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Mckenna vs Spavin

Mckenna vs Spavin

O

okram

Joined
Jul 12, 2004
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This is one for us oldies, the McKenna to Fleetwood thread got me thinking about one of our last home grown midfield maestros (?), Spavin. Just wondering how those with better memories than me would compare the two?
 
okram said:
This is one for us oldies, the McKenna to Fleetwood thread got me thinking about one of our last home grown midfield maestros (?), Spavin. Just wondering how those with better memories than me would compare the two?
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Both not the quickest..Spavs passing was exquisite....different eras...very comparable though.
 
From what I can remember, maybe McKenna was fitter and had a better engine as it were.
 
Remember the free kick Spav scored at the town end against Rotherham where we won 3-0 to win the old 3rd div championship. We set up a wall in front of theirs then they all ducked and ball in the net. Tunks in their goal. Magic night.
 
Dazzler said:
If Spav had had a yard or two more pace he had the skill to play for England. On a personal note, played golf with him at Lancaster in a competition. Nice guy.
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This.Spav much better player.Real box to box player,great engine.
 
BeteNoir said:
Remember the free kick Spav scored at the town end against Rotherham where we won 3-0 to win the old 3rd div championship. We set up a wall in front of theirs then they all ducked and ball in the net. Tunks in their goal. Magic night.
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He carried us out of that division on his back.
 
Spavin.. by some distance for me. If he had scored more goals and had more pace he would have played for England.

Created so many chances for others..
 
Spavin for me, so comfortable with the ball at his feet and a great passer, had the slide tackle and away with the ball off to a tee.
 
Spavin was certainly more cultured, great at picking out a killer pass, whereas McKenna was quicker and better defensively. Sadly, both fell short in the goalscoring department but both excellent players for PNE. One thing they had in common was that they divided opinion but for me, when they were not in the side, the team never functioned as well.
 
Spav was a cultured player with a languid and laid back style, suited to an era where players had space and the game wasn't played at 100 mph. Mc was more of a bustling style of player, faster, fitter and more athletic than Spav, a player of his age.

You can't easily compare players between eras but both on their day could run a game. But for me, the sublime grace of Spav is something I remember 43 years on. That Rotherham game on the Tuesday night to secure the champions spot will stay with me for ever. It's why I don't get get too frazzled when we are in a down spell, I live off the memories and wait for us to go again. That's football and that's why I'll always love the game and my club, I think I'm incapable of disillusionment!
 
Good comparision...but Spav for me...he did score the best free kick in our club's history.

21o10tt.jpg


Who were the four PNE players in the wall before the wall ?

Picture taken from the Iconic thread - posted by Bazooka Joe.

Edit - He was our quarterback.
 
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Paul Mckenna was a good player but Alan Spavin was different class. I think it was Ron Atkinson when Manager of Manchester United who said that (at the time) that Spavin was the best player never to have been capped by England.
 
Spav all the way for me, football brain, dead ball specialist, never hid on the pitch, killer pass, the slide tackle as mentioned before, he be up and away before the player realised he'd lost the ball, it seemed like one fluent move..slide..win ball..up and gone.
And i'll never forget that game against Rotherham, they looked a beat team as soon as they walked out onto the hallowed turf.
What i would give to have Spavin back in our side now.
 
"Who were the four PNE players in the wall before the wall ?"

I'll go gor Heppolette, Clark, Ham (?) & Lyall
 
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