Both passed away aged 78 and 74 respectively. They graced their sports in a way that few do and gave us huge entertainment. They were true 'Greats' in every sense of the word. RIP, gents, thanks for the memories.
Franz Beckenbauer and JPR Williams
- Thread starter ivoralljack
- Start date
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
JPR ... iconic full back, the best of his era.
Yankee_Jack
Key Player
Franz Beckenbauer ... invented his role
Here you see three icons of football: Charlton, Cruyff and Beckenbauer
Here you see three icons of football: Charlton, Cruyff and Beckenbauer
JPR was a rock of a player but many people forget that he was a junior Wimledon tennis champion beating John Lloyd in the final. Gareth Edwards recounts the time when JPR was involved in a car crash where the car and the lorry were write-offs. JPR walked away without a scratch. Legend has it that the following day, hospital doctors issued a bulletin to the effect that Mr Williams spent a comfortable night but we couldn't save the lorry!! Here's THAT tackle when JPR put the French winger into touch when he was inches from the line. That won the game and the Grand Slam for Wales depriving France of doing the same.
In today's game that tackle would be illegal and a penalty try awarded to France. But times have changed and the tackle was praised by all as a Grand Slam winner. Had a modern day footballer been hit like that, the game would have been stopped for 10 minutes while the player writhed about before demanding gas and air followed by a stretcher and two weeks recovery time!! The French player picked himself up and just got on with it.