I heard some one say, " There are no real hard men in football anymore. " Who would you say are, were Frickley's
hard men and the hard men in opposition over the years? Think I'd nominate Bryn Jones, Steve Daniels, Peter Heaney,
Mark Hancock and Billy Whitehurst for The Blues.

Me

There's no other than Big Bad Billy, He was notorious in anyone's book, be it professional or non league. Alan Hansen said he was the hardest player he played again along with many others.
He even rolled with the Blades Business Crew as a player with Steve Cowans and his gang and took on anyone, when he became gaffer at Frickley I used to have a beer with him at the Harlequin club outside the ground as i played for the Pool and snooker team their. The physio at the time was Johnny Cox who worked with my old man at Frickley Colliery, he's now a good friend of mine and he's told me some cracking tales about Billy when at Frickley on away days and nights out with the lads.

And the best thing is, they are all true !

Certainly a larger than life character, few enjoyed playing against him, knew they'd be in for a battle.
Used to offer me free tickets for Sheff Utd Reserves when he had The Cricketers, didn't need them, used
my season-ticket. Usually had his friend, a Sunderland fan, with him, cannot remember his name but he
was a character too. Could have been Eric?
Jon Groome wasn't soft and added spirit to a side that lacked it. Ian 'Tommo' Thompson another who could
tackle hard and get stuck in.
As for oppostition hardmen Goole Town had the very hard tackling midfielder, Dawson?, cannot remember his
first name but believe he had short spell with Frickley, put Mark Hancock out of the game for a considerable
time, one of the worst tackles I have ever seen.
Probably the hardest player I have ever seen was John McGrath, a centre half who played for Southampton among
other clubs. Tommy Smith of Liverpool fame not far behind him and Souness(forgotten how to spell it) could dish it out as well as
run a midfield.
Vinny Jones of course played against Frickley in his non-league days, I believe as a centre back, can't remember who
he played for, remember both he and Billy Whitehurst in the same squad at Bramall Lane.

I saw 'Hard man' Vinny get laid out twice in games against Frickley - once by Barry Gill on his home turf of Wealdstone (FA Trophy match I think - 1985-86ish when I was living in London) and once up the Lane by Reedy.

If he was a hard man, then so am I - he cried like a girl when Gilly decked him.

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Rum by the kettle drum, whiskey by the jar, in Liars Bar

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Vinnie mentions Frickley in his book and i got the impression he was intimidated by the atmosphere at Frickley, being a young lad out of local football in Watford, it would have been a different world to him.

Reading books by Vinnie Jones and Steve Claridge (ex Weymouth), the then Alliance Premier League sounds like it was quite a tough league to play in.

Jack Charlton supposedly once said the Yorkshire League was the toughest league he ever played in, when Leeds United 'A' played there in the 1950's.

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Insanity is working 40 hours a week in an office for 40 years, then they tell you to get out, ending up in a home hoping to die before suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time.

I think the only player that used to scare me, even on T.V was Terry Hurlock at Millwall, looked a bit like Jimmy Bullard on steroids...I remember he was even on the verge of an England call up, but got some England B caps in the eighties.

The hardest Frickley player I saw was Ian Macdonald. He played in the old Midland League side around 1949 to about 1952. a centre-half who took no prisoners. In one game, an apposing centre half had kicked lumps out of a small Frickley forward. At the final whistle Mac chased the player and shall we say "had a word and impressed the error of his ways" with him. Around the same time, another hard man was keeper Ted Wiliams, he used to take everything in his way. An opponent tried giving him a hard time until Ted sorted things out. The opponent never played against Frickley again..he always seemed to be injured before the games.

Terry Hurlock was seriously scary, right player for the right club. Think Vinnie Jones toughened up at Wimbledon, didn't he
get sent off after about two minutes on his debut for Sheff Utd? Rightly so, was a terrible tackle. Graham Reed certainly could
be classified as a hard man on the field. Barry Gill was very strong, even Bradford City's Bobby Campbell said so after a friendly
at Westfield Lane and he was no weakling or angel.
Norman Hunter, Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles weren't exactly soft for Leeds. A lot of hard men on the field in those days,
including Chopper Harris (Chelsea), Peter Storey (Arsenal) and Nobby Stiles (Man Utd).
Wally Downes was a good player but could dish it out too for the likes of Wimbledon and Sheff Utd, not Neil Warnock's favourite
either.
The Northern Counties East used to be a very hard place to get the ball down and play when I first started watching it, hell of a lot
of mistimed and seriously dangerous tackles flying in. Improved in recent years.
I suppose Terry Barwick must be considered the ball winner/hard man in the present side.
The players mentioned by TMc before my time, but they sound hard to me.

Vinnie Jones in his Chelsea days got booked after 3 seconds after a wild challenge on Dane Whitehouse (Sheff Utd), I also remember him clattering Peter Reid (Man City) at the kick off after around 6 seconds when he moved to Sheff Utd, not sure whether he got booked or sent off.

He's not someone i consider a hardman, more of a wind up merchant...Vinnie was only hard in his own head. Anyone can throw themselves into reckless challenges. I remember seeing him on TV's the Gladiators back in the day, what a wimp he was.......I think even the girls game him a good beating that day

Around his era, Roy Keane, Razor Ruddock and Eric Cantona with his flying kicks were more to fear, and who remembers Mark Dennis, that centre half at Southampton who spent more time suspended than playing.

A very interesting topic........ In my days watching the Blades I remember a tenacious player called Trevor Hockey, played in the same team as Tony Currie, Alan Woodward, Geoff Salmons et al, he never took a step backwards. I also recall a player by the name of Mick Speight, who was a very tough player.

In non league one of the hardest players I saw was a guy called Phil Annabel who played for Burton Albion and Worksop. Around the same time Mossley and Marine had a few tough nuts, David Vaughan springs to mind for Mossley.

Trevor Hockey died while in his fourties, very sad. Really liked him, remember Leeds Utd fans calling him a werewolf.
Mick Speight from Upton, Frickley terriority. A good ball winner in midfield and tough, probably had his best days at
Blackburn Rovers. Think he was capped a England B level.
Worksop have had a few hard players over the years, like most clubs really.
Another hard man that springs to mind is Jimmy Case of Liverpool fame.
Think Vinnie Jones did get sent off in the Sheff Utd game, SMS.

Aye, You sound like me Dad telling about that great Blades team with Hockey, Woodward, Currie, Salmons and co.

Billy Whitehurst for me was the hard man, But Rod Belllfit (Not sure on spelling ) was hard he once broke a Goole goalies leg if i remember rightly after the goalie came out with his foot high and cut Rods leg then the next big ball forward sore Rod with foot high and the goalie never played again. The next season we had a whip round for him, as i say he dident play again if my memory is right.

Your Dad was right it was a very good side, I can remember the season we got promoted and beating a Man Utd team consisting of Best, Charlton and Law. I beleive we were top of the league after 10 games and finished just ouside a European place that season.

How about another hard man, Dave Makay ex Derby County.

I have that programme from the Man Utd game, my old man gave it to me, Before my time but i recall reading about it, Ken Furphy i believe was manager, wasn't it around a year later he was gone and they got relegated.

Anway here's a Blades nutcase for you, who thought he was a hard man......Charlie Hartfield

I can see Ross Kemp picking up on this thread and creating a programme