Who is the greatest player you ever saw live?

[Gully]

Romario, saw him play twice for PSV during the time that Sir Bobby Robson was manger out there. First time he was imperious and scored a hat-trick, second time a very average right back played the game of his life and the Brazilian didn't get a sniff.

 

[Lankyseagull]

Torn between Gascoigne and Cantona.

 

[galebs]

Gascoigne, in a friendly at the Goldstone when I was really young. He nearly broke the cross bar with a thunderbolt.

More recently probably Tevez or Beckham

Do you remember who was in goal that day ? Yes a certain Mr David James, whatever happened to him? Funny thing about that thunderbolt was that Gascoigne hit the bar by James head and he didn't even move, not bad for someone of James height !

 

[highway61]

George Best and jimmy greaves were the two that impacted me most.

 

[fleet]

George Best = saw him play for Utd at the Dell - they scored 5 I think he may have got 3 of them.

 

[hart's shirt]

Goalkeepers aren't often suggested here, so I'm going to suggest Peter Shilton when at Forest.

This was at a time when English goalkeepers were some of the best in the world.

 

[Knotty]

Cruyff for me. Saw him twice live and he was outstanding on both occasions.

The best player I saw live, but after his best years was Puskas. It was an England World Cup winning XI v The Rest of the World at Filbert Street in 1973. He was a very fat man by then but he spent the whole game in the centre circle and sprayed perfect passes around from there. He ran the game for them!

 

[Martinf]

liam brady

This.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

Goalkeepers aren't often suggested here, so I'm going to suggest Peter Shilton when at Forest.

This was at a time when English goalkeepers were some of the best in the world.

And before he lost any spring in his step.

It was interesting Mark Wright saying that in all the years he played in front of him - he never saw him save a penalty.

 

[Harty]

Do you remember who was in goal that day ? Yes a certain Mr David James, whatever happened to him? Funny thing about that thunderbolt was that Gascoigne hit the bar by James head and he didn't even move, not bad for someone of James height !

It was the Graham Moseley testimonial, Spurs kindly obliged with Gazza, Lineker and co shortly before the 1990 World Cup.

How times have changed, I doubt Fabio would have let his 'stars' play in such a game prior to SA............

A 19 year old David James turned up from Watford with his boots on the night and Mose didn't have the heart to turn him away.

He's come a long way........

 

[rcf0712]

Of those I can clearly remeber when younger, Thyssen and Muhren used to take the piss when Ipswich were in their pomp under Sir Bobby - they were a sight to behold back then from atop my little wooden stool down on the wall under the West Stand, red and while ball and all....
Also, I always thought it was a bit special when Peter Ward really turned it on.
I saw Gazza as ateenager at West ham once, he scored a ripper for Newcastle that and you could tell he was going places.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

Jimmy Greaves at White Hart Lane is a memory from the early 60's - my godfather, who was a Spurs director, took me along because he was concerned at my developing allegance to BHA.
Saw Bobby Moore, Rodney Marsh and George Best playing for Fulham at Selhurst Park around 1977. Fulham murdered Palace 3-1 but Best was involved in an incident that resulted in Ian Evans breaking his leg.
Bobby Charlton playing for Preston NE at the Goldstone. By then he was a shadow of the player he once was and I spent most of the game thinking he should have retired years beforehand - very sad.

 

[The Large One]

Greatest player - Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid v Roma in 2002.
Greatest performance - Pavel Nedved for Czech Republic v Holland in Portugal 2004.

As for a performance at a Brighton game, it's a match I didn't see but have been told about it countless times - Alan Knight for Portsmouth v Brighton.

 

[cuthbert]

Dennis Law I was at Luton the day he scored 6 but the game was abandoned, that was during his first spell with Man City. My mates brother a Luton fan said it was the first time he'd seen Dennis and he never wanted to see him again. I was lucky I was at university in Manchester between 1963 and 1966 and so I often watched him, and Best and Charlton. I hate Man U but you had to love those three.

 

[Superphil]

Gazza and Zidane for me, I think.

Oh, and Peter Ward, of course

 

[withdeanwombat]

Excluding the mentioned Albion greats,it has to be George Best for me.

Greaves was great but Best was best.

 

[BigGully]

During Albions Div 1 days, I was generally disappointed with many stars that came to the Goldstone, but as already mentioned Ardiles was class and I think Alan Devonshire was at his striding best on the sticky Goldstone pitch I seem to remember.

 

[sod1]

a young Maradona at Wembley

 

[Gully]

Of those I can clearly remeber when younger, Thyssen and Muhren used to take the piss when Ipswich were in their pomp under Sir Bobby - they were a sight to behold back then from atop my little wooden stool down on the wall under the West Stand, red and while ball and all....

There seems to be a pattern developing here, the two players you named, plus Romario and Gazza...all seemed to bring out their best under the management of Sir Bobby. If we were to have a thread about the greatest manager of all time I would be very surprised if his name was anywhere other than right at the top.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Stanley Matthews - playing his last season for Stoke City. At Villa Park. Which, as a Blues supporter at the time, wasn't the place to feel totally comfortable about paying good money to get into.

The old man had lost his pace, but he still had his brilliant footballing mind.