The Greatest Dirtiest Football Team

[Brick Tamlin]

Lyons got away with a lot of elbows and shoulders off the ball - it truth off the ball is the only way to get away with it. i particularly didn't like his use of the knees on grounded opponents. in terms of events witnessed, there was a bad off the ball strike on fahy in a national league game in navan mid to late eighties after fahy had moved onto the square and given mick the big shoulder for the crowd's benefit

....hmmmm, a bit like paul mc grane

[Hardy]

Never saw him use the knees, so I'll have to take your word for it and I wasn't at that league game in Navan, so ditto. The one I thought might be used in evidence was an elbow on Vinny Murphy in one of the '91 games, but I was prepared to defend that on the grounds that most would agree that Vinny Murphy was fair game. That's honestly the only time I ever saw Lyons strike an unfair blow, but living down here I never saw much of him in club football. There was also AZOffaly's great story about him clouting a flaky Offaly lad on the grounds that he was making him dizzy looking at him running about, but I'd say that one was deserved as well.

[Farrandeelin]

we had no dirty players ( or hard as  hardy allready stated)  in mayo unfortunately 

That's not what ya say whenever ye play Knockmore!

[the milkman]

Paul Mc Grane
Shane Mc Dermott
Francie Bellew (for the so called tackle on Mickey Linden alone)
Fabian O Neill


All tramps in my view

[fred the red]

Paul Mc Grane

What has he ever done ? 

[fearglasmor]

Putting Ciaran Duff on that list is just pure laziness,  definitely not remotely dirty.

I'll second AZ's nomination of Paddy McCormack, along with Sean Doherty two of the great "old style" exponents of full back play.
Someone like Mick Lyons would be an altar boy in comparison.

[the milkman]

Paul Mc Grane

What has he ever done ? 

Seems to be the only player allowed to tackle with a closed first, and above the neck!

[heffo]

Putting Ciaran Duff on that list is just pure laziness,  definitely not remotely dirty.

Still paying for his tap in '83 when he just checking if the Galway lad was still alive

[Mike Sheehy]

Fabian O Neill

Is that a nickname or a typo....its not humanly possible to be hard with a name like that

[the milkman]

Fabian O Neill

Is that a nickname or a typo....its not humanly possible to be hard with a name like that

No thats his name, he captains Tyrone Senior Champions Dromore, but he is not hard, just dirty!!!!

[Legs11]

Paul Mc Grane
Shane Mc Dermott
Fabian O Neill


All tramps in my view

Francie Bellew (for the so called tackle on Mickey Linden alone) sure it was a 50/50 ball francies hard but very fair...

[dodo]

Gerry Flanagan, Leitrim
Liam Dunne, Wexford

[fred the red]

Paul Mc Grane

What has he ever done ? 

Seems to be the only player allowed to tackle with a closed first, and above the neck!

And no down players do this, especially not against tyrone 

[RedandGreenSniper]

Putting Ciaran Duff on that list is just pure laziness,  definitely not remotely dirty.

I'll second AZ's nomination of Paddy McCormack, along with Sean Doherty two of the great "old style" exponents of full back play.
Someone like Mick Lyons would be an altar boy in comparison.

I saw Duff coming on at half-time in the Over 40's final against Mayo in 2006 in Mullingar and all he wanted to do was flake before and behind him. Must have given about five or six dirty and sly belts. Was a pure tr**p that day.
I don't remember much of him in his heyday but the goal against Meath (I think) in 1989 when he ran 30 yards before sending a rocket to the top corner from the 21 - savage goal

[DUBSFORSAM1]

This is nothing to do with being tuff or hard. Just pure dirty footballers. Of course they could play a bit to.

Colm Colye Meath
Graham Geraty Meath
John Mc Gurk Derry
Ricey Mc Menamim Tyrone
Sean Doherty Dublin
John Lynch Tyrone
Eamon Heary Dublin
Ciaran Duff Dublin
Ger Reid Armagh

The Doc was the Daddy....check this out about 13 seconds in

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9VY7BKKCw

Amazing watching that seeing how much it took to knock someone down and when you compare it to todays footballers who fall over at times with a breath of wind......and also amazing that there was no pushing/shoving/3rd man in or any of that stuff either which exists now....