Greatest RFC XI Debate - left wingers

[Behindu]

Stevey hunt is the obvious choice here. He has proven it at top flight.

No he hasn't. He has had half a season appearing in the Premier league.

No he hasn't.
He started 28 games ! Plus 7 games as sub. So he pretty much had a full season.
He's not a credible winner of the category but he is a credible name for the short list.

[londinium]

Hunt and Convey can rightly wear the shirt with pride, but in my humble opinion no single Reading player has ever approached Michael Gilkes' ability to excite the crowd. The whole of Elm Park was electrified (including the away end, with fear) whenever he had the ball at his feet and started a run at goal.

Only one winner here - Michael Gilkes

In the absence of any real alternative, I agree

But, perhaps I'm being jaundiced here, and I know I am in an overwhelming minority, my over-riding memories of Gilkes will always be the excitement when he picked up the ball by the Southbank near the half way line, push the ball ten yards down the line, zoom past the defenders who generally had 5 yard head starts, only to see him deliver the cross nearer the programme shop than the six yard box.

Nope you.re right - that sums Gilksey up in a nutshell. Blinding pace, great excitement, but very rarely a worthwhile end-product.

Blimey, how times change. When I mentioned something along these lines a couple of years ago on here I was absolutely crucified for my 'heretical' views.

I used to love watching Gilkesy run with the ball, but lets just say I wasn't too concerned when he played against us for Wolves in the Archie game...

For my money, Convey is the best left winger I've seen, although it does seem to be one position where there is a dearth of really excellent candidates.

If Bobby is the best left winger you have seen then you really ought to go watch more football.

For me Gilksey is the best Reading left winger, but as rightly stated we have never seemed to have a dearth of talent in that position.

[Riseley]

Tommy Jenkins was different class to Convey and only a bad move to a huge club ruined his career.

[RobRoyal]

Rougier deserves a nomination, if only for the odd good trick and for playing in a half-decent team.

Lee Hodges?
Jimmy McIntyre?

Bit of a struggle this one...

[wolsey]

Stevey hunt is the obvious choice here. He has proven it at top flight.

No he hasn't. He has had half a season appearing in the Premier league.

No he hasn't.
He started 28 games ! Plus 7 games as sub. So he pretty much had a full season.
He's not a credible winner of the category but he is a credible name for the short list.

OK I under-estimated a little but my points were: -

a) has Hunt proven himself in the Premier League, bearing in mind the relatively short time and number of appearances that he has made? and

b) questioning the thought that if a player hasn't played in the top division then they can't be considered worthy of inclusion (although that hasn't helped Kerry Dixon in the Forwards vote)

[Jerry St Clair]

Gilkes.

If we were getting dicked at home at half time by, say, Bury we always used to console ourselves with the thought that "Gilkesey will be playing down the Southbank side in the second half".

Yes, he lacked end product, but watch your highlights videos from 93-95 and you'll see he was integral to our success.

[The Colonel]

Stevey hunt is the obvious choice here. He has proven it at top flight.

Ignorant comment. Maybe we should just nominate the whole of the current first team and be done with the whole debate? Numerous Reading players have "proven it at top flight" - just not with Reading! Neil Webb and Kerry Dixon being the most obvious examples.

Don't get me wrong...I'm a big fan of Hunty. He could well go on to be a legend at the club. But the greatest left-winger of all time? No.

Other than Gilkes, I would also nominate David Crown and Neil Smilie (also 'done it at top flight').

[mph1871]

Not as good as Gilkes but James Lambert ?

[Berkshire Born]

If Bobby is the best left winger you have seen then you really ought to go watch more football.

For me Gilksey is the best Reading left winger, but as rightly stated we have never seemed to have a dearth of talent in that position.

I'd argue that Convey is a far better footballer than Gilksey ever was. I was a fan of Gilkes and he dserves the legend status he has at Reading but lets not forget half his games for the Royals were at full-back and his crosses from the wing were....well, its already been mentioned above.

Agreed, not really a lot of competition in this one, is there?

ps I can't believe he didn't win that Football Sprint Challenge. He didn't even look like he was trying. Can't rememebr who did win now, though!

[wolsey]

Other than Gilkes, I would also nominate David Crown and Neil Smilie (also 'done it at top flight').

I forgot about David Crown. I remember him as a crap winger (Meaker prototype) who was converted to a centre forward, had a season or so when he scored a bucket load of goals then cleared off to Southend or Colchester.

[Harold]

Gilkes - no question.

[Behindu]

OK I under-estimated a little but my points were: -

a) has Hunt proven himself in the Premier League, bearing in mind the relatively short time and number of appearances that he has made?

Probably not, but given a decent run at the start of next season then probably yes !

b) questioning the thought that if a player hasn't played in the top division then they can't be considered worthy of inclusion (although that hasn't helped Kerry Dixon in the Forwards vote)

Isn't the point quite the reverse of that though ?
The fact that a player HAS played pretty well for us at the higest level must be a strong arguement for him to be included. That has nothing to do with whether a player who HASN'T played for us at the top should be included. I would include Hunt in the 8 but don't think he deserves a place in the top 4 or 5.

[Franchise FC]

Hunt and Convey can rightly wear the shirt with pride, but in my humble opinion no single Reading player has ever approached Michael Gilkes' ability to excite the crowd. The whole of Elm Park was electrified (including the away end, with fear) whenever he had the ball at his feet and started a run at goal.

Only one winner here - Michael Gilkes

In the absence of any real alternative, I agree

But, perhaps I'm being jaundiced here, and I know I am in an overwhelming minority, my over-riding memories of Gilkes will always be the excitement when he picked up the ball by the Southbank near the half way line, push the ball ten yards down the line, zoom past the defenders who generally had 5 yard head starts, only to see him deliver the cross nearer the programme shop than the six yard box.

Nope you.re right - that sums Gilksey up in a nutshell. Blinding pace, great excitement, but very rarely a worthwhile end-product.

The trouble with Gilkesy was that he ran so fast it cut off the blood supply to his brain.

[Franchise FC]

If Bobby is the best left winger you have seen then you really ought to go watch more football.

For me Gilksey is the best Reading left winger, but as rightly stated we have never seemed to have a dearth of talent in that position.

I'd argue that Convey is a far better footballer than Gilksey ever was. I was a fan of Gilkes and he dserves the legend status he has at Reading but lets not forget half his games for the Royals were at full-back and his crosses from the wing were....well, its already been mentioned above.

Agreed, not really a lot of competition in this one, is there?

ps I can't believe he didn't win that Football Sprint Challenge. He didn't even look like he was trying. Can't rememebr who did win now, though!

John Williams

[wolsey]

Isn't the point quite the reverse of that though ?
The fact that a player HAS played pretty well for us at the higest level must be a strong arguement for him to be included. That has nothing to do with whether a player who HASN'T played for us at the top should be included. I would include Hunt in the 8 but don't think he deserves a place in the top 4 or 5.

So the Obvious (using the original poster's word) choices for Reading's Greatest XI, and therefore those players that should have been included, are: -

Hahnemann
Shorey
Murty
Sidwell
Harper
Hunt
Little
Doyle
Lita

doesn't leave much for discussion.

[ScottishRoyal]

I can't believe he didn't win that Football Sprint Challenge. He didn't even look like he was trying. Can't rememebr who did win now, though!

Keith Curle

[Behindu]

So the Obvious (using the original poster's word) choices for Reading's Greatest XI, and therefore those players that should have been included, are: -

Hahnemann
Shorey
Murty
Sidwell
Harper
Hunt
Little
Doyle
Lita

doesn't leave much for discussion.

No.
Not sure how you came to that conclusion based on anything I said !
I think every current player probably deserves to be in the poll, becasue there isn;t much doubt that the players we have now are among the best we've ever had. But I think there is plenty of scope to argue that various individuals from previous eras have been as good or better. For one thing there isn;t a 'check list' against which it's bening judged so who knows how we assess whether Quinn is better than Doyle or Hicks is better than Sonko... it's just opinion / prejudice / RTG

[Dirk Gently]

Agreed - and it's hard to compare players who played at different levels and in different eras when the game was very, very different.

For instance, how would Kevin Doyle have managed in the 70s when the tackle from behind was routine and Norman Hunter and Billy Bremner set the standards as defenders? Some of the punishment Robin Friday took was brutal - how would today's players manage?

[londinium]

If Bobby is the best left winger you have seen then you really ought to go watch more football.

For me Gilksey is the best Reading left winger, but as rightly stated we have never seemed to have a dearth of talent in that position.

I'd argue that Convey is a far better footballer than Gilksey ever was. I was a fan of Gilkes and he dserves the legend status he has at Reading but lets not forget half his games for the Royals were at full-back and his crosses from the wing were....well, its already been mentioned above.

Agreed, not really a lot of competition in this one, is there?

ps I can't believe he didn't win that Football Sprint Challenge. He didn't even look like he was trying. Can't rememebr who did win now, though!

Still not convinced that Bobby can be even considered in the same breathe as Gilksey. Conveys first season was a nightmare, the talent could be see but no goods were delivered. Last season was basically a write off too, so that only leaves the 2005/2006 season which, yes, he did score 7 which is a good amount but his crossing only amounted to 3 goals being scored which was equalled and i believe passed by Hunty's contribution in far less games. How anyone could even consider Hunty would be beyond me so to say Bobby is the best RFC have produced then I find that unfathomable. By the way I am a big Hunty fan.

[Franchise FC]

I can't believe he didn't win that Football Sprint Challenge. He didn't even look like he was trying. Can't rememebr who did win now, though!

Keith Curle

As I've said before - John Williams