by Marky Mark » Mon Dec 04, 2023 9:04 pm
I think from a significance perspective you're looking at players who have made a telling difference to our history, league position or an important game, which is not necessarily the same as longer servants or favourite players - otherwise you may as well do a list of the Top 24 most appearances, or ones with most goals, and my list would only feature Dave Caldwell.
In my Stags supporting lifetime (1980 onwards) George Foster is definitely the most significant: bought by Ian Greaves for £10k, captained the side to promotion in a meagre defence (ever present in that season, including all Cup & County Cup games), lifted a trophy at Wembley in our first appearance, then went on to manage the club to a promotion - a full house of achievement that will probably never be equalled at Mansfield, a genuine leader and influence. That we don't have anything at the club named after him is to the clubs detriment, in my opinion.
In terms of other players with significant impact, then Matt Green also springs to mind - we might still be in that god foresaken league without his goals.
Adam Murray, it was probably his addition to the squad in 2001/02 that got us over the line, and then captained the side to promotion from the Conference, and then went on to manage the club too. Scott Sellars deserves a footnote mention from that 01/02 season too even though he barely played 20 games for us - the influence he had in 20 games of that season is more than 95% of the players who have ever played for us have managed to have.
Kevin Hitchcock, for the promotion season and also the save at Wembley - we might have a different history had it not been for him. Same for the winning penalty of Tony Kenworthy. And then Phil Stant for his 26 goals that got us up in 91/92.
"Football is a game of opinions, and very little knowledge"