Small Footballers (6 Viewers)

[bringbackrattles]

Has anybody else ever noticed that some of the best ever players are/have been short in height ? Take Messi for example, he's only about 5'7" tall.Maradona was about the same height, but both are without doubt two of the greatest ever. Kevin Keegan wasn't tall in fact Jimmy Hill turned him down due to him being too short. Misfud was tiny but was a decent player for us, and one of my all time favourite Cov City players was Willie Humphries, who was short but was a flying winger. Proving height has very little,pardon the pun, to do with football, only keepers need to be tallish.

 

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[Grendel]

Strachan is an example - even when he was nearly 40 he was better than most players around him

 

[ConnorDevine]

I think that's one of the things that makes football the greatest sport on earth, no chance a 5ft 7 person could be the greatest rugby player or basketball player, but in football in the past 10 years alone we've had 6ft 2 Ibrahimovic, 6ft Ronaldo, 5ft 7 Messi etc all light up the game

 

[bringbackrattles]

I think that's one of the things that makes football the greatest sport on earth, no chance a 5ft 7 person could be the greatest rugby player or basketball player, but in football in the past 10 years alone we've had 6ft 2 Ibrahimovic, 6ft Ronaldo, 5ft 7 Messi etc all light up the game

Only thing wrong there is that in rugby there has been great small players. Scrum halfs are small in height, and many wingers too. But yes in basketball height is an advantage.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Shaqiri has just scored the winner for the Swiss, and he's short. Great little player.

 

[cov4theprem]

Dennis wise is a little man

 

[bringbackrattles]

City legend George Hudson was only 5'8" tall, but he scored goals galore for us, and was tough too.

 

[Sky Blue Harry H]

City legend George Hudson was only 5'8" tall, but he scored goals galore for us, and was tough too.

Thee thing is - I bet over the last 50 years the average bloke over here is at least a couple of inches taller now -diet, health etc, so George probably wasn't considered 'short' at the time.

 

[speedie87]

Micky Gynn

 

[bringbackrattles]

Thee thing is - I bet over the last 50 years the average bloke over here is at least a couple of inches taller now -diet, health etc, so George probably wasn't considered 'short' at the time.

Fair point Harry. But I saw taller defenders struggle against the HUD and the same with Speedie too.

 

[ajsccfc]

Pele and Eusebio were both around 5'8"/9" too, Puskas shorter. I suspect that Ronaldo is probably the greatest ever player 6' and taller, Peter Crouch second

 

[Johnnythespider]

I think shorter players generally seem to have better balance, making them more adept at twisting and turning their way past opponents. Anyway my addition to the thread, McNulty.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Pele and Eusebio were both around 5'8"/9" too, Puskas shorter. I suspect that Ronaldo is probably the greatest ever player 6' and taller, Peter Crouch second

I wrote an article once on the Magyars especially Puskas. He was short and stocky and didn't look like an athletic player. The press labelled him fat and England players ridiculed him, but what a footballer he was.

 

[bringbackrattles]

By the way Puskas was only 5'7" tall.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Paul Scholes only 5'6" tall. Didn't think he was that short !

 

[tommydazzle]

Michael Owen who often out jumped defences to score a lot of headed goals.

Willie Carr - pocket sized

 

[speedie87]

Can anyone name a good short centre half though?

 

[ajsccfc]

Fabio Cannavaro, anywhere between 5'7" and 5'10" depending on the source

 

[bringbackrattles]

Can anyone name a good short centre half though?

Maurice Setters ?

 

[bringbackrattles]

Can anyone name a good short centre half though?

Googled Setters. He was six foot and a wing half. Thought he was a centre half !

 

[bringbackrattles]

Waiting for Otis to say how about Craig Short !

 

[fernandopartridge]

Franco Baresi was relatively short, 5'9

 

[jimmyhillsfanclub]

Gary Mabbutt wasn't a tall fella either was he?

EDIT: Wiki reckons 5'10" but I always remember him as noticeably short for a CB

 

[lifeskyblue]

Googled Setters. He was six foot and a wing half. Thought he was a centre half !

My thought exactly. I’m convinced he played centre half for us and was under 6 foot. Memory must be playing tricks.


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[westcountry_skyblue]

Franco Baresi was relatively short, 5'9

That Milan defence in the late 80's early 90's probably the best I've seen!

 

[Captain Dart]

Pele and Eusebio were both around 5'8"/9" too, Puskas shorter. I suspect that Ronaldo is probably the greatest ever player 6' and taller, Peter Crouch second

Peter Crouch is never the second greatest player ever. :happy:

 

[Gazolba]

City legend George Hudson was only 5'8" tall, but he scored goals galore for us, and was tough too.

Hudson was 5'10".

Archie Gemmil and Billie Bremner (both 5'5") were two of my favourite short players.
Willie Carr was 5'7" and wasn't bad.
All Scots, coincidence?

 

[bringbackrattles]

Hudson was 5'10".

Archie Gemmil and Billie Bremner (both 5'5") were two of my favourite short players.
Willie Carr was 5'7" and wasn't bad.
All Scots, coincidence?

I read a book on Hudson a few years back and I was surprised at how small he was in stature,as I thought he was much bigger. It said he was 5'8" and about 11 stone. But I was only a kid when I watched him play, so they all looked big then.

 

[Gazolba]

I read a book on Hudson a few years back and I was surprised at how small he was in stature,as I thought he was much bigger. It said he was 5'8" and about 11 stone. But I was only a kid when I watched him play, so they all looked big then.

Here's a photo of the great 63/4 team. Hudson is second from the right. See how tall he is compared to the players around him? He towers over Bruck and Machin behind him.
By the way, I love those socks. I wish they would bring them back.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Here's a photo of the great 63/4 team. Hudson is second from the right. See how tall he is compared to the players around him? He towers over Bruck and Machin behind him.
By the way, I love those socks. I wish they would bring them back.
View attachment 10092

Reckon you're right then. I've written an article for Late Tackle on small players, I had to do some research though. It can be irritating at times when I look at a book on a certain player/team and it says this and that, then I look at another book or go online, and it says something different. Yes that's my favourite City strip of all time,and as a kid wore it playing over the fields, none of that Man Utd or Chelsea kits back then !

 

[Gazolba]

I think the tallest player in that 63/4 team was George Kirby, he is listed at 6', he's 8th from the right with his head tilted forward.
Anyone know who the short red-haired player was third from the left? Is that Ken Hale? I thought he was taller.

 

[bringbackrattles]

I think the tallest player in that 63/4 team was George Kirby, he is listed at 6', he's 8th from the right with his head tilted forward.
Anyone know who the short red-haired player was third from the left? Is that Ken Hale? I thought he was taller.

Ken Hale. He was a good little un !

 

[bringbackrattles]

I think the tallest player in that 63/4 team was George Kirby, he is listed at 6', he's 8th from the right with his head tilted forward.
Anyone know who the short red-haired player was third from the left? Is that Ken Hale? I thought he was taller.

Name the other keeper next to Bob Wesson ?

 

[Gazolba]

Dave Meeson.

 

[bringbackrattles]

Dave Meeson.

Spot on. Bonus point if you name the player standing in front of him ?