TOP 10 COLLECTION

TOP TEN COLLECTION

THIS WEEK WE LOOK AT THE TOP 10 DEFENDERS....

10 RUUD KROL

NETHERLANDS

One of Dutch football’s all-time greats, Ruud Krol’s education in Ajax’s free-flowing system ensured he was versatile at the back and also able to push up into midfield when called for. Finished as a World Cup runner-up to the home side in both West Germany in 1974 and Argentina in 1978.

9 JAVIER ZANETTI

ARGENTINA

Like the man at the top of this list, Argentinian Javier Zanetti arrived in Milan as a young man and stayed. And stayed. Then he retired and came back. Across town from Paolo Maldini, Zanetti is now vice president at Inter Milan, but it was as Inter and Argentian’s rightback that he made his reputation. Holds the Champions League record for captain’s appearances (82) and is one of only 35 footballers to achieve 1,000-plus appearances for club and country. 8 GAETANO SCIREA

ITALY

Winner of every UEFA club and domestic competition while at Juventus, Gaetano Scirea was the centre-back for Italy on their way to their World Cup victory at Espana 82. And the defender, who sadly died at the tender age of 36, inspired future generations. “When I broke the record for most appearances at Juve, it was only important for me because it was attached to Gaetano,” said Alessandro Del Piero.

7 PHILIPP LAHM

GERMANY

Equally adept on the left, Philipp Lahm is a rare modern-era one-club player, winning the Bundesliga eight times with Bayern Munich and achieving Champions League glory in 2012/13. With the national side, he was ever-present. “He has performed outstandingly in three World Cups – 2006, 2010 and 2014 – where he twice helped Germany to the semifinals, then [in 2014] he lifted the trophy,” said German manager Joachim Low in 2015. “For me, he is the best player of the past decade.”

6 PAUL BREITNER

GERMANY

One of football’s great mavericks, Paul Breitner’s offthe-wall dress and ‘tache sense hid a bright footballing brain. That combined with his physicality and an eye for goal ensured he was a member of the formidable West Germany defence of the ’70s that won the 1974 World Cup and finished as runners-up eight years later. Only Breitner, Pelé, Vavá and Zinedine Zidane have ever scored in multiple World Cup finals.

ITALY

“He was special,” said Paolo Maldini about countryman Franco Baresi, who won the World Cup in 1982. “He was a short, skinny guy but so strong. Let me tell you – when he hit you with a tackle… He wasn’t a big speaker, the way he played, the way he trained was an example. For me, he was the role model. He was a reference. He was also very good with the ball.”

4 CAFU

BRAZIL

Two-time World Cup-winner Cafu was a dynamic rightback as comfortable on the ball going forward as he was in reverse in defence. He was also as great a man as he was a footballer, just ask Luiz Felipe Scolari: “If there is one man who has made sacrifices and lent himself to the cause of the Brazil team, this man is Cafu. He has been my commander on the field. He is a great example of dedication and humility.” 3 BOBBY MOORE

ENGLAND

The late Celtic and Scotland manager Jock Stein once said of the World Cup-winning England captain: "There should be a law against him. He knows what's happening 20 minutes before everyone else."

That anticipation saw him excel as a defender for West Ham for 16 seasons and 544 appearances as well as 108 England caps, including that historic day at Wembley on 30 July 1966.

2 FRANZ BECKENBAUER

GERMANY

Franz Beckenbauer became the first defender to ever win the Ballon D’or in 1972, then promptly became the second four years later. “Class personified. Calmness, pace and the ability to effortlessly move into midfield and attack,” said Glenn Hoddle, of Der Kaiser. “He had a picture of every player on the pitch. He inspired me as a kid, when I saw him play a pass with the inside or then the outside of his foot. The mark of a great player is the ability to be just as effective playing through different eras.”

1 PAOLO MALDINI

ITALY

Left-back, sweeper, centre-back… Paolo Maldini did it with Italian style <i>and</i> substance at all the positions he played for club and country. And he did it all with a strut that wouldn’t have looked out of place on the Milan catwalks. He spent a quarter of a century starring for AC Milan and now serves as technical director for his former club, where he’s charged with finding the next generation of greats.

JRC CLEANING

SWIFT’S & WOMEN

FIXTURES, RESULTS & TABLES

Hampshire Premier Football League Hampshire County Women’s Football League

Hampshire Division One North Hants Division Two

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB Date Opposition

Result Sat 4 South Wonston Swifts W 2-3 Sat 11 Chamberlayne (HLC) W 9-1 Sat 18 Silchester W 1-6 Sat 25 Whitehill & Bordon W 0-2 Sat 9 Hook (HLC) Sat 16 Headley United Sat 23 North Waltham Sat 30 Hook L 4-1 W 5-2 L 3-1 W 0-5 Sat 6 Meon Milton (HST) L 0-5 Wed 10 South Wonston Swifts (C) L 2-3 Sat 20 Twentyten W 0-5 Sat 4 North Waltham W 6-1

Sat 11 Headley United Sat 18 Hook L 2-3 W 2-0

Sat 8 Silchester Sat 15 Twentyten Sat 22 Whitehill & Bordon Sat 29 No Fixture

P-P W 5-1 W 2-0

Sat 5 Silchester W 4-0 Sat 12 South Wonston Swifts P-P

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

Date Opposition Sun 12 Cowes Sports Ladies Result W 8-0

Sun 19 Eastleigh Ladies Res Sun 26 Gosport Falcons

L 8-1 P-P Sun 3 Bedhampton Village W 0-4 Sun 10 AFC Portchester Ladies L 0-7 Sun 24 Gosport Falcons W 4-6 Sun 31 AFC Varsity Women W 2-3 Sun 7 Liphook United Ladies L 2-3 Sun 21 Gosport Borough Res (HT) Away Win Sun 28 Liphook United Ladies D 2-2 Sun 5 No Fixture Sun 12 Gosport Falcons P-P

Sun 19 Eastleigh Ladies Res P-P

Sun 9 AFC Portchester

P-P Sun 16 Bedhampton Village L 0-1 Sun 23 Liphook United Ladies (HT) W 7-6 Pens

Sun 30 AFC Varsity Women Sun 6 Cowes Sports Sun 20 US Portsmouth (HT) Sun 27 Gosport Falcons L 0-2 W 8-0 2pm 2pm

Team C Andover New Street Swifts 2 Headley United 3 Hook 4 Silchester Village 5 Whitehill & Bordon 6 North Waltham 7 Twentyten 8 South Wonston Swifts P Pts 13 33 12 21 11 16 12 16 10 15 12 10 12 9 8 8

Team 1 AFC Portchester Ladies

P Pts 8 22 2 Eastleigh Reserves Ladies 8 21 3 Andover New Street FC Ladies 12 16 4 Liphook United Ladies 6 12 5 AFC Varsity Women 9 12 6 Gosport Falcons Women 8 9 7 Bedhampton Village 9 7 8 Cowes Sports Ladies First 8 0

TOP GOALSCORERS

Webb (Silchester) 19 Davis (Whitehill & Bordon) 17 Morris (ANS Swifts) 15 Brown (Headley United) 12 Reffell (Headley United) 12 Hallahan (Silchester) 11 Dufall (ANS Swifts) 10 Smith (Headley United) 10 Wood (Hook) 10 Worman (Whitehill & Bordon) 9 Turpin (ANS Swifts) 8 Williams (North Waltham) 8 W d (H k) 7 TOP GOALSCORERS

Board (Eastleigh) 19 Currie (AFC Portchester) 18 Rogers (AFC Varsity) 13 Wilson (AFC Portchester) 12 Barnes (ANS Ladies) 9 Yu Pan (Eastleigh) 8 Streeter (AFC Portchester) 7 Taylor (AFC Bedhampton) 7 Bisson (Eastleigh) 5 Nichols (AFC Portchester) 5

NON-LEAGUE TO PREMIER LEAGUE SNUB

By David Richardson

It is not often a Non-League player will turn down the opportunity to sign for a Premier League club.

During the January transfer window Lewes talent Ollie Tanner was at the centre of a potential move to Tottenham Hotspur having also received a bid from Brighton & Hove Albion. The Isthmian League Premier club had agreed in principle a deal with Spurs, but the 19-year-old made a mature and brave decision to stay in East Sussex.

Tottenham had a frustrating transfer window – even manager Antonio Conte described it as “strange” – as seven players departed and only two arrived which will have dented their top four hopes.

Some of their supporters turned their dissatisfaction towards Lewes and Tanner on social media after the Step 3 club revealed the teenager had been unable to agree personal terms.

“The subsequent level of abuse on social media he and the club received was unforgiving,” Lewes chairman Stuart Fuller wrote in Sunday’s NLP. “Whilst many of them relayed the “facts” as they believed, or made up, we kept our council knowing that the attention would soon turn to another players and another club.”

Lewes have become accustomed to scouts from professional clubs coming to their matches to watch their players. Tanner is the latest example of a youngster that has been given a chance to continue their football career – and developed – at the Dripping Pan having been tossed out of the professional game by Arsenal and then Charlton.

Lewes manager Tony Russell is doing an excellent job along with assistant Joe Vines and head of recruitment Adam Drew since taking over last summer.

It says a lot about Tanner’s decision to continue playing first-team football at the seventh tier instead of in the top-flight where he might have only ever played U23 matches.

“I went with him to watch a Spurs U23 game and I think it made him think about what his career path would be if he went there,” Russell told the Sussex Express. “What he’s ended up deciding is that going straight from Step 3 of Non-League to a Premier League club would be a step too far.

“In some ways it could be seen as a dream move but think about it: What would be his chances of getting in their first team?”

That, is what some of those abusive Tottenham fans appear to have not considered. The 15-goal Tanner will have learnt more from Russell and co while playing competitive matches than he would have done in the cosy environment of the Premier League’s U23 league.

“What is certain is Ollie’s time will come,” added Fuller. “It may be this summer, it may be in 12 month’s time but there is no doubt he will play at a higher level in the game.

“Perhaps if some of those social media abusers watched football at our level on a regular basis they would be less forgiving and more understanding that is isn’t about money in the Non-League game.”