Celebrity Deaths

[Gav]

Diego Maradona has died, the greatest player to ever grace the game in my opinion.

I hated him for years after the World Cup, he had his demons, but what a footballer.

Sad day for the football community across the globe.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54810392

Edited November 25, 2020 by Gav

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Pele

Maradona

Cruyff

Messi

Eusebio.

Thanks for the memories Diego.

[jim mk2]

Will always be a cheat. Among the top 10 players but several better than him ...... 2 of them currently playing. 

Sad for his family but no one else

 

[darrenrover]

22 minutes ago, Gav said:

Diego Maradona has died, the greatest player to ever grace the game in my opinion.

I hated him for years after the World Cup, he had his demons, but what a footballer.

Sad day for the football community across the globe.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54810392

Na Gav, not for me.

It's alway sad when anyone passes but I won't lose sleep over Maradonna. He'll always be remembered by most of us as a cheating git and worse, one that loved that very accolade.

Not fit to lace up the boots of either Messi or Ronaldo in recent years, never mind others in years past.

Best as another, was a far better player imo but succumbed similarly.

 

[Gav]

26 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Na Gav, not for me.

It's alway sad when anyone passes but I won't lose sleep over Maradonna. He'll always be remembered by most of us as a cheating git and worse, one that loved that very accolade.

Not fit to lace up the boots of either Messi or Ronaldo in recent years, never mind others in years past.

Best as another, was a far better player imo but succumbed similarly.

 

Couldn’t disagree more.

What he did at Napoli was similar to what Shearer did here, unfashionable side and won the league against all the odds, very few of the ‘greats’ have that in the locker.

4 World Cups, won it in 86.

The greatest player of all time, but it’s all about opinions darren 

 

[darrenrover]

34 minutes ago, Gav said:

Couldn’t disagree more.

What he did at Napoli was similar to what Shearer did here, unfashionable side and won the league against all the odds, very few of the ‘greats’ have that in the locker.

4 World Cups, won it in 86.

The greatest player of all time, but it’s all about opinions darren 

 

Yep, all about opinions, he may have been the greatest in your minds' eye but nowhere near in mine. ? (Feck knows what this means btw but it made me smile)

[Ewood Ace]

Unusual for me but I have to agree with @Gav for me he is without a doubt the greatest to ever play the game.

A true genius as a footballer and a great man who never forgot what he came from. 

 

Edited November 25, 2020 by Ewood Ace

[Aqualung]

Pele for me. 3 world Cup winners medals in 16 years I think. 

Messi and Ronaldo joint second followed by Mr. Maradona. RIP. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

49 minutes ago, Aqualung said:

Pele for me. 3 world Cup winners medals in 16 years I think. 

Messi and Ronaldo joint second followed by Mr. Maradona. RIP. 

In 12 years. 1958, 1962, 1970.

[Gav]

1 hour ago, Aqualung said:

Pele for me. 3 world Cup winners medals in 16 years I think. 

Messi and Ronaldo joint second followed by Mr. Maradona. RIP. 

Problem I have with Pele, superb player that he was, he scored all his goals in a tin pot league in Brazil.

Anytime you watch footage of Pele his greatest moments are often misses, 1970 world cup springs to mind, Banks save and that outrageous dummy on the keeper and his shot from the half way line. 

 

[jim mk2]

Pele scored 77 goals in 92 international appearances for Brazil. That's awful lot of misses in "tinpot" football. .

For me, it's who I enjoyed watching, not just the goals or the brilliance, but the beauty of the movement. Pele and Eusebio were beautiful to watch, as is Cristiano Ronaldo in modern football..... it's just something in the way they move. 

 

[Ewood Ace]

The thing with Pele was that at the World Cup's he won he played in comfortably the best team. Just look at the players he played with during his 3 World Cups wins. In 58 he played with Djalma and Nilton Santos arguably the best full back paring in the history of the game. He had Zagallo and Garrincha wide (personally I always thought at their peaks Garrincha was better than Pele). In midfield there was Didi and Zito and then he had Vava upfront with him. The bulk of the 58 side then went and won the World Cup again in 62 with Pele not playing at all after the second game. Take Maradona out of the 86 Argentina side then I don't think they would have won it.

Probably the only other World Cup winning team that could be considered better than the Brazil teams of the 58 and 62 World Cup's would be the Brazil team of 1970 which was arguably an even better side. Again Pele was surrounded with world class talents like Gerson, Jairzinho, Carlos Alberto, Rivellino. Whereas the 86 Argentina team had good players but other than Maradona they only really had one other player that I would class as world class and that was Valdano.

 

Edited November 26, 2020 by Ewood Ace

[Gav]

29 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

Pele scored 77 goals in 92 international appearances for Brazil. That's awful lot of misses in "tinpot" football. .

For me, it's who I enjoyed watching, not just the goals or the brilliance, but the beauty of the movement. Pele and Eusebio were beautiful to watch, as is Cristiano Ronaldo in modern football..... it's just something in the way they move. 

 

His other 400 games for Santos played in a tin pot league as I said.

But can’t argue with your second paragraph, it’s all about opinions Jim, we’ve lost a great today.

RIP Diego.

[JC4LAB]

RIP Diego...

One of the fantasy names thrown about as possible Rovers manager when Venkys first tookover I seem to remember.

[RevidgeBlue]

21 hours ago, Gav said:

Problem I have with Pele, superb player that he was, he scored all his goals in a tin pot league in Brazil.

Anytime you watch footage of Pele his greatest moments are often misses, 1970 world cup springs to mind, Banks save and that outrageous dummy on the keeper and his shot from the half way line. 

 

This argument is often raised against Pele in more recent times by those who haven't seen much of him or know much about his character and background. Weaker League yes, but he did score 1000 goals and back in the day he was such a National icon the Brazilian Government refused to allow him to leave the Country so I think its unfair to levy that against him. On the National stage he lifted the major prize 3 times out of 4 in 58, 62 and 70 and was kicked out of a 4th here in 66.

I think to be the greatest you have to have something about you as a man as well. Maradona was a genius in pure footballing terms but showed himself to be a cheat on the pitch and drug addict and questionable character off it.

I think everyone's greatest players will vary depending on when they grew up.

My top 6 

Pele

Cruyff (Criminally underrated imo)

Maradona

Messi

Ronaldo

Best

[RevidgeBlue]

incidentally did anyone notice they published a condolences tweet alongside some nice words from Pele on Sky News yesterday teatime from a random bloke called Johann Cruyff obviously thinking it was from the great man himself?

Quite disgraceful. Absolutely staggering that no-one responsible for producing the sports segment of a worldwide news show wouldn't have been aware one of of the greatest footballers who ever played died a few years ago.

Then not a hint of an apology. They obviously realised their mistake but brushed it under the carpet hoping no-one would notice.

?

[philipl]

If I remember correctly, South American clubs dominated the World Club Championship from its inception for decades.

Yes the lesser lights of the Brazilian League were and still are as tinpot as, say Burnley, but the top club sides were really tough. Many phenomenal players got nowhere near selection for the national side.

So I don't buy Pele's 1,000 goals coming against useless opposition as a basis for dismissing him.

I remember talking to Ronnie Clayton about playing against Pele when Pele was just a teenager. Clayton's view was unequivocal, Pele was the best he ever faced and is the greatest.

Cases can be made for Puskas and Eusebio in the pantheon of greatest ever listed by Revidge.

Edited November 27, 2020 by philipl

[broadsword]

On the psychiatric clinic: “Madness is terrifying. In the clinic I felt like Jack Nicholson in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”... In the clinic there’s a guy who thinks he’s Robinson Crusoe and no one believes I’m Maradona.”

[Gav]

10 hours ago, broadsword said:

On the psychiatric clinic: “Madness is terrifying. In the clinic I felt like Jack Nicholson in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”... In the clinic there’s a guy who thinks he’s Robinson Crusoe and no one believes I’m Maradona.”

Very good 

I liked the quote from Maradona where he talked about giving his opponents a chance, because he drank heavily and took drugs:

"Imagine what I could have been, what I could have achieved if I had been clean."

[oldjamfan1]

16 hours ago, philipl said:

If I remember correctly, South American clubs dominated the World Club Championship from its inception for decades.

Yes the lesser lights of the Brazilian League were and still are as tinpot as, say Burnley, but the top club sides were really tough. Many phenomenal players got nowhere near selection for the national side.

So I don't buy Pele's 1,000 goals coming against useless opposition as a basis for dismissing him.

I remember talking to Ronnie Clayton about playing against Pele when Pele was just a teenager. Clayton's view was unequivocal, Pele was the best he ever faced and is the greatest.

Cases can be made for Puskas and Eusebio in the pantheon of greatest ever listed by Revidge.

Yes I was going to mention these two as well Phil. 

I'll chuck in Tom Finney as well, just because the nobbers need something to cheer 'em up a bit.

[A Northern Horde...]

We say Godspeed to Darth Vader actor David Prowse at 85.

His visit to Griffin Park Primary school around 1980 as the Green Cross Code man brings back memories...an imposing figure indeed.

R.I.P.

[jodrell]

Diego Maradona: Police raid house and clinic of doctor

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-55123188

[Gav]

Papa Bouba Diop former Fulham player has passed away.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55124939

[Clearwater]

On 26/11/2020 at 19:45, RevidgeBlue said:

This argument is often raised against Pele in more recent times by those who haven't seen much of him or know much about his character and background. Weaker League yes, but he did score 1000 goals and back in the day he was such a National icon the Brazilian Government refused to allow him to leave the Country so I think its unfair to levy that against him. On the National stage he lifted the major prize 3 times out of 4 in 58, 62 and 70 and was kicked out of a 4th here in 66.

I think to be the greatest you have to have something about you as a man as well. Maradona was a genius in pure footballing terms but showed himself to be a cheat on the pitch and drug addict and questionable character off it.

I think everyone's greatest players will vary depending on when they grew up.

My top 6 

Pele

Cruyff (Criminally underrated imo)

Maradona

Messi

Ronaldo

Best

Amazing how Maradona was a scummy drug addict by Best was a man "tortured by his demons"

In my opinion nearly all the issues with Maradona are down to that handball, which having been on the receiving end of Henrys handball to deny us a world cup place I would say get over it FFS he was a great player possibly the best and saying he had to be a nice guy to be considered a great player? Give your head a wobble thats just childish.

 

Anyway Pele always comes accross as smug to me.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

1 hour ago, Clearwater said:

Amazing how Maradona was a scummy drug addict by Best was a man "tortured by his demons"

In my opinion nearly all the issues with Maradona are down to that handball, which having been on the receiving end of Henrys handball to deny us a world cup place I would say get over it FFS he was a great player possibly the best and saying he had to be a nice guy to be considered a great player? Give your head a wobble thats just childish.

 

Anyway Pele always comes accross as smug to me.

Yeah, if only he'd something to be smug about.