RIP Norman Hunter (1 Viewer)

skyblueeyesrevisited

Well-Known Member
Leeds hard man has sadly died from Covid-19. He was a fierce competitor who took no prisoners.
 

Magwitch

Well-Known Member
Great player in a great team, Leeds were a superb team in those days and should have won a lot more trophies than they did.
 

Winny the Bish

Well-Known Member
28 international caps when his career overlapped with Messrs Moore and Charlton shows he was more than just a hard man.
 

fatso

Well-Known Member
Leeds hard man has sadly died from Covid-19. He was a fierce competitor who took no prisoners.
I hate to be a pedantic fucker, but reports say he died after being tested positive for covid19
NOT that he died OF covid19 (there's a huge difference)
Any way RIP Norman, he was a true legend of the game. My dad often recalls him when we reminisce of times when footballers were real men, and not little nancy boys.
 

6 Generations

Well-Known Member
Norman Hunter took no prisoners. One if the hardest centre backs I’ve ever seen. Part of the great great Leeds team.

if you got past him it could arguably considered as a ‘Norman conquest’


A sad loss to football.

R.I.P.
 

Paxman II

Well-Known Member
What a Leeds team that was and sadly he will not get to see his team rise back to where they belong in the premier league. RIP.
 

Legia Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
During this lockdown I've started watching a lot of old football clips on youtube. From 1970 onwards there are all the goals from each season captured by ITV. Each season is covered in about 90 minutes, and I've just got to the end of 1973/74 season. It includes the Star Soccer Midlands games commentated on by Hugh Johns, with only a few clips featuring Cov unfortunately. Anyhow in watching this one of the things stood out to me was that Norman Hunter was excellent at bringing the ball out from the back, I had always presumed he was just a no nonsense centre back, which he obviously was, but he could certainly play a bit too.
 

SkyBlueSid

Well-Known Member
I saw Hunter play many times against City. Unlike others, I have little regard for his ability and believe he would never have got near the professional game in modern times. People didn't get past him because he was happy to kick their legs from under them rather than get the ball fairly. He was also completely one-footed. In that era referees would usually not get the book out until at least the third cynical foul and to be sent off you would need to commit GBH. The item on the lunchtime news was mainly shots of him hacking people down.

Hunter was not 'hard', he was downright dirty, basically a cheat. His only real rival as a thug was probably Ron 'Chopper' Harris. Sad to see his passing, as with anyone. But let's not pretend he was one of the greats.
 

Sky_Blue_Dreamer

Well-Known Member
I saw Hunter play many times against City. Unlike others, I have little regard for his ability and believe he would never have got near the professional game in modern times. People didn't get past him because he was happy to kick their legs from under them rather than get the ball fairly. He was also completely one-footed. In that era referees would usually not get the book out until at least the third cynical foul and to be sent off you would need to commit GBH. The item on the lunchtime news was mainly shots of him hacking people down.

Hunter was not 'hard', he was downright dirty, basically a cheat. His only real rival as a thug was probably Ron 'Chopper' Harris. Sad to see his passing, as with anyone. But let's not pretend he was one of the greats.

Agree. He was of his era when he could do that. Couldn't do it now. Whether he would've approached the game differently in the current era and been able to adapt no-one knows.
 

SAJ

Well-Known Member
I saw Hunter play many times against City. Unlike others, I have little regard for his ability and believe he would never have got near the professional game in modern times. People didn't get past him because he was happy to kick their legs from under them rather than get the ball fairly. He was also completely one-footed. In that era referees would usually not get the book out until at least the third cynical foul and to be sent off you would need to commit GBH. The item on the lunchtime news was mainly shots of him hacking people down.

Hunter was not 'hard', he was downright dirty, basically a cheat. His only real rival as a thug was probably Ron 'Chopper' Harris. Sad to see his passing, as with anyone. But let's not pretend he was one of the greats.
Have to agree with a lot of this. Thought he was a good left centre half had a reasonable left foot. But like a lot of the Leeds players in those days they were all dirty bastards even the likes of Giles who was also extremely skilled and a pleasure watch.
Suppose though to be fair you could get away with that in those days and he was good at that, one of the best.
 

the rumpo kid

Well-Known Member
"bites yer legs" actually.

Ya is slang for 'you'.
To pick up on a point like that makes me wish Norman could come and bite you, what an insulte that the only thing you can add too a thread about a gentleman and world class footballer is to pick a hole in his legend , fuck off back under your bridge knob !.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Have to agree with a lot of this. Thought he was a good left centre half had a reasonable left foot. But like a lot of the Leeds players in those days they were all dirty bastards even the likes of Giles who was also extremely skilled and a pleasure watch.
Suppose though to be fair you could get away with that in those days and he was good at that, one of the best.

You could maybe argue that players like that help to highlight the quality of the great skilful players from that time, riding past scythes on a quagmire
 

Earlsdon_Skyblue1

Well-Known Member
I never watched him play as I'm too young, but as a rough centre back myself I always quite liked hearing about him.

We played Leeds at the Ricoh about 10 years ago and he was the guest speaker in the lounge. It was the only time I've ever been corporate and to have had the privilege to listen to him was brilliant.

Seem to remember it being 1-1 and Andy Whing gave away a penalty. It was a really dodgy one and we were pretty robbed that day.
 

Speedies_Chips

Well-Known Member
To pick up on a point like that makes me wish Norman could come and bite you, what an insulte that the only thing you can add too a thread about a gentleman and world class footballer is to pick a hole in his legend , fuck off back under your bridge knob !.

World class footballer ? Good one.
May he Rest In Peace but he was never world class.
 

Speedies_Chips

Well-Known Member
Got a world cup winners medal , good enough for me !
Being a non-playing squad member doesn't qualify him in my book. There are players who have participated (and won) World Cup finals that arent necessarily world class, but just the right fit for the team.
I think Norman Hunter was a very good player, and was in the Leeds mould which made them successful, but I still wouldn't call him world class.

But that's what is great about football. We all have different opinions and see different things in different players.
 

Magwitch

Well-Known Member
In my opinion Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Paul Gascogne, Alan Shearer and Garry Lineker just.
When we start talking world class and think of Pele, Maradona and Lionel Messi they are on another level
 

Magwitch

Well-Known Member
I had forgot Jimmy Greaves, my favourite striker, top player but Lineker scored plenty in Spain in Germany and in his two separate spells in England aswell as 48 international goals Greavsie not quiet as successful when in Italy.
 

oscillatewildly

Well-Known Member
You may have a point actually - I'd also included Charlton and Moore and Shearer at a push. But not Lineker. For all his robust tackling, no place either for Stuart Pearce.
Struggling a bit - even allowing for your extra years on me (with all due and sincere respect) Scrub the Beduff comment :stop:
 

Magwitch

Well-Known Member
The best three players I’ve witnessed from our league were all at their best in the 1960s Charlton, Moore and George Best then can add two other 60s greats Pele and Franz Beckenbaur all war babies !!
 

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