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RIP Alan Gilzean

Abbeyspur said:
One of the best headers of the ball we have had with a unique way of skimming the ball on from his balding head.
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My abiding memory too. Near post flick on to Chivers, that always ended in the back of the net. I'm sure there was a newspaper image of it at the time but I've been unable to find it.

RIP big man.
 
So shocked to hear this. Gilzean was so good on the ball, he wasn't just great in the air. Formed two of the greatest strike partnerships in the English game with Greaves and then Big Chiv. Very sad news indeed.
 
started going to WHL in 71/72 season, so saw Gilly towards end of his time, those flick-ons were great,
when I heard the news on Sunday I gave him a couple of rounds of "Born is the King"
 
Glenda's Legs said:
I only knew of John White as the Ghost. Didn’t realise that was Gilzean’s nickname also.
I have a book about Gilzean that I started reading about 2 year so ago and never finished. Now might be a good time to dig it out again.
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Yep. Ironically John White was the ghost of White Hart Lane,however it was to Gilzean who was his replacement in a way!
I first saw Alan Gilzean playing for a Scottish eleven at WHL in John Whites testimonial. This was not long after Johnny White was cruelly struck by lightening and killed on a golf course. John Whites younger brother Tommy was playing for Scotland and it was rumoured he might be a replacement for John. However Tommy was nothing like as good a player as John but however another player you could not miss was Alan Gilzean who was running rings round some of the Spurs players. I remember him clearly turning on a sixpence and weaving his way through the Spurs team.
Nicholson must have signed him up when he came off and back through the tunnel!
Yes,so he was signed to fill the gap left by
John White although entirely different players.
Gilzean sometimes appeared a bit of a comedy act when he was not having a good game. I can say now that these times must have been when he was spending too much time on the booze.
Gilly was an absolute artisan. A brilliant individual footballer and it was not so long ago he was written into the Hall of all time Scottish great footballers. You had to be a World class footballer to get into that club which he was.
Fond Memories!
I remember watching a game as a youngster standing next to the old railing fence behind the
Paxton goal against Stoke I think it was and boy it was such a negative game to be fair to Stoke they really had come
To stop us getting any points and it was like..no way we're going score in this game!
Then out of blue Gillie hits one of crispiest shots you could see straight like a bullet along the ground and into the corner of the net..deadlock over.
Another game against the arses Gilly breaks the deadlock in the last minute and scores one of headers..I think.lol
This arse fan annoyed turns round to us ..he's done f all for the whole of the match and then scores. Well off course
Retorts my Dad..special orders by Billy Nick "he told Him, I don,t want you to do too much but just make sure you score at the end of the game"

Rip Alan Gilzean ..love you.









I'm do too much but just make sure you score to
 
So, what was the fuss about? This video gives a clue. Watch out for the sublime glancing header about 2:17 in that sets up Harry Kane's dad (Chivers) for a great chance. How did he even know where Big Chiv would be?


Incidentally, this video features my favourite player of the time ... George Armstrong! Yes, he was an Arsenal player but things seemed a bit less tribal in those days (in junior school, anyway; things were a bit more violent on the terraces) and I loved his all-action, no-nonsense play and the fact he was (like me) only 3 feet 9 inches tall.
 
Roland Beurre said:
So, what was the fuss about? This video gives a clue. Watch out for the sublime glancing header about 2:17 in that sets up Harry Kane's dad (Chivers) for a great chance. How did he even know where Big Chiv would be?


Incidentally, this video features my favourite player of the time ... George Armstrong! Yes, he was an Arsenal player but things seemed a bit less tribal in those days (in junior school, anyway; things were a bit more violent on the terraces) and I loved his all-action, no-nonsense play and the fact he was (like me) only 3 feet 9 inches tall.
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Thanks Ronald, I really enjoyed that. It was nailbiting stuff. Crazy that header from Chivers, he just held off his man and calmly scored and walked away like it was all so simple, a bit like Berbatov in his pomp.

Interesting also to see Pat Rice and Bob Wilson playing, I remember them far more from their non-playing careers.
 
Chivers was a terrific player. More raw natural talent than Kane but in many ways similar: body strength, decent dribbling ability (for the proverbial "big man"), good in the air, powerful shot. Faster than Kane, but then, who isn't? :) Based on comments from Bill Nick he seemed to lack that "devil" in him or the determination to improve that has made Kane so special. Nicholson felt Chivers should've been knocking defenders over like skittles; Chivers preferred to go round them.

Plus, of course, he was another of our great signings from SCBC - £125,000, if I recall.
 
Roland Beurre said:
Chivers was a terrific player. More raw natural talent than Kane but in many ways similar: body strength, decent dribbling ability (for the proverbial "big man"), good in the air, powerful shot. Faster than Kane, but then, who isn't? :) Based on comments from Bill Nick he seemed to lack that "devil" in him or the determination to improve that has made Kane so special. Nicholson felt Chivers should've been knocking defenders over like skittles; Chivers preferred to go round them.

Plus, of course, he was another of our great signings from SCBC - £125,000, if I recall.
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Roland Beurre said:
Bloody hell, I'm old ...
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Still got your memory though :)
 
Getting back to Gilly he was one of the best in the air especially flicking the ball on for team mates. I remember his first game for us at the Lane ( against Everton i think) when he was flicking the ball into the spaces every time it was played up to him. There was a guy sat a few rows behind me who no matter who we signed he always called them out ( you know the type), he was screaming Jesus 72,000 pounds and he can not even head the ball to his own team mates.

As soon as Greavsie started to see that Gilly was playing the ball into space for him to run onto as they say " the rest is history". Just goes to show even in them days there were fans who had no idea what they were talking about.
 
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