Players you still can't believe played for us

[larbert toffee]

Colin Todd and Brian Kidd both had late career cameos at Goodison. They were ace players, and I wish we could have snared them 5 year's earlier.

Couldn't actually believe how good Kidd was for us.

 

[FTY]

To be fair they were relative nobodies when we signed them, as far as I can remember.

Sure Materazzi went on to win the WC, but Dacourt didn't amount to much after he left us. Didn't rate him that much myself either.

Gazza, Hughes, Ginola - absolutely disgraceful signings. Let's hope we never have to revisit days like that ever again.

Was too young at the time, what would today's equivalent of signing those 3 be?

 

[Boss_Blue]

Idan Tal.

I remember the 'arl fella shouts on Bluekipper website and some fan told him (or so the story goes) to "fore-skin him!" when he was about to take on an opposition player. Still makes me laugh to this day.

Wasn't that bad tbh was Tal.

 

[Simon the Brummie]

Nicky Barmby, at least for 1 good season anyway before he did the dirty on us.....

 

[summerisle]

Jo been mentioned yet ? Honourable mention for Glen Keeley.

 

[SingBlue]

To be fair they were relative nobodies when we signed them, as far as I can remember.

Sure Materazzi went on to win the WC, but Dacourt didn't amount to much after he left us. Didn't rate him that much myself either.

Gazza, Hughes, Ginola - absolutely disgraceful signings. Let's hope we never have to revisit days like that ever again.

Years and years ago I lived and worked in Brighton, so would often go join some mates at their games (was the price of a couple of pints to get in).

I was able to marvel at the likes of Frank Stapleton and Jimmy Case still trying to eke out a living. Rejoice at how "Butch" Wilkins, who must've been pushing 40, was still an absolute nark when Leyton Orient came to town, and managed to get himself sent off after an hour of solidly passing sideways. I was also there when the last ever game at the Goldstone saw ex-Blue Stuart Storer the scorer as Brighton beat Doncaster, and moved off the bottom of League 2 (as it is now) and put Hereford at the bottom - who they played away in the final match when a 1-1 draw kept them up and put Hereford, and their bull, in the conference.

Felt a lot of affinity at the time with them - dodgy owners ripping money out of the club (they didn't have a ground to call their own for over a decade), but now all's good and they seem a fairly solid Championship side, with their annual knocking out of Newcastle in the FA Cup (now of course a not-so-solid Championship side).

So yeah bit of fun seeing "legends of old" blowing around a pitch, but I'd be horrified if we went back to that M.O. - and that particularly applies to signing an increasing unfit and uninterested Rooney.

 

[SingBlue]

Peter Beardsley

What a player. Remember my dad coming in with the Echo and just throwing it in front of me. Never have I been that excited about signing a player, I was 8 at the time.

Was working at an office in Liverpool, and had come back from a meeting across town, saw the headline, and bought a copy. In the lift at our office, block from accounts gets in, knew he was a die-hard RS, showed it to him and he was seething. "£1m. Absolute (expletive) steal that". It was. We (stupidly) sold him 2 years later to Newcastle for £1.5m at 32 - in the futile attempt to sign Dion Dublin from Man U? Beardsley of course went on to score the following season on his return to Goodison as they did us.

 

[Arteta2391]

Philipe Senderos

throw him a monk rob

 

[BNJ1878]

Been mentioned before, but Kanchelskis.

He was the best player in the world in his position at the time, no question.

Unbelievable stuff.

 

[Jamo Martinez]

Phil Neville.

 

[McMagic]

Couldn't actually believe how good Kidd was for us.

I don't believe Todd or Kidd gave us 100% They were as you say real players, their hearts where somewhere else, probably Derby
and Man U. respectively. I say again, I remember Mick Lyons slapping Todds face for trying to dribble out of a mayhem situation
at the cesspit. Worst of all Kidd got himself sent off for petulance at Villa Park 1980 playing West Ham from the second division,
we were ahead and cruising to the final, he didn't even show remorse to the lads on the bench. (A selfish man).

 

[Groucho]

Niasse

 

[McMagic]

That said, he peaked way too early and is finished now, at 31. There's no way he should ever have been made England (or United) captain and he should be nowhere near the England squad any more. He was pretty good between 18 - 28 though, and that's a good 10 years, so fair play.

All I want to know is, he is without doubt the greatest goalscorer England has ever had, so who is taking his place, is it Dier or Henderson,
is it Vardy or Rashford, 'fraid not, none of these are good enough yet. Wilshere & Barkley are the only 2 capable of nearly taking his
place, but they are out of favour and form. I wouldn't mind the 'Cast-off' coming back to us, but I'm sure most of you would prefer
Kev or Geri.

 

[chrismpw]

Are we forgetting the best goalkeeper in the world (arguably of all time) who played for us in the 80s and 90s?
Also, Lineker, who was the Messi of his day on the world stage (in terms of goalscoring not style).

Other end of the spectrum : Richard Wright. Niasse.

 

[Papa Shango]

Nicky Barmby, at least for 1 good season anyway before he did the dirty on us.....

I hated him even when he was playing for us. He was boss at winning throw ins and we were terrible at them so it was pointless.