Dave Mackay (1934-2015) They don't make them like him anymore although his nearest comparison today would be the similar of stature Mascherano. He could have been hewn from granite such was his uncompromising play. Hard but very fair unlike some of the later supposed hard men of football. Few of those might have got up from having suffered a broken leg and walked off the field with complete nonchalance. Described by almost all who played against him as the toughest opponent they had come up against Mackay was far from just a ball winner in his midfield role. His vision and passing skills from deep were integral to some record breaking sides where he is revered as an idol, not to mention intelligent runs late into the box and using a hammer of a shot to score at a highly respectable ratio. These sides included Heart of Midlothian whose title win in 1958 was acheived with a goal difference of over a hundred and included other notable players like Alfie Conn junior and Jimmy Wardhaugh part of the Terrible Trio along with triumphs in the Scottish FA and League Cups. His performances attracted the attention of Bill Nicholson at Tottenham for whom he signed for a hefty fee at the time of £32000. He became a vital cog in the team earning the Double, 3 FA Cup wins and propelling the Spurs to a European Cup Winners title (despite missing the final). His shrewd ability to move and pick a pass to colleagues like Greaves was second to none in a team that functioned on pass and move. Many thought his career had come to an end in 1968 on leaving Tottenham but Brian Clough looking to rebuild Derby County valued players with integrity, passing skills and an unbridled desire to win. He became once more a lynchpin in another team helping the Rams to promotion while mentoring younger players like Roy McFarland and helping the team establish itself in the First Division the following season. It was typical of his generous nature to spend time with the younger members of that team along with fans but Mackay eventually hung up his boots (after a short spell with Swindon as player manager)to enter management where his enormous knowledge of the game, his time spent with Bill Nicholson and Clough paid dividends. Summoned back to Derby from Nottingham Forest in the wake of Clough's departure he settled a rebellious dressing room with his stature alone and with several shrewd signings took the team to another league title in 1975. Scandalously overlooked by Scotland on many occasions he was one of the greats of football in the sixties. A complete gentleman (growling at an Liverpool player who had kicked the ball away deliberately he spotted a youngster affrighted in the front seats at Anfield went over and with a cheery wink patted them on the head) if any need justification of this title one would have only have to ask two of the greatest managers in British club football, Bill Nic and Cloughie who described him as the best signing they ever made. He would definitely be in an all time British XXIII. [video=youtube;MA2rATvBoj8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA2rATvBoj8[/video] As ever you don't need fancy academies to turn out players like these. Just playing hour on hour practicing with a ball. In this case a tennis ball. Just ask a certain Lionel Messi.
Alcides Ghiggia (1934-2015) Poignantly the last survivor of Uruguay's 1950 World Cup winners Alcides Ghiggia has died at the age of eight eight precisely on the sixty fifth anniversary of what has become known as the Maracanazo. Ghiggia scored the winner on seventy nine minutes after helping Juan Schiaffino score the equalizer silencing two hundred thousand Brazilians in one stroke at the then new Maracana. The sole act of striking that ball into the net off the post left one man a national hero, the other Barbosa a national villain reviled for years. Ghiggia and his team mates were part of the last set of highly technically proficient players produced from Montevideo. A small slight player who played on the right side of midfield he was a proficient assist maker and scorer with an eye for the dribble. Uruguay who are in mourning for their national legend (much as we hold Bobby Moore in the greatest of respect) were a footballing superpower for some four decades partly propelled by their rivalry with Argentina but also by the street football that flourished in their capital. City block by city block the kids played in the confined spaces of Old Montevideo learning the ball skills and spatial awareness that led to two Olympic titles (World Cups in all but name) in 1924 and 1928, a surprise win of sorts in the first World Cup in 1930 against Argentina and then success once more in 1950. Ghiggia partly through his success at Penarol and the World Cup triumph moved eventually to Italy to play for AS Roma and AC Milan and like many South Americans became part of the Azzurri oriundi brigade. A quiet, humble and self effacing man he was warmly welcomed at last years World Cup and was part of the draw process alongside fellow legends of the game. With his passing the last playing survivor of that final is gone and another chapter closed in the history of the game. A game which also resulted in Brazil changing to their famous blue and yellow kit. [video=youtube;t29i1CdHdNM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t29i1CdHdNM[/video]
Tim Vickery did a lovely tribute to Ghiggia the other night on the world football phone in on 5 live.
