People who changed the sport of Football, forever

[PalazioVecchio]

People or institutions, clubs, tv companies whatever. Changed Football for better or for worse.

1. Arsene Wenger, prior to him we had drunken footballers that ate chips & burgers. Unprofessional have-a-go heroes.

2. Brian Clough.....his willingness to spend enormous money to get the very best players. Buying success. Often borrowing other people's money.

3. Jose Mourinho........took cynicism, time-wasting and cheating to a new level.

4. Roy Keane..........his walkout from a World Cup was the triumph of Club over country. He certainly wasn't the last to favour wealthy employer over 'national pride'.

5. David Beckham......a failed attempt to ruin the sport. Fashion, fame and glamour. How many other players, after him, produced a men's cologne brand ?

6. Ian Wright......drying the ball before a throw-in.

7. Marc Bosman.......set the precedent for a player to walk away from a club at the end of a contract.


what others ? please give your justifications

an interesting discussion on the old 'draft excluder' below

Why soccer players lie down during free kicks: Explaining 'draft excluder' behind the wall in matches | Sporting News

Have you noticed soccer players lying on the ground during free kicks and wondered what they're doing?

www.sportingnews.com

 

[Daddyorc]

I feel like people who have been watching for longer than I have will have more, but:

• Roman Abramovich - I'm sure it was done before, but really took buying a title to a new level. Also credited with likely changing the whole academy system to stock players for loans and future sales (feel free to correct me if there were earlier examples).
• Antonin Panenka - how many other players have a kick named after them? (maybe Cantona - but a different kind)

 

[Dubai Eagle]

People or institutions, clubs, tv companies whatever. Changed Football for better or for worse.

7. Marc Bosman.......set the precedent for a player to walk away from a club whenever a better offer was on the table.


what others ? please give your justifications

Wasnt the Bosman thing more to do with a player having the freedom to join another club at the end of his contract without his current club setting a transfer fee / having any involvement.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Pep……he has a lot to answer for, every bloody team you watch now from a premier league team down to Sheppey United think they’re that great Barcelona team.
The problem is they’re not!! It was great to watch at Barcelona and City can be a great watch, but if you haven’t got those great players to do it, all it looks like is tippy tappy aimless passing across the back and then back again while the other team just stands there watching waiting for their turn to do it, no real attacking intention because they haven’t got the ability to find anything other than the easy pass

 

[syd snot]

Jimmy Hill.
Raised the footballers minimum wage to £100.00 a week and introduced three points for a win to name two huge changes.

 

[PalazioVecchio]

• Antonin Panenka - how many other players have a kick named after them?

Johan Cruyff , 'the Cruyff turn'

and another one below.....

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/opinion/letters/18599274.letters-can-anyone-confirm-existence-jack-charltons-little-black-book-/

 

[Teddy Eagle]

George Best changed football from black & white into colour.

 

[RubinsCube]

I knew this pub quiz knowledge (the question has never come up for me) would come in useful one day.

John Alexander Brodie - a scouser who came up with the idea of having nets in the goals.

 

[cryrst]

Jimmy Hill.
Raised the footballers minimum wage to £100.00 a week and introduced three points for a win to name two huge changes.

And the only pundit to pick palace in that semi 4-3 against the bin dippers 👍

 

[Eaglehamster]

Pep……he has a lot to answer for, every bloody team you watch now from a premier league team down to Sheppey United think they’re that great Barcelona team.
The problem is they’re not!! It was great to watch at Barcelona and City can be a great watch, but if you haven’t got those great players to do it, all it looks like is tippy tappy aimless passing across the back and then back again while the other team just stands there watching waiting for their turn to do it, no real attacking intention because they haven’t got the ability to find anything other than the easy pass

So damn true. Absolutely 100% spot on.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

George Best changed football from black & white into colour.

🤣🤣👍

He also changed Ian Evans leg from being not broken to being broken

 

[martin2412]

🤣🤣👍

He also changed Ian Evans leg from being not broken to being broken

And also someone else's liver from being normal to pickled.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

🤣🤣👍

He also changed Ian Evans leg from being not broken to being broken

Indeed. I was there that day and it was horrible. Shame because Ian Evans was a good player for us. As previously mentioned in recent pictures he seems to be impersonating Blakey these days.

 

[Teddy Eagle]

And also someone else's liver from being normal to pickled.

And the status of a few Miss Worlds from chaste to chased.

 

[BromleyMonkey]

Indeed. I was there that day and it was horrible. Shame because Ian Evans was a good player for us. As previously mentioned in recent pictures he seems to be impersonating Blakey these days.

That was the only time I see George Best live as well.
Yes shame, but I suppose it opened the door for Billy Gilbert😍 and the rest is history

 

[dreamwaverider]

Sepp Blatter. Really encouraged the worst traits of the modern world to turn the sport from football into moneyball