National Forum

The five greatest ever footballers

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If Matt Connor isnt in your top 5

ya no nothing bout ftball

totalftballer (Monaghan) - Posts: 115 - 15/07/2009 12:59:29    346829

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beer baron
County: Cavan
Posts: 1025

346216
Just looking through a few posts their didn't notice anyone from outside Ulster say Anthony Tohill,are we Ulster people over hyping him or did you just not get to see enough of him?I had the joy of watching him a number of times and he was the complete midfielder,strong as a horse,great fielding,could pick up the ball in any position and run with it and get scores.Destroyed us numerous times.

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Not at all I just think people are forgetting about him for some reason. The man was a fantastic footballer in my opinion, the game is in desperate need of great midfielders like Tohill these days I feel. Great ambassador for the game as well, had the pleasure of meeting him twice before and he was a gent, in spite of the rivalry between Donegal and Derry and some bad blood down the years I'll always have the greatest respect for Anthony Tohill.

JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 15/07/2009 13:11:47    346848

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Not necessarily in order

Peter Canavan
Matt Conor
Pat Spillane
Jack O'Shea/Brian Mullins (can't decide which but only giving them one slot)
Anthony Tohill

The Sage (Monaghan) - Posts: 351 - 15/07/2009 13:28:48    346874

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from my lifetime

Peter Canavan
Padraig Joyce
Oisin McConville
Maurice Fitzgearld
Dara O Cinede

P.S. Lowerormand was up on the town end myself on sunday, seen those Antrim lads your on about. Just thought I'd swing by Thurlas on my way back from Milltown Malbay! a well spent 4 days!

wise_guy (Tyrone) - Posts: 1584 - 15/07/2009 13:51:19    346910

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Mickey Linden - Down

ajdoyle78 (Down) - Posts: 520 - 15/07/2009 14:03:17    346929

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I've just watched an interview with Mick Higgins the Cavan captain from the 1952 All Ireland final. He won 3 All Irelands and in the 52 final he scored 7 of Cavan's 9 points. the man is obviously a legend but how do you compare him to today's players? By the way, he's 86 and he says he would like to be remembered not for winning or captaining All Ireland winners but for not hitting anyone. Sounds almost niaive these days to hear that but fair play to him. There's a few minutes of him on the Ulster Giants website off the Ulstergaa.ie site.

Crossman (Down) - Posts: 153 - 15/07/2009 14:05:06    346935

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Impossible question to answer!

Peter Canavan
Mick O Connell
Maurice Fitzgerald
Tony Scullion
Micky McVeigh

If you asked me ih half an hours time I would probably change half of them. There are a few current players who could push on to the list as well but I have focused on retired footballers.

John Boss (Tyrone) - Posts: 865 - 15/07/2009 14:29:03    346966

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5 Best Footballers in the Country now?
Kavanagh (tyrone)
Ganty (cork)
Doher (tyrone)
Hanley (galway)
Forde (wexford)

throw_it_over (Galway) - Posts: 769 - 15/07/2009 15:15:06    347039

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Oh its very hard to pick only five Kerry Players.

Real Kerry Fan (None) - Posts: 2957 - 15/07/2009 15:44:30    347102

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1 ciaran mcDonald
2. matt connor
3. frank mcgiugan
4.micky linden
5.maurice fitz

A.N.Other (Mayo) - Posts: 18 - 15/07/2009 15:44:33    347103

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Couldn't say the best 5 of all-time, only those I've seen enough of to have an opinion. Since the mid 70s, mine would be....

1) Jack O'Shea
2) Peter Canavan
3) Pat Spillane
4) Matt Connor
5) Larry Tompkins

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 15/07/2009 15:58:01    347138

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Peter Canavan ( Tyrone )
Maurice Fitzgearld ( Kerry )
Padraig Joyce ( Galway )
Oisin McConville ( Armagh )
Jason Sherlock ( at his best )(Dublin )

RenardRedHand (Tyrone) - Posts: 547 - 15/07/2009 15:58:06    347139

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id say fordes a few years past his best at this stage throw-it-over.

to put a twist on this thread, 5 best excluding your own county. that will make it more interesting as any GAA fan will have a soft spot for there own hereos. thats only natural. im still trying to work mine out, its quite difficult

jaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 720 - 15/07/2009 16:08:32    347161

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From what I've seen:

Maurice Fitzgerald
Peter Canavan
Anthony Tohill
Seamus Moynihan
Graham Geraghty

From what I've heard/read:

Maurice Fitzgerald
Peter Canavan
Mick O'Connell
John Joe O'Reilly
Sean Purcell

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12370 - 15/07/2009 16:20:29    347178

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All things being considered - Larry Reilly >>People thought Pele was great because he played for Brazil in the World Cup when he was seventeen. When Larry was seventeen he was playing with Knockbride minors, Knockbride junior B's, the odd senior game, St. Brigids u21's, Bailieborough schools u18's, the Cavan Vocational schools team, AND the Cavan Minors. >>Maradona may have used the hand of God to beat England, but only Larry could get away with hoping the ball twice and scoring the equalising point in an Ulster final. >>Pele and Maradona would run the length of the field, go around every opposition player including the goalkeeper and tap it into the empty net, Larry just runs to the corner and scores from there. >>Because there's only one great team play in blue and white, and it's not Argentina. >>Pele and Maradona had some of the world's greatest ever players playing alongside them. Who had Larry? >>I've never seen Pele bust through two Aussie Rules players and come out with the ball. >>Pele and Maadona played in some of the biggest and finest stadiums in the world, but you'd never see them scoring 1-8 against Killagarry of a winters evenin'. >>There'd be no point in ringing Maradona if you had a pipe leaking . >>Larry Reilly says shin gaurds are for babies. >>Pele and Maradona may have come up against defenders from every corner of the world but did they ever skin Francie Bellew?...Larry sure did. >>You always hear players being branded 'the new Maradona', or 'the new Pele'. You'll never hear anyone being called 'the new Larry'. You know why?...Because there'll only ever be one Larry Reilly.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12370 - 15/07/2009 16:34:32    347200

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1.Sean purcell
2.Peter canavan
3.Pat spillane
4.brian mullins
5.Anhtony tohill

tyrone_lah (Tyrone) - Posts: 26 - 15/07/2009 16:38:25    347205

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Lots of tyrone posters on here

Cant believe that youse wouldnt include "the king"
Realise that some of you are teens/20,s but surely youve seen highlights of the 1984 ulster final which IMO is the greatest ever single game display of brillance
Id have him in my top two (matt Connor being the other)

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 15/07/2009 17:41:48    347327

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Of my time greatest five players:
Canavan
Gooch
Tohill
Linden
Dara O Se
Counting from the early 90s which as far back as i remember. No denying Maurice Fitz has more football talent than any of the above but talent does not always produce results, but it can produce magical memorable moments.
John Mc Dermott of Meath was really a top midfielder, best catcher of a ball i think ive ever seen along with abit of steel and desperately unlucky not to make the cut

Lance (Tyrone) - Posts: 33 - 15/07/2009 17:51:39    347342

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Posters some of the names mentioned would not tie Mikey Sheehys boot laces one of the greatest fowards of all time
on the team of the century a pure genious

wfkerry (USA) - Posts: 933 - 15/07/2009 19:07:56    347423

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ruanua
County: Donegal
Posts: 85

347327 Lots of tyrone posters on here

Cant believe that youse wouldnt include "the king"
Realise that some of you are teens/20,s but surely youve seen highlights of the 1984 ulster final which IMO is the greatest ever single game display of brillance
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'The King' spent his best years in America, so he couldn't be regarded as one of the top 5 greatest footballers of all time. Top 5 talents yes, for sure, but so much of the talent was unfulfilled. Even that day against Armagh he was well past his best, but the brilliance was still there. Shame we never saw just how good he could have been over several years.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 15/07/2009 19:29:11    347448

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