One for the older bears pt2

[Barcelona72]

Both of them were great players when Britain was blessed with some fantastic midfielders, but I would put Billy Bremner above Alan Ball every time.
Bremner was at Leeds for 16 years, and for those of you that say he did not win very much,
He won all that there is to win domestically,
the English League Championship (2), The FA Cup, The League Cup and the Charity Shield.
He also led his team to FIVE European Finals, winning the Fairs Cup (2), and was a Runner up in all three European Competitions.
He was also a Runner Up in the League 5 times, and 3 times in the FA CUP.
All of this in a 10 year period between 65-75.
Bremner was voted the FWA Footballer of the Year for England in 1970, the same year that Alan Ball won his only domestic honour.

There is good reason as to why there is a Statue of Billy Bremner outside Elland Rd.

Internationally, only Denis Law with 55 Caps, was capped more for Scotland than Billy Bremner (54).

Having said all that, during that period of the mid 60's to the early 70's, our very own John Greig was better than both of them!

Do you mean in that era Mo? Surely there are a lot of players with more caps than 55. Dalglish for one.

 

[Lanark Bear in the NE]

When Ball spoke, he was a wee irritating C*nt

 

[MO_TxTruBlu]

Do you mean in that era Mo? Surely there are a lot of players with more caps than 55. Dalglish for one.

Yes, I meant at that particular time.
George Young had 53 or 54 Caps and that was a record that stood for almost 20 years I think,
until it was equaled/surpassed by Bremner and Law around 1974-75.
Dalglish got his 56th cap at the 78' World Cup, and went on to win 102 Caps by 86'.

Of course, as ridiculous as it is in recent times, fannies like Scott Brown and Gary Caldwell have both got 55 Caps for Scotland, and other diddies the likes of Christian Dailly, Roy Aitken, Tom Boyd, Jim Leighton have all won more Caps than Law and Bremner.

 

[Superrangers]

Both before my time but I have seen and read a lot about a lot of football of their era. Ball was a far more skillful footballer with Bremner being more a destroyer/one who did the dirty work.

 

[BobbyShearer]

Have you thought about doing these threads regularly with a more Rangers orientated theme OP?

I’m late 30s but brilliant to read a discussion like this from the point of view of folk there at the time and would be really good to see the merits of certain older players/issues discussed on a regular basis with a few stories here and there.

These type of threads don’t come up enough for me on here.

 

[Barcelona72]

B

Yes, I meant at that particular time.
George Young had 53 or 54 Caps and that was a record that stood for almost 20 years I think,
until it was equaled/surpassed by Bremner and Law around 1974-75.
Dalglish got his 56th cap at the 78' World Cup, and went on to win 102 Caps by 86'.

Of course, as ridiculous as it is in recent times, fannies like Scott Brown and Gary Caldwell have both got 55 Caps for Scotland, and other diddies the likes of Christian Dailly, Roy Aitken, Tom Boyd, Jim Leighton have all won more Caps than Law and Bremner.

Yes ridiculous as you say how some of them got so many and players like Alex Mac Donald and john brown got one between them I think. . I stopped caring about Scotland a long time ago which is a shame. Back to the op and I think bremner just shaded it for me.

 

[Grimsdale]

Have you thought about doing these threads regularly with a more Rangers orientated theme OP?

I’m late 30s but brilliant to read a discussion like this from the point of view of folk there at the time and would be really good to see the merits of certain older players/issues discussed on a regular basis with a few stories here and there.

These type of threads don’t come up enough for me on here.

Thinking back there are a few comparisons that could be done and certainly a few with Rangers players but I think having non Gers players takes away the bias. Thanks for your comments....much appreciated.

 

[SDF]

Souness was quoted as saying there were two players he couldn't get near on a football pitch.

One was Zico. The other was Alan Ball.