Vote For Brighton's All Time Greatest Player

[GT49er]

It has to be between Ward, Cook, Langley and Lawrenson........my vote goes to Lawrenson because he went on to make a career at the very highest level for a top club.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Out of interest, which players did win player of the season, during the Wardy years?

 

[Gwylan]

Out of interest, which players did win player of the season, during the Wardy years?

Brian Horton, Peter O'Sullivan, Mark Lawrenson, Steve Foster

I do think people look back on Wardy with some rose-coloured glasses - at his best, he was a fantastic player but his consistency wasn't all that it should be - I'd certainly place Horton, Foster and, especially, Lawrenson above him as they offered consistently good performances week in, week out.

But most exciting player to play for the Albion? That's almost certainly Wardy.

 

[Notters' Dad]

Remember Gary Stevens, who was still young at Brighton and went on to play for Spurs and England; until his career was cut short by injury!

 

[Alan Duffys sideburns]

Wardy all the way for me. Had great players around him but he was a legend. Remember just getting into the away end at Hereford when he scored after 55 seconds(?).

 

[Buzzer]

Greatest, for me, has to be Lawro or Ward. My favourite player would be from a list of Horton, Nelson, Clive Walker or Chapman. (Probably go for old slaphead Walker if push came to shove).

 

[Gritt23]

Peter Ward, end of.

 

[User removed 4]

fred binney , no question.

 

[Brovion]

Brian Horton, Peter O'Sullivan, Mark Lawrenson, Steve Foster

I do think people look back on Wardy with some rose-coloured glasses - at his best, he was a fantastic player but his consistency wasn't all that it should be - I'd certainly place Horton, Foster and, especially, Lawrenson above him as they offered consistently good performances week in, week out.

But most exciting player to play for the Albion? That's almost certainly Wardy.

Agreed. If I limit this to players I've seen (i.e. from 1965 onwards) then the best was Lawrenson by a country mile. Wardy was the most excting, again by a country mile. But like you say he could be inconsistent and being a bit unkind he was a little bit of a one-trick pony - although it was a bloody good trick. Against better defenders though it didn't always work, sad to say Jim Cannon used to have him in his back pocket every time we played Palace. In pure football terms I would say Zamora is better than Ward. Ward never really cut it in the top division either for us or Forest, whereas Zamora, although he hasn't pulled up any trees, is a reasonably competent top-division player.

 

[Gwylan]

Agreed. If I limit this to players I've seen (i.e. from 1965 onwards) then the best was Lawrenson by a country mile. Wardy was the most excting, again by a country mile. But like you say he could be inconsistent and being a bit unkind he was a little bit of a one-trick pony - although it was a bloody good trick. Against better defenders though it didn't always work, sad to say Jim Cannon used to have him in his back pocket every time we played Palace. In pure football terms I would say Zamora is better than Ward. Ward never really cut it in the top division either for us or Forest, whereas Zamora, although he hasn't pulled up any trees, is a reasonably competent top-division player.

I agree with all that.

There's a definite feeling of affection for Wardy for coming back for the demos for Falmer, for REMF, for being an all-round good bloke and for being such flair - but you can scarcely call someone Brighton's greatest player because of that.

By contrast, Lawro's behaviour since he left Brighton has prejudiced people against him, but he oozed class when he was with us. I can't think of anyone who comes close to Lawrenson over the 40 years that I've been watching - my runner-up would be Horton, but a long way behind Lawro.

I do appreciate though that Langley must have been useful, Cook must have had something to be picked for England while in the 3rd division and Webb must have been consistency personified.

 

[Arthur]

Bomber Canning......FACT!

 

[Langley]

As you can see Jimmy Langley gets my vote
but there are so many that have passed through the portals of the Goldstone and of course Withdean.

 

[The Uninvited Guest]

Norman Gall

 

[rcf0712]

for me, and surely it has to be from players you've seen play regularly, the most skilful was Gotsmanov, the most fun to watch was Case, the most whole hearted was Paul Clark and the classiest had to be Lawrenson - best ever, totally subjective really, I say Lawrenson....

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

Ian Mellor - greatest Albion player?

That is that settled then.

Funnily enough the Pal@rse did a similar vote on their worst ever player and it was a very difficult choice between the 3,500 entries.

TNBA

TTF