' FIVE OF THE BEST' - Hard Men (From Swindon Advertiser)

' FIVE OF THE BEST' - Hard Men

3:44pm Thursday 19th November 2009

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THIS week, the Adver casts an eye over Town’s hardest players from down the years - the men who entered every tackle with a brazen insanity and collected more cards than Christmas.

Over the years, the Robins have had their fair share of employees with a penchant for finding their way into a referee’s little black book.

Few visiting sides could arrive at the County Ground during the times of Bullock or Mackay without fearing for their safety.

It is these kinds of players who can entertain and infuriate a crowd with their ruthless endeavour.

For the purpose of this list, the players do not necessarily have had to be talented playmakers or technically gifted footballers.

They do not have had to have been ‘great’ players. They must simply have been hard.

Let us know what you think of our list by commenting below and also leave suggestions for next week’s topic - Swindon Town’s Top Five One Hit Wonders.

This week’s honourable mentions go to Andy Gurney, Luc Nijholt, Sol Davis and Scott Leitch.

5. Steve McMahon’s tenure at the County Ground was a rollercoaster of emotions...and tempers.

McMahon replaced John Gorman at the helm in 1994 as a renowned international with a compulsively fiery temperament.

In his first game in complete control of Town McMahon was sent off, and his team lost 2-0. It set a worrying precedent for the season - a campaign in which Swindon were relegated for the second year is succession.

McMahon was dismissed for the second time in the 1-0 defeat at Bolton towards the end of the season, by which time it had become obvious that he preferred players with a similar mindset to his own over more cultured footballers.

Town’s fans disliked his tendencies to opt for grit and attrition over style and flavour, and the Scouser did not help his own cause by involving himself in off-field bust-ups.

Although he secured promotion back to Division One with a points record tally of 102 in 1996, McMahon failed to mould his squad to suit a higher level.

The County Ground crowd were baying for blood after a 4-1 home reversal to Watford, invading the centre circle for a sit down protest.

McMahon obliged and left the club ‘mutually’, although many fans believe he was paid off to rip up his contract.

4. Lee Collins was one of the men McMahon brought into the club to plug a perceived midfield weakness.

Of less than average height, Collins more than made up for his lack of inches with his sheer ferociousness on the pitch.

After arriving from Albion for £15,000 in time to be part of the 1995/96 promotion winning campaign in Division Two, Collins became a regular in the Town side brimming with steely determination - if ultimately a lack of talent to compete at the higher rungs of England’s footballing ladder.

Robins fans appreciated his application and work-rate, but Collins was liable to rush into rash challenges in a feverish hurry.

At just over five and a half feet tall, Collins terrier-like demeanour on the pitch frequently landed him in hot water.

He was sent off twice for Town, but had many more run ins with opponents and referees. After 68 games over five years, Colin Todd’s arrival heralded the end of Collins’ stay in Wiltshire.

He left to join McMahon at Blackpool, where he won the LDV Vans Trophy in 2002.

3. Dave Mackay presided over a peculiar period in Swindon Town’s history.

Brought in as a tough-tackling, domineering centre-back, Mackay was supposed to walk into the manager’s position but refused to do so until Fred Ford’s (the manager at the time) contract had expired.

So the former Spurs man, who won 22 caps for Scotland, slipped into the middle of defence. He cut an imposing figure during the few games he played for the club.

Far from a stereotypical hard man, Mackay was as solid as a rock in defence. His unerring strength inspired the Town back line.

But his arrival had meant fans’ favourite Stan Harland had been forced to move into midfield.

Harland lost his form, Mackay lost his support and Fred Ford lost his job.

The board made the action to install Mackay straight away - but the hardener defender caused great controversy by dropping Harland. When he then agreed to the sale of Don Rogers, Mackay shredded any last respect he may have held amongst Town fans.

Within months he was manager at Nottingham Forest.

2. That Shaun Taylor wore a gum shield on matchdays epitomised not only his character but his whole-hearted enthusiasm for the sport and the club.

Signed for £200,000 from Exeter in 1991, Taylor formed a monumental partnership with Colin Calderwood in the heart of the Town back four.

Although Taylor lost Calderwood for the Premier League season in 1993/94, and Town conceded a record 100 goals, Taylor never altered his technique.

He was never caught star-gazing, and a non-league footballer with receive the same treatment as his Premiership counterpart.

Taylor gave little thought to his own, or any one else’s, well-being. Bandages and stitches were his fashion accessories. And he sported them with pride.

Over almost 250 games Taylor became a Swindon Town icon.

He did not have the explosive attitude of a Darren Bullock or a Lee Collins, but in many ways he was even tougher.

That he was more than happy to risk injury for the good of his teammates outweighs the fact that he was not prone to a punch-up.

Swindon fans were desperately disappointed when Taylor left for Bristol City in 1996 as Town tried to ease the wage bill.

There has not being a player so completely committed to the Swindon cause since, and very few will ever match his raw, tenacious dedication.

1. But, for all Taylor’s virtues, no Town player has ever had a wild side quite as distinguished as Darren Bullock.

Few footballer’s have been blessed with a more suitable name. When Bullock arrived at the County Ground from Huddersfield in 1997 as another McMahon purchase, many Town fans struggled to justify his £400,000 price tag.

But it soon became clear that Swindon had shelled out a pound for every talking point involving the combative midfielder.

Bullock was hot-headed, and he loved to get involved in every incident, in every corner of the pitch.

He was not short of ability and featured regularly for the Robins but his appearance tally was seriously dented by his misdemanours.

Bullock racked up 23 yellow cards in just 65 matches for Town, and he was rarely cautioned without reason.

His reputation preceeded himself. No better example of that was the time Rob Styles booked the Worcester-born man for a foul committed by an opposing player in a fixture with Birmingham City at the County Ground.

Like Collins, Bullock had to make up for his understated stature with an immense and undying physicality.

When an opponent had possession they were the hare to his greyhound. Bullock would steam from touchline to touchline to make a challenge, and if there was a confrontation on offer he’d happily accept the invitation.

His nickname ‘Psycho’ was a fair and reflective analysis of his character on the pitch.

Bullock left for Bury in 1999 for £150,000.

Less than 70 minutes into his debut he kicked an opponent in the head and was sent off.

And one that wasn’t so great....

Neil Ruddock was a big man. And, during his time at Liverpool, Spurs and Southampton he added experience, substance and certainty to an 11.

He came to Town as part of the supposed Roy Evans revolution - an ill-fated and ill-advised six months followed.

Ruddock was always known to be made of gritty stuff. He had an impressive frame, a boisterous personality and an explosive character to boot.

But in Wiltshire very few of those characteristics appeared and the man who once won an England cap will always be remembered by Robins fans for one unfortunate story.

For three weeks, Swindon’s kit suppliers failed to make a pair of shorts big enough to fit Ruddock.

When he was finally found a pair, Razor struck a fabulous 35-yard free-kick to see of Colchester 1-0. It was the most meaningful contribution he made at the County Ground.

In his last appearance for Town, Ruddock saw red.

He was injured for the rest of the season, as Andy King took over from Evans, and his supposed £5,000 a week seemed a slight over-investment.

After a series of disagreements with the Town board - the times when Ruddock found his aggression or the first time in Wiltshire - the hard man left the club with what was believed to be a £200,000 payout.

He has since found his niche in after-dinner speaking but the topic of Swindon Town Football Club does not feature highly on his repertoire.

Next week, we judge Town’s greatest one hit wonders - the players of class and quality who made just a single appearance for the club. Make your suggestions below.

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