Left backs

B

blunstone

Active member
Joined
9 Jun 2004
Messages
4,513
Reaction score
5
Location
Western Cape, South Africa

Left backs

With a new left back joining us this week, and already man of the match on debut, who do you remember as being outstanding in that position over the years?

Herman probably the best in modern times.

Allan Jones was the first left back I remember at GP.

But my favourite was Dick Renwick, signed from the old Aldershot FC for £1,000. Not a great player but 110% commitment and very decent going forward. Inin those misty days, players were allowed to really tackle!

Who else?
 

Left backs

Martin Grainger. I though Hermann played the majority of games at centre back.
 

Left backs

Undoubtedly started off at left back with Bates and Powell in the centre.
 

Left backs

The ones, during my time as a Bees supporter, who i thought were good LB's;

S.Grainger
B.Tucker
J.Murray
I.Anderson

(Hreidarsson seemed to play in the midfield/back 5, as in alot of matches the team included. Powell;Bates;Anderson or Watson;Boxall as well as Herman)
 

Left backs

Martin Grainger for me then Anderson...saw "skinhead" playing for Birmingham on sky ones "Soccor all stars"...still upsets me to see him wear that shirt :sad: ...booooo.
 

Left backs

I think Hermann played as the left of a central back three, with Ijah or Watson as left back / left wing back. Not sure he played for us as an out and out left back.
 

Left backs

Stanislaus, Statham (might have been Hughton), Grainger
 
Last edited:

Left backs

Chris Hughton - his form in 92/3 led us to the best league position in my lifetime - his injury coincided with the slip down the championship.
 

Left backs

Haywire said:
Stanislaus, Statham, Grainger
Click to expand...

statham was a rb !!

forgot about stanislaus, but he was better going forward than defending! but was a talented player that didn't realise his potential.
 

Left backs

When we first signed Hermann we were playing 3-5-2 and he played left of that.

When we switched to 4-4-2 he played the odd game at left back, I remember sitting in the stands at Exeter with Paul Watson and Ijah Anderson while Hermann played left back lol, but for most of his Bees career he played alongside Powell as a central defender.
 

Left backs

Is this the sort of thread where I can call Grainger a ****candle?
 

Left backs

Grainger for me, followed by Anderson. Hughton had class but wasn't with us long enough to establish a reputation as a great Bee (I count Hreidarsson as a centre back, also Houston who went on to be a top level LB but played no more than 1 or 2 matchs for us in that position)

Cult LB would have to be Dick Renwick: right foot anchored in the turf, swinging the left at anything that moved (ball, opponent, linesman, pigeons)
 

Left backs

..........................Ijah.....................
 

Left backs

GP200 said:
..........................Ijah.....................
Click to expand...

Ijah for me as well!!!

However i do remember his 1st game for us away at Rotherham (left wing i think) he had a mare :eek: :eek: :eek:

Was always impressed with Graingers no nonsense tackling, loved a 50-50 that boy oh happy days.
 

Left backs

Billy Manuel werent bad boys...Remember him getting Supporters Player Of the year in 92-93...Roger Stanislaus was always flying down the left side to:eek: Not sure what he was on.....lol
 

Left backs

Mike Allen was a very under-rated player, who spent a good few seasons in the early/mid 70's in the left-back position.
 

Left backs

Stanislaus (wasn't he nicknamed Tyson.......or have i made that up) :confused:

Billy the Pitbull :wave:

I think Grainger was the best left back we've had by a country mile though. What a left peg he had on him :sorted:
 

Left backs

Neil Clement. ;) :D

There was also another really poor left back on loan, during Noades spell in charge, was he from Birmingham or Oxford.
 

Left backs

Don't get me started on Simon Marsh, totally the most awful loan signing ever.

He wa sout of the game around 2-3 years after playing for England U 21. Seemed totally disinterested in playing football.
 

Left backs

Martin Grainger stands head & shoulders above all other candidates.
Not a position you can say we have been blessed with in all honesty.

When you look at the calibre of player we've had at GP in the last 20-30 years in terms of strikers, the ocassional midfielder & most recently a procession of excellent centre-backs, many of whom have gone on / will go on (Mr Turner) to grace the top division, beyond Grainger, no other regular left back has gone on to clearly better himself.

Stanislaus had genuine talent, no question, but other than that, a bunch of triers really.

Has now set me to thinking about the right full back, have we fared any better here? Roger Joseph is the one who springs to my mind, he had a very solid career at Wimbledon, but there must be some other right backs who went on to a good career at a higher level.....anyone??!!
 

Left backs

WarrenBee said:
I always thought that Jamie Murray was a pretty decent L/B, didn't we sign him from Cambridge?

:wave: :wave:
Click to expand...

Yes.

Always remember what I think was Graham Wilkins last game for us. He went to play a ball down the line, missed it & fell over, broke his arm or shoulder and never played again for us.
 

Left backs

WarrenBee said:
I always thought that Jamie Murray was a pretty decent L/B, didn't we sign him from Cambridge?

:wave: :wave:
Click to expand...

Decent League One FB, who got forward well - remember him laying on the goal for Robbie Cooke in the 1985 Leyland Vans final at Wembley

Main memory of him however is being the only case I can recall of a ref recalling a player he'd sent off: Murray had been booked in the first half and in the second half he was in a clash with the opponents' No 3 (before squad numbering) who had unusually found himself on their right wing. Linesman obviously said to ref that "no 3" had committed a bookable offence, ref gave Murray second booking, but as he was going off, linesman made ref aware that he meant the other team's no 3
 

Left backs

West Ealing Bee said:
When we first signed Hermann we were playing 3-5-2 and he played left of that.

When we switched to 4-4-2 he played the odd game at left back, I remember sitting in the stands at Exeter with Paul Watson and Ijah Anderson while Hermann played left back lol, but for most of his Bees career he played alongside Powell as a central defender.
Click to expand...

I also remember him starting one home game in the centre of midfield, probably with Paul Evans.

I would go for Martin Grainger as best left-back, despite his lack of pace.

Ijah should have played at a higher level in my opinion.

Anyone know what he is doing now?
 

Left backs

sgaz said:
He's bang on the coke isn't he? :wave: :fishing:
Click to expand...

I think his ban's expired. Not sure if he went back to Swansea or not but either way hasn't really been making a name for himself which is a shame
 

Left backs

I seem to remember Chris Hughton turning out for us in the promotion winning season? or am i just going mad???

otherwise grainger - legend.

billy manuel decent left back - also played a blinder in central midfield a couple of times.
 

Left backs

Stuardo said:
I seem to remember Chris Hughton turning out for us in the promotion winning season? or am i just going mad???

otherwise grainger - legend.

billy manuel decent left back - also played a blinder in central midfield a couple of times.
Click to expand...

I think Hughton came to us in the close season after promotion.

In our season in what is now the Championship, he was a regular until around December, when he got a serious injury and never played again... and our failure to get a proper left-back (Bates, Mortimer, Gayle amongst those I think I can recall playing LB) was a significant factor in our relegation
 

Left backs

Brain-dead Bee said:
I think Hughton came to us in the close season after promotion.

In our season in what is now the Championship, he was a regular until around December, when he got a serious injury and never played again... and our failure to get a proper left-back (Bates, Mortimer, Gayle amongst those I think I can recall playing LB) was a significant factor in our relegation
Click to expand...

Hughton played the last 10-15 games (don't know the exact amount) for us in the promotion season. I would agree however, that he was badly missed when he got injured the following season
 

Left backs

Grainger for me by some distance and I go back to the Alan Jones era. Stanislaus, for a short period, was pretty decent but I never rated ijah and never understood the adulation he received. He was a competent defender but his distribution was average at best.
 

Left backs

Sid Tickeridge, siogned from Chelsea in the 1950's.

I remember him putting Garrincha into touch when we played a World Eleven under lights in the 1950's.

'The Little Bird' was Garrincha's nickname, I think - well he never flew past good old Sid.
 

Left backs

Good old Sid, only lasted a season for us I think.

Alun Jones & Barry Tucker were both very capable players. For sheer fun however, it would be great to see Dick Renwick playing for the present team -certainly one of the hardest players of the last 50 years for Brentford.
 

Left backs

Last 40 Years it has to be Martin Grainger One of the most talented players to play for us. Also liked Ijah and Barry Tucker. Dick Renwick, although not the best was a legend built like a Brick S***house, used to kick lumps out of us at Aldersh*t then kicked Lumps out of the opposition for us. Would not last 5 minutes in the modern game as would be permantly Suspended.
 

Left backs

MARTIN GRAINGER!!! :wave: :sorted:

Was sick when he left for the Brum scum though the abuse he got at the home game vs Carlisle just before he left also made me sick.

Is he still at Bishop Stortford?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom