The greatest footballer that you ever saw play live

[1066familyman]

Mark Lawrenson.

He just never made mistakes.

You should see his pundrity, he makes loads of 'em! Mistakes that is.

 

[theboybilly]

I'll play the Old Git card and say Stanley Matthews, playing for Stoke City in a league game at Villa Park.

Wish I could have seen that, and Tom Finney too. Also Duncan Edwards to see if he really was that good. But my ' greatest ever' has to be George Best. Not only wonderfully skilful but extremely hard to knock off the ball for such a slender bloke and also good in the air

 

[NooBHA]

I've seen Cruyff and George Best play live but it was late in their careers and not at their best

The best 90 minutes of football I have ever seen played by one individual actually came from Laurie Cunningham of West Brom

 

[Pevenseagull]

Zidane

Distantly followed by Beardsley, Bergkamp and Cantona.


Even more distantly followed by Clive Walker for 10 minutes away at Huddersfield and Solly March for 10 minutes against Birmingham.

 

[W.C.]

I was living in Madrid when the first wave of Galacticos arrived. Figo and (old) Ronaldo were of course outstanding, the latter coming on as a sub on his debut and scoring with his first or second touch. But Zidane was the best. Just on another level to other players on the pitch. Could play the game at his own pace such were his skills. Bit like Vicente

Just realised I also saw one of my favourite ever footballers, Bergkamp play in the flesh too, but it was on the night Arsenal demolished Deportivo 5-1 and as a Depor fan I was too peed off to enjoy his skills.

 

[John Bumlick]

Peyton Manning

what?

 

[Jim Van Winkle]

Gary Neville - he was one step ahead of everyone on the park. Incredible reader of the game.

Ibrahimovic - what a majestic creature. A technically flawless footballer.

And Vicente - it just took the piss when he was on song in the stripes.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

Johan Cruyff for Barcelona against Ipswich in the Euefa cup 1977

 

[Langley]

Johan Cruyff for Barcelona against Ipswich in the Euefa cup 1977

In the lower divisions, excluding Brighton players because I am bias,
Robin Friday of Reading
Don Rogers of Swindon

For Brighton. Jimmy Langley

Greatest of all for me is Franz Beckenbaur

 

[KZNSeagull]

Some great memories on here already. One player that stood out when I saw him play was Chris Waddle when he played for Newcastle at the Goldstone, 1983 - I remember wondering how can someone who looked so awkward be so good. Scored the only goal of the game with one of his languid runs cutting in from the right wing, beating half of our team easily or so it seemed. Superb. I see that Terry McDermott, Beardsley and Keegan were also in that side - surprised we only lost 1-0.

 

[colinz]

Wembley 1977 March (I think), England against Holland a Johann Cruyff master class.

 

[fleet]

George Best - saw him get a hat trick as Utd put 5 past Southampton.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Ah, Roy Jennings. My first Albion hero. I was pleased to tell him that directly at the Centenary Dinner.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was referring to Pat Jennings.

 

[ShanklySeagull]

I was there the night the world found Messi. He was astonishing...

http://http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/joan-gamper-2005-the-night-the-world-discovered-messi

 

[bobbysmith01]

George Best - saw him get a hat trick as Utd put 5 past Southampton.

I was there as well, he could use both feet, head, tackle, shoot, dribble and boy was he quick. I have seen most 'greats' over the years and he was simply the 'best ' he took your breath away.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Bobby Moore, in my first ever Albion game v West Ham reserves on 7th November 1959. I started the match as a 13 year old schoolboy West Ham fan and finished it as a Seagull, except we weren't seagulls then.

And thanks to Tim Carder I still have the programme View attachment West Ham prog 7th Nov 1959.pdf

And I played against the great Johann Cruyff.

To be fair, it was a friendly in Amsterdam between Amsterdam Hotels and London Hotels right at the start of his career with Ajax; he offically kicked off the game and although he had started to become well known in Holland none of us had a clue who he was.

 

[Brighthelmstone]

Bergkamp, Vicente and Beardsley for some reason have always been the ones i remember.

 

[Wellesley]

Wendy Wilkins.

 

[Joshski]

C Ronaldo for Madrid

 

[Lower West Stander]

Ronaldo.

There was just this expectation he was going to do something amazing every time he got the ball.

His all round game was just amazing and his work rate too.