ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Midget Gems

I've been reflecting on some of the fan's concerns for the size of some of our current squad. I was actually reading an epitaph of Brian Harris (A Midget Gem Himself) and began to think that all of our successful teams during my time as a fan (1958 onwards) have contained "Midget Gems". I'll start a list please feel free to add any I havent mentioned.

Alex Young - the finest header of a ball for his size.
Roy Vernon - The Welsh Wizard - one of the few players I've ever seen who from Kick off could dance around the opposition and put the ball in the net.
Alan Ball - dont need to say anything = LEGEND.
Colin Harvey - another great ball player.
Dave Thomas - tricky little winger who provided a lot of Joe Royle's goals.
Duncan McKenzie - You had to foul him to get the ball off him (even our own players aswell).
Andy King - the bain of the RS.
Paul Bracewell - one of the best box to box players.
Adrian Heath - Inchy - Sharpy's inspirational sidekick.
Tony Cottee - fine goalscorer.
Anders Limpar - one of the most Skillfull wingers ever
Graham Stuart - A true pro.

Jay Harris, Liverpool Posted 23/02/2008 at 10:44:50

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Comments

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Kieran Kinsella
1 Posted 23/02/2008 at 15:50:58

Pienaar is a midget and he is brilliant. I always thought Mark Ward was pretty good for a dwarf until he turned to crime.
I would think Cahill would be classed as a midget and Beardsley for that matter. In fact most of our players have been midgets so it might be easier to do a list of people who weren’t.

Stan Mullin
2 Posted 23/02/2008 at 15:53:10

Dave Thomas provided the goals for Bob Latchford, Joe had gone to City in 74 and we signed ’diddy’ Dave in 77.

Teddy Draper
3 Posted 23/02/2008 at 16:03:54

Jay, maybe just a bit before that, the man who possibly started our modern day revival, a true midget gem, the incomparable, the one and only, (5 foot 5) BOBBY COLLINS, what a player!!!!

Jay Harris
4 Posted 23/02/2008 at 16:57:34

Stan
thanks for correcting me.
"Old timer?s" setting in.
Teddy you?re spot on Bobby Collins was probably the FIRST "modern midfielder".
A real pocket dynamo.

Jay Campbell
5 Posted 23/02/2008 at 17:56:44

Jay, well said, lad; all boss players the lot of them.

Bobby Collins started the club?s ascent in the 60s ? worra fucking player he was!

Keith Glazzard
6 Posted 23/02/2008 at 19:07:00

I’m with Kieran on this. This isn’t basketball we’re talking about. OK, so not too many 5 foot 5 centre halfs and goalkeepers come to mind, but Ball Kendall and Harvey were hardly man-mountain types.

I’d take the fitness, mobility and skills of our current players over sheer size any day.

Anthony Newell
7 Posted 23/02/2008 at 21:15:59

Can’t remember Kanchelskis being that much of a bean pole either to be honest

Steve Ryan
8 Posted 23/02/2008 at 21:53:54

Where is my hero Tricky Trev?

Jay Harris
9 Posted 23/02/2008 at 22:25:51

Good point steve but I left him out for political correctness as a lot of fans blamed him for the start of the exodus of the 80s team.

Frank Downey
10 Posted 24/02/2008 at 07:07:38

Jay, have to agree with you that Brian Harris was a gem ( and a gentleman ), but
surely not a midget. It,s over 40 years since I last saw Brian on the field, but I
always regarded him as being of a similar
height and build to his oppo Jimmy Gabriel.
They both went up for corner-kicks, as apart from Alex Young, we were short of
players who could pose an aerial challenge in those days.

Laurie Hartley
11 Posted 24/02/2008 at 08:46:32

What about Johnny Morrisey. About 5’7’’ (square) - legs like tree trunks. Great left winger, great first touch, could beat a man, cross a ball (ask Joe Royle), and look after himself and his team mates(ask Tommy Smith). Ard as nails. Came over from the dark side for 10,000 quid.