Calling all football historians

[Hieronymus Bosch]

Just writing an article on loyalty in football, and was hoping to hear some snippets about "one-club players" from the days when loyalty (supposedly) played a major part in determining where a footballer played.

 

Who should be regarded as the game's most loyal players? Are there any notable examples of great players (preferably pre-Premier League) who stayed at small/unsuccessful clubs (presumably out of loyalty - or, with less money in the game, was there less motivation to move?)? Do you know any decent tales or quotes on the subject?

 

Any input you have would be gratefully received...

[muleskinner]

Matt Le Tissier

 

 

[dorgie]

Ian Callaghan

David O' Leary

 

(oops, sorry I didn't read the bit about smaller clubs before I posted - although Arsenal could be classed as such at that time.. :-) )

Edited April 21, 2011 by dorgie

[Maldini]

Shanks' favourite player Tom Finney stayed with Preston despite huge offers from Italy for him.

 

• "Tom Finney would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age ... even if he had been wearing an overcoat." (Bill Shankly)
• Shankly was also once asked about how a top star of the day compared to Finney: "Aye, he's as good as Tommy – but then Tommy's nearly 60 now."

He played one European game for Distillery, 3 years after retirement at the age of 41 though

[dorgie]

Terry Paine made over 700 appearances for Southampton and played for England (although he did finish out his career at Hereford when he was older).

 

"There seems little doubt that Terry Paine was happy at Southampton personally and his loyalty was unquestionable. Professionally, however, his ambition to make the England World Cup squad would have been overwhelming. As Southampton failed to manage promotion on two further occasions Paine once again became the subject of transfer speculation. Tottenham were rumoured to be interested and it was reported that Sunderland placed a bid of £70,000.

 

Perhaps if Spurs had tabled that bid Paine might have been tempted to leave The Dell but it was hard to imagine him uprooting to the north east. Southampton rejected the bid and did everything they could to show their desire to keep their man. Once again Paine remained a Saint."

 

http://www.football-england.com/terry_paine.html

Edited April 21, 2011 by dorgie

[Stevie H]

paolo maldini would seem the most obvious one. assuming you're doing non-english. though i suppose milan is a pretty easy club to stay at etc.

 

del piero and totti are both coming up on twenty years with their only club too.

Edited April 21, 2011 by Stevie H

[matty]

Javier Zanetti's in his 16th season at Inter.

[Stevie H]

how many did beppe bergomi do matt? he was there forever.

[ChrisC]

Winston Bogarde did an incredible 5-year stint on the Chelsea bench, all for a piddling 40K a week too

[Stevie H]

had to look up how long but knew he'd been there ages. alan knight was at portsmouth 22 years.

[Cobs]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-ultimate-oneclub-footballers-1770951.html

[johngibo YPC]

Steve Bull deserves a shout, although not strictly a one club player

Played for 13 years in the second tier for Wolves, even though he obviously could have stepped up a division

Still managed to get 13 caps for England though

[dorgie]

Steve Bull deserves a shout, although not strictly a one club player

Played for 13 years in the second tier for Wolves, even though he obviously could have stepped up a division

Still managed to get 13 caps for England though

 

Good shout.

 

Robbie Kea......oh, maybe not !

[matty]

how many did beppe bergomi do matt? he was there forever.

20 years. 757 games. Never played for another club.

[Hieronymus Bosch]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I am just focusing on British clubs and footballers who have only played (competitively) for one team, therefore disqualifying those who have gone on loan. Harsh, but it allows me to draw on these stats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_one-club_men – although, obviously, being Wiki, I can't rely on them completely (John Terry, for example, who I'm sure wasn't previously on the list, is now on there even though he's played while on loan).

 

Finney and Le Tissier are great examples as their allegiance seems to have been motivated by loyalty.

Edited April 21, 2011 by mrshah

[smithdown]

Tony Hibbert

[The Hitman]

Billy Liddell?

[Buttles]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I am just focusing on British clubs and footballers who have only played (competitively) for one team, therefore disqualifying those who have gone on loan. Harsh, but it allows me to draw on these stats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_one-club_men – although, obviously, being Wiki, I can't rely on them completely (John Terry, for example, who I'm sure wasn't previously on the list, is now on there even though he's played while on loan).

 

Finney and Le Tissier are great examples as their allegiance seems to have been motivated by loyalty.

I thought Le Tissier wanted to be close to the family home in Jersey? Still though it is an awesome achievement.

[Stevie H]

I thought Le Tissier wanted to be close to the family home in Jersey? Still though it is an awesome achievement.

remember hearing that too but saints certainly had big bids for him and he was probably offered massive money elsewhere to move. he's a perfect example of a footballer who played for loyalty and other reasons than cash.

[Hieronymus Bosch]

Billy Liddell?

Yep. And Paisley.

 

I thought Le Tissier wanted to be close to the family home in Jersey? Still though it is an awesome achievement.

For sure. I'm sure loads of players from yonder stayed where they were in part because they didn't want to uproot their families. Still, one man's loyalty is another's lack of ambition.

[Stevie H]

Still, one man's loyalty is another's lack of ambition.

i used to hate that argument being used against le tissier but can still see the frustration in it. am sure he thoroughly enjoyed his career but wonder if he has a feeling of what might have been. he was a proper gifted footballer who never won a trophy and so never knew what that felt like.

[PhilM]

It'd be kind of harsh to write someone off from your one club man list for being on loan as a youngster. Obviously it makes them technically a two club man, but it hardly says that they lack in loyalty.

[Hieronymus Bosch]

It'd be kind of harsh to write someone off from your one club man list for being on loan as a youngster. Obviously it makes them technically a two club man, but it hardly says that they lack in loyalty.

I know. Hopefully I can find a list of "one-club men" that doesn't include loans, as I haven't got the time to trawl through the archives (wherever they are).

[Ripley]

Roy Sproson born in Burslem, played 842 games for Port Vale.

[épieur]

Franco Baresi stayed with Milan despite being relegated to the Serie B with them twice.

 

Also, I give some credit to quite a few of the juve players who could have gone to other top clubs when they were forcibly relegated, even on loan, but chose to play in the Serie B instead. Absurd really that the best goalkeeper in the world, maybe the best of the past decade, chose to ply his trade in the Serie B.