personal project: top 24 significant players in our history

[Buxoo]

Hi all,

A little bit of a personal project…..I am looking for the top 24 significant players in our history, it can span the decades but looking for the most significant, influential, fan favourites etc

All suggestions and then I can compile and hopefully the result will be worth it!

Thanks

[Captain Cunno]

Blair Sturrock.

[STAGS FOR LIFE]

Rod Arnold

Matt Green

[bobbystagsfan]

Danny Reet

[grufti]

Keith Cassells

[Reg Holdsworth]

Adam Murray
Rod Arnold
Sandy Pate
Kevin Bird
Matt Green

Are my top favourites

[smulls]

Rod Arnold
Chris Greenacre
Kevin Bird
Terry Austin
Liam Lawrence
Kevin Randall
O'Neil Donaldson
Adam Murray
Matt Green
Keith Cassells
George Foster

[part time pete]

Hi all,

A little bit of a personal project…..I am looking for the top 24 significant players in our history, it can span the decades but looking for the most significant, influential, fan favourites etc

All suggestions and then I can compile and hopefully the result will be worth it!

Thanks

Why 24

[Chrisuknottm]

Peter Morris
Sandy Pate
Jim McCaffery
Gordon Hodgson
Kevin Bird
Ray Clarke

[Martin Shaw]

A few years ago I named my all-time XI for a piece in the matchday programme:
Arnold;
Pate, G.Foster, Bird, B.Foster;
Lawrence, Murray, Hodgson, McCaffrey;
Caldwell, Clarke.
Manager: Dave Smith
I might replace Caldwell with Green now.

[Amber Andy]

Stuart Boam

Chris Greenacre

Kevin Hitchcock

Ken Wagstaff

Steve Wilkinson

[Marky Mark]

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.

[five to three]

John McLelland
Paul Holland
Dave Syrett

[Ridge]

Chris Greenacre
Wayne Corden
Matt Green

[StaginMorley]

Rod Arnold
Kevin Bird
Gordon Hodgson
Ray Clarke
Matt Green
Chris Greenacre

[Martian]

Ken Wagstaff
Peter Morris

[PEAR CIDER]

Matt Green
Matt Rhead
Alan marriot
Louis Briscoe

In my time. Without these wouldnt be back in the football league

[yorkshire stag]

Tony Kenworthy

[daddycool]

In my lifetime watching the stags ,Ken Wagstaff ,Gordon Hodgson and Kevin Bird would be in the top dozen .

[Curry 9 Brace 7]

All the 74/75 lads and Matt Green and a few others

[Bradders]

I'm amazed that Ted Harston is getting overlooked.

[tillydog123]

Sandy Pate
Jim McCaffery
Gordon Hodgson
Kevin Bird
Ray Clarke
George Foster
Terry Eccles
Clive Walker
Stuart Boam
Bill Curry
Ken wagstaff
Rod Arnold

Favourite of all
Gordon Hodgson followed closely by Rod Arnold and then George Foster

[ST4GS]

Andy Jones

[part time pete]

Andy Jones

The Loftus Road legend?

[Rob]

As a top 3 I'd go, in order:

George Foster
Gordon Hodgson
Rod Arnold

But it's very tough, I prefer the best 11 with 7 subs threads!