Top 5 & Worst 5

Just out of curiosity really, who'd be your top 5 and then your worst 5 players we had in the National League - maybe the best players will inspire confidence that we could (and still will be) able to attract class players, and the worst players will satisfy us that we will never see them again!

Top 5
1. Amond
2. Arnold
3. Bogle
4. Disley
5. Townsend

Worst 5
1. Jamal Fyfield
2. Richard Brodie
3. Greg Pearson
4. Oumare Tounkara
5. Louie Souares

Hard to rank the worst as there were so many poor players, but for me Fyfield was absolutely awful

Omar was better when we got promoted and I think Hearn was a better player Amond, he had more quality on the ball and more athleticism, if he'd stayed fit and then played in better teams who knows how many goals we'd have scored.

The worst? Where to start! Fyfield, Brodie and Soures are all absolutely nailed on. Straker's got to be in there and I'd have Serge Makofo.

So

Top: Hearn, Nolan, Disley, Townsend and Arnold
Worst: Fyfield, Soares, Brodie, Straker, Makofo

For me the definite are - Serge Makofo and Richard Brodie in the worst group.
                                     - Nathan Pond and Connor Townsend in the best.

After that the lists are very difficult.

Alan Connell anyone?

I had forgotten some of the names mentioned, out of interest how many players did we go through during our time in the National League?

Quite difficult in both counts...

Top 5

1: Craig Disley
2: Padraig Amond
3: James McKeown
4: Omar Bogle
5: Liam Hearn

Shout outs to: Shaun Pearson, Conor Townsend, Alan Connell, Jon Nolan, Nathan Arnold

Worst 5:

1: Serge Makofo
2: Damian Spencer
3: Jamal Fyfield
4: Luke McCarthy
5: Danny Carlton

Shout outs to: Lewis Gobern, Charles Ademeno, Ben Tomlinson, Richard Brodie, Anthony Straker

Townsend is the best outfield player we've had in the last 15 years.

Amond, Bogle, Hearn, Disley, Pearson....all great players for us in the Conference.  But Townsend was absolutely streets above them and anyone else on the pitch in every game he played.  That's why he's gone onto have the career he has.

I thought Carl Magnay was class for us able to play RB, LB, and cover CB when needed.

When we had Bradley Wood and Sam Hatton covering both sides it wasn't to Magnay joined us he was a class above that season what we had before.

1 Hearn
2 Amond
3 Bogle
4 Magnay
5 Disley

Townsend would be next on the list but him and Pond where only on loan.

Worst

1 Kempson
2 Spencer
3 Soares
4 Gobern
5 Ridley

Every 'Worst 5' has made me shudder.

Top:
Townsend
Arnold
Disley
Bogle
Connell

Connell gets in mine because he played in a excrement team still, and just oozed class, was naturally gifted at that level, and a joy to watch, loved him!

Huge shouts for so many to be fair - Pearson, Magnay, Amond, Hearn

Worst:
it's really hard to label any...

Apparently, we have 183 players that played for us in the 6 years!  

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

Top:

Apparently, we have 183 players that played for us in the 6 years!  

Which is why it took six years to get out.

As my aunt used to say, 'buy cheap, buy twice'.

Quoted from fiveallive

I thought Carl Magnay was class for us able to play RB, LB, and cover CB when needed.

When we had Bradley Wood and Sam Hatton covering both sides it wasn't to Magnay joined us he was a class above that season what we had before.

1 Hearn
2 Amond
3 Bogle
4 Magnay
5 Disley

Townsend would be next on the list but him and Pond where only on loan.

Worst

1 Kempson
2 Spencer
3 Soares
4 Gobern
5 Ridley

Personally I thought Richard Tait was a level above Magnay.. unreal player.

Quoted from LocalLadGTFC

Personally I thought Richard Tait was a level above Magnay.. unreal player.

easily!

Magnay was a workhorse, and interacted a lot with fans, so become a favourite quickly.
In terms of actual playing levels, Tait was again, a cut above non-league

As for impact they had when they joined, i'm surprised nobody has mentioned Scott Nielsen. First player that got me off my seat that played for Town for a long time and actually had me enjoying going to watch Town again. I'm going to put players that were a Grimsby player because everyone knows CT makes the list and he's proving how good he is in the Prem. Liam Hearn for me was a special player and I believe he'd of been the next Jamie Vardy, I got goosebumps on his return and was so gutted that injuries ruined his career as he was one of the nicest guys you could meet off the pitch aswell.

For me the best is  -

1 - Hearn
2 - Connell
3 - Nielsen
4 - Nolan
5 - Disley

The worst - oh god where do we begin -

1 - DAMIEN SPENCER
2 - Tyrone Thompson
3 - Lee Ridley
4 - Paddy Mclaughlin - Controversial but I had very high expectations for him as for Gateshead he was absolute class and here he was woeful most games.
5 - Christian Jolley - Same reason, tore us apart every time he played us and looked like he'd go on to better things and for us he was a bag of flipping wind.

Quoted from LocalLadGTFC

As for impact they had when they joined, i'm surprised nobody has mentioned Scott Nielsen. First player that got me off my seat that played for Town for a long time and actually had me enjoying going to watch Town again. I'm going to put players that were a Grimsby player because everyone knows CT makes the list and he's proving how good he is in the Prem. Liam Hearn for me was a special player and I believe he'd of been the next Jamie Vardy, I got goosebumps on his return and was so gutted that injuries ruined his career as he was one of the nicest guys you could meet off the pitch aswell.

For me the best is  -

1 - Hearn
2 - Connell
3 - Nielsen
4 - Nolan
5 - Disley

The worst - oh god where do we begin -

1 - DAMIEN SPENCER
2 - Tyrone Thompson
3 - Lee Ridley
4 - Paddy Mclaughlin - Controversial but I had very high expectations for him as for Gateshead he was absolute class and here he was woeful most games.
5 - Christian Jolley - Same reason, tore us apart every time he played us and looked like he'd go on to better things and for us he was a bag of flipping wind.

The list of players who looked infinitely more dangerous while playing against us than when they played for us is endless.

Scott Neilson, for me, was our Mahrez to Hearn's Vardy when he was a ON LOAN.

When he signed permanently he just didn't seem to perform quite so regularly.

Just my opinion though.

In the same vein as Ross Hannah etc

Quoted from Nutsy

Scott Neilson, for me, was our Mahrez to Hearn's Vardy when he was a ON LOAN.

When he signed permanently he just didn't seem to perform quite so regularly.

Just my opinion though.

In the same vein as Ross Hannah etc

Correct me if I'm wrong but did Neilson not sign after Hearn's injury? The Luton move really didn't help him and nor did his love for the off field lifestyle he lived. I've spoke to him a few times as we have mutual friends and he always said he loved his time here and wished he never went to Luton as he believed we could of gone up that year. Him and Aswad on that left hand side was one of the most frightening partnerships I think i've seen at Town, obviously before incidents occurred.  

Quoted from diehardmariner

Townsend is the best outfield player we've had in the last 15 years.

Amond, Bogle, Hearn, Disley, Pearson....all great players for us in the Conference.  But Townsend was absolutely streets above them and anyone else on the pitch in every game he played.  That's why he's gone onto have the career he has.

Townsend during his second spell here is pound for pound (in the context of the level we were at at the time) the best player I have seen in a Town shirt. I've laboured the point before, but we wouldn't have made the play-offs that season without Townsend - we only scraped in by two points.

You can make the same case for Amond and others of course, the primary difference being that Townsend only played nine league games, of which we won eight. That's how good he was. Let's not forget he was filling in for the more than capable Gregor Robertson as well.

There were so many key moments. That free-kick against Welling, the cross for Amond in the 1-0 against Kidderminster, the last minute penalty he won in the 1-0 against Dover. He was just absolute class, and it's no surprise he's found himself playing in the Premier League.

1. Townsend
2. Amond
3 Arnold
4  Dis
5  Nolan

Add to that Macca, Tait, Gregor, Josh, Toto, Clay’ Omar,

I think you can see what I’m getting at.

Thank you Herts! I was wondering when Macca was going to get a look in. Definitely be in my top 5 the amount of points he saved us. I can't remember all the bad players - don't want to. Best would be something like:

(in no particular order)

Macca, Amond, Disley, Townsend, Pond

Lots of others with a shout, but the above covers all sections of the team.

Top 5- Townsend, Amond, Bogle, Nolan, N’siala

Worst 5- Straker, Ridley, Spencer, Makofo, Soares

Quoted from Poojah

Townsend during his second spell here is pound for pound (in the context of the level we were at at the time) the best player I have seen in a Town shirt. I've laboured the point before, but we wouldn't have made the play-offs that season without Townsend - we only scraped in by two points.

You can make the same case for Amond and others of course, the primary difference being that Townsend only played nine league games, of which we won eight. That's how good he was. Let's not forget he was filling in for the more than capable Gregor Robertson as well.

There were so many key moments. That free-kick against Welling, the cross for Amond in the 1-0 against Kidderminster, the last minute penalty he won in the 1-0 against Dover. He was just absolute class, and it's no surprise he's found himself playing in the Premier League.

Totally agree. Townsend was head and shoulders above our level. It’s worth pointing out that he had Andy Monkhouse in midfield on the left, but still got forward more and put more crosses in.

Quoted from Nutsy

Scott Neilson, for me, was our Mahrez to Hearn's Vardy when he was a ON LOAN.

When he signed permanently he just didn't seem to perform quite so regularly.

Just my opinion though.

In the same vein as Ross Hannah etc

We've had so many players over the years who excelled or were decent on loan, but really didn't live up to the expectations when they signed

When Newell brought in Adam Proudlock and Peter Sweeney they were decent on loan and we all know what happened when they eventually got contracts.

Like Neilson, Marcus Marshall was one. He was class in the first part of the season we had him on loan I remember us fighting tooth and nail trying to keep hold of both of them, Luton offered Bury some cash for Marshall if I call correctly, he went back but didn't want to go so refused to go down there and he ended up back on loan with us a few weeks later and was never the same.

Likewise when we signed Marshall permanently a couple of years later he just didn't seem the same player and only played 16 or 17 games all season.

Quoted from Poojah

Townsend during his second spell here is pound for pound (in the context of the level we were at at the time) the best player I have seen in a Town shirt. I've laboured the point before, but we wouldn't have made the play-offs that season without Townsend - we only scraped in by two points.

You can make the same case for Amond and others of course, the primary difference being that Townsend only played nine league games, of which we won eight. That's how good he was. Let's not forget he was filling in for the more than capable Gregor Robertson as well.

There were so many key moments. That free-kick against Welling, the cross for Amond in the 1-0 against Kidderminster, the last minute penalty he won in the 1-0 against Dover. He was just absolute class, and it's no surprise he's found himself playing in the Premier League.

I'd go further on that and say had he stayed for a few more months or indeed the season, we would have won the league.  He was that good.

I actually thought his impact was better in his first loan spell, probably because that side in 11-12 wasn't as good as the 15-16 one so he stood out more.  Him and Jamie Green inter-changing down that left wing against Stockport was poetry in motion, I've never seen a game go down one flank so much.  Town were actively just seeking them out with every pass and Stockport could do nothing to stop it.   I think the fact Townsend was only 18 at that point and having his first spell of proper football is even more impressive.

The only competition for the pound-for-pound prize is John Oster in his first loan spell back here.  Townsend was in decent to good sides and made them both better.  Oster was in a dog excrement side and made it competitive.   Oh for both of those in any side!

Quoted from moss_side_mariner

Totally agree. Townsend was head and shoulders above our level. It’s worth pointing out that he had Andy Monkhouse in midfield on the left, but still got forward more and put more crosses in.

I was never really a Monkhouse fan but in his defence and for his flaws, he was key in what Townsend brought to the game during that spell.  He covered quite a lot for Townsend's run and/or took players away from that flank by drifting infield.  

Quoted from Gainsbro_Mariner

We've had so many players over the years who excelled or were decent, on loan but really didn't live up to the expectations they had built whilst on loan.

When Newell brought in Adam Proudlock and Peter Sweeney they were decent on loan and we all know what happened when they eventually got contracts.

Like Neilson, Marcus Marshall was one. He was class in the first part of the season we had him on loan I remember us fighting tooth and nail trying to keep hold of both of them, Luton offered Bury some cash for Marshall if I call correctly, he went back but didn't want to go so refused to go down there and he ended up back on loan with us a few weeks later and was never the same.

Likewise when we signed Marshall permanently a couple of years later he just didn't seem the same player and only played 16 or 17 games all season.

Funnily enough, without MM we wouldn't of gone up because I fully believe if he didn't come on against Braintree we'd of lost that game, he changed the game for us.

No mention for Henderson? In the same way Townsend oozed class, I thought Henderson did the same. And the confidence he had in himself at such a young age was incredible - and justified.

Quoted from diehardmariner

I was never really a Monkhouse fan but in his defence and for his flaws, he was key in what Townsend brought to the game during that spell.  He covered quite a lot for Townsend's run and/or took players away from that flank by drifting infield.  

Agree completely with that. No ego with Monkhouse and he was happy to dovetail with Townsend and drop in to let Townsend bomb on. They were a good pairing and Townsend's class absolutely shone through.

Quoted from cardiffmariner

No mention for Henderson? In the same way Townsend oozed class, I thought Henderson did the same. And the confidence he had in himself at such a young age was incredible - and justified.

Not disagreeing with your assessment of Dean Henderson, but he didn’t play for us in non-league. Signed by Hurst in League Two, eventually handed his debut by Bignot before it all ended with that unfortunate incident with the bus.

Surprised no one has mentioned Michael Leary in the worst list yet. Dreadful midfielder.

Contenders for Top 5 list must be Henderson, Townsend, Connell (mk 1), Pond, Hearn, Amond, Disley, Bogle. I always like Scotty Neilsen also and Pearson as would have run through a brick wall for this club

Quoted from Stew0_0

Surprised no one has mentioned Michael Leary in the worst list yet. Dreadful midfielder.

Contenders for Top 5 list must be Henderson, Townsend, Connell (mk 1), Pond, Hearn, Amond, Disley, Bogle. I always like Scotty Neilsen also and Pearson as would have run through a brick wall for this club

Leary's performances began to pick up in his second year i thought, wasn't a world beater but he was a touch above what he offered us in the year we went down. He definitely wasn't a Football League standard player but I seem to remember him having a handful of good games. He was quite well thought of in Gainsborough, went on to do quite well with them and captained them for a few years.

Quoted from Gainsbro_Mariner

Leary's performances began to pick up in his second year i thought, wasn't a world beater but he was a touch above what he offered us in the year we went down. He definitely wasn't a Football League standard player but I seem to remember him having a handful of good games. He was quite well though of in Gainsborough, went on to do quite well with them and captained them for a few years.

As limited as Leary was, I think he avoids too much retrospective ire as unlike many players from that era he would always put in a shift. I remember him getting knocked out cold in a Tuesday evening game against Keith Alexander's Macclesfield, and he was adamant he wanted to stay on even though he quite literally couldn't walk in a straight line.

I know that's not enough; Hurst's '11 dogs' analogy was quite apt in that sense, but it's hard to feel too much bitterness towards players who tried their best, even if they ultimately fell some way short of the mark.

Quoted from Poojah

Not disagreeing with your assessment of Dean Henderson, but he didn’t play for us in non-league. Signed by Hurst in League Two, eventually handed his debut by Bignot before it all ended with that unfortunate incident with the bus.

I wasn’t sure as I was typing. Poor knowledge. I’m disappointed in myself. 😁

Tbf, so much of the last few years has merged into one!

Talking of dreadful midfielders, Anthony Church anyone?

Quoted from fishyfanny

Talking of dreadful midfielders, Anthony Church anyone?

Was he the midfielder we got from Boston..promised much and delivered nowt.

Quoted from fishyfanny

Talking of dreadful midfielders, Anthony Church anyone?

I heard that Richard Coles, ex-Communards keyboard player, is big in the Church now.

Jude Stirling. Aweful