| Does size matter ? 17:11 - Mar 12 with 1397 views | flykickingbybgunn |
Over 50 years ago Dad bought the 1st edition of the Football yearbook. After that he had the new one every year until he passed them all to me before he died.
Not having 2 yards of bookshelf available at the time I kept them in a box. Then we employed an electrician who liked tea. Unfortunately so it turned out he was also a tea leaf and many of the early books went missing. However I have continued the series up to and including the current one.
Whiling away through 4th Edition (73-74) I realised something. So I had to work it out.
Of the 25 players mentioned in the Ipswich squad the tallest were Mick Hill and Terry Austin @ 6ft 1in and 6ft respectively. The smallest was one E Gates (Keyhole Geordie) @ 5ft 5in. The average of the 25 players listed was 5ft 8 3/4in. Mick Mills soars to the majestic height of 5ft 6in. But if you took away the two tallest , who between them only made 1 sub appearance that year the average drops to 5ft 8 1/2in.
Looking at the squad last year. The avarage height is a fag paper under 6ft. The tallest being Burgess and Woolfy @ 6ft 4in. The shortest was Leif again at 5ft 5in.
So what do we make of these bare facts ....?
Well.
The team of 73-74 contained 8 who were or were to become, internationals (5 for England) and that year they finished 4th in the First Division and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the 1st time. No mean achievement for any team, let alone a small country club.
And great as last season was, it does not compare to that.
So do we conclude that size does not matter ?
Looking at the other teams playing then their players were equally short.
On the dark side there was Colin Sugget, Graham Paddon, Dave Stringer and (big) Dunc Forbes all well under 6ft (well except for Dunc who scraped in under the limit with an inch to spare.)
Others that might surprise you are (Big) Maclolm McDonald at 5ft 8in. (Remember him doing b.gger all in May '78 ? I do. Ha, ha.
In Manchester there was Lou Macari, Dennis Law, George Best and Bobby Charlton. Not one of them over 5ft 9in and Lou only 5ft 5in !
No there is no doubt about it, the increase in size is clearly all down to nutrition. The 70's bunch are all Boomers. Times were hard, food rationed during that crucial growing stage and people were smaller as a result. It did not affect their skills or attitude but it did their stature. I confess I had expected as much but not the size (sic) of the difference.
That the modern ones are 3 1/2 inches higher on average is staggering. That's the width of my hand !
The moral of this story is don't employ tea leafs and if you want to be a 30's footballer then pile into your greens, chips and burgers. If you work hard all the rest will just come naturally. [Post edited 12 Mar 17:17]
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| Does size matter ? on 17:15 - Mar 12 with 1339 views | EuanTown |
Might also have something to do with all the chemicals that started creeping into food. |  | | |
| Does size matter ? on 17:21 - Mar 12 with 1305 views | flykickingbybgunn |
| Does size matter ? on 17:15 - Mar 12 by EuanTown |
Might also have something to do with all the chemicals that started creeping into food. |
Doubt it. Most of them are just flavour enhancers and preservatives. No real nutrition value at all. | | | |
| Does size matter ? on 18:00 - Mar 12 with 1241 views | MattinLondon |
Are you sure that Leif is 5ft5? Without looking it up, he always seemed a lot taller than that.
One thing which surprises me from looking at old highlights is how short a few of the keepers from then are in comparison to today’s lot. |  | | |
| Does size matter ? on 18:07 - Mar 12 with 1236 views | bsw72 |
Over the past century, people’s average height has generally gone up. As you say this change is largely attributed to better nutrition, healthcare, and overall living conditions, especially through childhood / teens as bodies grow. While many developed countries have seen significant increases in height, the changes can be less noticeable in some developing areas. So, it really varies depending on where you look!
It's interesting as almost certainly Duncan Edwards would have been one of England's greatest had he not died in the Munich Air Disaster - as well as his natural football ability he was significantly bigger than his professional peers at the time at 5ft 11, which was a "big" advantage. |  | | |
| Does size matter ? on 18:50 - Mar 12 with 1171 views | flykickingbybgunn |
| Does size matter ? on 18:00 - Mar 12 by MattinLondon |
Are you sure that Leif is 5ft5? Without looking it up, he always seemed a lot taller than that.
One thing which surprises me from looking at old highlights is how short a few of the keepers from then are in comparison to today’s lot. |
I have not personally measured him.
I just quote from the current book. | | | |
| Does size matter ? on 22:07 - Mar 12 with 1027 views | Ftnfwest |
| Does size matter ? on 18:00 - Mar 12 by MattinLondon |
Are you sure that Leif is 5ft5? Without looking it up, he always seemed a lot taller than that.
One thing which surprises me from looking at old highlights is how short a few of the keepers from then are in comparison to today’s lot. |
Leif is just under 6ft and he’s certainly not shorter than Chaplin! |  | | |
| Does size matter ? on 08:58 - Mar 13 with 856 views | flykickingbybgunn |
| Does size matter ? on 22:07 - Mar 12 by Ftnfwest |
Leif is just under 6ft and he’s certainly not shorter than Chaplin! |
Chappers soars in at 5ft 10in according to the book. | | | |
| Does size matter ? on 09:36 - Mar 13 with 796 views | DJR |
Billy Baxter always seemed taller than he actually was.
This from an obituary.
"Although he was only 5ft 8in he was also renowned for his ability in the air, and scored a remarkable number of headed goals for a man of his stature."
Kevin Beattie was another. We saw him play in Norway towards the end of his career and got a photo with him. He was a couple of inches shorter than my 6ft, but he always appeared a giant when playing for Ipswich.
And Laurie Sivell was only 5ft 8in which even then was small for a goalkeeperr. |  | | |
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| Does size matter ? on 15:22 - Mar 13 with 681 views | flykickingbybgunn |
| Does size matter ? on 09:36 - Mar 13 by DJR |
Billy Baxter always seemed taller than he actually was.
This from an obituary.
"Although he was only 5ft 8in he was also renowned for his ability in the air, and scored a remarkable number of headed goals for a man of his stature."
Kevin Beattie was another. We saw him play in Norway towards the end of his career and got a photo with him. He was a couple of inches shorter than my 6ft, but he always appeared a giant when playing for Ipswich.
And Laurie Sivell was only 5ft 8in which even then was small for a goalkeeperr. |
Kevin Beattie is down as, as you say, 5ft 10in.
Laurie Sivell at 5ft 8in. The same height in that team as Colin Harper, Peter Morris, Colin Viljoen, Brian Talbot, Brian Hamilton, Mick Lambert and Johnny Miller.
Ian Collard, of course, was an inch shorter. | | | |
| Does size matter ? on 18:58 - Mar 13 with 590 views | StNeotsBlue |
| Does size matter ? on 18:50 - Mar 12 by flykickingbybgunn |
I have not personally measured him.
I just quote from the current book. |
Your book is wrong on this. |  | | |
| Does size matter ? on 19:50 - Mar 13 with 550 views | Tractorgirlforever |
Size definitely matters😉 |  | | |
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