Back to the Futcher - Memories of one of our greatest

Hope no one minds me sharing this as I know there were plenty of threads at the time of Futcher passing. Originally did it for WSB but space constraints meant it missed out on being published. Cheers.

"Paul Futcher was a footballer ahead of his time, and I’ve no hesitation in saying he is the finest central defender I’ve seen in my time watching Barnsley (from 1980). That’s not to offer negative views on our other outstanding defenders, Evans, McCarthy, Smith, Tiler, Taggart, Davis, De Zeeuw among others, but simply a personal view of a footballer who could probably have played in any position and excelled.

Supporters born after 1990 probably think that a “footballing centre half” is a modern phenomenon (Ferdinand, Pique, and more recently John Stones etc) but Futcher, in my opinion, was doing that a generation ago. I never saw Bobby Moore play, but based on TV footage I have seen, Futcher was very similar – tackled on his feet, comfortable running with the ball, full range of passing and being a yard faster in his head making up for any lack of physical pace.

Much has been written about his career prior to his time at Barnsley, but everything he did when wearing the red of Barnsley just had that touch of class. Even his own goals.

Like every genius, there was a flaw in the DNA that flared up every now and again, be it a 35 yard own goal or a sending off. But for nearly 7 years, we had the privilege to watch him play for a working class town team. We were lucky to have him but there was never any element of “what am I doing here” with Futcher, and it’s notable that the two longest spells with clubs that he had were at Barnsley and Grimsby.

Within a couple of weeks of him signing for us, it was clear he was a class apart. His reading of the game meant that he gave our kit man an easier job as he rarely had to go to ground, his shorts often as clean after the game as when he started. Derby, from whom we signed him, were battered 5-1 in what I think was his first home game for us, and whilst success was limited, Futcher was crucial to our club comfortably hanging around in mid table regularly season after season. We were a club that had plateaued, suffered falling gates especially after the miners strike, and mid table really can be looked on as relatively successful in the context.

He never scored for us, Neville Southall saving possibly his closest effort in an FA Cup tie, tipping over a 35 yard strike after a typically elegant dribble upfield. He did score an own goal for us when playing for Oldham, and whilst my memories of specific games are vague, I do remember a beautiful curling own goal over Clive Baker when we were playing, I think, at home to West Bromwich Albion in 1987/88. I remember Lee Dixon scoring a similar one when playing for Arsenal. He also strolled through the game against West Ham in the league cup, with a classy run setting up Steve Lowndes for our fourth goal in a 5-2 win.

I also remember in that same 1987/88 season, against Ipswich when David Currie made his debut, when he got a red card from referee George Tyson about 5 minutes after the final whistle, no doubt for offering an opinion on Tyson’s performance in our 3-2 defeat. Tyson even dragged him down the old players tunnel to make sure those who were still in the ground saw it.

The following season saw us over perform in the league to a degree, finishing seventh, two points off a play off spot, with a decent side. Futcher was at his best that season for me, absolute thoroughbred, and partnered by a combination of Mal Shotton, Paul McGugan and Carl Tiler. In the FA Cup game when we beat would be champions Chelsea 4-0, Futcher essentially walked through the game, never giving Kerry Dixon or Gordon Durie a sniff. That said, in the league game at home, he was sent off, along with Steve Cooper, and in the return at Stamford Bridge, Dixon scored four!! He also looked a class apart when we played Everton in the 5th round, and almost broke his scoring duck as mentioned earlier.

1989/90 was a struggle, and as far as I can remember, saw Futcher dropped for the first and only time in his Barnsley career, on the eve of a home game with Sheffield United, which we still lost. Allan Clarke was sacked a few weeks later, and new manager Mel Machin reinstated him and everyone reaped the benefits. At times during the run in that season, which saw us escape from what looked like inevitable relegation in the autumn, we had a back line consisting of Futcher, Smith, Taggart and Tiler. Some defence by anyone’s standards.

For players like Tiler and Taggart, young and learning the game, playing alongside Futcher must have been ideal. Futch had impeccable standards. He once gave Tiler a right bollocking, audible to all, for conceding a corner when a touch and clearance would have conceded only a throw in. Marginal gains. “That’s too fu@@ing easy Carl” was his summing up of it.

Given his impact on the improvement of the teams results under Machin, it was a surprise to say the least when it was announced in the close season that Futch had been released, apparently due to his age. I can’t help but think that Machin was foolish to do so, and after a short spell at Halifax, Futcher more or less proved him wrong by becoming a similar club legend for a relatively successful Grimsby Town under Alan Buckley, staying with them into his late thirties.

I’ve highlighted a handful of memories when in truth the same sentiments and examples of his class and finesse could probably be written about virtually every game he played. The rogue own goals and sendings off meant he wasn’t quite perfect, just almost perfect.

What would his value in the 2016 transfer market be if he were playing in this era? Stones aged 22 cost £48 million. I’d say Futcher was better.

News of his death from cancer, aged 60, was shocking and sad, and I think anyone who saw him play at Oakwell could have written their own version of this quite easily. We’ve been fortunate at Barnsley that over the years I have been watching them, we have had plenty of good players, and a few great players. For me, Paul Futcher was the greatest centre half of them all, and an absolute privilege to watch a player of his calibre wear the red of Barnsley from 1983-1990. He made football look easy and elegant and I’m not sure a player of his stature would, in the current era, join a mid table Championship club in his prime, never mind stay for 7 years.

A fitting footballing epitaph for Futch, in this pseudo era of the “footballing centre half” would probably be “Been there. Done that”.

RIP Futch."

 

I'm sure that the term 'Flawed Genius' was invented just for Paul Futcher. He read the game so well, he appeared to know the move before the opposition knew it. His talent was recognised early in his career, and taken to the top division in order to become the star that he undoubtedly was. But as I say, his genius was flawed and it meant that he never really established at the top level. Although his mind worked as quick as lightening, his legs were those of a cart horse. A flaw in a player's armoury makes him vulnerable and that vulnerability means that he had to cover his lack of pace in different ways. It probably meant that our defensive line played deeper, and although the player still looks good, the team is less effective because of it.

His other flaw was his temper, a flaw which he shared with his brother who also played for us for a shorter period. You could see something rattle him, be it a poor refereeing decision, or perhaps a wrong not righted by a decision in his favour. You could actually see the red mist descending and you knew feathers were about to fly. It was hard to predict, because for weeks and months, Paul would behave perfectly normally. But be it the moon in the wrong quarter or a row with the wife, something untoward had happened, and an early bath was the inevitable result.

For all that, his talent was supreme and I will remember him for the talent he was, rather than being perfect, which he clearly was not. RIP

 

Beautifully written. When I see John Stones play I very occasionally think he gets to the heights of being described as 'Futcheresque'.

One of my first loves and first love burns the deepest. But for his occasional bouts of insanity both on and more tellingly off the field he would have played at a much higher level than us.

People use words too lightly these but Paul was a genius he played the game in his head. He was pretty slow but rarely got outpaced even in his dotage. The best positional sense of any player I have seen play for us.

I miss seeing players like Paul run the course of their career with my local team. The 'wealth' of post Sky football teams means it can rarely happen these days. We feel much less close to our teams these days because they are so transient. In the recent past you could turn up for years and still see the same talented players gracing the Oakwell turf. Baker, Futcher, Redfearn players you were genuinely lucky to watch. Nowadays it's here today then gone tomorrow. It's hard to embrace 'new heroes' as you know they will be next seasons memories.

Blonde God. Genius. Flawed. Beautiful to watch. Poetry in emotion.

'Give him a ball and a yard of grass
Give him a move for that perfect pass
Give him a ball ball and a yard of space
Man can have no greater love than giving 90 minutes for his friends'.

 

Lovely stuff that mate, didn't he once score an own goal against palace at home, Ian wright broke clear hit a low shot past Clive baker, the ball hit the post came back out and hit Futch on the shin and went in. I'm convinced the closest I ever saw him get close to notching a goal at the right end was in the ipswich game during the 86/87 season, he leathered the ball from some 30/35 yards out and it smashed off the crossbar. I started attending regularly in 1986 and Futch was always the stand out player for us, loved watching him, proper laiker and a bit of a loon..legend, sithi

 

I great subject to raise, thanks to the OP. I'd forgotten he was with us so long. (Would have guessed 4-5 seasons, perhaps as I had a couple of years away from Barnsley during his tenure at the heart of our defence). As JC says, the saddest this about the modern game is the knowledge that if a player has an outstanding start to the season they'll probably be off to greener pastures. Not a gripe about January again, but a reflection. Thankfully having seen some of these great servants for the club in action at least we can remember a better time for football, before Sky ripped it's heart out.

 

One of my favourite Reds. Up there with King Ronnie. Superb player.

My mate Andy was lucky enough to play for the Reds alongside Futch for a couple of games. Had nothing but praise for him. He scored a late festive winner away at Hull ( in the days when handball was legal ). When he jogged back to our half with Futch, a fan ran on to confront them. Andy didn't know whether it was an ecstatic Red or an angry Hull fan. As he got up close, Futch took control by coolly telling said fan "just fck off". He left the pitch quicker than he'd got on it.

RIP Futch.

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When we talk about Reds legends and in particular centre backs in the pub, Futch always gets brought up. The one game that stands out in my memory was his debut against Derby County. Derby were in dire financial difficulties and then Reds boss Bobby Collins swooped for Futch and Calvin Plummer. Coincindentally we played Derby the very next game and Plummer scored st least 1 in a 5-0 win if memory serves. Derby brought a large following in the Old Open Kop and there love for Futch was obvious.
RIP Futch

 

Andy Duggan ?, sithi.

 

Great post. Futch was the best centre half I've ever seen in a Barnsley shirt and as highlighted in this thread he has had some stiff competition through the years.