The top 10 players in your time following the Reds

Saw Springett save 2 pens away at Rotherham.... we still lost. Man City was the next round.

 

Barnard
Currie
Biggins
Ward
Hignett
Taggart
Bullock
Futcher
Glavin
Redfearn

 

Not in any particular order since 1957.
John Betaney,
Eric Winstanley,
Barry Thomas.
Ronnie Glavin.
Pat Howard,
Neil Redfern
Ashley Ward.
Craig Hignett.
Adam Hammill.
Arian DeZeeuw. (spelling could be wrong)

Did not see of enough John Stones.

 

1975 I started going, but the 78-79 season is the first I remember clearly

1. Ronnie Glavin - He outscored Dalglish at Celtic and created most of Dalglish's goals. He was phenomenal. He should have been playing for Scotland and a top English side, but fortunately for us he, erm, did a few things that were frowned upon.
2. Ashley Ward - Had everything. We got him because he was always injured. Until we got him and he wasn't.
3. Neil Redfearn - Should have been playing in the Premier League with Oldham, but Joe Royle wanted to play him on the right (with good reason to be fair to Joe, he was excellent at making space and putting a cross over, they scored so many goals from Redfearn doing that), but Neil wanted to play in the centre and we obliged.
4. Stuart Gray - Had a career threatening injury and dropped a division to try to get back on track. Looked majestic in any position on the field, from left wing to centre half. Left us to help get Villa promoted and to second in the old first division.
5. Craig Hignett - Middlesbrough bought Gazza who stole his place in the side (Not Gazza's fault, but Hignett was the better player at that point in both their careers), Hignett got a divorce and accepted a huge salary to get as far out of town as possible. But he hated Aberdeen and his old mate John Hendrie brought him to us. Magical player.
6. Ethan Pinnock - The first of four immaculate centre halves on my list, and imho, the best. Plucked from Non-League and should now be playing for England. He's Paul Futcher with pace.
7. Paul Futcher - (Speaking of which) A better footballer than almost all the midfielders and forwards that have ever played for us, and he was a centre half. Fortunately he was nuts and most clubs wouldn't touch him with a S****y stick. Their loss. RIP Paul mate, you were a genius.
8. Mick McCarthy - My hero. Both as a child and an adult. When I was a child he was this brick wall, this hard b*****d who would not let anyone past. He was Barnsley and he was grit and determination and he could play. As an adult I hear this intelligent man speak in my home town accent, with grace and style and always self-effacing. He displays all the characteristics I've ever wanted to have.
9. Arjan de Zeeuw - Brought in from nowhere. Was later singled out by our Prime Minister when interviewed about the Premier League. Tony Blair thought he was amazing, both in terms of ability and temperament. He got that one right.
10. David Geddis - Unlike the rest of that Rag, Tag and Bobtail top 10, David had won The European Cup, and The First Division Championship, and The FA Cup. He was only 25 when he signed. Christ knows how we ever got him. Unsurprisingly, he was very good. Very, very, very good.

There's a theme in most of the above: don't judge a player on where we got them from, what they did before they got here, and how they play in the first couple of months. Give them a while and then judge them on how they play for us. There's a few in our squad right now who deserve that sort of patience.

David Hirst, John Stones, Ivan Toney, Kieran Trippier and Josh Brownhill were/are exceptional players. But I didn't see enough of them at Barnsley to get into my top 10. They've done it elsewhere.

There's so many players to give special mentions to, but I can't leave this without writing the names of Ian Banks (Mark 1), Ian Evans, Trevor Aylott, David Currie, John Beresford, Gerry Taggart, John Hendrie, Darren Barnard, Neil Shipperley, Adam Hammill, Connor Hourihane and Sam Winnall (Yeah, I know, boo, whatever).

 

Give us your top 10, include him, and readdress the balance.

 

That’s excellent mate, and agree with every word. I’m not changing my list though!

 

From 1990
1.Redfearn- Captain Marvel could do it all.
2.Stones- Our best attacker and defender at 18.
3. Hignett- Wizard
4. Ward- Complete forward.
5. De Zeeuw- Rolls Royce of a centre back
6. Barnard- Wand of a left foot.
7. Hourihane- Redfearn lite.
8. Pinnock- see De Zeeuw
9. Hammill- Probably the most exciting player I’ve seen play for us.
10. Carlton Morris- See Ward.

 

So I'm from '88 onwards so I miss the Glavin, McCarthy era. And since I can't get my daughter interested in football, let alone Barnsley, I don't get very often these days so I don't see enough of the current crop to really comment.

My first two pick themselves, I'd be amazed if anyone doesn't include Redfearn and Craig Hignett.

Arjan De Zeeuw is my all time favourite player, as a giddy 14 year old he was everything I wanted to be as a centre half and was not.

Darren Barnard and Ashley Ward were genuine premiership quality, and gave their all for us.

The next 5 gets harder to choose. I'm definitely having Hourihane, brilliant for us and went on to do it at a higher level. And although he was only here briefly I'm having Stones. He was a cut above even at that age and has developed in to one of the best in the world.

So that's 7. I'm going to discount loan signings, but if not I would have said Danny Drinkwater, who for a 4 month period was sensational and went on to win the Premier league.

I'm putting John Hendrie in at 8, which leaves me two. I could pick anyone from David Currie, Brian Howard, Adam Hammil, JCR and McIndoe briefly, Sam Winnall. Jacob Butterfield comes so close too.

But I'm going to be controversial and say Chris Morgan. He was brilliant for us in that 2000/2001 season, we wouldn't have got anywhere near the playoffs without him, and as much as it pains me to say went on to have a good career in the Premier League too. Elbows aside.

And my last one I was also tempted to be controversial and say Stephen Foster. I thought he was criminally underrated for us, and never got the recognition that others did. Obviously he's nowhere near as good as Ethan Pinnock (same goes for Morgan) but he played at a time when I just didn't go very often. But instead I'm going to go with Gerry Taggart, he's the player who really stood out for me from my early years as a fan.

 

Anybody who saw Glavin would put him ahead of Higgnett and Redfearn,yes he really was that good.

 

I thought Morgan and Foster were excellent too.

 

Since 1990

John Stones
Gerry Taggart
Bruce Dyer
Ashley Ward
Craig Hignett
Darren Barnard
Arjan de Zeeuw
Luke Steele
Neil Redfearn
Adam Hammill

 

1979/80

1. Glavin

the rest in any order

Redfearn
Banks
Futcher
A.Ward
S.Gray
Currie
Hignett
Hourihane
Howard

 

1955. There have been so many impressive players for us over the years, as the many responses have reminded me. I find it virtually impossible to name my favourite ten, so I will not endeavour to do so. However, number one for me, as for many others, is Ronnie Glavin.

 

1970
Not easy...but
Glavin
Higgy
Futcher
S Gray
Houriane
Ward
Redders
Hammill
DeZeuw
Pinnock
............
Could do lots of honorable mentions but ad probably write another list of 10

 

Ronnie was the best , not the younger fans fault they never saw him play , but he was sensational.

 

I used to work with a few Wednesday fans down the pit , they were terrified of Glavin and so wanted him in blue and white .

 

Since 1978/79 season.

1. Glavin
2. Redders
3. Higgy
4. Hammill
5. Hourihane
6. Futch
7. McCarthy
8. Ward
9. Arjan
10. Howard
11. O'Connell (loved him)

Stones no doubt gone on to be the best, but not actually for us.

 

I feel sorry for those who have only been following the Reds for the past 10-20 years. Not because they missed out on seeing Glavin, McCarthy, Redfearn, Futcher, etc, but because they didn’t get to see their favourite players in a Reds shirt as long as we did. McCarthy played 300+ games, Stones didn’t make 10% of that. Glavin was our midfield maestro for half a decade, but we had Hourihane at his best for around 12 months. I guess the only advantage fans these days have is that they get to see the best loan players, like Trippier, for a full season, whereas we only had Siggi Jonsson and Jan Molby for a month.