Career ending injury while with city (1 Viewer)

[phildownunder]

It`s a terrible thing when any player suffers an injury which forces him to quit the game or only play at a lower level afterwards. It`s even worse if he potentially had a great future in the game taken away from him.

Off the top of my head I can think of four city players who suffered injuries of this type ;- David Busst, Lee Hurst, Dean Emerson and Graham Oakey.

I didn`t see Busst or Hurst myself and so I can`t comment on how good they were or could have been. I did see the other two plenty of times though.

I really rated Dean Emerson and believe he could have gone on to make a real name for himself in the game after making the transition from a lower league with Rotherham. He had all the attributes you look for in a midfield player.

As for Graham Oakey I felt the sky was the limit for him in terms of his ability and potential. Like many others I really loved his approach to the game. He gave the impression he was enjoying every minute on the pitch with his enthusiasm and considerable skill. I believe he could have gone on to great things (preferably with city) if he hadn`t suffered that terrible injury at Villa Park at what was still an early stage in his career.

Each of these injuries were a tragedy for the club, but most of all for the players themselves.

How did you rate them?

 

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[Otis]

I rated all of them. Busst, not the most gifted, but a bloke who put his heart and soul into things and made the best of his limited ability.

Lee Hurst I thought had a lot of potential and Emerson and Oakey both looked to me as being very comfortable playing at the top level in the game.

Emerson is my favourite of the four, with Oakey a very close second.

 

[stupot07]

Froggatt - that summerbee tackle


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[stupot07]

And Keith O'Neil, although he was a bit of a sick note we're the last club he played for and he was only 27.


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[westofrayne]

I rated all of them. Busst, not the most gifted, but a bloke who put his heart and soul into things and made the best of his limited ability.

Lee Hurst I thought had a lot of potential and Emerson and Oakey both looked to me as being very comfortable playing at the top level in the game.

Emerson is my favorite of the four, with Oakey a very close second.

Lee H was being hyped up for a England squad call up around the time he hit the 30 yarder v Blackburn away when we won 5-1. Great night for the few hundred that were there , worth the admission fee alone to see Hurst goal. Would love to sign somebody of his ilk this summer.

Busst - I agree, not the most talented but gave his all, was there that day when his leg was shattered, such a shame for him, would loved to see where his career would of gone.

Emerson and Oakey - Both capable of good things in at times a poor city side.


Question - Who was the South American we had on load that injured his leg when taking a free kick toward the West end, Ended his city stay, pity as he was promising???

Stuart Robson - Although injured when he came to use, was such a good player, but he could shake the injuries and had to retire. remember well the goal he scored at West Ham and stood in front of the chicken run milking it, piss the West Ham fans right off - Happy days

 

[rupert_bear]

I know Lee Hurst, Beduff kid, actually lived in Leighs Close and his case was tragic for us, came through the ranks, had major heart surgery as a kid and was destined for good things, until that twatish army training course Gould sent him and the team on, left sided too, i personally think he would have gone onto international caps.

 

[Nick]

I know Lee Hurst, Beduff kid, actually lived in Leighs Close and his case was tragic for us, came through the ranks, had major heart surgery as a kid and was destined for good things, until that twatish army training course Gould sent him and the team on, left sided too, i personally think he would have gone onto international caps.

where abouts is Leighs Close?

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

It`s a terrible thing when any player suffers an injury which forces him to quit the game or only play at a lower level afterwards. It`s even worse if he potentially had a great future in the game taken away from him.

Off the top of my head I can think of four city players who suffered injuries of this type ;- David Busst, Lee Hurst, Dean Emerson and Graham Oakey.

I didn`t see Busst or Hurst myself and so I can`t comment on how good they were or could have been. I did see the other two plenty of times though.

I really rated Dean Emerson and believe he could have gone on to make a real name for himself in the game after making the transition from a lower league with Rotherham. He had all the attributes you look for in a midfield player.

As for Graham Oakey I felt the sky was the limit for him in terms of his ability and potential. Like many others I really loved his approach to the game. He gave the impression he was enjoying every minute on the pitch with his enthusiasm and considerable skill. I believe he could have gone on to great things (preferably with city) if he hadn`t suffered that terrible injury at Villa Park at what was still an early stage in his career.

Each of these injuries were a tragedy for the club, but most of all for the players themselves.

How did you rate them?

Graham Oakey is one of my favourite players. He played in what I think was the best City team ever, the Fergie-Wallace team of the late seventies. Although a fullback he was a great attacking threat and would take on and beat the opposing fullbacks with mazy dribbling skills. I remember a 1-0 win against Birmingham at Highfield Road where Oakey was simply outstanding taking on player after player, running their defence ragged. Great shame for him and for us that he got the injury he did, an injury that today I think would have been sorted.

 

[RegTheDonk]

Don't think they were career ending injuries but recall Lloyd McGrath having a bad one in some evening game which put him out for ages and Bennett wasn't the same player after a collision with Shilton's head.

 

[Terry Gibson's perm]

Froggatt - that summerbee tackle


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still makes me get pissed off now whenever I hear Summertwat on the radio although Froggatt has forgiven him.

 

[Joy Division]

For a young player Lee Hurst looked so comfortable on the ball, hardly ever misplaced a pass and looked like the makings of a proper midfield general. Massive shame with the pre-season injury as I really thought the following season would be his real breakthrough year.

 

[torchomatic]

Will never forgive Megson. I really do think Emerson could have been one of the greats.

 

[Joy Division]

Will never forgive Megson. I really do think Emerson could have been one of the greats.

Was a bit before my time, what happened with that? My first game was in 1990 and I'm sure I remember seeing Emerson play, guess it could have been someone else I'm getting confused with.

 

[Monners]

Was a bit before my time, what happened with that? My first game was in 1990 and I'm sure I remember seeing Emerson play, guess it could have been someone else I'm getting confused with.

Remember it well. It was at HR a week before the FA Cup QF with Wednesday. It snowed all game and the pitch become somewhat treacherous, with the players being cautious with tackling. All apart from Megson, who took his chance to nobble Emerson who had been giving him the runaround, with an over the ball challenge in a 50/50. Disgraceful. I think Emerson did try a comeback, but had to finish at that level due to the aftermath of the injury (knee ligaments I think)

 

[BrisbaneBronco]

Apart from the players already mentioned, I can remember 2 highly rated players who came to us, Bryan King (gk) and Chris Chiltern (cf). Both suffered injuries and careers went downhill.

 

[skybluebeduff]

Emerson was a good player for Cov, was gutted when he went to Middlesborough.

 

[olderskyblue]

Emerson was rubbish... and my opinion has nothing to do with him disallowing a goal of mine when he reffed a dads vs kids match at my sons school....

 

[Malaka]

Didn't Roy Barry's career slow down after breaking his leg?

Woo Hoo! I've made it into the reserves

 

[rightumpty]

Froggatt - that summerbee tackle

Bloody awful tackle. right in front of me and I don't think he was even booked. Should have been sent off and banned for a season


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[torchomatic]

Yes, very snowy that day - nearly crashed car on the way home! Megson was always apparently a "hard man" but really he was just a thug. Emerson did come back but he was never the same.

Remember it well. It was at HR a week before the FA Cup QF with Wednesday. It snowed all game and the pitch become somewhat treacherous, with the players being cautious with tackling. All apart from Megson, who took his chance to nobble Emerson who had been giving him the runaround, with an over the ball challenge in a 50/50. Disgraceful. I think Emerson did try a comeback, but had to finish at that level due to the aftermath of the injury (knee ligaments I think)

 

[Johnnythespider]

I know Lee Hurst, Beduff kid, actually lived in Leighs Close and his case was tragic for us, came through the ranks, had major heart surgery as a kid and was destined for good things, until that twatish army training course Gould sent him and the team on, left sided too, i personally think he would have gone onto international caps.

This for me is the most tragic of all those mentioned, I rated him highly and to have your career ended because you are sent on a ridiculous assault course is shocking, at least the others mentioned were due to " football " injuries. As for ability then Emerson for me was going to be an immense player for us.

 

[torchomatic]

Yeah, I remember that. In Hampshire, wasn't it? He was some player.

I know Lee Hurst, Beduff kid, actually lived in Leighs Close and his case was tragic for us, came through the ranks, had major heart surgery as a kid and was destined for good things, until that twatish army training course Gould sent him and the team on, left sided too, i personally think he would have gone onto international caps.

 

[SkyBlueRuffian]

The Daily Mirror had Dean Emerson in their team of the year 86/87 season, that's how good he was.
Most of the Sheff Wed first team were rested for that game because of the QFinal, shame they never rested Megson the dirty tw*t!

 

[We'll_live_and_die]

where abouts is Leighs Close?

Off mount pleasant road. Round by the newdigate. He grew up 3 houses away from me but he's a few years older than me.

 

[LastGarrison]

Who was at the game when Colin Healy got his leg broke from a tackle from Safri??

It was horrendous and obviously made worse by the fact that he was such a good player for us whilst on loan.

The boy just never recovered from it.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

Who was at the game when Colin Healy got his leg broke from a tackle from Safri??

It was horrendous and obviously made worse by the fact that he was such a good player for us whilst on loan.

The boy just never recovered from it.

Healy was a good player for us as was Safri. I think that was also Garry Mcallisters last game before he left to look after his wife.

 

[LastGarrison]

Healy was a good player for us as was Safri. I think that was also Garry Mcallisters last game before he left to look after his wife.

Was it Macca's last game? Didn't remember that. In fact don't even remember the score!!

What I do remember is that we were playing towards the East Stand and it was just inside their half to the left hand side as we looked from the Terrace and Safri just hit him. Nasty and then all sides of the ground clapped him as he got stretchered off.

 

[Otis]

Yes, very snowy that day - nearly crashed car on the way home! Megson was always apparently a "hard man" but really he was just a thug. Emerson did come back but he was never the same.

Yep, he was nobbled and when he came back he just wasn't the same player at all. Think he was out for many, many months and when he returned he'd lost his sharpness and a yard of pace and was like a different player altogether.

 

[The Philosopher]

Stuart Giddings anyone? I thought he had potential.

 

[The Philosopher]

Don't know if Glandular Fever counts (obviously not buy anyway) I remember Dougie McGuire being continually the best player on the pitch until he got sick. Okay it was often in the reserves but for example I saw him play Liverpool Reserves and totally own Steve Nicol, McMahon and Co. Massive potential, shame (in a way) that Bennett was on form and David Smith was having his one and only good season.

Never fully recovered.

 

[phildownunder]

Some good shouts on here about some players I`d overlooked.

The other sad irony (from the point of view of these players) is that medical science has come on so much in recent years. For example, back then a cruciate ligament injury meant the end of a career but can now be treated, albeit after a long lay off. So some at least would have been able to carry on if they were playing today.

 

[covboy9]

we were lucky it was just froggatt we lost that day, 3nil up and sunderland started playing prison football, alex rae and the hatchet lads, the ref lost the plot and more people couldav got hurt, then we went and employed the c**t that managed that! i was right infront when froggatt got done, fucking disgrace

 

[ollyservetta]

brian cloughs playing days finished at HR with a broken leg as I remember

 

[ollyservetta]

and I remember jim blyths injury in the warm up ,he was on his way to utd for half a million and it all fell apart .

 

[lapsed_skyblue]

There are also players that decide to retire not because of an injury directly but because of their concern that continuing to play will lead to a physical limitation that will be with them for the rest of their life. Play till 35 but have to use a stick for another 40ish years and not be able to pick up your grandkids?