Favourite Player at BWFC ever, and Why?

[DirtySanchez]

22 hours ago, Casino said:

Cant pick one as theres a handful, so ill pick the one who wont get picked by anybody else

Gardner

When he scored the winner at West Brom midweek, was that his debut?

[Traf]

2 minutes ago, DirtySanchez said:

When he scored the winner at West Brom midweek, was that his debut?

I was sat next to his mum.

[Alf Hartigan]

Nobby Nolan, surprised he's not had a mention, been on Talksport with Goldstein and Bent for 2 hours today. Plenty of Bolton chat.

Gary Speed, what a player he was.

[ohjimmyjimmy]

Always been Andy Walker for me.

[Wanderlust]

Toss up between Chopper Hartle, Eddie Hopkinson and Roy Greaves - BWFC to the core and over 1500 BWFC appearances between the three of them.

Individually, they played as many games for us as Okocha, Frank Worthy, Hierro, Youri, Andy Walker and Speedo combined - who were all absolute heroes to watch but just passing through in the scheme of things.

Chopper and Eddie were my first BWFC heroes and although there have been many since, they take pride of place for me - and they were the only ones listed to deliver serious silverware for us.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Wanderlust

[bolty58]

16 hours ago, Nottm_Wanderer said:

There's a player in our team and he is a goal machine and his name is John Byrom ...John Byrom ,  Byrom 

Brilliant , he'd waltz around the keeper in a one on one and then wave to the crowd before stroking the ball into an empty net .

Loved the song. Loved the player. A mate of mine often wears a navy blue tee shirt at the games #byromisking in white.

I want one.

[Cheese]

10 hours ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Nobby Nolan, surprised he's not had a mention, been on Talksport with Goldstein and Bent for 2 hours today. Plenty of Bolton chat.

@leef78 nominated him a few posts back 

[Zico]

11 hours ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Nobby Nolan, surprised he's not had a mention, been on Talksport with Goldstein and Bent for 2 hours today. Plenty of Bolton chat.

Gary Speed, what a player he was.

 

 

[Whitesince63]

1 hour ago, Zico said:

 

 

Brilliant, should have been an England regular Nobby but for the snobbery over Lampard and Gerrard playing for big clubs but my all time favourite player has to be Roy Greaves. Obviously the European stars were magic but Greavesey was different class in those times for me.

[Dr. Feelgood]

7 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

Toss up between Chopper Hartle, Eddie Hopkinson and Roy Greaves - BWFC to the core and over 1500 BWFC appearances between the three of them.

Getting from the superstars to the just plain super I first thought of Roy Greaves and also Peter Nicholson.

Not because they were World beaters but because they were identifiable ... real.

Greaves gave us over 500 games, honest hard graft with a sense of style. He played in all Division's & in most positions. He also, on his 'Shoot' profile said the person he'd most like to meet was Joyce McKinney. For the younger ones here, look her up.

Nicholson. Joined us when Jimmy Armfield came from Blackpool. Played over 300 games mostly at right back. Various managers looked to upgrade on him, new players, some with several England caps, were brought in he just knuckled down & got on with winning his place back. He once said to me that he'd never been the best player in any squad, even at school there were better, but he never stopped working, learning, improving. He also had a huge nose.

Still Campo, overall, but these guys could have been us.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Dr. Feelgood

[desperado]

Too long to pen my thoughts of all my favourites! 

And then I was trying to be different with someone not mentioned.

But nah, for me it has to be.

Super John McGinlay 

[bolty58]

6 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

Toss up between Chopper Hartle, Eddie Hopkinson and Roy Greaves - BWFC to the core and over 1500 BWFC appearances between the three of them.

Individually, they played as many games for us as Okocha, Frank Worthy, Hierro, Youri, Andy Walker and Speedo combined - who were all absolute heroes to watch but just passing through in the scheme of things.

Chopper and Eddie were my first BWFC heroes and although there have been many since, they take pride of place for me - and they were the only ones listed to deliver serious silverware for us.

Top drawer selections sir. The first two were two of my earliest heroes. In awe of Hopky - Englands no. 1 and a true gentleman.

We've discussed Greavo many time before. Hard as nails and utterly misunderstood by the older end at the time purely because he wore no. 9. The key component in the spine of many BWFC teams.

Edited September 14, 2023 by bolty58

[Traf]

36 minutes ago, bolty58 said:

Top drawer selections sir. The first two were two of my earliest heroes. In awe of Hopky - Englands no. 1 and a true gentleman.

We've discussed Greavo many time before. Hard as nails and utterly misunderstood by the older end at the time purely because he wore no. 9. The key component in the spine of many BWFC teams.

Love Greavo, been a personal friend of mine for more years than I can remember.

[Wanderlust]

1 hour ago, bolty58 said:

We've discussed Greavo many time before. Hard as nails and utterly misunderstood by the older end at the time purely because he wore no. 9. The key component in the spine of many BWFC teams.

Roy Greaves was literally the first false number 9

Later era than Chopper and Eddie but all 3 were the first names on the teamsheet regardless of the stars who came in.

I loved the early 60s Ridding side - not as successful as the cup winning team with Nat Lofthouse although a few had played in that team and we were rebuilding (yet again FFS) but we had that buzz about us with Chopper, Syd Farrimond and Warwick Rimmer and a forward line that was breathtaking: Freddie Hill, Frannie Lee, Wyn Davies, little fat Gordon Taylor on the wing. But I was fascinated by Hartle, not because I was a full back myself but at the thought of playing against him and I loved watching him put attackers in his pocket and occasionally into the stands.

I've been lucky enough to see several BWFC reincarnations, notably the Todd, Rioch and Allardyce squads - and hopefully Evatt will get there - but you never forget your first love

[bolty58]

1 hour ago, Wanderlust said:

But I was fascinated by Hartle, not because I was a full back myself but at the thought of playing against him and I loved watching him put attackers in his pocket and occasionally into the stands.

Lost count of the number of times I saw him dump cocky young wingers down those slopes for some gravel rash. He and Tommy Banks. They wouldn't be on the pitch 5 minutes these days with delicate doily referees and VAR wallahs.

[Lt. Aldo Raine]

I'd have thought there'd be more shouts for Peter Thompson in here

[Wanderlust]

16 minutes ago, bolty58 said:

Lost count of the number of times I saw him dump cocky young wingers down those slopes for some gravel rash. He and Tommy Banks. They wouldn't be on the pitch 5 minutes these days with delicate doily referees and VAR wallahs.

It was proper old school with the compulsory "reminder" in the first few minutes but that shouldn't take away from the quality of the player. Chopper was a master of positioning, ball control, passing and had both a high workrate and "footballing brain". Take away the fact that he used to operate on the edge of the laws as interpreted in those days and you're still left with a top player - massive asset to the team and an absolute nightmare to play against.

But let's be honest - we used to love it when he decked people

[Popeye doyle]

30 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I'd have thought there'd be more shouts for Peter Thompson in here

Top player in the day when tackles were assaults. Players were written off at 30 back then but he joined us at age 29/30 and we got 4 or5 seasons from him. 

[Whitestar]

Paul Jones was a quality player back in the 70s and a great servant to the club, somehow he kind of stayed a bit too long and by the turn of the decade i think he'd had enough.

[Krimzon]

5 hours ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I'd have thought there'd be more shouts for Peter Thompson in here

3 of me dads favourite players were Wynn "The Leap" Davies, Peter Nicholson and Peter Thompson .

He tells a story of a game against Middlsboro? with a young lad making his debut called Peter Creamer. Only time me dad felt sorry for an opposing player anfter Thompson bent him up like a corkscrew. Sure someone off here met him a few years back, think Ronaldo & Nicky Hunt but worse, a lot worse.

I used to have favourites nearly every year with folk like Jim McDonagh, David Felgate Tony Henry & Warren Joyce. But looking back I think I got more than a bit obsessed over Jason MacAteer, and totally starstruck and dumbfounded in McDonalds when Andy Walker asked me to sit down for a chat and offered me a chip after a reserve team game. Ricardo Gardner could do no wrong in my eyes and I would have had all of their babies. 

 

[Horwich]

Tony Philliskirk ‘s number 10 was the first I had on a shirt.

[passmosster]

What about Fred alias God?

[BWFC_LOVE]

7 hours ago, Whitestar said:

Paul Jones was a quality player back in the 70s and a great servant to the club, somehow he kind of stayed a bit too long and by the turn of the decade i think he'd had enough.

Way before my time, but I did appreciate it when he was the special guest for Huddersfield away a few years back. 

Despite being their guest for the day and having played for both clubs, he made very clear who his allegiances were in that fixture when given the microphone at half time. 

[bolty58]

14 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

It was proper old school with the compulsory "reminder" in the first few minutes but that shouldn't take away from the quality of the player. Chopper was a master of positioning, ball control, passing and had both a high workrate and "footballing brain". Take away the fact that he used to operate on the edge of the laws as interpreted in those days and you're still left with a top player - massive asset to the team and an absolute nightmare to play against.

But let's be honest - we used to love it when he decked people

Agree 100% on all of that.

[radcliffe white]

Andy Walker