Which era of top-flight football do you think you'd be able to hold your own?

[Goldstone Rapper]

I think I'd have been OK playing English top flight football in the 1950s. I think as a defender I'd have found out Stanley Matthews pretty quickly (as he only seems to have about two different tricks) but would probably have started to struggle in the early 1970s.

 

[Spun Cuppa]

Should the thread title not be prefixed or suffixed with an 'In/in...'

 

[Braders]

60's/70's I reckon , early 80's at a push , the new age schedules and eating set up would be my downfall

 

[Taybha]

The hoof it and blame the wind era for me

 

[dougdeep]

Does anyone think that the standard of football has actually improved in the last few decades then?

 

[Gully]

Probably the 20's or 30's, when all the players looked far smaller and seemed to run around in jerky movements never getting anywhere near the ball...at over 6ft tall I would probably have been the Peter Crouch of that era...forget the fact that I rarely, if ever, scored when playing footy.

 

[gullshark]

Under 12's

 

[biggles]

world cup for me and without bragging i would definatly say 2006

 

[Whitterz]

world cup for me and without bragging i would definatly say 2006

 

[biggles]

is the correct response (twat)

 

[Seasider]

world cup for me and without bragging i would definatly say 2006

Burchall?

 

[SirDouglasLoft]

Probably now

 

[GT49er]

I think I'd have been OK playing English top flight football in the 1950s. I think as a defender I'd have found out Stanley Matthews pretty quickly (as he only seems to have about two different tricks) but would probably have started to struggle in the early 1970s.

Funny that - it's probably just what most defenders at the time thought! Even if true that he only had two tricks, his ability to always do the other one would have still given him the advantage.

 

[perth seagull]

Probably the 1860s for me. As I'd be the only player on the pitch who knew the rules.

 

[itszamora]

Anyone who thinks they could have made it at the highest level of the game at any time from about the turn of the century onwards and yet doesn't play at any professional standard today is completely deluded.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

Probably during the world wars, when just about anyone could get a game because all the Tommies were away fighting - Mavis Crumpshaw at number 36 in our road turned out for both Man Utd and Arsenal between 1939 and 1944. It does make you wonder about the blokes who played professional football during the wars though - pacifist notions aside, should they not have been fighting the Hun rather than chowing down on half time oranges and smoking a Strand?

 

[Cloughie]

Anyone who thinks they could have made it at the highest level of the game at any time from about the turn of the century onwards and yet doesn't play at any professional standard today is completely deluded.

Correct. Also, why do people believe they would be able to 'handle' sir Stan? Absolute rubbish.....

I'd go as far as saying that anybody suggesting that they could have played professionally before the 80's should be locked up. Nobody from this era would last 2 minutes as the game then was much harder (Impossible to get fouls or bookings and no substitutes etc etc)

Absolute tosh

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Does anyone think that the standard of football has actually improved in the last few decades then?

From what Ive seen mainly videos/replys etc Todays foortbal is of a far higher standard, Ronaldo is a much better player than best ever was mainly because the defenders are of a higher standard than the ones best had to play against

 

[k2bluesky]

Reckon I could still do 20 mins with the Albion at this level (and twice the age of some players!!) it's as much about movement off the ball, brains and positioning as athletic ability, that's why fozzzie's still so good.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Correct. Also, why do people believe they would be able to 'handle' sir Stan? Absolute rubbish.....

I'd go as far as saying that anybody suggesting that they could have played professionally before the 80's should be locked up. Nobody from this era would last 2 minutes as the game then was much harder (Impossible to get fouls or bookings and no substitutes etc etc)

Absolute tosh

Are you sure? The 'tricks' Sir Stan uses to get round the back are pretty ordinary i.e. feigning to go inside and then going round the back on his right foot. Every single time.
British Pathe - CUP FINAL - BLACKPOOL 4 V BOLTON 3