Greatest Linfield Players of All Time
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BELFAST TELEGRAPH TUESDAY APRIL 19 2011 TUESDAY APRIL 19 2011 BELFAST TELEGRAPH 56 SPORT SPORT 57 Toulon As the Blues celebrate 125 years, we mark the milestone Ulster suspend by starting a countdown of their finest-ever footballers ‘fighter’ Henson DESSIE GORMAN BILLY MCCLEERY top the 25251992-1997 23231927-1935 GAVIN Henson has been sus- pended for a week by his club DESSIE Gorman broke the ASK any Linfield old-timer Toulon, apparently for fighting mould at Linfield. the club’s greatest half- with at least one team-mate When Trevor Anderson back line and they’ll recite after a club game at the week- signed the forward from the names of Billy Mc- end. Shelbourne in the winter Cleery, Jack Jones and Some close observers of rugby of 1992, Gorman (main Tommy Sloan — the middle league affairs on the Mediterranean be- picture) became the first of the Ireland team which lieve he is about to be sacked. high profile Roman beat Wales 7-0 in 1930, Joe Henson (below) started the Catholic in decades to Bambrick scoring six. game on Saturday and immedi- join the Blues. Multi-talented Mc- ately after the final whistle he It was a stunning transfer Cleery, developed his could be heard extolling the 25 in many ways because Anderson football at Cliftonville virtues of rugby life in Toulon. 25 had never seen Gorman play. and Queen’s Island, winning an Irish Cup medal greatest While most of Mourad Boud- No-one need have worried as Gor- with them, the first of six, the others coming, of of big jellal's 'trophy' signings — Jonny man became an instant hit with course, at Linfield. Wilkinson and Joe van Niekerk, the Linfield faithful, who nick- Retiring in 1935, he became boss of Linfield to name but two; George Smith Linfield named him “the Dundalk in 1939, but the Second World War prevented and Juan Fernandez Lobbe to Hawk”. him continuing for long. Instead he focused in name a couple With his all later years on cricket, playing in 14 Irish Senior more — have action Cup finals with Woodvale between 1929-52. proved sound He represented the Irish League seven times, payouts invest- players won 10 senior IFA caps and his proudest moment ments, few was managing the Irish League side which de- considered style and ability to feated the English League 5-2 at Windsor in 1956. the recruit- score crucial goals, Gorman became SPORTS administrators rarely set BY RUAIDHRI O’CONNOR ment of Hen- of all time the terrace darling of Windsor Park, helping the the heart a flutter with their pub- son to be Blues to back-to-back titles. RUGBY lic utterings, but New Zealand anything other His first touch in a Linfield shirt gave an indication of JOHN PARKE rugby chief Steve Tew last night White Cloud as he looks to build than risky. LINFIELD are celebrating their 125th anniver- the excitement to come — it was an overhead kick to broke with the norm with his crit- on his squad's improvement this All the same, the fact that he sary this year. To mark the occasion, the Belfast keep a ball in play. He was different to any player the 2222 1954-1963 icism of the IRFU and Ulster season that saw them reach the was picked for a game as impor- Telegraph decided it would be a worthwhile and Blues had at the time and in many ways changed the way Rugby that exposed the extent of Heineken Cup quarter-finals for tant last weekend's suggested thought provoking exercise to attempt to name the the played. JOHN Parke was a the level of ambition at Ravenhill. the first time in 12 years. things were going swimmingly. 25 greatest Linfield players of all time. Dessie's success paved the way for other Catholics to brilliant full-back The World Cup may be some- It means Ulster can be counted “I must be doing something Given how many top class footballers Linfield join Linfield. He wasn't just popular on the pitch — he who joined Linfield thing the rugby-mad nation are as perhaps the biggest spenders in right if I'm starting for a team have had over the past 125 years, it was not an easy was a star off it dealing with a potentially tricky situa- from Cliftonville in looking forward to, but the post- Irish rugby and while they are like this,” he said. task. tion during troubled times with his easy going and hu- 1954, moving to tournament exodus is vexing the stopping well short of the report- “That was by a long way the A judging panel was required — people with ex- morous nature. Scotland with Hibs minds of those running the game ed £1.1m that Toulon are dan- biggest club match I've ever perience, knowledge, insight and a great passion A hugely influential figure in Linfield's modern his- in 1963. in the sport’s spiritual home. gling in front of Sonny Bill played in.” for the game — to come up with the top 25. tory — he has had a trophy named after him, the He made only 23 Already the big French clubs Williams, the £350,000 a season In the black: John Afoa has landed a great contract with Ulster, but it hasn’t pleased the NZFU Respected Linfield chairman Jim Kerr, the Irish Dessie Gorman Cup, which the Linfield and Dundalk appearances for have been snapping up All Blacks that John Afoa and Jared Payne League’s and Linfield’s most successful manager youth teams contest. Hibs before Sunder- like they are going out of fashion are believed to be receiving rep- the Irish are out-pricing us.” ney and Sexton are believed to recruits, but will come in well Roy Coyle, lifelong Blueman Jonathan Lamont, leg- land spotted him and although Tew claims the IRFU resents a huge Ulster investment. IRFU chief Philip Browne in- have turned down offers in the re- above what top Irish stars Stephen endary football writer Malcolm Brodie all agreed and within a short were complaining about the Top It all means that “The disappointing thing is that sisted the union would not break gion of £438,000 from Top 14 Ferris — a Lion — and Rory Best, to debate and determine the list with Belfast Tele- period had obtained his signature. He became a 14 pricing them out of the market, if the numbers we are led to be- their own wage structure to keep clubs to stay on less money. who has captained his country, are graph Sports Editor Steven Beacom chairing the Roker Park favourite, playing in 85 matches over it seems they are getting in on Ulster can be lieve that have been put on the out of contract players at home The top Irish internationals earning as part their centralised panel. four years. the act themselves with Ulster counted as the table by Ulster, and therefore the and Ireland and Leinster stars who stayed are, at best, on a par contracts with the union. It was difficult limiting the all-time greats list 2424 Then he opted to enter European football, leading the way. Irish Rugby Union, are accurate, like Rob Kearney, Jonny Sexton, with Ulster's new signings, al- The New Zealand duo are hard- to just 25, so to put them in order was extremely spending three seasons with the Belgian club KV Already paying top dollar for biggest spenders it is a shame,” said Tew. Sean O'Brien and Jamie Heaslip though domestic players can avail ly household names, but they will tough. DAVY WALSH Mechelen before retiring and returning to live in Springboks Johann Muller, Pedrie “The Irish are certainly one resisted the lure of big money of generous tax breaks. automatically go into the top Finally, after much discussion and scratching of 1943-1946 Northern Ireland where he had a spell in manage- Wannenburg and Ruan Pienaar, in Irish rugby union we have talked to previ- moves to France earlier this year. Afoa and Payne's reported bracket of earners in Irish rugby heads, we got there. ment. He was capped by Northern Ireland 14 times Brian McLaughlin's eye has turned ously about the way the French Although the union do not dis- salaries will put them at least on when they meet up with their The panel were asked to consider the ability of WATERFORD- — the first in a 2-1 win over Scotland in 1963 — an towards the Land of the Long system corrupts the market. Now close details of their wages, Kear- a par with the top South African new team-mates next season. the players, their contribution to the club, their re- born Davy Walsh, immaculate performance in keeping with how he lationship with the fans, star quality and honours now 88, was a played for the Blues. collected at Windsor Park. dual internation- Starting today and continuing all week we re- al — he played veal the 25 men voted as Linfield’s greatest ever for the Irish FA Bradley philosophical as problems pile up for Antrim players. The number one will be named in Satur- and FAI interna- PHIL SCOTT day’s newspaper. tional sides — 1958-1962/1963-1973 and made a deci- 2121 WITH less than a month to go be- In addition, dynamic wing- problems, Antrim manager Liam onship. If referees don’t start to let The Red Hands were denied sive impact with fore the start of the Ulster senior GAA back Tony Scullion is still recov- Bradley remains philosophical.