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View Full Version : Best centre half to have played for Hibs



brownlies bits
08-01-2010, 01:41 AM
After all the **** Hoggy gets on here, who is the best centre back you have seen playin for the Hibees (under 30's need not apply)


JACKIE MACNAMARA snr CLASS



:thumbsup:

truehibernian
08-01-2010, 02:07 AM
Have to say that neither were the best, but the most under rated but consistent have to be Gordon Hunter and Graham Mitchell. Neither were fancy or world beaters, but when I was in my early teens and starting to appreciate football, these guys wore their hearts on their sleeve and every tackle seemed to mean something. Hibs weren't the greatest defensively either so I suppose they saw more of the action back in those days hence they stood out. Jackie Snr for me was someone who could have been superb had he managed his weight.........looked like the michelin man too often for my liking. Ally MacLeod was my hero in that side though :agree:.

Speedy
08-01-2010, 02:10 AM
I'd have to go for...oh wait, never mind.

MontrealHibs
08-01-2010, 08:15 AM
For me I've not seen one better than Frank Sauzee.

poolman
08-01-2010, 08:17 AM
I'm an auld git

I loved watching John Madsen

IIRC he used to wear baseball boots when the ground was hard in winter

crewetollhibee
08-01-2010, 08:20 AM
George Stewart. Big Dod, gie us a nod !!

brydekirk
08-01-2010, 08:26 AM
hard decision, frank sauze or sean dennis ,what u think :wink:

ronaldo7
08-01-2010, 08:54 AM
Sloop John B
John Madsen
John McNamee
Frank Sauzee

Pick any one from 4:wink:

Jack
08-01-2010, 09:07 AM
Cilla :greengrin

Maybe not the best he played a very important but down-to-earth role as part of the Tornadoes. As much a hero as the rest of them :agree:

Steve20
08-01-2010, 09:13 AM
Sauzee. :thumbsup:

rossi
08-01-2010, 09:41 AM
Blackley for me

hibbie02
08-01-2010, 09:50 AM
Sloop for me, alongside Cilla! :wink: With St Paddy sweeping up and moving forward. :cool2:

heretoday
08-01-2010, 09:57 AM
Big John McNamee. He could be a bit slow to turn on hard ground. Him and Rob Jones would have made an intimidating partnership!

KWJ
08-01-2010, 09:58 AM
Don't class Sauzee as a centre half so I'll go for a toss up between Yogi and Hunter with honorouble mention to Gary Smith.

Stuck yer over 30's where the sun disnae shine.

Fae the tapes it's Blackley :greengrin

Hibernian Verse
08-01-2010, 10:18 AM
Bamba or Sauzee :notworthy:

Sorry I'm under 30 :wink:

cabbageandribs1875
08-01-2010, 10:24 AM
sloop john b john blackley

Cabbage East
08-01-2010, 10:25 AM
Franck for me.

EVENTUALLY
08-01-2010, 10:28 AM
Have to say that neither were the best, but the most under rated but consistent have to be Gordon Hunter and Graham Mitchell. Neither were fancy or world beaters, but when I was in my early teens and starting to appreciate football, these guys wore their hearts on their sleeve and every tackle seemed to mean something. Hibs weren't the greatest defensively either so I suppose they saw more of the action back in those days hence they stood out. Jackie Snr for me was someone who could have been superb had he managed his weight.........looked like the michelin man too often for my liking. Ally MacLeod was my hero in that side though :agree:.

It's all about opinions but I'm afraid to say that I thought Gordon Hunter was one of the poorest defenders I've ever seen in a Hibs jersey. He takes a lot of plaudits for ending the 22 in a row hoodoo but as far as I am concerned he was responsible for a number of the goals conceded to Hearts during that run. Ask John Robertson !

John McNamee as a big stopper was awesome.
Blackley and McNamarra were classy, tough and very cool customers.
Big Fenwick stepped up to Scottish top flight at Hibs very well.
Roy Barry for finally sorting out Dixie Deans is fondly remembered.

brog
08-01-2010, 10:33 AM
Sloop John B
John Madsen
John McNamee
Frank Sauzee

Pick any one from 4:wink:

Add Jackie Plenderleith & the 2 Patersons, Craig & his dad John & I think you've captured the true quality centre backs of the last 60 years. Of course Sloop was really a sweeper as was Franck so in that case King Paddy, when he played there can not be ignored.

wfortune
08-01-2010, 10:36 AM
I always liked Gordon Rae

CropleyWasGod
08-01-2010, 10:36 AM
Much as I adored Sloop and Jackie Mac, for me they weren't centre-halfs. They were sweepers, as was Franck.

I would go for Craig Paterson, although I am not sure his career went where we all expected it to go.

stu in nottingham
08-01-2010, 10:44 AM
John Blackley - classy and extremely hard.

Lucius Apuleius
08-01-2010, 10:52 AM
Cilla

HIBERNIAN-0762
08-01-2010, 10:59 AM
Big John Macnamee, there will never be anyone like him at ER again, a legend!

HIBERNIAN-0762
08-01-2010, 11:00 AM
I always liked Gordon Rae



:bitchy:

James Connolly
08-01-2010, 12:04 PM
Colin Murdock. :duck:

PC Stamp
08-01-2010, 12:15 PM
Jim Black!!!??? aka Dixie Deans' personal goal provider! If the Tornadoes had had big Roy Barry alongside John Blackley during the early 70's period we'd arguably have won more trophies than we did.

I go with Stu in Nottingham here ...... John Blackley. He held Jim Black together but sadly couldn't do it all himself against that Celtic team!!

Hibby Kay-Yay
08-01-2010, 12:22 PM
Colin Murdock. :duck:

No way is he better than Shelton Martis :grr:

Pretty Boy
08-01-2010, 12:26 PM
No way is he better than Shelton Martis :grr:

Neither Martis or Murdock could lace Lilian Martins' boots.

Jonnyboy
08-01-2010, 12:37 PM
Add another to the John McNamee votes :agree:

supershotmo
08-01-2010, 12:43 PM
Alex Marinkov.

Out shone Sauzee on his debut at Falkirk.

BenjiOscar
08-01-2010, 12:43 PM
:bitchy:

Gordon Rae was my hero when i first started going to Easter Road. A whole-hearted player and one of a handful to get a testimonial match.

Jonnyboy
08-01-2010, 12:46 PM
Gordon Rae was my hero when i first started going to Easter Road. A whole-hearted player and one of a handful to get a testimonial match.

Big Gordon was so versatile too. Centre half, centre forward, central midfield - all positions in which he looked pretty comfortable :agree:

3pm
08-01-2010, 12:53 PM
Big John McNamee. He could be a bit slow to turn on hard ground. Him and Rob Jones would have made an intimidating partnership!


It's all about opinions but I'm afraid to say that I thought Gordon Hunter was one of the poorest defenders I've ever seen in a Hibs jersey. He takes a lot of plaudits for ending the 22 in a row hoodoo but as far as I am concerned he was responsible for a number of the goals conceded to Hearts during that run. Ask John Robertson !

John McNamee as a big stopper was awesome.
Blackley and McNamarra were classy, tough and very cool customers.
Big Fenwick stepped up to Scottish top flight at Hibs very well.
Roy Barry for finally sorting out Dixie Deans is fondly remembered.


Big John Macnamee, there will never be anyone like him at ER again, a legend!


Add another to the John McNamee votes :agree:

I don't know too much about this guy. However, when I got my first ST back in 95 there were 3 old guys who sat behind me in the East and said this guy nearly one Hibs the league on his own. It was virtually the same 11 - bar JM of course - and when Jock Stein (??) signed him the Hibs went from 2nd bottom (??) to League runners up!

Glasgow Hibee
08-01-2010, 01:06 PM
John Blackley for me. I like defenders who are cool under pressure and confident enough to make a hard tackle at the right time and JB was that man.

Also rated Gordon Hunter as when I saw him (admittedly not a season ticket holder) he seemed to make very few mistakes - another essential for a center back.

Special mention for Gordon Rae - not one of the greats, but always gave his all and seemed to win every header in the penalty box.

Speedway
08-01-2010, 01:18 PM
I always liked Gordon Rae

:agree:


:bitchy:

:bitchy:


Gordon Rae was my hero when i first started going to Easter Road. A whole-hearted player and one of a handful to get a testimonial match.

:agree:


Big Gordon was so versatile too. Centre half, centre forward, central midfield - all positions in which he looked pretty comfortable :agree:

:agree:

And he did seem to win every header as the other poster who I haven't quoted, mentioned. Giant of a man, lovely guy and loyal servant to the club.

hibhib7
08-01-2010, 01:29 PM
I've seen them all and I think that Sol Bamba will turn out to be the best - not right now, but there is a big future ahead of this laddie and, given the right coaching, will star for a big PL club in the future.

andudare2
08-01-2010, 01:49 PM
big bad john mcnamee for me was the ideal centre half. :notworthy:

--------
08-01-2010, 01:53 PM
I'm an auld git

I loved watching John Madsen

IIRC he used to wear baseball boots when the ground was hard in winter


John Madsen was a bit special - not the tallest of Centre-halves, but a hard nut indeed.

You're right about the baseball boots - they all wore them when the pitches were frozen. No such thing as a call-off in those days for anything less than 6 feet of snow falling on the pitch ON THE MORNING OF THE MATCH - that way it couldn't be cleared in time for kick-off.

However - I have to say that the man JM replaced was, and remains, my all time Hibee hero - in the green corner, wearing the prison-type haircut and the deceptively friendly smile - the original Built-Like-A-Brick-****house himself - the one and only kicked-Jock-Stein-Up-The-Jacksey, the man who gave James Cameron the idea for the Terminator - the man for whom Chuck Norris is glad to keep the toilet seat warm on winter mornings - the utterly unique and never-to-be-replicated BBJ himself - John McNamee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

blackpoolhibs
08-01-2010, 01:53 PM
I've seen them all and I think that Sol Bamba will turn out to be the best - not right now, but there is a big future ahead of this laddie and, given the right coaching, will star for a big PL club in the future.

I saw McNamee, but only fleetingly, and i was very young. I agree with you on Bamba. Blackley,Sauzee,McNamara were more of a sweeper type, none were what i'd call a centre half. So Bamba for me too.

stu in nottingham
08-01-2010, 02:12 PM
I saw McNamee, but only fleetingly, and i was very young. I agree with you on Bamba. Blackley,Sauzee,McNamara were more of a sweeper type, none were what i'd call a centre half. So Bamba for me too.

If it's a pure out-an-out stopper centre-half we're looking for then I'd go for BBJ. If it's more loosely a central defender, then I'll stick with John Blackley who was a superior all-round player IMHH.

--------
08-01-2010, 02:19 PM
If it's a pure out-an-out stopper centre-half we're looking for then I'd go for BBJ. If it's more loosely a central defender, then I'll stick with John Blackley who was as superior all-round player in my IMHH.


:agree:

Sloop was probably the best defensive footballer I've seen. Why he wasn't first-choice for Scotland I can't say, unless of course it was something to do with inferior players like Martin Buchan and Tom Forsyth playing for Manchester Utd and Rangers....

But he wasn't a CENTRE-HALF. He was a SWEEPER. If the referees hadn't ganged up on BBJ and he'd been the pivot of the Tornadoes team, I'm positive we'd have won the Championship in 72-73. Brownlie-Stanton-McNamee-Blackley-Schaedler - if Carlsberg made football defences, that's the one they'd make.

But I think I've already made my opinion of BBJ sufficiently clear. :devil:

HIBERNIAN-0762
08-01-2010, 02:28 PM
Gordon Rae was my hero when i first started going to Easter Road. A whole-hearted player and one of a handful to get a testimonial match.


Not having a go at him personally, I watched Gordon blast on the scene at ER as a centre forward and he was scoring goals for fun, when he reverted to CH along with Brazil we were the laughing stock at the PBS, the chuckle brothers they used to call them and frankly the yams took great delight in exploiting that pair every time we played them, never rated him at all as a CH but his commitment to the club was 110%

:wink:

bournehibby
08-01-2010, 04:06 PM
I don't know too much about this guy. However, when I got my first ST back in 95 there were 3 old guys who sat behind me in the East and said this guy nearly one Hibs the league on his own. It was virtually the same 11 - bar JM of course - and when Jock Stein (??) signed him the Hibs went from 2nd bottom (??) to League runners up!
Another Big John vote from me :thumbsup:
bh

Wing Half
08-01-2010, 04:37 PM
Big Bad John

hibsbollah
08-01-2010, 04:42 PM
Sauzee.

or Humphrey Rudge.

Franck is God
08-01-2010, 05:25 PM
Gordon Rae was the main stopper when I started going regularly so he sticks in my mind.

Hunter was a whole hearted defender that I always liked and Yogi when he first arrived was a very good centre half too.

In recent years the likes of Caldwell & Sauzee stand out and I do think that in the next couple of years we will be talking about Bamba in the same terms.

hibbybrian
08-01-2010, 06:37 PM
If it's a pure out-an-out stopper centre-half we're looking for then I'd go for BBJ. If it's more loosely a central defender, then I'll stick with John Blackley who was a superior all-round player IMHH.

John was THE centre-half :agree: however Jim Easton who BBJ took over from was a pretty good CH also - however he was paired with the aging John Grant and Joe McLelland at full back whilst John had John Fraser and John Parke at full back

John Madsen was also a decent CH and George Stewart was wholehearted if not technically the best

Blackley was superbly skilled as a defender and whilst only 5' 10" tall was not really a CH

eezyrider
08-01-2010, 07:07 PM
I'd say John Blackley - though George Stewart was pretty good too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stewart_(footballer_born_1948)

EZ

Cracker
08-01-2010, 07:25 PM
"Jim Easton", "John Madsen" or "Big John McNamee".

jdships
08-01-2010, 07:26 PM
After all the **** Hoggy gets on here, who is the best centre back you have seen playin for the Hibees (under 30's need not apply)


JACKIE MACNAMARA snr CLASS



:thumbsup:

I have to go for an "OLDIE"
John Madsen was something special! Not the tallest of C/H's but was
" a rock" in defence
John Paterson would run him a close second being much more of an all round footballer .
In modern times There hasn't been an outstanding C/H at the club - sadly

:flag:

ancient hibee
08-01-2010, 07:35 PM
Out and out centre halves

McNamee
John Paterson
Plenderleith
Stewart
Madsen
Easton
Those choosing Sauzee are kidding themselves-great player but never a centre half in a million years as Sutton demonstrated every time.

andyhibs
08-01-2010, 08:00 PM
George Stewart. Big Dod, gie us a nod !!
yeh go for big dod, with jackie mac sweeping:top marks

heretoday
09-01-2010, 01:00 AM
McNamee was a great big chap with a surprisingly skillful turn of foot. He was a right half with Celtic.

Madsen was a bit of a hacker, fast on his feet with a splayed way of running - not unlike Gordon Hunter.

Pete
09-01-2010, 01:11 AM
Don't class Sauzee as a centre half so I'll go for a toss up between Yogi and Hunter with honorouble mention to Gary Smith.

Stuck yer over 30's where the sun disnae shine.

Fae the tapes it's Blackley :greengrin

Most reliable I've seen.

One of the most under-rated and under-mentioned players.

Wellbankhibby
09-01-2010, 03:50 AM
After all the **** Hoggy gets on here, who is the best centre back you have seen playin for the Hibees (under 30's need not apply)


JACKIE MACNAMARA snr CLASS



:thumbsup:
Has to be Craig Patterson Class act until Rangers spoiled him

Wellbankhibby
09-01-2010, 03:52 AM
Has to be Craig Patterson, he was a class act until Rangers spoiled him with their style of play.

MSK
09-01-2010, 04:49 AM
Has to be Craig Patterson Class act until Rangers spoiled him


Has to be Craig Patterson, he was a class act until Rangers spoiled him with their style of play.So good you named him twice ..:greengrin

Big Craig was also my favourite until he went to Rangers ..

KWJ
09-01-2010, 07:39 AM
Colin Murdock for that penalty :wink:

Worst I've ever seen.

Septimus
09-01-2010, 09:24 AM
I would agree with the Craig Patterson voters. Gordon Rae was a personal favourite of mine at one time if only for these headers when he would run towards the heavy soaking muddy ball and meet it square on. He took more punishment than a heavyweight boxer without batting an eyelid.

Hibs_of_Midlothian
09-01-2010, 01:35 PM
George Stewart, the perfect Centre Half, kicked everything that moved.

thebakerboy
09-01-2010, 10:12 PM
Big bad John has to be the best pure CH ever to play for us but the best defender has to be Sloop who even had time to take the pish out of his own keeper by pretending to pass back to Jim Mcarthur on many occasions. Honourable mentions to Jon Madsen George Stewart (should have been signed sooner) Jackie Plenderleith , Jim Easton , both Patersons , Gordon Rae, but if he had not been a better midfield player Pat Stanton could have been as good as Tommy Docherty said he was before he dropped him from Scotland team???:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy :

--------
10-01-2010, 12:05 AM
Big bad John has to be the best pure CH ever to play for us but the best defender has to be Sloop who even had time to take the pish out of his own keeper by pretending to pass back to Jim Mcarthur on many occasions. Honourable mentions to Jon Madsen George Stewart (should have been signed sooner) Jackie Plenderleith , Jim Easton , both Patersons , Gordon Rae, but if he had not been a better midfield player Pat Stanton could have been as good as Tommy Docherty said he was before he dropped him from Scotland team???:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy :


I would agree with you about Stanton. I ahve often wondered what would have been to outcome if we had played Pat at CH with another right-half.

Bremner-Stanton-Blackley, anyone?

Hakim Sar
10-01-2010, 01:30 AM
Chic Wilson from the 1921 championship winning team for me.

confused
10-01-2010, 10:52 AM
Big John Macnamee, there will never be anyone like him at ER again, a legend!
My hero, and a true "old fashioned" no 5, sloop would be my sweeper, and King Paddy could have his pick of any jersey he ever wanted.