf’ in footballing ability though. Taylor was a brilliant defender, probably the best I’ve seen at City. Gow was a great midfielder, both hard and both excellent in their positions. 

[Eddie Hitler]

Ernie "Ginger" Peacock - my parents' day

Gerry Gow / David Rodgers - faint memories from when I was a lad

Shaun Taylor - watched many games

 

The last to me was the most surprising.  Shaun was 33 when we signed him in 1996 after five years at Exeter followed by five years at Swindon.

My view of his signing, which was fairly common at the time but also maybe coloured by too many hours spent Playing Championship Manager where 33 year old signings last one season before heading into non-league, was that we were making a mistake in signing an over the hill lower league clogger.

How wrong we all were.  Underlined by his being the heart of the 1998 promnotion team.

 

As someone said at the time - Shaun Taylor would run through a brick wall for Bristol City.

[Red-Robbo]

The obvious candidates have been mentioned and I'm not going to argue with Shaun Taylor as winner of the City leg of this particular contest. He just did not like opposition players trying to get past him.

Jordan and Hunter were of course famously robust, and though not in that league, Tommy Doc was not adverse to the more physical side of the game. Paul Hartley too.  

[sglosbcfc]

In my time -

80s - Joe Jordan

90s - Dave Martin, Shaun Taylor

00s - Tommy Doherty, Dele Adebola

10s - Aaron Wilbraham

20s - Nathan Baker

[sglosbcfc]

I should also add Andy Llewellyn. Not really a hard man as such, but he's kicked more wingers into row Z of the old Grandstand than any other full back I can remember.

[bcfc01]

Trevor Tainton - he used to put his full weight into tackles, harder tackler than Gow imo, but both could put it about if necessary.

Then of course, there was the late and great Norman Hunter..

Would love a team now with those three playing.

[Port Said Red]

I would like to add John Emmanuel, Gow's "understudy", and Mick Harford, and of course Norman Hunter.

 There's a difference between "hard" and "strong" I think, perhaps it's the way it's used? Dele Adebola was one of the strongest men I ever saw for City, watching defenders bounce off him was great fun. 

1 minute ago, bcfc01 said:

Trevor Tainton - he used to put his full weight into tackles, harder tackler than Gow imo, but both could put it about if necessary.

Then of course, there was the late and great Norman Hunter..

Would love a team now with those three playing.

We would be down to 8 men every other week!

[beaverface]

3 minutes ago, Port Said Red said:

I would like to add John Emmanuel, Gow's "understudy", and Mick Harford, and of course Norman Hunter.

 There's a difference between "hard" and "strong" I think, perhaps it's the way it's used? Dele Adebola was one of the strongest men I ever saw for City, watching defenders bounce off him was great fun. 

We would be down to 8 men every other week!

Tony Rougier away to Barnsley. Nobody could touch him when he shielded the ball by the corner flag. After ten minutes of him doing so, the referee ended up giving a freekick to the opposition in sympathy :laugh:

[Major Isewater]

Robbie Carnage Turner, Mick Harford , Steve Galliers not players known to be soft touches. 

[RedRock]

Norman Hunter - nobody bounced off him. Solid is an understatement. 

[westonred]

I remember Vinnie Jones saying the toughest player he ever played against was a certain Steve Galliers of Bristol City

[westonred]

Half these players mentioned would be sent off every week in todays powder puff game

[Robbored]

24 minutes ago, ralphindevon said:

Loved these two players.

I’m not sure about a ‘huge gulf’ in footballing ability though. Taylor was a brilliant defender, probably the best I’ve seen at City. Gow was a great midfielder, both hard and both excellent in their positions. 

It’s all about opinions Ralph - no doubt Taylor was a solid and reliable at CB who scored some important goals for City but he was regularly exposed by quick and tricky forwards in much the same way that Flint was. His footballing ability was limited in my opinion. 

Anyone who remembers Gerry Gow will know how skilled (as well as being as hard as nails)he was. It was only Souness that kept GG out of the Scotland team.

[Sir Colby-Tit]

Matt Hewlett 

[The Coach]

1 hour ago, Robbored said:

Just saw an article on the BBC sports site highlighting the toughest player of the current PL clubs. Not surprisingly Ron ‘chopper’ Harris got the Chelsea vote and Duncan Ferguson got the vote and both Everton and Newcastle. Billy Bremner got the Leeds vote.

Obviously it’s generational but for me two players would get my City vote. The late Gerry Gow who was the toughest and hardest midfielder I ever saw in a City shirt and Shaun Taylor who although not the most gifted player he was as hard as nails. I remember him colliding at Hillsborough with an opponent at full speed and the sound of the clash could be heard all around the stadium. The opposition player was laid out flat but Taylor just leapt straight back up. I was amazed. He also played ( I use that term loosely) with 100% commitment and was fortunate not to sustain serious injury.

Clearly a huge gulf of footballing ability between Gow and Taylor but both hard bastards in their own right.

Did Whitehurst get Toon?

[Port Said Red]

3 minutes ago, Robbored said:

It’s all about opinions Ralph - no doubt Taylor was a solid and reliable at CB who scored some important goals for City but he was regularly exposed by quick and tricky forwards in much the same way that Flint was. His footballing ability was limited in my opinion. 

Anyone who remembers Gerry Gow will know how skilled (as well as being as hard as nails)he was. It was only Souness that kept GG out of the Scotland team.

That last sentence isn't true. If he was that close to the Scottish first team he would have been in the squad that went to Argentina. He was a cracking player for us, but he had a lot of competition ahead of him in the Scottish midfield. 

[glynriley]

Martin Scott never took many prisoners.

Glenn Humphries and Mark Aizlewood too.

Would like to see a team take this lot on...

A Leaning

 

G Humphries

N Hunter

S Taylor

M Scott

 

G Gow

B Hutchinson

S Galliers

D Martin

 

J Jordan

M Harford

 

Sub , Steve Johnson , Lavin , AIzlewood , Turner , Docherty

Edited April 14, 2023 by glynriley

[Oh Louie louie]

Robbie turner pure brute strength, Bobby hutch and David Martin cared for no man on the field

[Robbored]

4 minutes ago, The Coach said:

Did Whitehurst get Toon?

Duncan Ferguson got their vote. 

[Oh Louie louie]

Not a wind up but with lee Johnsons Martial arts skills on paper it would be him?

[Red-Robbo]

6 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Duncan Ferguson got their vote. 

 

Half of his battles were off the pitch....

[Son of Fred]

53 minutes ago, Enclosure Old Timer said:

Mike Thresher.

Some of his challenges can only be described as agricultural....

[Northern Red]

Billy Mercer was rumoured to have put Steve Jones on his arse during a particularly rowdy Christmas party.

[Red-Robbo]

1 minute ago, Son of Fred said:

Some of his challenges can only be described as agricultural....

 

He was a machine.

[Midred]

Just now, Son of Fred said:

Some of his challenges can only be described as agricultural....

And for Sheffield united - Norwood and McBurnie who get away with it most weeks!