Favourite forgotten players

[bayblue]

Jeff Whitley, I'm sure he's now a car salesman.

A young Tommy Caton, RIP

[Dubciteh]

Anyone from the side that got us out of League 1. Morrison, Wiekens, Cooke, Weaver, Bishop etc etc. And not forgetting Big Joe and David Bernstein. Without them all we can only speculate....

I'm pretty sure Bishop rejoined after we got promoted back to Division One, as it was. Not that that detracts from your point.

EDIT: Just checked and I'm wrong. Odd, as I'm normally bang-on with dates.

He was born on the Cantril Farm housing estate in Liverpool and on leaving school in July 1981 he joined Everton, turning professional for the 1983–84 season under the management of Howard Kendall – who had taken over during the same summer that Bishop had first joined the club.

However, he failed to break into the first team at Goodison Park. After spells at Crewe Alexandra, Carlisle United and Bournemouth he signed for Manchester City in 1989 for £465,000 in a deal involving Paul Moulden.[2] Bishop was a good passer of the ball and in his 24 appearances for Manchester City in his first spell helped the team demolish their local rivals Manchester United 5–1 scoring City's third goal, on 23 September 1989.[3] Despite being popular with the Manchester City supporters he was sold by then manager Howard Kendall to West Ham United.

Bishop joined in the same week as Trevor Morley and Colin Foster, as manager Lou Macari continued to rebuild the West Ham squad. He spent the majority of his career at West Ham, playing 284 times between 1989 and 1998, scoring 16 goals and becoming something of a cult figure. In 1998, having become surplus to requirements at the Boleyn Ground, he returned to Manchester City. His second spell at the club saw the team relegated to what was then Division Two, but then promoted to Division One and in the following season to the Premiership. Bishop was an integral player in the team which earned promotion to the premiership but only played ten times for the club in the top flight. He transferred to Miami Fusion in March 2001 and played Major League Soccer (23 apps 0 goals), before finishing his playing career with a stint at the New Orleans Shell Shockers in the USL Premier Development League. He now resides in Boca Raton, Florida with his wife and three children.

from the ever reliable wiki

Ian Bishop was top class, signing him on a free was a great bit of business.

Van Buytan was class too but he was always out of our league we were lucky to get him even for 6 months!

[BobbyJ1956]

Gerard Wiekens. Good guy, never let us down and was a consummate professional in three different divisions - one of which was below his ability level and one of which was a bit above it.

Decent thread.

He had the ManU striker whose name I've suffered a memory loss on (they're getting more frequent) in his pocket during the last Maine Road derby.
He brought his dog with him to England and had to put it into quarantine. Forgotten the dog's name too.

[SomeMichaelGuy]

Would have to go for Sun Jihai as well, though how anyone could forget him I don't know.

[Wooders]

Albert "the eagle" Riera!

[Benjay]

Rick Holden. No pace but lethal crosser.

[Dronny]

Michel Vonk......with perhaps the greatest ever chant to have his name in

Oooh Vonky, Vonky, ooooh Vonky, Vonky, ooooh Vonky, Vonky, ooooh Vonky, Vonky, ooooh Vonky, Vonky, ooooh Vonky, Vonky.

You get the idea

[Benjay]

Remember Maurizio Gaudino? When we signed him wasn't he under investigation by the Italian police? Something to do with cars...

[Chopper]

Trevor Sinclair

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

Jack Rodwell.

[PeterParker]

No shouts regarding Danny Allsopp?

[clawbaggio]

Steve McKenzie. Scored the best ever goal in a Wembley final.
Better than that other one in the same match that every fucker goes on about.

[Mikhail Chigorin]

George Heslop; a rough, tough, totally committed centre-half who was crudeness personified. If he'd had a brain he would have been dangerous.

How the deuce did we win the League with him in the No 5 shirt ???....but what a player !!

[zuricity]

George Heslop; a rough, tough, totally committed centre-half who was crudeness personified. If he'd had a brain he would have been dangerous.

How the deuce did we win the League with him in the No 5 shirt ???....but what a player !!

No way was Heslop a crude player. A toughnut yes , but not crude.

[Chopper]

Remember Maurizio Gaudino? When we signed him wasn't he under investigation by the Italian police? Something to do with cars...

Stolen car ring. Think he was playing in Germany when we signed him.

[bayblue]

.....fast forward fifteen years to the same thread......... "Remember that James Milner? Hardly ever played but always gave his absolute best. I still recall that evening in Munich where he inspired us to beat the then champions league holders".

[Fidel Castro]

Mpenza. Would have gone down if it wasn't for some crucial goals from him after we signed him

[Wooders]

Mpenza. Would have gone down if it wasn't for some crucial goals from him after we signed him

Also "needles" is arguably the best nickname we've had - "kris" musampa aside (has he been mentioned yet?

[john@staustell]

Always liked Danny Tiatto. Never shirked a challenge.

+1. Add Andy Morrison to that. Hard as nails. Limited ability but used what he had to great effect

Morrison didn't have limited ability mate. He was pure class on the ball, reading the game, scored goals etc. And what a skipper! I watched him as a young captain at Plymouth (they were in what is now the Championship) before he went to Blackburns title-winning team (usually 12th man).

His weakness was he turned like the QE2 and had no pace. Also of course injuries due to his weight, which meant he's another player that never played the matches or got the career he should've.

Short but big part in our history. And I certainly wouldn't have messed with him even in my prime!

[Wonderwall]

Albert "the eagle" Riera!

Now at Watford after singing for Udinese in Jan