Blog Front Page: Confessions of a Mad Sweeper
Latest Blog Entries for Confessions of a Mad Sweeper - 20 posts
Someone said to me, You Italian fucking bastard. I know I am Italian, they do not have to tell me ...
- Paolo Di Canio discussing genealogy with a Sheffield Wednesday supporter.
Football's Hardest Edges
Posted by: acmilan Posted Date: May 21, 2008 Last Update: June 28, 2008
Total Views: 90
There are strikers and attacking
midfielders and defenders in name only. As explored earlier, there are
goalkeepers and, of course, there are defenders and sweepers. But it's
about time that we celebrate the true characters of the game. The
enforcers. The hammerheads who can alter the tone of game even before
it begins.
These are the footballers who strike fear into the opponent. The toughest of the bunch. True characters of the game. Some would argue that their kind has no place in the game, but they create as many moments as the striker could. They would rather collect fines than goals, and the game ... well, for them football is never a game. It's life and death out there. Here are the very best enforcers of their time.
Roy Keane
- he caused controversy in December 2000, when he criticized sections
of United supporters after the Champions League victory over Dynamo
Kiev at Old Trafford. He complained about the lack of vocal support
given by some fans when Kiev were dominating the game, stating: "Away
from home our fans are fantastic, I'd call them the hardcore fans. But
at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and
they don't realise what's going on out on the pitch. I don't think some
of the people who come to Old Trafford can spell 'football', never mind
understand it."
He made headlines again in the 2001 Manchester Derby, a game in which Alf-Inge Håland played. Five minutes from the final whistle, he was sent off for a blatant knee-high foul on the Norwegian in what was seen by many as an act of revenge. He initially received a three game suspension and a £5,000 fine from the FA, but further punishment was to follow after the release of Keane's autobiography in August 2002, in which he stated that he intended "to hurt" Håland. Keane's account of the incident was as follows:
I'd waited long enough. I fucking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c*nt. And don't ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.
Throughout the 2000s, Keane maintained a healthy rivalry with Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira. The most notable incident between the two took place at Highbury in 2005 at the height of an extreme period of bad blood between United and Arsenal. Vieira was seen confronting United defender Gary Neville in the tunnel before the game over his fouling of Jose Antonio Reyes in the previous encounter between the two sides, prompting Keane to verbally confront the Arsenal captain. The incident was broadcast live on Sky Sports, with Keane clearly heard imploring match referee Graham Poll to "Tell him [Vieira] to shut his fucking mouth!"
Claudio Gentile
- this Libyan-born defender is known in Italy as "The Dog of Tripoli."
He came to international acclaim in the 2nd phase match against favored
Argentina, when he man-marked Diego Maradona out of the match by
kicking and flooring him constantly throughout the game. When
confronted by the Argentine press about his performance, he simply
replied, "Football is not for ballerinas." In Italy's next match
against favorites Brazil he first performed a violent tackle from
behind on Zico and later ripped the Brazilian's shirt in half during a
tussle.
There are many humorous stories involving Gentile within the footballing world. One is that during the Ballon d'Or (European Footballer of the Year) awards ceremony in the late 1970s English centre forward Kevin Keegan was announced as the winner. As Keegan walked towards the host to collect his award he passed the seat where Gentile was sitting. As Keegan walked past, Gentile is reported to have stuck out his foot and tripped up Keegan. As Keegan was getting to his feet Gentile reputedly whispered into his ear, "You wouldn't have won any award if I had been marking you".
Vinnie Jones
- While a footballer, he became quickly infamous for his brutal "hard
man" image, which frequently brought much criticism of his style of
play. He was sent off 12 times in his career, and once was booked after
only five seconds of play. In one notorious incident he distracted Paul
Gascoigne by grabbing his testicles. During another match, he ended the
career of Tottenham defender Gary Stevens with a vicious tackle.
Ron "Chopper" Harris - is a former English footballer who played for Chelsea in the 1960s and 1970s. Harris is widely regarded as one of the toughest defenders of his era - along with players such as Tommy Smith and Norman "Bite Yer Legs" Hunter - hence the nickname. Others who belong in this list include Billy Bremner, Graeme Souness, Gennaro Gattuso, Steve McMahon, Joey Barton and Marco Materazzi.
In other words the players who did not become famous because of their technical skills, but because of their hard tackles and sometimes downright dirty style of play. You know, the players who give everything in a tackle, without fear of injuring their opponents or themselves.
... make a comment »
These are the footballers who strike fear into the opponent. The toughest of the bunch. True characters of the game. Some would argue that their kind has no place in the game, but they create as many moments as the striker could. They would rather collect fines than goals, and the game ... well, for them football is never a game. It's life and death out there. Here are the very best enforcers of their time.
He made headlines again in the 2001 Manchester Derby, a game in which Alf-Inge Håland played. Five minutes from the final whistle, he was sent off for a blatant knee-high foul on the Norwegian in what was seen by many as an act of revenge. He initially received a three game suspension and a £5,000 fine from the FA, but further punishment was to follow after the release of Keane's autobiography in August 2002, in which he stated that he intended "to hurt" Håland. Keane's account of the incident was as follows:
I'd waited long enough. I fucking hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you c*nt. And don't ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.
Throughout the 2000s, Keane maintained a healthy rivalry with Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira. The most notable incident between the two took place at Highbury in 2005 at the height of an extreme period of bad blood between United and Arsenal. Vieira was seen confronting United defender Gary Neville in the tunnel before the game over his fouling of Jose Antonio Reyes in the previous encounter between the two sides, prompting Keane to verbally confront the Arsenal captain. The incident was broadcast live on Sky Sports, with Keane clearly heard imploring match referee Graham Poll to "Tell him [Vieira] to shut his fucking mouth!"
There are many humorous stories involving Gentile within the footballing world. One is that during the Ballon d'Or (European Footballer of the Year) awards ceremony in the late 1970s English centre forward Kevin Keegan was announced as the winner. As Keegan walked towards the host to collect his award he passed the seat where Gentile was sitting. As Keegan walked past, Gentile is reported to have stuck out his foot and tripped up Keegan. As Keegan was getting to his feet Gentile reputedly whispered into his ear, "You wouldn't have won any award if I had been marking you".
Ron "Chopper" Harris - is a former English footballer who played for Chelsea in the 1960s and 1970s. Harris is widely regarded as one of the toughest defenders of his era - along with players such as Tommy Smith and Norman "Bite Yer Legs" Hunter - hence the nickname. Others who belong in this list include Billy Bremner, Graeme Souness, Gennaro Gattuso, Steve McMahon, Joey Barton and Marco Materazzi.
In other words the players who did not become famous because of their technical skills, but because of their hard tackles and sometimes downright dirty style of play. You know, the players who give everything in a tackle, without fear of injuring their opponents or themselves.
Sharing Tools
Feel free to use one of the link sharing options below for blogs, forums or emailing to your friends. You will need to use the cut and paste controls found on your keyboard.
