Best player you've seen to grace the park?

Gullit

Only listing Town players as I don't really care about the opposition.

Lord Futcher
King Bobby Cumming of course!
Clive Mendonca
Garry Birtles
Peter Handyside
Gordon Hobson
Dave Beasant
Martin Pringle
Richard Hughes
Jack Lester (when the ref didn't pick him early in the game...)
Ivano
John Oster
Paul Groves
Shaun Cunnington
John Cockerill
Andy Todd
Kevin Donovan
Kevin Drinkell
Rob (Lump) Jones
Steve Sherwood
Michael Reddy
Andy Tillson
Paul Wilkinson

Sure I've missed out a fair few there as well

David Cross gave a brilliant lesson in how to make and take classic goals.Nial Quinn also gave a great display of his skills with supperb benders into the top corner.Some top players have graced the park but were not able on the day to shine.But for sheer entertainmemt week in week out ,no one beats our own all time hero -Matt Tees.

Prosinecki. The guy was a joy to behold took us a part on his own.

On a slightly different note, the best performance by any player anywhere?  I remember watching a game on sky Newcastle Vs Villa and dwight yorke was unplayable.  Got a standing ovation from the geordies(very rare) when substituted.  At B.P one performance I always remember was David James playing for Watford.  Totally frustrated town by coming for and catching every cross we put in the box no matter where it was, even towards the edge of his own penalty area.  We got so frustrated we started crossing it outside the box.

Forgot about Andy Todd, think he has got to be up there, sorted out the defence and scored a couple, one important one against wolves i think, could be argued without him we wouldn't have stayed up. Best individual perfomance by an opposition player, good question, i remember charlton beating 5-2 on a friday night i think and Richard Rufus looking good at the back and from set pieces. Trying to rack my brains for other perfomances, remember rodney jack and tony naylor always looked good, for relatively poor teams

For town,my favourite has to be Whymark,very clever player who made it look so easy.Honourable mentions for Sir Futch,Andy Todd,Kev Drinkell,Matt Tees,Kev Moore,Gary Birtles......................................i could go on but........................

For the opposition,i remember Ray Houghton putting in a very good display for Fulham at BP and they ran us ragged.That great West Ham team who also gave us a going over when we had one of the best home defensive records in the league.Goddard,Cross and Devonshire? tore us a new one.

Craig Johnstone playing for Liverpool reserves sticks in my mind too.Looked the fittest footballer i have ever seen and he was coming back from injury.Ruud Gullit,Charlie Nicholas in that great FA cup game.Seem to remember it being very cold day and ice on the pitch,which if my memory is right,made Nicholas display all the more impressive.

I'll probably remember some more when i think about it.Have seen some great players/teams grace BP.

Stanley Mathews

Johnny Haynes

Bobby Moore



FOR TOWN

Ron Rafferty

for them -

Bobby Moore for West Ham 1966, even though Rod Green gave him a chasing.
Gordon Banks in goal for Leicester about 1964-5.
Bobby Tambling for Chelsea took us apart.
Stanley Mathews for at least appearing for Stoke even if he didn't do a lot.
Bobby Collins for Leeds in the early 60s. Brilliant organiser and passer of a ball.
Chris Waddle for Newcastle who I am certain had no idea how he beat defenders, but he did.
Gary Lineker who did nothing all game except destroy us with his finishing.
Charlie Nicholas who couldn't be dispossessed once in 90 minutes.
Ray Clemence for Scunthorpe for letting in 7 goals and proving he was as useless for them as he was for England.


for us -

Trevor Wymark - a little past it but still outstanding
Gary Birtles - a lot past it but still outstanding
Ivano Bonetti - half a season of class on the wing
Andy Peake = half a season of class in midfield
Andy Todd wins first prize as dirtiest defender but he was so good he shouldn't have needed to be a thug.
Lew Chatterley who addded the finishing touch to McMenemy's team.
Matt Tees who added the starting touch to McMenemy's team.
Bobby C. - the left sided unstoppable.

Two that I just caught the end of - Tommy Briggs and Jimmy Maddison, 1950s legends who preceded Rafferty and Fell. Both were truly class players.

and ........ Ron Rafferty who could jump higher and head a ball further and harder than anyone I have ever seen and Johnny Scott who could put the ball there for him to do it.

Dougie Collins for me,

Dougie Collins had not long been transfered to then first division team Burnley,  Town drew Burnley in an FA cup round, this was his first game for Burnley against his old club and did he play out off his skin.
I could not believe the transformation in my best mate`s  all around performance.
We got beat that day I believe, but to me Dougie Collins was so much improved in all aspects of his game.
NEWFOOTBALLER