BigSoccer All Time Draft (6th)

[arthur d]

I guess I deserved that.

Maar je weet wat ze zeggen over Belgie: "Het beste wat ze ooit gedaan hebben is onafhankelijk worden. "

Sorry hoor. Ik hou van Belgie eigenlijk. And not just for their beer.

[Bertje]

Sorry hoor. Ik hou van Belgie eigenlijk. And not just for their beer.

Er is weinig mis met Belgie. Maar er is maar een ding leuker dan flauwe grappen over Belgen maken: flauwe grappen over Duitsers maken.

[arthur d]

Er is weinig mis met Belgie. Maar er is maar een ding leuker dan flauwe grappen over Belgen maken: flauwe grappen over Duitsers maken.

Maar wij verstaan ze niet. :D

[Bertje]

Maar wij verstaan ze niet. :D

En dan noemen we de Belgen dom. ;)

Maar het is mooi geweest. Morgen is het koninginnedag en ik ga alvast een bodempje leggen dat twee dagen meekan.

[arthur d]

En dan noemen we de Belgen dom. ;)

Maar het is mooi geweest. Morgen is het koninginnedag en ik ga alvast een bodempje leggen dat twee dagen meekan.

Veel plezier!

I wonder if this means Antwerp will be full of drunk Dutch people... well we should blend in very well (I'll be there tomorrow).

[comme]

What's happened? Has this become a "foreign language" thread? ;)

[comme]

Robert Jonquet (The Hero of Highbury)

Born: 3rd May 1925

Position: Central defence

France

58 caps, 0 goals

1942-1960 Stade Reims
1960-1962 Racing Strasbourg (II. Division)

Honours:
5 French League titles (1949, 1953, 1955, 1958, 1960)
2 French Cups (1950, 1958)
1 Latin Cup (1953)
European Cup finalist (1956, 1959)

Bob Jonquet was born in Paris in 1925 and as a youngster began his career with small clubs Chatenay-Malabry and then SS Voltaire. At 17 Jonquet made the move to Reims where he developed into an excellent player. At the time the second world war was still raging, but football continued under the Vichy government albeit in a regional format. When Jonquet joined Reims they were the reigning Northern champions, but it was not until 1949 that Jonquet was able to lift some silverware of his own. That season Reims lifted the French league title, seeing off the strong challenge of Lille by just a point. Their travails in the Latin Cup were slightly less successful as they were annihilated 5-0 by Barcelona in the semi-finals, and then beaten 5-3 in the 3rd place play off. The next year Reims picked up the French Cup, beating Racing Club de Paris in the final thanks to two goals in the last ten minutes.

It was in a match against England at Highbury in 1951 that Jonquet earned his nickname. The match finished as a two all draw, but Jonquet earned widespread praise and recognition for his performance. He had made his France debut 4 years earlier in a 3-1 loss to Italy, and by this time had established himself as a fixture in the national team.

1953 proved to be something of a dream year for Jonquet and Reims as they won the French title again ahead of Sochaux and Bordeaux as well as lifting the Latin Cup, making up for their disappointment 4 years earlier. This time they scraped past Valencia in the semi finals, before comfortably beating a Milan side including the GreNoLi trio 3-0 in the final.

The 1954 World Cup proved to be a bitter disappointment for France and Jonquet, due in part to the strangle way in which it was organised. Each group contained 2 seeded team who did not play each other, therefore France only played 2 games in the tournament. They lost the first 1-0 to Yugoslavia, and won the second 3-2 against Mexico. Sadly that was not enough and they went home.

In 1955 Jonquet picked up a third French Championship, with Reims finishing 4 points ahead of nearest rivals Toulouse. In the Latin Cup they saw off Milan 3-2 in extra-time in the semi-finals, before meeting Real Madrid in the final. There they were defeated by two goals courtesy of Hector Rial. It was not to be the last time that Madrid would disappoint Robert Jonquet.

Indeed the next year it would be Real Madrid that met Stade Reims in the inaugural European Cup final, after the French side had seen off AGF, Vörös Lobogó and Hibernian. The final was a wonderful game that ebbed and flowed, but eventually saw Jonquet end up on the losing side again as Reims went down 4-3.

In 1958 Reims completed a French league and cup double, with Nimes coming off second best in both competitions. Reims were comfortable winners of the league, 7 points ahead of their nearest rivals and they eased past Nimes in the final 3-1. That then seemed the ideal send off for Jonquet to go to the World Cup in Sweden. There the French progressed through a group containing Yugoslavia, Paraguay and Scotland before beating N Ireland 4-0 in the quarters. That earned Les Bleues a contest with Brazil in the semi-final, but there hopes were ruined when Jonquet broke his leg in the first half. At that point the scores were tied at 1-1, but with 10 men the French couldn’t compete and went down 5-2.

1959-60 was Jonquet’s last season at Reims and he capped off an incredible career there by winning the French league for a 5th time, this time beating Nimes into second place again. From Reims he went to Racing Strasbourg where he wound down his career.

Jonquet was widely regarded as one of the game’s foremost centre backs for much of the 1950s, and his predominance was built on his superb reading of the game, as well as his good use of the ball and outstanding leadership. His defensive master mind, coupled with the genius of Raymond Kopa and the goal scoring prowess of Just Fontaine catapulted Reims and France into the first rank of European heavyweights. It is testament to quite how influential Jonquet was that after he left the club Reims have won just one title, they won 5 in his 18 years at the club.

[comme]

That's the profile I owed for Jonquet. Better late than never.

Also just to say how hard I thought it was to rank the teams, my list is fairly arbitrary as there is little to choose between most of them.

[nicephoras]

I still owe mine - I'll get it in a bit later today or tomorrow - I'm in a celebratory mood at the moment.
I think I should have made my tactics more interesting - no one's said a thing about my side at all. :p

[Bertje]

I still owe mine - I'll get it in a bit later today or tomorrow - I'm in a celebratory mood at the moment.
I think I should have made my tactics more interesting - no one's said a thing about my side at all. :p

Your team sucks.

My pleasure, nice. :D

[comme]

JIMMY GREAVES


Born: 20 February 1940 in London.

Real name: James Peter Greaves.

Nickname: Greavsie.

Position: Inside right.

Caps:
England 57 (1959-1967) / 44 goals

League Games:
England 517 (1957-1971) / 357 goals
Italy 10 (1961) / 9 goals

European Cup Games:
76 (1961-1975) / 57 goals

European Footballer of the Year: 1962 (7th), 1963 (3rd), 1964 (6th), 1967 (25th), 1968 (10th)

Trophies & Tournaments:
World Cup winner: 1966
World Cup participant: 1962
European Champions Cup: -
European Cup Winners’ Cup: 1963
European Fairs Cup: -
English Champion: -
English runner-up: 1963, 1967
English Cup winner: 1962, 1967
English Cup finalist: –
English League Cup winner: –
English League Cup beaten finalist: –
Italian Champion: 1962
Italian Cup winner: -
Italian Cup beaten finalist: -
Top League Goal Scorer: 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969.


Season - Club - Games – Goals

1957/58 Chelsea FC................35 / 22
1958/59 Chelsea FC................42 / 32 [ 5 / 2 ]
1959/60 Chelsea FC................40 / 29 [ 3 / 1 ]
1960/61 Chelsea FC................40 / 41 [ 5 / 2 ]
1961/62 AC Milan....................10 / 09 [ 6 / 9 ]
1961/62 Tottenham Hotspur...22 / 21 [13 /12 ]
1962/63 Tottenham Hotspur...41 / 37 [ 4 / 3 ]
1963/64 Tottenham Hotspur...41 / 35 [ 3 / 0 ]
1964/65 Tottenham Hotspur...41 / 29 [ 4 / 2]
1965/66 Tottenham Hotspur...29 / 15 [ 2 / 1 ]
1966/67 Tottenham Hotspur...38 / 25 [ 4 / 2 ]
1967/68 Tottenham Hotspur...39 / 23 [11 / 4 ]
1968/69 Tottenham Hotspur...42 / 27 [ 1 / 0 ]
1969/70 Tottenham Hotspur...29 / 08
1969/70 West Ham United........06 / 04
1970/71 West Ham United........32 / 09
1975/76 Chelmsford City..........regional
1976/77 Barnet FC..................regional

Jimmy Greaves is the most prolific striker the modern British game has witnessed. His record with Chelsea, Milan, Spurs and England tells the tale of an inspired goal scorer who had every attribute a top forward could hope for. Greaves was a player blessed with quick feet and even quicker wit, he had an instinctive nose for goal but was also able to link play exceptionally, he could glide through defences without them even realising.

Greaves began his career at Chelsea and made a sensational impact in their youth team, scoring an amazing 114 goals in a single season there. When it came to making his full debut, Greaves started a habit which he would never break, he scored his side’s equaliser against Spurs. A month later he would go on to score on his debut for England U23s against Bulgaria. In August 1958 Greaves blasted 5 goals past Wolves, who were the reigning league champions, an incredible feat for any player, but for one who was still just 18 it was truly remarkable. In May 1959 Greaves scored yet again on his full England debut, the only goal for England in a 4-1 against Peru in Lima. In 1960-1 Greaves was in sensational form, even by his own lofty standards, and he hit an amazing 41 goals in just 40 league games. It was clear that he was a man destined for great things.

At the end of the 1960-1 season Greaves made his move to Italian giants Milan in a deal worth £80,000. Yet again he scored on debut, this time against Botofogo. Indeed Greaves was a great success on the pitch, scoring 9 times in just 10 league games, but off it he was unhappy. The regimented nature of Italian football did not sit comfortably with Greaves nature, and so having played less than half a season Greaves decided to return to England with double winners Spurs, the club that Greaves had supported as a boy. Spurs agreed a fee of £99,999 with Milan as Bill Nicholson, the Spurs manager did not want to burden Greaves with the mantle of “Britain’s first £100,000 player”. The addition of Greaves to what was already arguably the finest side in Europe, the finest side England has ever seen, was a frightening prospect. Indeed Greaves made an immediate impact in the league, scoring 21 times in 22 games, hitting 30 league goals in a season for the third time in 4 seasons. Sadly in the European Cup Greaves was not permitted to play until the semi-final stage against Benfica, Spurs already having made short work of Feyenoord and Dukla Prague.

The games against Benfica, the defending European champions have gone down in Spurs history as a travesty of justice. In Lisbon Spurs were soon on the back foot and conceded 2 early goals to Aguas and Augusto. Bobby Smith managed to pull one back for Spurs but Augusto hit back and left Spurs two down. Spurs were incensed by the conduct of the referee who had denied them two goals for offside one from Greaves and one from Smith, despite all independent observers agreeing that both were clearly onside. The return leg at White Hart Lane did not get off to the start Spurs had hoped for as Aguas extended Benfica’s lead after 15 minutes. Greaves then unbelievably had yet another goal disallowed for offside, before Bobby Smith finally put Spurs on the score sheet. Just after half time Spurs were awarded a penalty and Blanchflower, one of the games coolest ever penalty takers, slotted the ball away to leave Spurs needing just one more goal to level the tie. Spurs pressed and pressed hitting both posts, before with just seconds remaining Dave Mackay leapt and headed powerfully against the bar. It was not to be Spurs night or tie, having hit the woodwork three times and had three goals disallowed they crashed out of Europe. Spurs opinion of themselves as the best side in Europe was reaffirmed when Benfica duly beat Real Madrid in the final to retain the cup.

Spurs did at least beat Burnley to retain the FA Cup, Greaves scoring Spurs’ first goal, but it was little consolation for their European loss. Failure to beat Ipswich at White Hart Lane had cost them dear in the league as well, so the FA Cup proved the only trophy of the 1961-2 season.

In the 1962-3 season, Greaves first full year at Spurs, he set about proving quite why he had cost them such a huge fee. To that end he scored an incredible 37 goals in 41 league games, breaking Bobby Smith’s Spurs record in the process. Greaves’ and Spurs’ finest moment came as they demolished Athletico Madrid 5-1 to lift the European Cup Winners Cup, the first British club to win a European trophy. Greaves scored twice in the game and it capped a fine season for player and club. Spurs hopes of regaining the title were badly hampered by an injury to captain Danny Blanchflower which kept him out of half the season.

Spurs’ position as the foremost club in English football was effectively demolished the next season when they lost their incredible midfield of Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay and John White. Blanchflower was finally forced to retire due to injury, Mackay broke his leg and was out of action for some time, but the most tragic loss was that of White, whose nickname of the “Ghost” became sadly fitting as he was killed by lightening while sheltering under a tree at a golf course.

With the loss of that trio some might have expected Greaves’ goalscoring genius to evaporate, yet that next season he still managed to score a phenomenal 35 goals in the league. He also reachecd200 league goals aged 23 years and 290 days, the exact same age as Dixie Dean when he reached that land mark figure.

The 1965-6 season largely had one focus for Greaves, and for many other England players, the World Cup. Greaves stood as one of England’s genuinely world class players. Greaves preparations were badly hit though by jaundice which ruled him out of a large part of the season. For the first time in his career Greaves failed to hit 20 league goals in a season, yet he appeared to be back to something close to his best when he bagged an amazing 4 goals against Norway in a game before the World Cup. Greaves played England’s opening group games but sustained an injury in the third against Uruguay at Wembley and he failed to regain his place for the final. Missing England’s finest hour was a crushing blow for Greaves and he never really forgave Ramsey for his omission. Geoff Hurst, one of Greaves’ replacements that day, scored a hat-trick against W Germany, Greaves might just have hit more. If anyone was capable it was Greaves.

The 1966-7 season was another remarkable for Spurs and Greaves as he was back to his best, and he was yet again Spurs’ top goalscorer. Spurs finished 3rd behind Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, as well as beating London rivals Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final. On the international scene though Greaves faced further disappointment. He was part of the England side famously beaten 3-2 at Wembley by Scotland, and he played his last game in an England shirt in May against Austria in Vienna. His record of 44 goals in 57 games made him England’s all-time record goal scorer at the time.
In 1968-9 Greaves passed a personal land mark as he netted his 200th league goal for Spurs, remarkable given that he had only joined the club 7 years earlier. He also scored his first hat-trick in 4 years against Burnley as Spurs thrashed them 7-0.

In March 1970 Greaves moved from Spurs to West Ham as a makeweight in Martin Peter’s £200K record deal. Greaves had been absolutely outstanding in his service to the club and was by that time already revered as a Spurs legend. Typically Greaves scored yet again on his West Ham debut, this time bagging two against Manchester City. At the end of the 1970/1 season Greaves retired from football at West Ham after a glittering career.

[comme]

Right that's the profile I owed for Greaves. So now I am back in the black!! Unless anyone really needs a profile for Henry?

[impalemeplz]

Your team sucks.

My pleasure, nice. :D

obviously;)

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/472/tnb4gb.png

[nicephoras]

Right that's the profile I owed for Greaves. So now I am back in the black!! Unless anyone really needs a profile for Henry?

Forcing you to write one would be most of the fun. :p

[Leto]

Right that's the profile I owed for Greaves. So now I am back in the black!! Unless anyone really needs a profile for Henry?

Henry who? Sounds like another of your old-time Englanders...fire a profile up whenever you get a chance. I bet he played for Royal Arsenal.

[Kaushik]

I sent a PM each to Arthur D and Leto including my ranking of the all-time draft teams.

[arthur d]

I sent a PM each to Arthur D and Leto including my ranking of the all-time draft teams.

I didn't get that, can you resend it please.

[Leto]

I've forwarded it on.

[arthur d]

I've forwarded it on.

Ta. I got it.

[Gregoriak]

Once you're ready with the ranking, you can reveal the three bottom-ranked teams in this thread. (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=341738)