'Hardest man in football' left Vinnie Jones trembling with seven-word message after car crash

Wales Online

11-05-2025

'Hardest man in football' left Vinnie Jones trembling with seven-word message after car crash
Billy Whitehurst was renowned for his robust style of play throughout the 1980s and 90s, and this seemed to translate off the football pitch as well
Billy Whitehurst once faced up to Vinnie Jones in a nightclub
(Image: Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images )
Billy Whitehurst once left Vinnie Jones stunned after asking, "What are you going to f****** do about it?" following a car crash.
Whitehurst was a prominent name in football throughout the 1980s and 90s. He was renowned for his intense style of play, which earned him the tagline of being the 'hardest man in football'.
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During his career, where he played for Hull City, Newcastle United, Sunderland and Sheffield United, among others, the six-foot-tall striker was domineering in the air and across the grass, and many defenders feared going up against him on the pitch.
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One such star was Carlton Palmer, who was at West Brom when he faced off against Whitehurst at Sunderland. Speaking on the Under the Cosh podcast, Pamer waxed lyrical about Whitehurst and explained how getting stuck into him earned the respect of the 'hardest man in football'.
Carlton Palmer spoke about his relationship with both Whitehurst and Jones
(Image: David Davies/Offside via Getty Images )
Palmer said: "I'll tell you a story about Billy, I f****** love that boy to death. I just got in the first team at West Brom, we've got to play Sunderland. Guess who's up front? Billy f****** Whitehurst.
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"Who do you not want to play against ever? Billy Whitehurst, John Fashanu and Mick Harford. Three players straight off the top of your head you don't want to fucking play against. So I'm thinking, 'How am I going to approach this one with Billy?'
Billy Whitehurst once battled with Palmer on the pitch
(Image: Ben Radford/Allsport/Getty Images )
"I'm centre-half, how am I going to approach this one? Well, fire with fire. So I went, 'F*** it,' I'm just going to have to go toe-to-toe with him. He's f****** elbowing me and all that.
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"Half-time, I'm walking off, and he said to me, 'You know something, son? You've got more balls than sense.' That's what he said to me! And then we became mates, I f****** love him, Bill."
Vinnie Jones ended up face to face with Whitehurst
(Image: Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Getty Images )
Palmer added: "Then he tells me the story about when Vinnie [Jones] came to the club because Vinnie thought he was a f****** hard man. I love Vinnie to death as well, another great lad, Vinnie. Vinnie was coming in, so Billy's got this old f****** car.
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"Vinnie's turned up in a 7 Series, brand new BMW. Billy drives straight into the side of it with his old car. He walks in there and he said to Vinnie, 'Somebody's just f****** driven straight into the side of your car.' He said, 'Which c*** done that?', and he said 'Me, what are you going to f****** do about it?' That's f****** Billy for you."
Whitehurst has since settled down post-retirement, training greyhounds and running several public houses in South Yorkshire, but nobody could quite forget the staggering force he was up front in football - certainly not Palmer or Jones.