Top 10 Town Players

[Baggins]

I was very bored.  So I wrote this.

The top 10 Town players I have seen.


1.   Glenn Hoddle

The man who gave us premier league football.  Not our best manager, but simply the best player in a town shirt this side of the Don.  He made impossible passes possible every week.  Beautifully elegant, Hoddle always seemed to have five seconds more than anybody else.  It was a privilege to watch the most talented English player of his generation strolling around the County Ground pitch, picking out White, Mitchell and Maskell at will and demonstrating how football should be played.  He made it look simple – it wasn’t.

2.   Micky Hazard

Hazard proved that massive stature and a full set of toes are not prerequisites to a wonderful football career.  The only player I’ve ever seen who could beat a man simply by turning around in a circle.  He seemed to glide across the pitch, and was, strictly metaphorically, head and shoulders above anybody else.  Seeing him sat on the bench in the playoff final tells you how strong that team was.  A colourful and engaging character and a fine footballer.

3.   Mark Walters

Much of the football world lauds Cristiano Ronaldo as the king of the step over.  County Ground regulars in the mid-90s know different.  Walters had the step over trademarked while Cristiano was still hammering footballs through his Dad’s greenhouse.  Blink and you would miss it – and full backs regularly did.  Perfect delivery and a haul of brilliant goals – I’ll never forget the chip against Bolton – make Wally one of my favourite all time players.

4.   John Moncur

The third part of the Hoddle – Hazard – Moncur holy trinity.  Dynamic yet elegant, “Moncs” was the driving force of the playoff team.  His verve and skill thrilled fans and his attitude delighted in equal measure.  While many will remember him as the guy Eric Cantona stamped on, I will remember his goals in the play-off semi-finals and his performances in the premier league, where at times he drove the team on his own.  A special player.

5.   Fraser Digby

 “Everything’s fine – Fraser’s in goal”.  A phrase I uttered countless times over a number of years.  Swindon’s Mr Reliable, Fraser made you feel safe.  More importantly, he made defences feel safe.  The times he lost his place to those of a flappy-handed nature – Hammond, Talia – were worrying.  While those two could make brilliant saves, they were prone to disastrous errors – Peterborough away anyone?  Fraser was safe.  I loved him.

6.   Jan Aage Fjortoft

Mercurial.  Wonderful.  Mind-blowing.  Arrogant.  Occassionally infuriating.  Simply brilliant.  Once he found his form, there was nothing Jan couldn’t do with a football.  He played the game effortlessly – like a more dynamic, and frankly better, Dimitar Berbatov.  Pure class.  I was in tears when he left.   

7.   Sam Parkin

Sam Parkin made me remember that strikers – proper strikers – score goals.  They score beautiful goals, and they score scrappy goals.  Sam scored all sorts.  From his debut hat trick, he didn’t put a foot wrong (glossing over Cheltenham away) in his whole time here.  My particular favourite was a curling shot from the edge of the box at Wycombe’s Adams Park.  But there were so many you could make it the subject of its own list.  Since Sam, we’ve had a good number of goalscorers at the club – Austin, Cox, Paynter, Fallon – but Sam was the best.  His career never went as far as it should have, and to many football fans his is an inauspicious name – to me, he’s a club legend.

8.   Simon Cox

Brilliant.  Simon Cox was brilliant.  Bursting with talent and enthusiasm, he could score from anywhere.  His first touch and link up play were intelligent.  His ability to score goals was first class.  He scored a lot – a lot – of goals in a mediocre Swindon line up.  Great to watch.

9.   Paul Bodin

Goalscoring full backs.  I can only name two.  Stuart Pearce is one.  Bodin is the other.  His goals in crucial games in 1992/93 secured us a playoff spot.  His penalty took us up.  But Bodin was about far more than a few goals.  A great defender who made cracking runs forwards, he had a calmness about him and terrific delivery.  When the team was going forward he operated almost as a winger – as did Summerbee on the other side – allowing the narrow, flexible midfield that Glenn favoured.  A true club legend.

10.   Colin Calderwood and Shaun Taylor

Technically two players – but how do you separate them?  The best centre half pairing I’ve ever seen.  They seemed tied to each other and completely in tune with each other.  Colin was all pace, finesse and reading the game.  Shaun was pure strength and power, heading and tackling.  The blend between these two first class defenders was beautiful and natural.  Two greats leaders too.


Interestingly, this might make a pretty tasty starting eleven, although it wasn’t planned that way.  Fraser in goal.  Shaun and Colin keeping things solid at the back, with Glenn sweeping and stepping forward to join in when we have the ball.  Bodin down the left, Walters down the right.  Micky and Moncs spraying the ball about, and a dream strikeforce of Fjortoft, Parkin and Cox.  That’s a team that’s worth watching…

Some who nearly made it… Ian Woan, Martin Ling, Sammy Igoe, Brian Howard, Ian Culverhouse, Charlie Austin, Danny Invincibile, Wayne Allison, Nicky Summerbee, Jimmy Davis, Kevin Horlock, Stefani Miglioranzi, Scott Leitch.

[Ardiles]

Great idea for a thread...but could a mod move it to the 'Players' section?

[Ardiles]

And telling (but not surprising, really) that 7 of your 11 were a part of Hoddle's promotion winning squad from 1992-93.

[Baggins]

I started watching in 1990-91.  In that time I've only seen 1 brilliant team!  As you say, it is rather telling.

[Ardiles]

I started watching in 1990-91.  In that time I've only seen 1 brilliant team!  As you say, it is rather telling.

As did I.  Very good timing it was too!

[sonicyouth]

Of all those 11 players, there is only 1 who I've seen properly.

go me!

[Costanza]

My 10 usually consists of players who would've played during the 92/93 season.

[suttonred]

1. Don Rogers
2. John Trollope
3. Alan Mayes
4. Colin Calderwood
5. Micky Hazard
6. Simon Cox
7. Dave Bamber
8. Fraser Digby.
9. Shaun Taylor
10. Duncan Shearer
11. Jimmy Quinn

Honorable mentions. John Gittens, Jimmy Allan, Peter Eastoe. Chris Ramsey, Chris Kamara, Ray Mchale, Glen Hoddle, Trevor Anderson, Dave Moss, Steve Foley, Tom Jones, Steve White, Charlie Austin, Paul Bodin, Bobby Barnes, Dave Hockaday, David Kerslake, Nicky Summerbee.

[Ardiles]

1. Don Rogers
2. John Trollope
3. Alan Mayes
4. Colin Calderwood
5. Micky Hazard
6. Simon Cox
7. Dave Bamber
8. Fraser Digby.
9. Shaun Taylor
10. Duncan Shearer
11. Jimmy Quinn

Honorable mentions. John Gittens, Jimmy Allan, Peter Eastoe. Chris Ramsey, Chris Kamara, Ray Mchale, Glen Hoddle, Trevor Anderson, Dave Moss, Steve Foley, Tom Jones, Steve White, Charlie Austin, Paul Bodin, Bobby Barnes, Dave Hockaday, David Kerslake, Nicky Summerbee.

Is it really feasible for any of us (old enough) to have a list that did not include Glenn Hoddle, though?  Five of your list were before my time (Rogers, Trollope, Mayes, Bamber, Quinn)...but of the rest, I'd say Glenn was at least equal to and perhaps better than most of them.  He'll always own the #4 shirt for me.

[suttonred]

Yeah but he only played the one season and had it easy, mine for different reasons all contributed more in my eyes at more difficult times

[kerry red]

Don Rogers
Rod Thomas
Peter Downsborough
Peter Noble
Arthur Horsfield
Paul Bodin
Alan McLoughlin
Alan Mayes
Stan Harland
Dave Bamber
Wes Fotheringham

Cant really count Hoddle, Ardiles to my mind

[Ardiles]

I don't feel I could do a full list justice right now, but have a feeling that my list would end up looking similar to Baggins' at the top of this thread.  I know it's difficult to compare players from different periods who were playing at different levels, but I might just find a way to sneak Simon Ferry in there as well.  Of the current crop, I think he's the most likely 'Di Canio era' candidate that we'll all be recalling in 20 years from now (accepting that he also had a good season under Wilson and will hopefully have a few more under MacDonald.)

[sonicyouth]

I can only really go back to 2002ish as that's when I started following properly and I can't name 10.

Austin
Cox
Ritchie
Parkin
Miglioranzi
Greer

[Bogus Dave]

Similarly to SY, the only ones from my 'era' who would be fit to even be considered for such a list would be Parkin, Cox, maybe Austin and Maybe Ritchie.

If things go well though, and contracts get signed etc, could easily see Ferry and Foderingham making such a list in five years time.

[Bewster]

Digby
Kerslake
Calderwood
Taylor
Hoddle
Moncur
Shearer
White
Alan Mcloughlin
Ling
Fjortoft

Others : Austin, Cox, Bodin, King, Ardilles, Macari, Bamber, Kamara, Foley, Quinn, Hazard, Thorne, Parkin, Finney.