17-11-2014, 14:55
So today the Examiner announced which 14 legends would feature on The Pink Link Walkway of Legends, which will mark the driveway into the club’s training complex at PPG Canalside. This was voted for by the fans, something I raised concerns about a while back when the idea was first announced. My worries were simple: 1) our fans aren't the brightest bunch, and 2) younger fans would sway the voting to recent players and exclude actual 'legends' who deserve to be recognised. Anyway, more than 10,000 votes were cast and I was proved right on both fronts. Below are the 14 'legends' as voted for by the loyal fans of Huddersfield Town, with some thoughts on each:
1) Andy Booth
This worries me. Andy Booth received the most votes, and is therefore apparently the biggest legend in our brilliant clubs history. I get that he's a cult hero among fans and we sing humorous songs about him, but most people who sing those songs see them as a joke rather than anything serious. Andy Booth was a decent footballer in his first spell, and a poor footballer the second time round. Due to his longevity and cult hero status I have no issue with him being on the walkway of legends, but to be ranked number one I think is insulting to actual legends.
2) Frank Worthington
No issues here. I reckon if you asked Town fans of a certain age to name their childhood hero Frank would be top of the list. I know for my old man he certainly was and I've heard countless tales about his playing days. Definite legend.
3) Denis Law
Nothing to see here, legend of course.
4) Ray Wilson
283 appearances for Town between 1952-64, before moving to Everton and winning the World Cup with England in 1966. To this day he's still the most capped England player whilst playing for Town, so again difficult to argue with this one. Legend.
5) Marcus Stewart
Legend. This is where lines are blurred and why I can understand one of the more controversial picks further down the list. I wanted to be Marcus Stewart, and most Town fans my age will have wanted to be Marcus Stewart. I proudly wore his name on my back and idolized the way he played the game in a way I refuse to believe people idolized Andy Booth. Legend.
6) Mark Lillis
Loved by people of a certain generation because of his on field ability, brilliant attitude and performances in 2 promotion winning teams under Mick Buxton, but more recently loved by all ages because of the professional manner in which he's steadies the ships as caretaker manager in recent seasons. Easy enough, legend.
7) Peter Jackson
A bit before my time but a bit similar to Peter Clarke in terms of cult status for me. That alone would not warrant him inclusion in a list of 'legends' but his spells as manager merit his place on the walkway. He led us to the 'great escape' and also to promotion from Division 2. Perhaps debatable, but I vote legend.
8) Jimmy Glazzard
Second highest goalscorer in Town history with 153 goals in 11 years. To me that screams '13 goal a season average' which is hardly spectacular considering someone below who I don't think deserved a place on the list netted 40 in one season not long ago. That said, he was very close to being a 'one club man', with only a handful of appearances for other clubs, and longevity is something worth noting, as is his impressive position on our list of top goalscorers. Legend.
9) Jimmy Nicholson
Nicholson has the most international caps whilst at Town for any player ever to represent the club, and he captained the club to promotion into the old first division in 1970. Another player who people of a certain generation will talk very fondly of. Legend.
10) Steve Kindon
Big character in 2 promotion winning squads, and a massively likable character to all Town fans. A bit before my time so I see him in the same light I see Boothy, perhaps not the greatest player on the list but loved by most as a cult hero. He doesn't quite have the longevity of Booth having only played for Town 73 times, so is rightly further down the list. Debatable for me, but perhaps just about a legend.
11) Jordan Rhodes
The first really controversial pick. 73 goals in 124 appearances. No matter how you look at his performances or the circumstances of his departure, 73 goals in 124 appearances. 4 goals including a last minute equaliser in a memorable game at Hillsborough, 5 goals live on TV, and 36 league goals in the season we FINALLY got promoted from League One. I personally think it's a bit of a joke that he's considered a legend, especially considering some of the names that haven't made the list, but I can 100% see why younger fans have voted. They will have wanted to be Rhodes like I wanted to be Stewart. Very debatable, and not a legend for me, but understandable.
12) Peter Clarke
The standout WTF pick. Peter Clarke, one of the 14 biggest legends in our fantastic clubs history. It's a joke. The season we finally got promoted was more down to Sean Morrison than Peter Clarke in a defensive sense, as the Reading loanee was the leader we'd been missing for the entirety of Clarke's tenure until that point. A leader Clarke wasn't, when things went wrong his was the first head to go down. This pick I don't understand at all, and I can only think people bought into the myth of him being a leader and remember the image of him crying at Old Trafford. 100% not a legend.
13) Malcolm Brown
Close to 400 appearances for Town across 2 spells, so again longevity comes into the frame. Another firm favourite among older Town fans, and holder of the most consecutive appearances with 259 straight matches played without missing a game between 1978 and 1983 which is a ridiculous achievement. Legend.
14) Billy Smith
Sadly, the 14th placed pick in the walkway of 'legends' is the only member of the thrice champions team who fans deem appropriate to grace the walkway of legends. Won 3 league titles, scored the goal that won us the FA Cup, and holds the record for most ever appearances. 14th is an insult. Legend.
Now let's take a look at the notable absentees:
THE THRICE CHAMPIONS
Billy Smith only just made it onto the list of legends, and is the only member of the thrice champions team who did. The 2 standout names from that team who aren't as 'legendary' as Peter Clarke are Clem Stephenson and George Brown. Clem was the captain of the team that won 3 consecutive league titles and also went on to become the longest serving manager in Huddersfield Town history - if that doesn't qualify as legendary nothing will. The second big name missing from the list is George Brown, the all time top goalscorer for the club. All time top goalscorer, that means he scored more goals than any other player has ever managed. He also did it whilst winning the old Division 1 three times in a row. Again, how can this not be considered legendary? Arguments could be made for more players from Town's greatest ever team, but I'm too young to make serious cases for them...
Suffice to say this vote should have been taken by people within the club, not by the fans. We've now managed to exclude some of the greatest ever players in our clubs history from a walkway where they belong. It's a great honour to be selected on that list and we should have treated it as such, but now we have a list of legends mixed in with also-rans while the likes of Stephenson and Brown aren't celebrated in the way they should be.
1) Andy Booth
This worries me. Andy Booth received the most votes, and is therefore apparently the biggest legend in our brilliant clubs history. I get that he's a cult hero among fans and we sing humorous songs about him, but most people who sing those songs see them as a joke rather than anything serious. Andy Booth was a decent footballer in his first spell, and a poor footballer the second time round. Due to his longevity and cult hero status I have no issue with him being on the walkway of legends, but to be ranked number one I think is insulting to actual legends.
2) Frank Worthington
No issues here. I reckon if you asked Town fans of a certain age to name their childhood hero Frank would be top of the list. I know for my old man he certainly was and I've heard countless tales about his playing days. Definite legend.
3) Denis Law
Nothing to see here, legend of course.
4) Ray Wilson
283 appearances for Town between 1952-64, before moving to Everton and winning the World Cup with England in 1966. To this day he's still the most capped England player whilst playing for Town, so again difficult to argue with this one. Legend.
5) Marcus Stewart
Legend. This is where lines are blurred and why I can understand one of the more controversial picks further down the list. I wanted to be Marcus Stewart, and most Town fans my age will have wanted to be Marcus Stewart. I proudly wore his name on my back and idolized the way he played the game in a way I refuse to believe people idolized Andy Booth. Legend.
6) Mark Lillis
Loved by people of a certain generation because of his on field ability, brilliant attitude and performances in 2 promotion winning teams under Mick Buxton, but more recently loved by all ages because of the professional manner in which he's steadies the ships as caretaker manager in recent seasons. Easy enough, legend.
7) Peter Jackson
A bit before my time but a bit similar to Peter Clarke in terms of cult status for me. That alone would not warrant him inclusion in a list of 'legends' but his spells as manager merit his place on the walkway. He led us to the 'great escape' and also to promotion from Division 2. Perhaps debatable, but I vote legend.
8) Jimmy Glazzard
Second highest goalscorer in Town history with 153 goals in 11 years. To me that screams '13 goal a season average' which is hardly spectacular considering someone below who I don't think deserved a place on the list netted 40 in one season not long ago. That said, he was very close to being a 'one club man', with only a handful of appearances for other clubs, and longevity is something worth noting, as is his impressive position on our list of top goalscorers. Legend.
9) Jimmy Nicholson
Nicholson has the most international caps whilst at Town for any player ever to represent the club, and he captained the club to promotion into the old first division in 1970. Another player who people of a certain generation will talk very fondly of. Legend.
10) Steve Kindon
Big character in 2 promotion winning squads, and a massively likable character to all Town fans. A bit before my time so I see him in the same light I see Boothy, perhaps not the greatest player on the list but loved by most as a cult hero. He doesn't quite have the longevity of Booth having only played for Town 73 times, so is rightly further down the list. Debatable for me, but perhaps just about a legend.
11) Jordan Rhodes
The first really controversial pick. 73 goals in 124 appearances. No matter how you look at his performances or the circumstances of his departure, 73 goals in 124 appearances. 4 goals including a last minute equaliser in a memorable game at Hillsborough, 5 goals live on TV, and 36 league goals in the season we FINALLY got promoted from League One. I personally think it's a bit of a joke that he's considered a legend, especially considering some of the names that haven't made the list, but I can 100% see why younger fans have voted. They will have wanted to be Rhodes like I wanted to be Stewart. Very debatable, and not a legend for me, but understandable.
12) Peter Clarke
The standout WTF pick. Peter Clarke, one of the 14 biggest legends in our fantastic clubs history. It's a joke. The season we finally got promoted was more down to Sean Morrison than Peter Clarke in a defensive sense, as the Reading loanee was the leader we'd been missing for the entirety of Clarke's tenure until that point. A leader Clarke wasn't, when things went wrong his was the first head to go down. This pick I don't understand at all, and I can only think people bought into the myth of him being a leader and remember the image of him crying at Old Trafford. 100% not a legend.
13) Malcolm Brown
Close to 400 appearances for Town across 2 spells, so again longevity comes into the frame. Another firm favourite among older Town fans, and holder of the most consecutive appearances with 259 straight matches played without missing a game between 1978 and 1983 which is a ridiculous achievement. Legend.
14) Billy Smith
Sadly, the 14th placed pick in the walkway of 'legends' is the only member of the thrice champions team who fans deem appropriate to grace the walkway of legends. Won 3 league titles, scored the goal that won us the FA Cup, and holds the record for most ever appearances. 14th is an insult. Legend.
Now let's take a look at the notable absentees:
THE THRICE CHAMPIONS
Billy Smith only just made it onto the list of legends, and is the only member of the thrice champions team who did. The 2 standout names from that team who aren't as 'legendary' as Peter Clarke are Clem Stephenson and George Brown. Clem was the captain of the team that won 3 consecutive league titles and also went on to become the longest serving manager in Huddersfield Town history - if that doesn't qualify as legendary nothing will. The second big name missing from the list is George Brown, the all time top goalscorer for the club. All time top goalscorer, that means he scored more goals than any other player has ever managed. He also did it whilst winning the old Division 1 three times in a row. Again, how can this not be considered legendary? Arguments could be made for more players from Town's greatest ever team, but I'm too young to make serious cases for them...
Suffice to say this vote should have been taken by people within the club, not by the fans. We've now managed to exclude some of the greatest ever players in our clubs history from a walkway where they belong. It's a great honour to be selected on that list and we should have treated it as such, but now we have a list of legends mixed in with also-rans while the likes of Stephenson and Brown aren't celebrated in the way they should be.
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