Jam The Man
Well-known member
That testimonial programme was a terrific read and all congrats to Roz and the contributors who made it happen, because it's top notch.
It got me thinking that the term 'Legend' is often bandied around far too much in football. But for me the programme highlighted everything that makes Gary Hart a 'proper' football legend.
Harty is everything any football fan wants from a player of their team - determination, commitment, dedication and dare I say it - love. It's not often a player's love of a team matches that of the fans. Here we have an exception.
This bloke had no affinity to us back in 1998 and arrived for peanuts to play in a craphole in Kent, and has rewarded us with absolute guts, blood and sweat in performances ever since. I remember a mate of mine saying to me in June 2001, just after we won the league, that we ought to ship out Harty as he wouldn't be up to the third tier of pro football - well and truly proved wrong!
As much as a heart warming thought it would be, I would be staggered if the likes of the current young gems in the squad (Elphick, Lynch etc) hang around for ten years with us, as football just does not demand or expect the same sort of 'one-club' loyalty anymore. And good luck to those that move on as it's a short career and earnings have to be taken into account. The likes of Harty and Kerry Mayo - and even Michel Kuipers - for longevity, will maybe not be seen again.
This may sound contrary because people have in the past (and still) send me abusive pm's about my support for Colin Kazim-Richards and the level of effort he perhaps was perceived to put in. That's a totally different kettle of fish, so should bare no comparison (though inevitably it will!) But Gary Hart is something else.
Not getting away from the fact that he's a bloody good player, you always know that every ounce of effort goes into every performance, and whilst the atmosphere at Withdean has often been mildly better than poor, it was always better when Harty was flying down the wing and giving it everything in his owen inimitable way. Mistimed challenges and all! It always got the crowd going.
I hope Harty is around for some time yet, though we don't know what the cull in the summer will be like. He says in the testimonial programme that he wants to be working for us as we move into Falmer and whether it's as a player or a coach, I'm sure virtually every Brighton fan would want that to be the case.
It got me thinking that the term 'Legend' is often bandied around far too much in football. But for me the programme highlighted everything that makes Gary Hart a 'proper' football legend.
Harty is everything any football fan wants from a player of their team - determination, commitment, dedication and dare I say it - love. It's not often a player's love of a team matches that of the fans. Here we have an exception.
This bloke had no affinity to us back in 1998 and arrived for peanuts to play in a craphole in Kent, and has rewarded us with absolute guts, blood and sweat in performances ever since. I remember a mate of mine saying to me in June 2001, just after we won the league, that we ought to ship out Harty as he wouldn't be up to the third tier of pro football - well and truly proved wrong!
As much as a heart warming thought it would be, I would be staggered if the likes of the current young gems in the squad (Elphick, Lynch etc) hang around for ten years with us, as football just does not demand or expect the same sort of 'one-club' loyalty anymore. And good luck to those that move on as it's a short career and earnings have to be taken into account. The likes of Harty and Kerry Mayo - and even Michel Kuipers - for longevity, will maybe not be seen again.
This may sound contrary because people have in the past (and still) send me abusive pm's about my support for Colin Kazim-Richards and the level of effort he perhaps was perceived to put in. That's a totally different kettle of fish, so should bare no comparison (though inevitably it will!) But Gary Hart is something else.
Not getting away from the fact that he's a bloody good player, you always know that every ounce of effort goes into every performance, and whilst the atmosphere at Withdean has often been mildly better than poor, it was always better when Harty was flying down the wing and giving it everything in his owen inimitable way. Mistimed challenges and all! It always got the crowd going.
I hope Harty is around for some time yet, though we don't know what the cull in the summer will be like. He says in the testimonial programme that he wants to be working for us as we move into Falmer and whether it's as a player or a coach, I'm sure virtually every Brighton fan would want that to be the case.
very good
