I lived in Swansea for two thirds of my life, and apart from two seasons in the early eighties, I didn’t see many players from the Premiership or the old First Division. However, I did manage to see a couple of games in London featuring Man Utd vs Crystal Palace, and Spurs vs Leicester. From only two games I was fortunate to see Best, Charlton, Law, Tony Dunne, Nobby Stiles, Gordon Banks, Pat Jennings, Dave Mackay, Mike England and the incomparable Jimmy Greaves. I later travelled to the Welsh capital to watch Cardiff City vs West Ham in a league cup tie, and marveled at three World Cup winners on display: Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst.
I first witnessed Ivor Allchurch playing for Newcastle United against the Swans in a Second Division match in 1962. He was 32 years old by then and his powers were waning slightly. Nevertheless he was the best player on the park gliding contemptuously around the field and he scored a superlative goal from a free kick curling the ball around the defensive wall into the top corner of the net.
Ivor eventually returned to the Swans several years later, and I remember him playing against Arsenal in the 3rd round of the FA Cup at the age of 38. There was no fairy tale ending as Ian Ure and Terry Neill attempted to kick him off the park, and Arsenal won 1-0 with a goal from Bobby Gould who was not good enough to lick Ivor’s boots.
Any attempts to select the best eleven players I saw live has to give serious consideration to nine of England’s World Cup winning team I was lucky to see play: Gordon Banks, Bobby Moore, Jack Charlton, Nobby Stiles, Ray Wilson, Bobby Chartlton, Martin Peters, Roger Hunt, and Geoff Hurst. Players who won the World Cup reached the summit 0f their profession which was no mean feat considering it’s the only time England has won the World Cup (1966.) Alan Ball and George Cohen were the two members of the team I failed to catch up with.
Most of the live games I saw naturally included Swansea Town/ City, and the team comprised some very good players over the years. One of my favorites was Mel Nurse who had two spells with the team, and proved to be a very commanding centre half and leader. There were others: Alan Curtis, Robbie James, Herbie Williams, Graham “Flicka”Williams, Roy Evans, Harry Griffiths, Len Allchurch, Derek Draper, Jimmy McLaughlin, John Toshack to name but a few.
Some of the opposing teams also comprised some very good players who were household names at the time: Charlie Hurley and Johnny Crossan (Sunderland,) Ian St John, Roger Hunt and Ron Yeats (Liverpool,) Brian Clough and Alan Peacock (Middlesb0rough,) Paul Reaney, Billy Bremner, Norman Hunter and Peter Lorimer (Leeds,)and Bill Punton of Norwich City; the first bald-headed footballer I saw.
I’m picking a squad of 23 players initially:
Goalkeepers: Gordon Banks, Pat Jennings, and Noel Dwyer.
Defenders: Mike England, Mel Nurse, Bobby Moore, Ray Wilson, Tony Dunne, Roy Evans, and Steve Nicol.
Midfield: Dave Mackay, Bobby Charlton, Martin Peters, Robbie James, Ivor Allchurch, Ossie Ardiles, and Glenn Hoddle
Forwards: Ian Rush, Jimmy Greaves, Denis Law, George Best, Alan Curtis and Alan Gizean.
My Team in 4-4-2 formation:
Gordon Banks: as safe as the Bank of England. No frills; he simply commanded his penalty box. World Cup winner. Who can forget his magnificent save to foil Pele in the World Cup of 1970?
Tony Dunne: an attacking fullback who knew his defensive responsibilities.
Mel Nurse: a pillar of strength and a leader of men
Bobby Moore: Captain of England’s World Cup winning team and a legend. His anticipation and reading of the game was second to none. It was a travesty he was never knighted.
Ray Wilson: tough tackling fullback who filled Boot Hill with his victims. World Cup winner, and ironically became an undertaker.
George Best: a wizard with the ball at his feet. One of the top six players in any generation.
Bobby Charlton: World Cup Winner; the creator and scorer of spectacular goals and master of the comb over.
Dave Mackay: a hard man with no mean skill. Recovered from two broken legs and returned successfully to top flight football.
Martin Peters: Ghosted into attacking positions like a latter day Jacob Marley, and another World Cup winner.
Ivor Allchurch: Brazil players voted him the best inside forward (No 10 in modern idiom) at the 1958 World Cup. My dad and my Uncle Alec considered him the best thing on two legs (including their wives!)
Ian Rush: a prolific goal scorer, link man, and the inventor of strikers defending from the front.
Substitutes: Pat Jennings, Steve Nicol, Mike England, Robbie James, Jimmy Greaves, and Denis Law.
Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law are unlucky to miss selection, but Ivor was a special player. Mike England should have the vote over Mel Nurse, but Mel became a good friend of mine and I guess I’m guilty of nepotism.
One final footnote: Ivor Allchurch and Mel Nurse were unlucky to be transferred to two mediocre teams. Ivor was idolized at Newcastle but they were unfortunately relegated to the second division during his spell at the club. Mel was sold to Middlesborough when there was a possibility he could have been transferred to Manchester United. What a difference that move would have made to his career.