Spirit of Cheltenham EFL XI

[Si Robin]

No he doesn't, but you're completely missing the point of the OP and then getting on your high horse when literally everyone else tries to explain it to you.

Michael Duff wasn't playing above himself at Cheltenham. He was great, one of our best ever, but he went on to bigger and better things after he left us - eventually going on to be a regular in the Premier League for Burnley.

Andy Gallianagh and Dave Bird (as examples) not only peaked with Cheltenham, but overreached. Gallers is part of a defence that kept the most clean sheets in a row in the 3rd tier for the club. Dave Bird left us and went down to Gloucester for a year or two before giving up entirely around the age of 30. They encompassed the spirit of Cheltenham.

Duff - as good as he was for the club - does not fit into this 11, no matter how much you scream and stamp your feet over it.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

To be fair to Dale, if I remember correctly it was he who decided he wasn't able to step up. It takes a big man to recognise their deficiencies and not take the wage regardless.

As for Duff - he absolutely does not qualify for this. As a player he threw his toys out of the pram in demanding the move to Burnley, then as a manager he left for the first club to offer him a decent wedge.

Mickey is a club legend - of course he is - but he never put the club above his personal ambition.

Whats he supposed to do stay at Chelt till he is grey!!!!!!!!!!

For the purposes of the metaphysical Spirit of Cheltenham, yes. He didn’t reach a level of performance or commitment here which transcended himself or the game itself.

The reason why players who leave for something better are excluded from this discussion is because for those players who embody the Spirit of Cheltenham there is simply nothing better for them to leave to.

[Artemis]

Excluded from the discussion? Really? Surely players like Duff, McCann, Butland can be discussed, even if, as is the case, the discussion is brief to discount them based on the criteria set.

[Artemis]

Anyway, Bob Bloomer would be in my 11, along with Dave Bird, holding the midfield together.
Gavin Caines and Andy Gallinagh at the back. Grayson up front along with Damien Spencer. Book in goal.

I'll think of the rest later.

[Si Robin]

My 11:

Scott Brown - I know he went to Aberdeen and played in Europe, but he came back and wanted to come back again (It's f#!$ £5k Johnson!!!)

Jerry Gill
Mark Freeman
Alan Bennett
Jamie Victory

John Finnigan
Lee Howells
Dave Bird

George Lloyd
Neil Grayson
Damian Spencer

[shevates]

Richard Forsyth

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Richard Forsyth

The retaken penalty in the Northampton thriller. Peak of the Bobby Gould Entertainers era.

[duckers]

Not seen a penalty taken more exactly the same 3 times in a row since then.

Book
Gill Brough Gallinagh Victory
Long Bird Howells Milton
Alsop Grayson

[1985CTFC]

No he doesn't, but you're completely missing the point of the OP and then getting on your high horse when literally everyone else tries to explain it to you.

Michael Duff wasn't playing above himself at Cheltenham. He was great, one of our best ever, but he went on to bigger and better things after he left us - eventually going on to be a regular in the Premier League for Burnley.

Andy Gallianagh and Dave Bird (as examples) not only peaked with Cheltenham, but overreached. Gallers is part of a defence that kept the most clean sheets in a row in the 3rd tier for the club. Dave Bird left us and went down to Gloucester for a year or two before giving up entirely around the age of 30. They encompassed the spirit of Cheltenham.

Duff - as good as he was for the club - does not fit into this 11, no matter how much you scream and stamp your feet over it.

Not screaming and shouting just voicing my opinion. I know the criteria, don't need to explain it to me. Maybe we have a difference as to what Spirit of Cheltenham means.
But as I have mentioned before with regard to this Cheltenham Spirit which apparently no other club has this Spirit but we do, I think is slightly laughable.
No one here I would say have followed another team as closely as Cheltenham, hence very little knowledge of any other clubs and certainly not all clubs in the EFL. Reading other forums from efl clubs they also have players they talk about from their history which indicate a passion and spirit for their club.
I've watched Cheltenham from Non league days until now from Collicutt, and Vircavs to Tozer and Curtis Davies.
Seen all the ones mentioned above, no indication they had anymore spirit than most players pulling on the shirt. I admit some have fallen short of the so called spirit, but most players I have seen over the years have like most professional footballers given their best in a game, not all but most.
Think some of you need to take your rose tinted non league glasses off, RGS incase.

That's the end of my sermon. No more from me on this subject you will be glad to hear.

[1985CTFC]

My 11:

Scott Brown - I know he went to Aberdeen and played in Europe, but he came back and wanted to come back again (It's f#!$ £5k Johnson!!!)

Jerry Gill
Mark Freeman
Alan Bennett
Jamie Victory

John Finnigan
Lee Howells
Dave Bird

George Lloyd
Neil Grayson
Damian Spencer

Alan Bennett???? Really Goodish player 61 games , not offered a new contract after 2 yrs... you should be able to do better that that!

[1985CTFC]

Excluded from the discussion? Really? Surely players like Duff, McCann, Butland can be discussed, even if, as is the case, the discussion is brief to discount them based on the criteria set.

Precisely. Butland well worth a shout as well.
RGS does talk a load of balls sometime ....metaphysical Spirit of Cheltenham,......nonsense gobble gook with regard to football.

[Si Robin]

Alan Bennett???? Really Goodish player 61 games , not offered a new contract after 2 yrs... you should be able to do better that that!

Was actually let go after 18 months due to Yatesy not believing in him. My opinion is that he is the best captain we've ever had - certainly in the 30 years I've been attending games. Had he been trusted for the remainder of the 12/13 season I believe his leadership would have got us promoted.

I make no secret that Benno is one of my all-time favourite Cheltenham players, if not my actual favourite.

[1985CTFC]

To be fair to Dale, if I remember correctly it was he who decided he wasn't able to step up. It takes a big man to recognise their deficiencies and not take the wage regardless.

As for Duff - he absolutely does not qualify for this. As a player he threw his toys out of the pram in demanding the move to Burnley, then as a manager he left for the first club to offer him a decent wedge.

Mickey is a club legend - of course he is - but he never put the club above his personal ambition.

Whats he supposed to do stay at Chelt till he is grey!!!!!!!!!!

For the purposes of the metaphysical Spirit of Cheltenham, yes. He didn’t reach a level of performance or commitment here which transcended himself or the game itself.

The reason why players who leave for something better are excluded from this discussion is because for those players who embody the Spirit of Cheltenham there is simply nothing better for them to leave to.

8 years and 300 games , then off to Burnley and you say he didn't reach a level of performance and commitment.
Obviously RGS you didn't watch any of the 300 games, probably because ifollow didn't exist for you then!!!!

Be interested to know how many games you watch live past and present. How many of the 130 games he played for us did you see Andy Gallinagh play in. Not many I suspect. He was a young lad with limited abilty who gave 100% like many many players over time, but I didn't see any 'metaphysical Spirit of Cheltenham', blowing out his bum anymore than someone like Dave Norton or Steve Brookes.
He wasn't even a local lad either.

[1985CTFC]

I am enjoying this!!!!!!!!

[asl]

I can't make up my mind whether you're deliberately ignoring the point or not...

You said you understood the parameters of the OP yet picked Collicutt in your team, irrespective of any other discussion. I think that clarifies that you *didn't* understand the question in the first place...

[asl]

FWIW:

Brown (for reasons already mentioned by others. Book would be a close second).

Gill (was never actually as good as he looked in a CTFC shirt).
Freeman (put him in another team, not alongside Banks and Victory, and I suspect he'd be mediocre at best. One of my all time favourite players, unsurpassed where effort and 'punching above his weight' is concerned).
Brough (the archetypal 'run through brick walls' guy. Could play CB or emergency striker. Without a doubt, looked so much better than he actually was).
Victory (my all-time favourite, no idea why he wasn't snapped up by a bigger team - the fact that he stayed with us qualifies him for this list).

Howells (ditto Jamie)
Bloomer (another who wasn't actually as good as he often appeared to be - but his passion for the cause saw him through).
Yates (another favourite of mine as a player. Happy to run through those brick walls, could force others to follow his lead).
Milton (the fact that he's still part of the furniture tells you everything about the nature of his red-and-white-striped blood).

Spencer (cult hero who covered every blade of grass - mostly because his first touch was so poor. Was he good enough to play EFL football? Not really...even if Crewe thought he was. However, to say he performed above his actual ability is an understatement).
Grayson (stuck his head where others feared to tread. Like Jamie, a brilliant player who could have gone elsewhere when his stock was high - but didn't and his passion for the CTFC cause was clear).

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Excluded from the discussion? Really? Surely players like Duff, McCann, Butland can be discussed, even if, as is the case, the discussion is brief to discount them based on the criteria set.

Precisely. Butland well worth a shout as well.
RGS does talk a load of balls sometime ....metaphysical Spirit of Cheltenham,......nonsense gobble gook with regard to football.

No need to engage in the thread if you don’t agree with the concept.

I remember you couldn’t grasp the idea of “we are Cheltenham” being the most influential team talk a manager could give.

It’s the same concept.

[Artemis]

My 11:

Scott Brown - I know he went to Aberdeen and played in Europe, but he came back and wanted to come back again (It's f#!$ £5k Johnson!!!)

Jerry Gill
Mark Freeman
Alan Bennett
Jamie Victory

John Finnigan
Lee Howells
Dave Bird

George Lloyd
Neil Grayson
Damian Spencer

Alan Bennett???? Really Goodish player 61 games , not offered a new contract after 2 yrs... you should be able to do better that that!

Alan Bennett would have walked through brick walls for this club. Someone who didn't go on to better things when Yates decided his time was up makes him a good shout for this team; his emotions after that play off defeat epitomises the spirit of Cheltenham.

However, Gallinagh and (changing my mind) Boca Freeman are my two centre backs. Neither ever good enough for league football, more than getting by with passion, belief and good old underdog spirit.
Although if I played 3 centre backs, I could keep Gavin Caines (with Gallinagh in the sweeper role)

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Cheltenham legend and one of the living embodiments of what to be Cheltenham means, John Brough, interviewed on Severn Sport’s Buttees for Breakfast on the weekend just gone.

https://severnsport.co.uk/gloucestershi ... -13-april/