Labone or Ratcliffe......Who was our best Skipper?

[Chewbacca]

Labone

Apparently he could pronounce Jagielka

 

[Toffeelover]

Very difficult one to be drawn on. Different times and different styles of play they were up against. They were both great.

 

[Merseyzig]

I only saw Ratcliffe play, though I remember my dad (a cynic if ever there was) being gutted when he got injured at Sheff Weds in the first match of the 3rd round marathon. My dad thought he was the best, snidest centre back he had seen at Everton. Unfortunately, when he returned from injury he never recovered that blistering pace which had helped him so much, so the next 3 or 4 years he was a shadow of the player he had been.

 

[PhilM]

Out of respect for both individual I’m going to sit on the fence and say they were equal.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

I've luckily spoke to both .
Both approachable.
But after we beat notts county in the cup I ran on the pitch (ripping me kecks on the fence)over to the rat and I said to him "yeers" his reply
"Fookin brilliant!".

 

[big nev lookalike]

Also a special mention for Mike Lyons ,who gave his all for us and led by example. Not the greatest player but truly inspirational

 

[Cameron Manning]

...I really think the role of skipper is overplayed, especially in great teams containing players who are dedicated to the cause and know their role in the team.

What I will say is neither Labone or Ratcliffe were vociferous shouters on the pitch. Neither rolled their sleeves up and fought or kicked opponents, neither got down the referees ear to gain an advantage. Some folk on here think these are pre-requisites for a skipper, but they aren’t.

I go along with that notion, would pick Labone over Ratcliffe, but in both teams they captained there was a variety of captains, Ball, Harvey, Morrissey and Kendall etc in Labones team and Reid, Gray Southall and Bracewell etc in Ratcliffe’s.

 

[blue1948]

I saw them both in their primes and it is like chalk and cheese .If I had to pick between the two -Ratcliff held up more trophies ,so him .Best captain for me is Jags .No we never won anything but pity but the job he did was ten times more than what the others did ,it makes me glow inside when i see what goes on behind the scenes and it should be recognised that this is part and parcel now of the captaincy.

 

[BigMick]

Both great but if I had to choose one it would be Labby. I'd also give a mention to Howard Kendall, who succeeded Alan Ball to the captaincy after Catterick knocked the stuffing out of the club and the supporters by selling Ball to Arsenal. The next two years were dire but Kendall was a shining light as a player and captain, playing some of the best football of his career and leading through a mixture of example and cajolery.

 

[blue1948]

Both great but if I had to choose one it would be Labby. I'd also give a mention to Howard Kendall, who succeeded Alan Ball to the captaincy after Catterick knocked the stuffing out of the club and the supporters by selling Ball to Arsenal. The next two years were dire but Kendall was a shining light as a player and captain, playing some of the best football of his career and leading through a mixture of example and cajolery.

I was working nights at Vauxhalls and waiting to clock out when a red came past waving the back page of the mirror ,I couldn't believe it ,we had lost Bally .A terrible moment for a 21 year old to take in .

 

[KaiserEFC]

Phil Neville.






















Said absolutely no one ever.

 

[peteblue]

I loved watching Labone play, as I also did watching Ratcliffe. But they were totally different players with different strengths. I would really hate to chose but if I must then Labone.......

 

[Old Blue 2]

Both great but if I had to choose one it would be Labby. I'd also give a mention to Howard Kendall, who succeeded Alan Ball to the captaincy after Catterick knocked the stuffing out of the club and the supporters by selling Ball to Arsenal. The next two years were dire but Kendall was a shining light as a player and captain, playing some of the best football of his career and leading through a mixture of example and cajolery.

The word at the time was that it was John Moores who got Alan Ball out of the club after he warned him that he would no longer tolerate his gambling (debts). Ball apparently ignored him, and Moores baled him out one last time with his debt and then moved him on.

As I say, that is what was doing the rounds at the time. No other reason to move him on, as there were still many years left in him, playing-wise.

 

[magicjuan]

Labone. When they called him the last of the Corinthians they weren't wrong.
He played football the way it's supposed to be played.

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

No mention of Tom Davies here yet?