Best Barnsley Forward. Qualifying Round.

He was the most excited I've ever been for a signing. I wonder if I'll ever have that again?

 

everything he did was so cool. I was the same as you couldn’t believe someone if that quality was signing.

 

David Hirst. By far the best if this is about quality.

 

When he played for us?

 

Well you must have seen him.

I remember going away, to Huddersfield I think, and he was electric and scored (1-1 draw perhaps). All around were proud bemused and a bit shocked that he was on our side. I've seen one or two play against us, youngsters like that, who are bursting through with talent to burn. He's the only one though that I've seen playing for us.

Hirst was a bolting Shergar when he played for us. Young and fast and able to take on anyone. Cannonball shot to boot.

Ward was a reliable Red Rum with experience and mileage on him. Knew what to do.

I loved them both but when it comes to acceleration excitement and exhilaration, it's not a contest.

Just my opinion.

 

Not at all it’s all opinions.

i thought he had bags of potential when he was with us and he almost lived up to that when he left but in terms of when he played for us he would be top 10 for me

 

Tricky one for me - we've always found it difficult to get and keep decent strikers in my opinion. Centre backs we've had coming out of ears but struggled to get or keep somone who could score 20+ goals a season.

Can rule a few out - Taylor never saw hm and probably didn't stay around long enough. Did see Hirsty but again didn't stay around long enough for me. So, I would have to say Ward - Currie was a natural born player but think Ward had it all.Pace , power and was good in the air

 

He wasn't with us long enough to win a contest like you've set up. Plus he went off to Wednesday. And fully embraced them.

As an indicator of class, which others on the list played for their country?

Without the booze etc. and the consequent lifestyle injuries he could have been a great deal more of a footballer. He does not compare in any measure with Ward as a dedicated pro. Hirst did put a shift in when he played for us. Too much perhaps because the propensity for injuries was there right from the start, given his reckless approach.

But when he was with us, he was a force of nature.

 

some reasonable points. Of the players on the list Fjortoft is the one who played at the highest level longest and played international football for a much longer period. Clarke also played more games for his country and at the very highest level.

 

Well I wouldn't knock either of them.

Fjortoft might not have had the same competition in getting into his national squad as Hirst might have.

Clarke was still sniffing when he played for us, and I bet he thought it was pretty easy dropping down a few divisions and scoring for fun. He was past his best, and no doubt Hirst was still to reach his.

I suppose this thread might be statistically solved by calculating who has the best ever goal scoring ratio for Barnsley.

 

It was you that brought up internationals and it’s fair to say that a couple in this list played far more than at that level than Hirst.

Clarkes record at international level 19 apps 10 goals is pretty phenomenal

it’s not about stats though is it? Just a bit of fun It’s just about opinions on who we individually think is best.

In modern times Geddis has easily the best record. Also European Cup Winner.

 

I brought up playing for England to contrast the difference in class between Hirst and Ward.

In his twenties Ward was still playing regularly for Crewe.

Ward must have played his best football for us, and I'm thankful for that. Not as much as the wife, admittedly.

 

“As an indicator of class, which others on the list played for their country?”

No mention of Ward. You’d just forgotten that 2 on the list played far more games at international level than David.

Anyhow you are hijacking yet another thread with an attempt to be argumentative so maybe knock it in the head and treat it like the fun meaningless thread it is.

 

When you do the midfield one, Jimmy, just put down Ronnie and leave it at that.

 

I'm having a discussion. When you say hijacking the thread, only one other person has bothered to post anything on it in the last 2 hours. You ought to be happy I'm posting. Otherwise it'd be on page 2 by now.

I encourage anyone to post that they agree with you in your assessment of my seeking to hijack your thread and be argumentative. I've posted my opinion. This is a forum, not a place where you decide whether the answers fit with what you want to hear.

All you have to do is not respond to me. Then it stops.

(May I remind you btw of my acoustic music thread the other night, when you insisted upon posting numerous non- acoustic songs thereon. THAT was hijacking, and silly).

 

i get that you want an argument you are just not going to get it from me.

There is no right or wrong answer. There is no answer I want to hear.

I’d have Hirst about 9th or 10th in the list of the best forwards I’ve seen play for us below people like Winnall and Aylott but above Biggins. You’d have him as number 1. Nothing wrong with that. All opinions. I guess where Hirst finishes in the poll will indicate if people agree with you or not.

 

You have to feel sorry for those of us who think that Winnall or Woodrow are the best Barnsley strikers that they have seen!

 

Super, Super John, Super Super John, Super Super John, Super Johnny Hendrie........

The Reds are Going UP, The Reds are Going UP, and now your gonna believe us, and now you're gonna believe us.....

 

Last call

3 finalists at the minute are

Ward
Currie
Hendrie.

Still time for sleepy Wayne Biggins fans to push Bertie to glory

 

Went for Taylor