Peter Shirtliff was one of the dirtiest players to wear a Charlton shirt. There was a 'challenge' he put in on a Newcastle player, Ian Bogie, I think that was waist high in 1986 or 87.
Darren Jackson was the unfortunate victim. Still only got a booking
'Saw Vinnie Jones crap himself against Mick Kennedy in a Wimbledon v Pompey game. Kennedy could put his foot in and back it up.
Also saw John Fashanu do Gary Stevens in a Spurs v Wimbledon game. Stevens was stretchered off with a broken collar-bone'.
Jones I believe finished Gary Stevens Spurs career with an unnecessary bone crunching tackle at White Hart Lane as the ball was going out of play. All the usual candidates have already been mentioned with some of the 70's players hard imo as opposed to dirty. Dave Mackay Spurs & Derby, Peter Storey Arsenal, Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter Leeds, Tommy Smith Liverpool were all hard, Bremner, and Giles of Leeds and Franny Lee Man City were dirty and often went over the top. Nobby Styles Manure wasn't innocent either. Halesy would look for retribution if he felt wronged and put Paul Parker Fulham into the old West Stand one night game. Rhino Stevens of the scum was also a nasty piece of work.
Chris Morgan of Sheffield United was a nasty piece of work - fractured Iain Hume's skull. Also did Van Persie over. And now he's Caretaker Manager - poor show.
Another predictable vote for Muscat from me. Horrible **** who shouldn't have been aloud to play football for the safety of others. Add to that the fact he played for both Millwall and Palace and I think we can all agree we've found the most dislikable man on the planet.
George Curtis - a veritable hulk of a Coventry City centre half in the days when Jimmy Hill was in charge of them - he put a Charlton player - trying to remember who- about three rows back in the main Valley stand after taking him out two footed on the cinder track in front of the old dugouts, even from high up on the East terrace you could hear the crunch. It was one of those games that really boiled over.
Muscat had it all. Was cynically filthy, went into hurt. Also a pathetic diver and play actor. Bizarrely apparently a pleasant chap off the pitch.
If you were going for hardest player rather than dirtiest it was Mick Harford. I recall a story when he was at Birmingham with several other renowned loons (Tony Coton, Mark Dennis). Him and Coton were in a pub having a sesh, there were a few builders at the bar, also on it. Coton went to the bar and one of the builders said. Are you Tony Coton? He replied in the affirmative and was told "well you're a c**t". Knowing where it was going he decked the boy, but took a hammering. When he came to, the barman was looking ashen faced, the builders were all sparked out and Mick was sitting calmly drinking, but with blood streaming down the back of his nut.
Tony asked the barman what happened - apparently the lads had made short work of him. Mick got up and demolished the lot of them - notably taking the first one out with a trademark full length diving header. The barman, trying to restore order sconed him with his security baseball bat. Mick turned to him and said "get me a f*cking pint". Having got his pint he'd gone and sat down quietly.
Got this from Coton's account in the Football Babylon book. 80s football was excellent.
Anyone see the piece about Mansfield player John Thompson on the bbc website a day or so ago? He has just had to retire due to physical and psychological issues relating to a game in 2011 when this 'abrasive frontman' put himself about.
FRIENDLY: ILKESTON FC 2 MANSFIELD TOWN 4 (match abandoned on 68 minutes)
FURIOUS Mansfield Town boss Paul Cox led his side off the field after just 68 minutes of their bruising ‘friendly’ at Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Division One South neighbours Ilkeston FC after home player-coach Gary Ricketts put three Stags defenders in hospital, reports John Lomas.
The abrasive veteran front man had already put in challenges which left Richie Sutton with a suspected dislocated collarbone and Martin Riley requiring stitches in a facial wound.
But the final straw came when he inexplicably slammed John Thompson two-handed into the plastic and metal of the fencing surrounding the pitch which he hit head first which left the Irishman badly bleeding with a nasty cut across his nose and concussed.
The Irishman was down for a long time as the referee tried to other prevent players squaring up to each other.
Ricketts could have no excuse for his actions against Thompson and further brought himself into disgrace as he argued with furious Stags fans as he changed his shirt and walked to the dressing room, though no card was shown.
Yeah I saw that. That Ricketts must be a great coach to work for. I take it one of those injuries was done by a flailing arm. It would be great if we went back to the old days when players jumped with their arms down or at least not above their head. I don't buy all this leverage crap, I just think players do it to stop the opposition challenging for the same ball. Sam Sodje won virtually every ball in the air when he was with us with clean challenges. On the floor, well..........
Violent- Muscat. He shouldn't have been playing the game. Dirty - Shearer. His elbows should have been banned. Genuinely hard - Dave Mackay of Spurs, Tommy Smith of Liverpool and Peter Storey of Arsenal. You just didn't get in their way!
Muscat had it all. Was cynically filthy, went into hurt. Also a pathetic diver and play actor. Bizarrely apparently a pleasant chap off the pitch.
If you were going for hardest player rather than dirtiest it was Mick Harford. I recall a story when he was at Birmingham with several other renowned loons (Tony Coton, Mark Dennis). Him and Coton were in a pub having a sesh, there were a few builders at the bar, also on it. Coton went to the bar and one of the builders said. Are you Tony Coton? He replied in the affirmative and was told "well you're a c**t". Knowing where it was going he decked the boy, but took a hammering. When he came to, the barman was looking ashen faced, the builders were all sparked out and Mick was sitting calmly drinking, but with blood streaming down the back of his nut.
Tony asked the barman what happened - apparently the lads had made short work of him. Mick got up and demolished the lot of them - notably taking the first one out with a trademark full length diving header. The barman, trying to restore order sconed him with his security baseball bat. Mick turned to him and said "get me a f*cking pint". Having got his pint he'd gone and sat down quietly.
Got this from Coton's account in the Football Babylon book. 80s football was excellent.
I can assure you Muscat is as big a c--t off the pitch as he is on it, often seen strolling round St Kilda in Melbourne with his wanker mates like they own the place.
George Curtis - a veritable hulk of a Coventry City centre half in the days when Jimmy Hill was in charge of them - he put a Charlton player - trying to remember who- about three rows back in the main Valley stand after taking him out two footed on the cinder track in front of the old dugouts, even from high up on the East terrace you could hear the crunch. It was one of those games that really boiled over.
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Claus jensen...;-)
If you were going for hardest player rather than dirtiest it was Mick Harford. I recall a story when he was at Birmingham with several other renowned loons (Tony Coton, Mark Dennis). Him and Coton were in a pub having a sesh, there were a few builders at the bar, also on it. Coton went to the bar and one of the builders said. Are you Tony Coton? He replied in the affirmative and was told "well you're a c**t". Knowing where it was going he decked the boy, but took a hammering. When he came to, the barman was looking ashen faced, the builders were all sparked out and Mick was sitting calmly drinking, but with blood streaming down the back of his nut.
Tony asked the barman what happened - apparently the lads had made short work of him. Mick got up and demolished the lot of them - notably taking the first one out with a trademark full length diving header. The barman, trying to restore order sconed him with his security baseball bat. Mick turned to him and said "get me a f*cking pint". Having got his pint he'd gone and sat down quietly.
Got this from Coton's account in the Football Babylon book. 80s football was excellent.
Dirty - Shearer. His elbows should have been banned.
Genuinely hard - Dave Mackay of Spurs, Tommy Smith of Liverpool and Peter Storey of Arsenal. You just didn't get in their way!
Utter cock.