5 Most Influential Norwich Players

[Dubai Mark 0]

Reading some of the comments on the 5 Best Norwich Managers thread, its clear that the impact of Grant Holt in addition to PL is seen as a key component by several to City''s success over the last three seasons. So, just how influential has Grant Holt been when compared to others in our club''s history? I think that''s another question that really gets you thinking, because of course, "most influential" doesnt necessarily mean the "best".....

1) Grant Holt - despite lots of serious competition from some class acts, I think he just shades it. Mainly because of his step-up to The Premier League and proving all the doubters wrong, his pure effort and enthusiasm in every game he plays plus he is actually also a great leader.

2) (perhaps 1st =) Darren Huckerby - not often a player of such a high calibre shows the loyalty to a club that he did, and then becomes a real supporter of the club that he clearly loves. How many times did this man almost win games on his own, probably the player who generated the most crowd excitement consistently in the history of our club, and we have had a few who have done that.

3) Martin Peters - at the time he joined us it was a major signing, the type of which we will unlikely see again, and once he settled into the team he didnt disappoint, pure class who made the team tick. 

4) Duncan Forbes - I was only a youngster when Big Dunc was playing, but the way he played was inspirational to me. He was all passion and effort and for me the first real iconic footballer I had seen at Carrow Road, although I know there were many before him, but before my time.

5) Iwan Roberts - started slowly but ended up being a real legend. Nobody during my time supporting the club has consistently  "led the line" better, and he was another player who gave 100% effort, wore the shirt with pride every match and who we missed terribly if he didnt play. He should have had a season at least in the Premier League with us!

 

Now I am looking over the list I could easily change my mind, as I have no place for Mick Channon, Dion Dublin, Martin O''Neill, Darren Eadie and several other influential players I have seen at Carrow Road, we have actually been lucky over the years..........  

[Blainsey 2]

Good topic!

In no order;

1) Huckerby - probably the only ''marquee'' signing we have made since Ive been supporting the club. Big name signing who sent shockwaves when he arrived and galvanised us to win the league. He is the player I have been most excited about us signing upon reading the announcement.

2) Ian Crook - Held the midfield together for a decade. Consistent solid performances and his eye for a pass or free kick was exemplary.

3) Iwan Roberts - Just kept on scoring when all around him couldn''t.

4) Mark Bowen - Our best ever left back imo. Calm, dependable and held the back line together at times.

5) John Ruddy - bit left-field but after Fraser left I feared the worst yet he has been superb (the odd shocker aside), comfortably held his own in the Prem and now got into the England squad.

[???? 0]

Mark Fothringham ;)

[PurpleCanary 5,560]

[quote user="Dubai Mark"]

Reading some of the comments on the 5 Best Norwich Managers thread, its clear that the impact of Grant Holt in addition to PL is seen as a key component by several to City''s success over the last three seasons. So, just how influential has Grant Holt been when compared to others in our club''s history? I think that''s another question that really gets you thinking, because of course, "most influential" doesnt necessarily mean the "best".....

[/quote]

 

Martin Peters. By whatever a country mile is. After him, in no particular order, Duncan Forbes, Martin O''Neill, Steve Bruce and Dave Stringer(because his playing career influenced his managerial career).

[Old Shuck 183]

Another good one to mull over-have enjoyed reading all of the Managers thread, it hasn''t gone OT yet...hurrah!

 

Chronologically and in my NCFC supporting time as well,my 5 Players Of Influence would be...

 

1. Duncan Forbes-   All the cliches apply-battle hardened, granite, you''d want him in the trenches with you, born leader etc. An inspiration if maybe not the best footballer to have ever played for the club-but certainly one of the most inspirational.

 

2. Martin Peters- £50''000?!! He came here expected to wind down his career and ended up playing more games for us than he did for Tottenham-there was even talk of an England recall at one point-I remember that he was eventually seen as being too old-then the older Ian Callaghan got the nod! Probably the only player who has played, let alone scored in a World Cup final who''ll play for Norwich. Class on and off the pitch, gave our play a different dimension, forced opponents to respect us and gave the club a lot of credibility.

 

3. Martin O''Neill -controversial of course, but another player who, when he played for us, improved the team on his own. Left for Man City when we were relegated after he had joined, later admitted his mistake, came back and was the fulcrum of the team that won promotion with a staggeringly good run at the end of the 82/83 season-8 wins in 10 games or similar. Too short a time spent with us as a player or Manager-still think he''ll be back at Carrow Road in some capacity one day. Maybe his time with us was too short and the manner of his three departures too acrimonious to count, but, like Hucks, he was a marquee signing at the time, the sort of player (League Championship winner, European Cup winner) we''re unlikely to get now.

 

4. Darren Huckerby- Remember the experiment at school when the Chemistry teacher drops the little piece of Sodium into water and the reaction? Thats what Hucks did here. Made things happen, made the players around him want to aspire to heights of their own. An all too rare case of a player and a club being made for each other. Got you on the edge of your seat, made things happen, tore defences new arseholes on regular occasions. Says that after his goal against Arsenal, Thierry Henry ran over to him and said "...''uckerby, you are a very good player". Says it all.

 

5. Grant Holt- Gunny had the right idea, build a team around Holt''s determination, desire and sheer bloody minded will to win against all the odds-said bloody mindedness reflected in his contract adventures this Summer. What you see is what you get-bloke down the pub who happens to be a good footballer. The other players respect him, opposing ones don''t like playing against him. Gave Terry a torrid time last season. Like the saying goes-he''s a bully and a bit of a bastard and he puts himself about-but he''s ours! I suspect we''d hate him if he didn''t play for us.

 

I''m hoping Jonny Howson might be on a list like this one day!!

 

 

[PurpleCanary 5,560]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"]

 

Martin Peters. By whatever a country mile is. After him, in no particular order, Duncan Forbes, Martin O''Neill, Steve Bruce and Dave Stringer(because his playing career influenced his managerial career).

[/quote]

 

On reflection I would put Phil Boyer in there ahead of O''Neill, because Boyer played  as centre-forward in a different way to that of the traditional English targetman, and as such was crucial to the Bond style of football.

[Sing Up The South Stand 0]

I''m only going to go by players since I''ve been going, in 1996...

1. Grant Holt - for all the reasons people have said.

2. Darren Huckerby (I could swap either of them).

3. Malky MacKay

4. Iwan Roberts

5. Darren Eadie

[Mister Chops 7]

From a slightly more limited era:  By "influential" I''ve tried to pick players who, if they had an off day, the team had an off-day and vice-versa.  No particular order.Ian CrookGrant HoltDarren HuckerbySteve BruceIwan Roberts

[star_manic 0]

[quote user="PurpleCanary"][quote user="PurpleCanary"]

 

Martin Peters. By whatever a country mile is. After him, in no particular order, Duncan Forbes, Martin O''Neill, Steve Bruce and Dave Stringer(because his playing career influenced his managerial career).

[/quote]

 

On reflection I would put Phil Boyer in there ahead of O''Neill, because Boyer played  as centre-forward in a different way to that of the traditional English targetman, and as such was crucial to the Bond style of football.

[/quote]........charlie was more of the old fashioned inside forward than centre forward. but he certainly made ted macdougall tick. add peters, crook, hucks and big dunc, who never ever got sent off. wouldn''t last 10 minutes in todays matches.[;)]

[Dubai Mark 0]

Really your reply Old Shuck''s and now I''m thinking that I should have put Martin Peters in at at No.1, I remember a couple of away performances in particular at Chelsea and Forest when he was just different class and we spent the home journey waxing lyrical about him. I actually got to meet him a couple of times before he joined us as he used to bring his family on holiday to Hopton-on-Sea where my Dad worked, it was amazing then to meet a World Cup Winner...and he drove a Cortina in those days!