OutByEaster? Posted April 16, 2020 Moderator Share Posted April 16, 2020 What, no Lee Hendrie? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Keyblade Posted April 16, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted April 16, 2020 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 Westwood. Nobody hid from the ball for 80 minutes then two footed someone to show what a hard man he was like him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted April 16, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted April 16, 2020 Neale Cooper was a tough cookie. Just seen he passed away a couple of years ago, seems to have completely passed me bye (or more probably fallen out of my brain like most other stuff). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 Alpay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted April 16, 2020 Author Share Posted April 16, 2020 5 hours ago, Zatman said: Grant Holt now that was a real man Pity he wasn't a real footballer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarethRDR Posted April 16, 2020 Share Posted April 16, 2020 Not sure I'd ever class him as a "hardman" given his penchant for wandering 40 yards out of position then getting dispossessed by a strong gust of wind, but I do so love this clip of Clark catapulting Jeffrey Schlupp into orbit. Shame really that he seemed to save his most hazardous tackles for his own teammates at training sessions. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveAV1 Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Ken McNaught, Peter Withe, Andy Lockhead, you wouldn’t want to meet any of them down a dark alley. Also although not “hard men” in the traditional sense, Alex Cropley and Sid Cowans never shirked a single tackle in their careers. To be honest almost anyone who played in the 70s and 80s would be a hard man compared with our present squad. They’d probably call Brian Little “Cruncher” these days. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted April 17, 2020 Author Share Posted April 17, 2020 Here's one I remember as a little lad, " 6ft 2, eyes are blue, Sammy Morgan's after you la,la...." . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) When I think of "hard men" I've seen at Villa Park, it's opponents that come to mind first such as, Dave Mackay, Ron (chopper) Harris, Norman (bites yer legs) Hunter, (who is currently fighting that horrible virus in an ICU) Nobby Stiles, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats, Claudio Gentile, Graeme Souness, Roy Keane and Stuart (psycho) Pearce. We've had Mile Jedinak, Shaun Teale, Mike Pejic and Andy Lochhead, but I offer another two, namely Trevor Hockey and George (the icicle) Cummings. The second of which, I didn't see play (I'm old, but I'm not quite that old ) but that I heard a lot about from Villa men that did, when I was a young boy waiting for the Sports Argus on a Saturday evening: Edited April 17, 2020 by John 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veloman Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 16 hours ago, TRO said: George Curtis and Steve McMahon took no prisoners either. We have always had them in our teams......sadly in recent times, we seem to think we can do without. George Curtis !!!! You must be nearly as old as me !! Remember when we signed him from Coventry - made a big difference to Villa's defence IMO 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 I think the dearth of options shows that for quite a while Villa have been a bit of a 'soft' side. Jedinak is probably the nearest hardman we had in recent years but he wasn't even really a regular starter for most of his time here. I wouldn't say Mings is a traditional hardman but obviously has good leadership qualities. It is probably dying out from the game tbh. My favourite hardman has to be Stig Tofting. Legend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 I remember a story about Wimbledon.....They were always playing pranks on new comers. The latest was cutting ties in the dressing room. Some player asked Vinnie to cut the tie of Mick Harford who had just joined......Vinnie said " you can cut that one your ****ing self. Mick was a genuine hard case. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, The Fun Factory said: I think the dearth of options shows that for quite a while Villa have been a bit of a 'soft' side. Jedinak is probably the nearest hardman we had in recent years but he wasn't even really a regular starter for most of his time here. I wouldn't say Mings is a traditional hardman but obviously has good leadership qualities. It is probably dying out from the game tbh. My favourite hardman has to be Stig Tofting. Legend. I don't think it is dying out....I just think we think it is and have programmed ourselves to think it has......Even just watching Man City, while they have no one stand out hard man, they have an appetite to physically challenge and they do it with gusto, when they have to, Man Utd over the years with Fergie had Keane, but they could all dish it out, despite the silky skills.....they just did what they did, when they had to. The great sides of the past all had one....Bremner, Giles& Hunter at Leeds.....Case, Souness and Smith at Liverpool......Harris at Chelsea......This new era thing is a myth, its just that they are more careful now and more skillful at applying the physicality and getting away with it...its cynically camouflaged. The rules make it more difficult to apply tough tackling, but those that rely on it are sneaky and find a way of circumnavigating the rules....."necessity is the mother of invention" I think it is a major problem of ours that needs addressing.....No more than, when you have a player that takes no prisoners, it become contagious and other players toughen up, plus the fact it gives everyone else more confidence. If you see the "short step" coming in to avoid a tackle or too much standing off.....that too is contagious and thats where we are at. Edited April 17, 2020 by TRO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 3 hours ago, John said: When I think of "hard men" I've seen at Villa Park, it's opponents that come to mind first such as, Dave Mackay, Ron (chopper) Harris, Norman (bites yer legs) Hunter, (who is currently fighting that horrible virus in an ICU) Nobby Stiles, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats, Claudio Gentile, Graeme Souness, Roy Keane and Stuart (psycho) Pearce. We've had Mile Jedinak, Shaun Teale, Mike Pejic and Andy Lochhead, but I offer another two, namely Trevor Hockey and George (the icicle) Cummings. The second of which, I didn't see play (I'm old, but I'm not quite that old ) but that I heard a lot about from Villa men that did, when I was a young boy waiting for the Sports Argus on a Saturday evening: I too missed George Cummings,bit before my time......Reports go, infamously known as the only full back to stop Stanley Matthews. Allegedly Stan hated playing against George.....because George never gave him an inch. I love watching skillful players, but i cringe when its put on plate for them, we are good at that in the current set up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 For a player that weighed no more than 8 stone. Alex Cropley didn't mind a tackle. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, The Fun Factory said: I think the dearth of options shows that for quite a while Villa have been a bit of a 'soft' side. Jedinak is probably the nearest hardman we had in recent years but he wasn't even really a regular starter for most of his time here. I wouldn't say Mings is a traditional hardman but obviously has good leadership qualities. It is probably dying out from the game tbh. My favourite hardman has to be Stig Tofting. Legend. Its something I am really Kean to see change.....I am still pleased with some of the football we play at times.....but the benevolence we offer when we haven't got the ball is gut wrenching for me. I definately believe its our achilles heel and the oppostion all know it. someone like Oliver Dacourt in midfield would suit us.....an enforcer and could play a bit. Edited April 17, 2020 by TRO 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 3 hours ago, John said: When I think of "hard men" I've seen at Villa Park, it's opponents that come to mind first such as, Dave Mackay, Ron (chopper) Harris, Norman (bites yer legs) Hunter, (who is currently fighting that horrible virus in an ICU) Nobby Stiles, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats, Claudio Gentile, Graeme Souness, Roy Keane and Stuart (psycho) Pearce. We've had Mile Jedinak, Shaun Teale, Mike Pejic and Andy Lochhead, but I offer another two, namely Trevor Hockey and George (the icicle) Cummings. The second of which, I didn't see play (I'm old, but I'm not quite that old ) but that I heard a lot about from Villa men that did, when I was a young boy waiting for the Sports Argus on a Saturday evening: Sadly Normal Hunter passed away today. In an England v Scotland game he absolutely clattered Billy Bremner. Yes Pejic was hard. He career finished on the same day the Villa legend Brian Little finished. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted April 17, 2020 Share Posted April 17, 2020 Eric Dier and Ander Herrera are modern day football hardmen. Its definitely dying out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villan_of_oz Posted April 17, 2020 VT Supporter Share Posted April 17, 2020 16 hours ago, rodders0223 said: Westwood. Nobody hid from the ball for 80 minutes then two footed someone to show what a hard man he was like him. Ridiculous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts