Football Focus Cult Heroes

[timo]

Has anyone seen the football focus thing where they search for the cult heroes from different clubs? Who would it be for Ricay?

 

How about Doug Young? He has to be up there for scoring the hat-trick at Wembly alone.

 

More recent could be Joe Baker, Sainty, Gutzmore or maybe Colin Simpson - for his goal celebrations and the infamous dash for the gents after 75 minutes. Wats everyone think?

[Simon BTFC]

Always seems a little weird to me that a lot of our favourite players weren't with the club very long - certainly true over the past 10-15 years - I would add Steve Jones and Billy Goldstone as 2 more lads who weren't here all that long but made a big impression.

 

My choice from the years I've been watching would be Mooro - over 300 games for us, approx 800 hoofs into the car park, a former captain - what more could you ask!

[timo]

How could i leave out Steve Jones!! Mooro is truely a legend... but can he be forgiven for leaving us for the scummers?!! Oh well i guess he did come back in the end.

 

As for Billy Goldstone I though he was only a hero in my eyes but clearly his no nonsense style of defence makes him a true ricay legend.

[extaffyjim]

Billy G a definate candidate for me. He was always entertaining on the pitch, and could hit a quality free kick. 2 i remember, 1 cracker just over the bar against Wisbech, and another game which i cant remember: got a free kick on the left side of goal. those of us standing behind where billy was taking it from yelling for him to curl it in the top corner, and thats exactly what he did. us going mental. brilliant goal.

also seem to remember chants of 'billy give us a wave' being greeted with a moon

[GazzaBTFC]

The nature of a cult hero would be someone whose light shone bright but for short time. Mooro was a hero but his long standing service to club would deny him the "cult" status in my eyes...

 

In my mind, Billy G is a contender, as would be St. Hilaire.

[Reading Ricay]

 

Paul Battram was always a 110% man who gave was never the same player after injury.

Who could forget Tolo Mas's marauding runs down the right wing from full back, usually running into a man or off the pitch (run tolo run!-lame forest gump reference)

Perhaps the 'divine ponytail' of Gary Howard, cracking player for us before moving on to Dagenham and getting sent off on Match of the Day in the FA cup - 5 minutes of fame.

The master of the sideways pass, Alan Dickens? Never looked interested but was class on his day

but I too have to go for Billy Goldstone and his taking free kicks from behind his halfway line amidst howls of shoooooooooot! Abseloute legend whose waistline was rivalled by only by another contender for 'cult' hero, Andy Theodosiou

[Reading Ricay]

Oh yes, what about Jeff Brazier who, correct me if Im wrong, but if my memory serves me correctly came on loan from Orient when he was but a lad. He made a few abseloutley storming performances for us, looking a class act. What ever happened to him? Well, first he went and played for Canvey for a bit, but that wasn't enough for him...oh no - he went and had kids with Jade bloody Goody from Big Brother and now considers himself a minor celebrity and was on channel 5's excuse for reality Tv, the farm alongside Rebecca Loos - nice (Stick to the football lad). Not the only ex-ricay player with experience of reality Tv though, seem to remember Andy Douglas being on C4's Shipwrecked and taunting young Ausie girls with shouts of "rack off bouncer" Class.

[Umbrella Man]

7 posts and no mention of the mighty Mark Barry shocking effort gentlemen.

 

Walking along singing a song walking in a Barry wonderland <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

[timo]

What about Dave Root who played a few seasons in goal. Not sure how good he actually was but he will always be remembered for joining the conga round the pitch during the promotion game <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Bill of Shenfield]

What about Danny Westwood, going back a bit to the early 70's. Sold to QPR, great attacking forward with quick feet and good close control.

 

Dave Root I see occasionally playing golf but a good keeper.

 

Other names are Lester Foreman, Steve Bone and John Pullen.

[timo]

I saw Dave Root in a bar a few months back - he still looks back on his days at Ricay with fondness.

 

Does nobody else rate Joe Baker? I know he wasnt the best all-rounder but some of the goals he scored were amazing. I remember him once chipping the goalie from the half way line and wasnt he top scorer despite playing on the wing.

[Ryan.c]

Surely thier is a difference between a 'Cult Hero' and a 'Legend'. Paul Battram would be a 'Legend'. Marky Barry would be a 'Cult Hero' but never a legend. To be a legend you need that something extra that other players don't have (Joe Baker). To be a cult hero, you need to be a head case! (Tolo Mas!)