| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 20:33 - May 11 with 1587 views | gainsboroughblue |
Dubbed the G-force along with Marco Gabbiadini.
Had a season or two with Carlisle after Sunderland too. |  |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 20:39 - May 11 with 1566 views | MattinLondon |
Always surprises me when football players that I associate with a certain era played well beyond that. For example, when I think of Ian Rush I think 80s football - but he played in the PL until 1998. |  | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 20:47 - May 11 with 1533 views | gainsboroughblue |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 20:39 - May 11 by MattinLondon |
Always surprises me when football players that I associate with a certain era played well beyond that. For example, when I think of Ian Rush I think 80s football - but he played in the PL until 1998. |
And our very own John Wark. The epitome of 70s and 80s going on until 1996 was it? | |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 21:25 - May 11 with 1442 views | MattinLondon |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 20:47 - May 11 by gainsboroughblue |
And our very own John Wark. The epitome of 70s and 80s going on until 1996 was it? |
Certainly was.
Peter Shilton was still playing professional football until 1996. How was he still England keeper for so long? During the 1990 WC it looked like he lost the ability to jump. | | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 21:25 - May 11 with 1443 views | Swansea_Blue |
18 years, so a full career but not abnormally long. Someone like Sheringham played 25 or more years at the top level. There must be a few old boys who carried on in non-league for quite a while. I played against some who were with (I think) Ransoms, but can’t remember much about that.
It’s got nothing to do with us (except for a dodgy link that I don’t think had much substance to it) but Lee Trundle is still going over here, 30 years after his first season. He’s still banging them in in the 2nd tier of the Welsh Leagues. |  |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 22:30 - May 11 with 1369 views | VanSaParody |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 20:39 - May 11 by MattinLondon |
Always surprises me when football players that I associate with a certain era played well beyond that. For example, when I think of Ian Rush I think 80s football - but he played in the PL until 1998. |
Somewhere between 1987-1991 I had joined Boreham Wood FC
During a pre-season, we played a mini 5-a-side tournament at Collier Row where two games at once were going on, with the two 5-a-side pitches being across the two halves of an otherwise full size pitch
While I was playing, I happened to look across to the other game & saw none other than Alan Brazil playing
Don't know who he was playing for or which summer that was, possibly 1990
I can say I've played on the same pitch as Alan Brazil though! |  | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 22:34 - May 11 with 1344 views | ArnoldMoorhen |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 21:25 - May 11 by MattinLondon |
Certainly was.
Peter Shilton was still playing professional football until 1996. How was he still England keeper for so long? During the 1990 WC it looked like he lost the ability to jump. |
Peter Shilton was part of the 1966 World Cup Squad.
Well, the preliminary squad, he didn't make the cut for the final 22. |  | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 22:41 - May 11 with 1329 views | MattinLondon |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 22:34 - May 11 by ArnoldMoorhen |
Peter Shilton was part of the 1966 World Cup Squad.
Well, the preliminary squad, he didn't make the cut for the final 22. |
Wow, I did not know that. | | | |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 00:47 - May 12 with 1246 views | bournemouthblue |
How good was Gates out of interest, who would you compare him to nowadays? |  |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 00:49 - May 12 with 1241 views | bournemouthblue |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 21:25 - May 11 by Swansea_Blue |
18 years, so a full career but not abnormally long. Someone like Sheringham played 25 or more years at the top level. There must be a few old boys who carried on in non-league for quite a while. I played against some who were with (I think) Ransoms, but can’t remember much about that.
It’s got nothing to do with us (except for a dodgy link that I don’t think had much substance to it) but Lee Trundle is still going over here, 30 years after his first season. He’s still banging them in in the 2nd tier of the Welsh Leagues. |
Giggs presumably as well
Patrick Roberts at Sunderland surprised me, it feels like a lifetime ago he was at Celtic and he's still only 28 | |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 04:05 - May 12 with 1177 views | Ryorry |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 00:47 - May 12 by bournemouthblue |
How good was Gates out of interest, who would you compare him to nowadays? |
He was brilliant! My fav player back in the day. I was just following Town then rather than watching, so others will be able to give you a better idea than me, but I believe he played just behind CFs, nipping in to score with flair. A 10 - Enciso, Chappers? |  |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 07:34 - May 12 with 1034 views | Bluespeed225 |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 00:47 - May 12 by bournemouthblue |
How good was Gates out of interest, who would you compare him to nowadays? |
Watch that 1990 play off on YT! He skates across a muddy pitch, just has quality. It gets mentioned he was part of ‘the great Ipswich side’. Before it was called the ‘10’ position, we had Gates. So, does Bobby Furgeson , as I think it was him not Bobby, who sussed a spot where Gates skills could be really utilised after he flirted around the first team for years, get the claim to have invented that role? When the Dutch boys settled in the ball was on the floor much more. | | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 08:06 - May 12 with 994 views | NedPlimpton |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 22:34 - May 11 by ArnoldMoorhen |
Peter Shilton was part of the 1966 World Cup Squad.
Well, the preliminary squad, he didn't make the cut for the final 22. |
Are you sure that's true?
He would have been 16 and only just made his debut for leicester that season |  | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 08:42 - May 12 with 915 views | bournemouthblue |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 04:05 - May 12 by Ryorry |
He was brilliant! My fav player back in the day. I was just following Town then rather than watching, so others will be able to give you a better idea than me, but I believe he played just behind CFs, nipping in to score with flair. A 10 - Enciso, Chappers? |
Enciso is probably more the level albeit a player like Gates achieved a lot more, Enciso may well go on to achieved similar, who knows, if he ever learns when to pick the right pass he will go a very long way | |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 09:18 - May 12 with 880 views | flykickingbybgunn |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 00:47 - May 12 by bournemouthblue |
How good was Gates out of interest, who would you compare him to nowadays? |
Eric was similar to Chappers.
He had a party piece where he would recieve the ball on the edge of the box, with his back to the goal.
He'd turn on a sixpence and push the ball into the penalty area. The defender sticks out a leg to get the ball, Eric says "thankyou" and falls over it.
Once saw him get 3 penalties like that in a match.
Keyhole Geordie. |  | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 09:26 - May 12 with 857 views | Trequartista |
The original English trequartista. |  |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 10:08 - May 12 with 811 views | bournemouthblue |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 09:26 - May 12 by Trequartista |
The original English trequartista. |
Did he deserve more England caps, I assume his position was probably a bit too exotic for that era? | |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 10:24 - May 12 with 792 views | farkenhell |
Although he very nearly didn't make it at Ipswich. I remember that he became so disillusioned with not breaking into the first team that he went AWOL back to the North East. I think this was in the late 70s/early 80s, just after we signed Arnold Muhren. It must have been big news because it made the sports pages of the national newspapers.
Town's style of play was changed to accommodate Muhren, a place was found for Gates and the rest was history, as they say.
He was a brilliant player in a brilliant team. | | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 10:41 - May 12 with 767 views | Trequartista |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 10:08 - May 12 by bournemouthblue |
Did he deserve more England caps, I assume his position was probably a bit too exotic for that era? |
Yeah England were 4-4-2 in those days. The nearest you got to an attacking midfielder was Bryan Robson breaking into the box. It was strictly midfielders, wingers and strikers. Perhaps you could argue Kevin Keegan was a withdrawn striker but a striker nonetheless. [Post edited 12 May 10:41]
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 10:47 - May 12 with 740 views | BloomBlue |
To be fair, Gates spent a lot of time on the ground, with his deliberate diving, maybe that reduced his running around time extending his career. |  | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 11:58 - May 12 with 665 views | mellowblue |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 09:18 - May 12 by flykickingbybgunn |
Eric was similar to Chappers.
He had a party piece where he would recieve the ball on the edge of the box, with his back to the goal.
He'd turn on a sixpence and push the ball into the penalty area. The defender sticks out a leg to get the ball, Eric says "thankyou" and falls over it.
Once saw him get 3 penalties like that in a match.
Keyhole Geordie. |
Used to get a lot of shots off as well with that tactic. Scored quite a few bangers. | | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 12:23 - May 12 with 649 views | cressi |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 00:47 - May 12 by bournemouthblue |
How good was Gates out of interest, who would you compare him to nowadays? |
Well he was instrumental in the best side in Europe which tells you all you need to know. | | | |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 13:45 - May 12 with 597 views | mellowblue |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 10:47 - May 12 by BloomBlue |
To be fair, Gates spent a lot of time on the ground, with his deliberate diving, maybe that reduced his running around time extending his career. |
He deserved every penalty he got, contact or no contact, he used to get kicked to bits each game. Credit to Robson for turning a not great midfielder into a super weapon. Possibly invented the 10 position ? | | | |
| Insanely good on 14:16 - May 12 with 570 views | Dyland |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 00:47 - May 12 by bournemouthblue |
How good was Gates out of interest, who would you compare him to nowadays? |
Robson kind of built the team around him after converting him into what would now be a standard number 10. Not saying he was the best player in those teams, but he was right up there.
My favourite ever Town player, tied with Brazil. |  |
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| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 14:51 - May 12 with 534 views | MattinLondon |
| Eric Gates, 1990. Never realised he played so long! on 10:47 - May 12 by BloomBlue |
To be fair, Gates spent a lot of time on the ground, with his deliberate diving, maybe that reduced his running around time extending his career. |
Out of interest how was his alleged diving ,or exaggeration of contact viewed back then? Were attacking players doing the same or was he just one of a few? | | | |
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