Lee Trundle
12:42 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Manuel & The Mercernary
For me, and as you've said it's all about opinions, you'd have to serve the vast majority of your career at the club and left you mark. I think those I mentioned have done so.
I'm wouldn't criticise having Hurst and Dicks on your lists. Both are worthy shouts.
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The Mercernary
12:29 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Syd King is a great shout.
Did you deliberately leave out Sir Geoff? Interesting if you did. Just goes to show how different each of our lists can be.
Some other characters who have yet to be mentioned:
Ernie Gregory and Peter Brabrook, for both on field and off field service.
Then those that were all before my time but after reading about them, I'd have loved to see them play:
Ted Hufton, Dick Walker, Noel Cantwell, Len Goulden, Danny Shea, Syd Puddefoot and finally one of my favourites is goalkeeper George Kitchen, who doubled up as the club penalty taker! 205 appearances and six goals - he even scored on his debut!
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Manuel
12:24 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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LT - It is just about opinions, as I said yesterday.
Take Julian - Our best ever LB, a great player, carried the club on his own for a number years and was a massive fans favourite and let nothing out there. That for me qualifies him as a club legend. But I do get why some think you can only be a legend if you basically have a halo above your head and have only ever played for WH or never left, and also won something i.e Brooking, Bonds.
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The Mercernary
12:13 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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A very thoughtful post Easthammer!
I think you've made a case for different levels of legend now, which perhaps is only right.
There are West Ham players/managers that our fans think are legends. Then there are those that are famous nationally, and finally the ultimate legend is someone who's famous around the world. Probably only Bobby and Geoff in that last category.
Maybe Lionel Scaloni for guiding Argentina to a World Cup triumph?
swt
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Lee Trundle
12:12 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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The bar is set high for when I come to suggest legends for the club.
Syd King
Vic Watson
Bobby Moore
Billy Bonds
Trevor Brooking
Noble will come close, eventually, I reckon.
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Oh dear
11:50 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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The real West Ham Legends are the supporters.
As Sir Trevor and Billy Bonds were supporters too that makes them Legendary Supporters.
Bobby Moore was a true gentlemen and arguably England's greatest ever player, but never wanted to play for the club.
So he was a Legendary English footballer who played for West Ham (under sufferance)
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Manuel
4:27 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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I think people can be a bit stuffy when handing out legend status (on here anyway) if you have been a great player, played a decent number of games, been a big fans favourite and been passionate about our club then for me that gives you legend status, so Di Canio, Frank Mac and Julian are WH legends all day long.
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easthammer
3:57 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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I think the pronouncement of a "legend" has become everyday. The adoption of the title into everyday language means that people don't have to achieve very much to have it applied to them. Apparently, I am one for just getting the correct orders on a coffee run :)
The Cambridge Dictionary's definition
"someone very famous and admired, usually because of their ability in a particular area:"
There seem to be three main components to that definition.
Very Famous
Admired
Ability (usually)
None of these qualities are easily identified.
Take Very Famous for example are we considering Legends across the population at large, the football community or just West Ham fans?
Bobby Moore fits all three
Mark Noble probably not famous across the wider population
Vic Watson is famous to just real West Ham fans (and maybe not even all of those, even I didn't see him play!)
Now Admiration is a really tricky one and where it must be down to opinion. For example, Rice is probably quite famous and admired across football maybe even among the population at large. But a quick read through WHO shows that doesn't apply to the fans (well the admired bit doesn't!
The Ability bit again is fraught with difficulty. Is it to be limited to on-field skills and records of achievement? To illustrate the point I would throw another name into the mix which I have not seen anyone else mention.
Malcolm Allison. If you know anything thing about the history and development of the club (particularly "The West Ham Way") Allison was of unexceptional playing ability, (except for the fact he returned to first-team football after the removal of half a lung) but he probably without him Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst and Ron Greenwood might never have been heard of.
So in short choices of Legends need some thought and justification and people will disagree. Such is football such is WHO
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The Mercernary
2:57 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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The good news is that it’s entirely up to you who your legends are. Apart from Bobby perhaps, if you never saw someone play live it’s difficult for you to say they’re a legend.
It’s a bit unfair on the youngsters if you say you can’t class anyone in the PL era as legends, for example. When they look back in 30 years time they’ll be just as misty eyed about Noble, as we are about Brooking.
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bigfrank
2:50 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Legends
Greenwood
Lyall
Hurst
Moore
Peters
Brooking
Devonshire
Bonds
Noble
Pop Robson
Vic Watson
Heroes
Van der elst
Dicks
Best
Boys of 86
Di Canio
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Darlo Debs
1:45 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Fifth I'd also put Paul.Konchesky in that ax well. I mean not maybe the best player as compared to others mentioned but he wore our badge with pride and that cross/ shot in the 2006 Cup final was pretty legendary.
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Fifth Column
1:40 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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I wouldn't have Rice or Parker or Rio as legends. I can't say why. Maybe because in my head I feel that to them we weren't necessarily loved. No doubt Rice and Rio had affection for the club but I never felt like they were one of us despite Rice's intelligent public statements.
Yet I would put Ludo up there. Cottee, Macavennie, Martin, Parkes. Brooking obvs. Rightly or wrongly they are all players who I got the impression felt they WERE West Ham. And i felt that with Tevez and Di Canio. Maybe some of those players were just better at pretending to feel an allegiance.
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Darlo Debs
1:34 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Abso-bloody-lutely
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Fifth Column
1:32 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Debs did you chant Paolo Di Catio opera style to tell the cat when its food was in its bowl?
If not, why not?
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Darlo Debs
1:29 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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What about Alvin Martin.woukd he not cou t as a Hammers Legend?
Di Canio deffo is as far as I am concerned. Even named my cat after him.
Paolo Di Catio.
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Fifth Column
1:29 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Mercenary
I think you need to have been a great player and not been a complete cunt to be labelled a legend. And probably you can achieve that in a single season.
For that reason, Tevez because of the great escape is a, legend in my eyes.
Payet meanwhile is primary a cunt who also happened to be a great player.
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northbankboy68
12:35 Mon Jul 3
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Pop Robson
Miklosko
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zico
10:33 Sun Jul 2
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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I think it depends really. I mean you could class every player to have a testimonial as a Legend but for me the likes of Frank McAvennie and Di Canio are legends in my eyes anyway. You could say Legends, Icons, Favourites. Always felt a bit sorry for Frank Lampard Senior as he never seems to stand next to the likes of Trevor and Bonzo from that era but I would certainly class him up there with them although not maybe as good a player.
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New Jersey
6:44 Sun Jul 2
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Most threads are about opinions, if it's pointless why fucking post on it?
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The Mercernary
6:32 Sun Jul 2
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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You certainly can be a legend without playing 100s of games. Payet and Tevez in particular divide opinion over this. The great escape season and the 2015/16 last season at the Boleyn were two of the most memorable in the last 30 years, and those two were key reasons for that.
Payet spoiled his legacy with the way it ended, but has anyone had the impact he had? Is one season enough?
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Manuel
5:51 Sun Jul 2
Re: Who are the real West Ham legends?
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Pretty pointless thread really, as apart from a few obvious ones (Moore, Brooking, Bonds) it's just comes down to opinions. Many have left Noble out, for example, and some have included Peters, even though he went to Spurs.
I'd say there's not really much difference between a 'legend' and a great player. Why can't you be a legend just because you didn't play 100's of games?
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