Re: Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.
 

Matthews was unique Mancie.

He is the one person who could have lived with today’s game at the age of 38. A non smoking teetotaller he was superbly fit. Fit enough to play his last game for Stoke in the first division at 49. Read about his career.

I lived during that era and watched the game. You did not. Thus I can make a comparison based on what I saw not what I heard about.

But have it your own way. I don’t propose to argue as to who has the blackest cat.

Re: Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.
 

Of course i did not live in that "era" but what "era" is that?..40's ..50's?.. no black cats the game over the last 20yrs here has gone from smoking fags at half time to the extremes of fitness.. players these days are extremely fit...and the game is much faster..players such as Sir Stan will always reign .. but even my personal hero Sir Bobby Charlton would not be able to compete at 38yrs in a game that has got faster and ... more skillfull.. no doubt.... This Premiership is the fasted and most competitve league...no doubt to me.. and I ...along with any old boys in here have seen good players over the years.

Re: Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.
 

And just realised it's Jambutty that harks on about wether we should empoy modern tech to get the cameras on and stop the game.. the same bloke goes on about how good it was in the 50 tees

Re: Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.
 

You just can’t accept that someone has an opinion that is different to yours, can you?

It is gratifying to learn that you can predict what someone would or would not be able to do. Try applying your crystal ball knowledge to the Lottery numbers.

Harking on about something means continually going on about it. I have mention once that maybe the FA, Football League and FIFA should consider using technology to determine the outcome of ‘incidents’ in a game.

But then why not twist the reality to suit your puerile case. It’s par for the course. Why do you always turn things into a competition? An opinion is an opinion and if based on fact there is no right or wrong, just different.

Back in the late forties and early fifties the First Division (what is today the Premier League) players played fewer games than today’s lot. There were league matches and the FA Cup and for the few, international matches and that was it.

Some time ago I put a stopwatch on a Premier League match to see how long the ball was actually in play. The result was a bit less than 60 minutes. So according to you during the other 30 minutes the players were all running around. Get real! They were stood around or positioning themselves waiting for the ball to be put back into play.

Back in the fifties in the First Division, action was to all intents and purposes, non-stop attacking football. You only get that in bits and pieces today in general, although there have been exceptions.

So grow up and learn the art of discussion.

Re: Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.
 

Well.. that's me told off!

Re: Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.
 

That's a mild reply by your standards Mancie, must be mellowing in your old age:D

Re: Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.
 

The other night I watched quite abit of the footage from the '53 final and have to say Sir Stan was fantastic, even at 38yrs he looked like the quickest player on the pitch!...I've changed my opinion! :)

Re: Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.
 

I have often mused about this problem myself. I agree the game is maybe a tad faster and slicker, skills are also up a bit too. I think fitness today may also have an edge. There are also some great players.
BUT....
Put a player of Matthews capability and values on the field today and he would still run rings around the majority of our so called Premiership stars. You've got to think he'd have lightweight, hi-tech football boots, a lightweight hi-tech football and lightweight kit which would all go some way to offsetting the fitness void. Add on to that the fact if he was tackled and lost the ball he would stay on his feet 90% of the time and not collapse in a heap as though he'd been felled by Marciano.

I really think he'd do well in todays game.

Re: Your Greatest FA Cup Final Ever.
 

In his day no one could beat Stan over the first 10 yards.

I’d give you some Karma for that change of mind but I have to spread it round a bit first. I will try to remember though.