[Osborne again]

Alan Hansen, very ill in hospital. Here's hoping he pulls through. A great centre back and I used to love to listen to him on MOTD.

[Mr Mercury]

Osborne again, on 09 June 2024 - 04:23 PM, said:

Alan Hansen, very ill in hospital. Here's hoping he pulls through. A great centre back and I used to love to listen to him on MOTD.

Much better than some of the dross we have to listen to today. Hope he pulls through.

[Painted Wagon]

Fantastic defender in that great Liverpool side of the late 70s and 80?s. Fingers crossed for him making a full recovery

[Misnomer]

A Liverpool legend. On my bedroom wall as a kid, with various other Liverpool greats. Wish him well and his family all the best.

[Osborne again]

Hansen and Lawernson were one of the best centre back pairings I've ever seen in many years of watching the sport I love. Keep fighting Alan.

[Zigsuk]

 Osborne again, on 10 June 2024 - 03:34 AM, said:

Hansen and Lawernson were one of the best centre back pairings I've ever seen in many years of watching the sport I love. Keep fighting Alan.

Agree. Probably the best domestic centre back pairing I've ever seen. Hanson should have played far more for Scotland than he did. Don't know why he didn't. Asbsolutely fabulous centre half. Whilst Lawrenson was perhaps the only English / Irish player who was good enough to have played for England rather than opting for Ireland. However I did go off Lawrenson when I believe he spouted some ignorant testicles about us.

[Johnnyspireite7]

 Zigsuk, on 10 June 2024 - 04:56 PM, said:

Agree. Probably the best domestic centre back pairing I've ever seen. Hanson should have played far more for Scotland than he did. Don't know why he didn't. Asbsolutely fabulous centre half. Whilst Lawrenson was perhaps the only English / Irish player who was good enough to have played for England rather than opting for Ireland. However I did go off Lawrenson when I believe he spouted some ignorant testicles about us.

Bruce & Pallister? Adams & Bould?

[Osborne again]

 Zigsuk, on 10 June 2024 - 04:56 PM, said:

Agree. Probably the best domestic centre back pairing I've ever seen. Hanson should have played far more for Scotland than he did. Don't know why he didn't. Asbsolutely fabulous centre half. Whilst Lawrenson was perhaps the only English / Irish player who was good enough to have played for England rather than opting for Ireland. However I did go off Lawrenson when I believe he spouted some ignorant testicles about us.

I'm not sure, but wasn't Hansen struggling throughout his career with his knees. He seemed to be ever present for his club though. I wouldn't think too bad of Lawernson because it seemed like everyone was writing crap about us at one stage but the stories seemed broadly the same. I think it was a case of every paper wanted to pull us apart without knowing the truth, but when have newspapers worried about the truth. Ex footballers usually give their name to a column but it's written by some half baked hack who's sole reason for existing, is to write sensationalism first and foremost. During my time watching Town, there's not much positivity been written about us, especially in the national press.

[Mr Mercury]

 Zigsuk, on 10 June 2024 - 04:56 PM, said:

Agree. Probably the best domestic centre back pairing I've ever seen. Hanson should have played far more for Scotland than he did. Don't know why he didn't. Asbsolutely fabulous centre half. Whilst Lawrenson was perhaps the only English / Irish player who was good enough to have played for England rather than opting for Ireland. However I did go off Lawrenson when I believe he spouted some ignorant testicles about us.

Agree with all that, and yes he basically wanted u relegating when we were being talked about on Football Focus, saying the commission who decided the punishment bottled it.

[dim view]

 Johnnyspireite7, on 10 June 2024 - 05:27 PM, said:

Bruce & Pallister? Adams & Bould?

Mcfarland and Todd

[WarwickshireSpireite]

I was fortunate enough to meet him as a star struck 14 year old kid after he signed for Liverpool from Patrick Thistle.
Me and a mate went to watch Liverpool at Anfield for the first time, catching the train from Town to Sheffield on to Manchester Piccadilly and then to Lime St.
On arrival, we had no idea how to get to the ground so went to get a cab only to be told the games off son, frozen pitch!
We were gutted, but decided to go to Anfield anyway just to take a look.
We walked around the ground and arriving at the Anfield Road end the gates were open and in we walked and sat on a small white wall pitch side gazing at the empty stadium in awe.
A few minutes later a giant of a man appeared and asked ?alright lads?? It was Alan Hansen, he sat on the wall and talked football with us for what seemed like half an hour or more, a true gent and a magnificent player in a team of exceptional players at the time.

I sincerely hope he makes a recovery and wish him and his family all the very best.

[Osborne again]

 dim view, on 10 June 2024 - 05:48 PM, said:

Mcfarland and Todd

McFarland and Todd were excellent together, but I don't think they were better than the Liverpool pair. Hansen would drive out into midfield and beyond sometimes without losing the ball,while Lawernson could catch a striker while giving him a five yard start. There were a few Scottish players I wished could have played for England and amongst those were Hansen, Dalglish,Dennis Law and Willie Johnson. All great players who would have done a job for England.

[60s 70s Spireite]

 Mr Mercury, on 10 June 2024 - 05:36 PM, said:

Agree with all that, and yes he basically wanted u relegating when we were being talked about on Football Focus, saying the commission who decided the punishment bottled it.

His [Lawreson] four years at Brighton might partly explain that opinion.

[Holmesc1]

Im too young to recall alan as a footballer but i loved him as a pundit on match of the day and appreciate him more now considering some of the dross we see now. I forgot until yesterday it was him that said that famous quote; you dont win nothing with kids. After leaving the bbc i dont recall seen alan on tv, wondee if hes been ill for a while, get well soon alan

[calvin plummers socks]

 Holmesc1, on 10 June 2024 - 09:13 PM, said:

Im too young to recall alan as a footballer but i loved him as a pundit on match of the day and appreciate him more now considering some of the dross we see now. I forgot until yesterday it was him that said that famous quote; you dont win nothing with kids. After leaving the bbc i dont recall seen alan on tv, wondee if hes been ill for a while, get well soon alan

You don?t win anything with kids

[DIFH]

 Osborne again, on 10 June 2024 - 07:52 PM, said:

McFarland and Todd were excellent together, but I don't think they were better than the Liverpool pair. Hansen would drive out into midfield and beyond sometimes without losing the ball,while Lawernson could catch a striker while giving him a five yard start. There were a few Scottish players I wished could have played for England and amongst those were Hansen, Dalglish,Dennis Law and Willie Johnson. All great players who would have done a job for England.John Gregg, Billy McNiel, Sandy Jardine .

[Osborne again]

The list is endless, Alan Gilzean, Martin Buchan and Eddie Gray. I have noticed a distinct lack of Scottish goalkeepers, so I'll add one, Jim Brown.

[Cactoise]

Hope he pulls through. Great player.


I took some baby goats to a livestock competition at the local County Show.

Imagine my disappointment when I found out that Alan Hansen was judging it.

[Alice Cooper]

Osborne again, on 11 June 2024 - 04:40 AM, said:

The list is endless, Alan Gilzean, Martin Buchan and Eddie Gray. I have noticed a distinct lack of Scottish goalkeepers, so I'll add one, Jim Brown.

Jim Brown.
A true hero in every sense of the word. What a goalkeeper and what a human being.
As for centre back pairings purely from a town point of view what about John Ridley and Bill Green?
Absolutely loved watching those two together.

[Zigsuk]

Johnnyspireite7, on 10 June 2024 - 05:27 PM, said:

Bruce & Pallister? Adams & Bould?

Good centre halfs of course but nowhere near as classy as Hansen and Lawrenson who were the best footballing centre halfs I've seen. Only Rio Ferdinand and Des Walker since were comparable as footballing defenders. I was about 14 when Todd and Macfarland were at their peak so although I remember them I was a bit too young to judge and even more importantly the majority of their performances weren't televised in those days. Todd was often hailed as the greeatest English defender of his day but I didn't see much of him. Also he fell out with England and like Hansen for Scotland wasn't capped as much as he should have been.
My closest workmate in the late 70's when Liverpool were dominant was a Man U fan and a defender in a local football team. I remember him saying one day what makes that Liverpool team are those two centre halfs.