Latest news with #hardmen
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Tough as teak... and a ruthless streak'
Throughout Wednesday, the BBC's chief football writer Phil McNulty will rank the hardest men to play for Everton. Drop in through the day to see who he selects and you'll also get the chance to state who should be on the list later. In fourth spot (scroll down the page for who is in fifth)... Advertisement Kevin Ratcliffe Some may be surprised by this choice, perhaps thinking Pat van den Hauwe (see below) might be the more obvious selection from Howard Kendall's great 1980s team, but Everton's most successful captain, who led them to two titles, the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup, was the man you would want alongside you in the heat of any battle. Ratcliffe was an outstanding central defender, whose searing pace was essential to Everton's defensive set-up, as well as having every asset required in the position with his ability to read the game and sense danger. He was also tough as teak and a natural leader. He was willing to let strikers know he was there, as his great friend and Wales team-mate Ian Rush often testifies. Advertisement Ratcliffe was a defender who had everything, including a ruthless streak that made him a winner and captain of a side full of strong characters, such as Peter Reid, Andy Gray and Neville Southall. In a team with plenty of hard men, Ratcliffe - a defender of the highest class – has claims to be the hardest. Come back later on Wednesday to see more of McNulty's selections.
BBC News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Tough as teak... and a ruthless streak'
Throughout Wednesday, the BBC's chief football writer Phil McNulty will rank the hardest men to play for Everton. Drop in through the day to see who he selects and you'll also get the chance to state who should be on the list fourth spot (scroll down the page for who is in fifth)...Kevin RatcliffeSome may be surprised by this choice, perhaps thinking Pat van den Hauwe (see below) might be the more obvious selection from Howard Kendall's great 1980s team, but Everton's most successful captain, who led them to two titles, the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup, was the man you would want alongside you in the heat of any was an outstanding central defender, whose searing pace was essential to Everton's defensive set-up, as well as having every asset required in the position with his ability to read the game and sense was also tough as teak and a natural leader. He was willing to let strikers know he was there, as his great friend and Wales team-mate Ian Rush often was a defender who had everything, including a ruthless streak that made him a winner and captain of a side full of strong characters, such as Peter Reid, Andy Gray and Neville a team with plenty of hard men, Ratcliffe - a defender of the highest class – has claims to be the back later on Wednesday to see more of McNulty's selections.
BBC News
27-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ball and Bolton make fans' cut for Sunderland hard men
We asked for your views on former Sunderland player Martin Smith's top-five list of Black Cats hard men after Kevin Ball was handed top are some of your comments:Lee: Bally was solid! Great leader and gent. Played against him in training for an under-16's Sunday League club match (his son was part of it). Five of us couldn't get the ball off him when we were messing around after bothering him to join Kevin Ball was always going to be number one. He tackled someone on the halfway line during the derby with such force the ball hit our own bar! John Kay breaking his leg and paddling off his stretcher, and Gary Bennett's handling of David Speedie are real moments of Sunderland folklore Raw meat Joe Bolton used to leave his bite on many good wingers, and pretty much anyone else that came near Joe Bolton should be in the top five hardest players - a local lad who was left- back from 1972 to 1981. Absolutely as hard as Joe Bolton, left-back who played 300+ times for Sunderland over 10 years from 1972-3 was solid in the tackle and tough player for They were before Martin's time, but Billy Whitehurst and Mick Harford would be in my top five. I can verify what Martin says of Vinnie Jones. I was staying in a hotel in Guildford, at the bar having a pint before dinner when in walks Vinnie Jones. We got chatting and I asked him who was the hardest he had ever faced. Vinnie didn't know that I was a Mackem. He said a guy at Sunderland, Kevin Ball, I just burst out Dave Watson must be on the list. Further back Len Ashurst used to put wingers on the gravel!
