The Football League 100 Legends is a list of 100 great association football players who played part or all of their professional career in English Football League and Premier League football.[1] The players were selected in 1998 by a panel of journalists, including veteran reporter Bryon Butler, and the list was intended to reflect the League's history by including players from throughout the preceding 99 seasons. The Football League also announced plans for a gala dinner later in the season at which surviving legends would receive a specially commissioned award.

The list includes 34 players who began their playing careers before the Second World War, 37 who began their careers between the end of the war and 1980, and 29 whose professional careers began after that date. At the time of the list's publication, six of the legends were still active, all playing in the Premier League. The last of the players to play professionally was Ryan Giggs, who retired at the end of the 2013–14 season. All 100 of the legends played in The Football League except Dennis Bergkamp, who did not begin playing in England until after the Premier League replaced the Football League as the highest level of the English football league system in 1992.

At the time of its announcement, the Football League chief executive Richard Scudamore stated that the list was "almost impossible to better";[1] however, contributors to the BBC News website thought differently, providing many alternative suggestions.[2][lower-alpha 1]

Legends

A statue of Steve Bloomer, who was honoured for his career with Derby County and Middlesbrough before the First World War
A statue of Wilf Mannion, whose career spanned either side of the Second World War
A statue of Duncan Edwards, who died at the age of 21 in the Munich air disaster
Name[3][4] Football League/Premier League club(s) Career
England Billy BassettWest Bromwich Albion1888–1899
Scotland Archie HunterAston Villa1888–1890
England John GoodallPreston North End, Derby County, New Brighton Tower, Glossop North End1888–1904
England Steve BloomerDerby County, Middlesbrough1892–1915
Wales Billy MeredithNorthwich Victoria, Manchester City, Manchester United1893–1925
England Bob CromptonBlackburn Rovers1896–1921
England William FoulkeSheffield United, Chelsea, Bradford City1894–1908
England Alf CommonSunderland, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough, Arsenal, Preston North End1900–1915
England Sam HardyChesterfield, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest1902–1926
Northern Ireland Bill McCrackenNewcastle United1904–1924
England Viv WoodwardTottenham Hotspur, Chelsea1908–1915
England Clem StephensonAston Villa, Huddersfield Town1910–1930
England Charles BuchanSunderland, Arsenal1910–1929
Northern Ireland Elisha ScottLiverpool1912–1934
England David JackPlymouth Argyle, Bolton Wanderers, Arsenal1919–1935
England Dixie DeanTranmere Rovers, Everton, Notts County1923–1939
England George CamsellDurham City, Middlesbrough1924–1939
Scotland Hughie GallacherNewcastle United, Chelsea, Derby County, Notts County, Grimsby Town, Gateshead1925–1939
England Harry HibbsBirmingham1925–1939
Scotland Alex JamesPreston North End, Arsenal1925–1938
England Eddie HapgoodArsenal1927–1939
England Cliff BastinExeter City, Arsenal1927–1948
England Wilf CoppingLeeds United, Arsenal1930–1939
England Stanley MatthewsStoke City, Blackpool1931–1966
England Ted DrakeSouthampton, Arsenal1931–1939
England Joe MercerEverton, Arsenal1932–1954
England Raich CarterSunderland, Derby County, Hull City1932–1953
Northern Ireland Peter DohertyBlackpool, Manchester City, Derby County, Huddersfield Town, Doncaster Rovers1933–1954
England Frank SwiftManchester City1933–1951
England Tommy LawtonBurnley, Everton, Chelsea, Notts County, Brentford, Arsenal1935–1957
England Wilf MannionMiddlesbrough, Hull City1936–1956
England George HardwickMiddlesbrough, Oldham Athletic1937–1956
Republic of Ireland Johnny CareyManchester United1937–1954
England Stan MortensenBlackpool, Hull City, Southport1938–1958
England Neil FranklinStoke City, Hull City, Crewe Alexandra, Stockport County1946–1958
Wales Trevor FordSwansea City, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Cardiff City, Newport County1946–1961
England Nat LofthouseBolton Wanderers1946–1961
England Tom FinneyPreston North End1946–1960
England Alf RamseySouthampton, Tottenham Hotspur1946–1955
England Len ShackletonBradford (Park Avenue), Newcastle United, Sunderland1946–1958
England Jimmy DickinsonPortsmouth1946–1965
England Arthur RowleyWest Bromwich Albion, Fulham, Leicester City, Shrewsbury Town1946–1965
Scotland Billy LiddellLiverpool1946–1961
England Billy WrightWolverhampton Wanderers1946–1959
England Jackie MilburnNewcastle United1946–1957
Wales John CharlesLeeds United, Cardiff City1948–1966
Wales Ivor AllchurchSwansea Town, Cardiff City, Newcastle United1948–1968
Northern Ireland Danny BlanchflowerBarnsley, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur1948–1964
Germany Bert TrautmannManchester City1949–1964
Northern Ireland Jimmy McIlroyBurnley, Stoke City, Oldham Athletic1950–1968
England Tommy TaylorBarnsley, Manchester United1950–1958
Wales Cliff JonesSwansea Town, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham1952–1970
England Johnny HaynesFulham1952–1970
England Duncan EdwardsManchester United1953–1958
England Jimmy ArmfieldBlackpool1954–1971
England Terry PaineSouthampton, Hereford United1956–1977
England Bobby CharltonManchester United, Preston North End1956–1975
England Jimmy GreavesChelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United1957–1971
Scotland Denis LawHuddersfield Town, Manchester City, Manchester United1956–1974
England Gordon BanksChesterfield, Leicester City, Stoke City1958–1973
Scotland Dave MackayTottenham Hotspur, Derby County, Swindon Town1958–1972
England Bobby MooreWest Ham United, Fulham1958–1977
England Alan MulleryFulham, Tottenham Hotspur1958–1976
England Geoff HurstWest Ham United, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion1959–1976
England Nobby StilesManchester United, Middlesbrough, Preston North End1959–1974
Republic of Ireland Johnny GilesManchester United, Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion1959–1977
Scotland Billy BremnerLeeds United, Hull City, Doncaster Rovers1959–1982
Scotland Frank McLintockLeicester City, Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers1959–1977
Scotland Alex YoungEverton, Stockport County1960–1969
England Martin PetersWest Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City, Sheffield United1960–1981
England Tommy SmithLiverpool, Swansea City1962–1979
England Norman HunterLeeds United, Bristol City, Barnsley1962–1983
Northern Ireland Pat JenningsWatford, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal1962–1985
England Alan BallBlackpool, Everton, Arsenal, Southampton, Bristol Rovers1962–1984
England Colin BellBury, Manchester City1963–1979
Northern Ireland George BestManchester United, Stockport County, Fulham, AFC Bournemouth1963–1983
England Peter ShiltonLeicester City, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, Bolton Wanderers, West Ham United, Leyton Orient1965–1997
England Ray ClemenceScunthorpe United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur1965–1988
England Malcolm MacdonaldFulham, Luton Town, Newcastle United, Arsenal1968–1979
England Kevin KeeganScunthorpe United, Liverpool, Southampton, Newcastle United1968–1984
England Trevor FrancisBirmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday1970–1995
Scotland Graeme SounessMiddlesbrough, Liverpool1972–1984
Republic of Ireland Liam BradyArsenal, West Ham United1973–1990
England Glenn HoddleTottenham Hotspur, Swindon Town, Chelsea1974–1996
England Bryan RobsonWest Bromwich Albion, Manchester United, Middlesbrough1974–1997
Scotland Alan HansenLiverpool1977–1990
Scotland Kenny DalglishLiverpool1977–1990
England Gary LinekerLeicester City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur1978–1993
Wales Ian RushChester City, Liverpool, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Wrexham1978–1999
Argentina Ossie ArdilesTottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers, Queens Park Rangers, Swindon Town1978–1990
Wales Neville SouthallBury, Everton, Port Vale, Southend United, Stoke City, Torquay United, Bradford City1980–2000
Republic of Ireland Paul McGrathManchester United, Aston Villa, Derby County, Sheffield United1981–1998
England John BarnesWatford, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Charlton Athletic1981–1999
England Tony AdamsArsenal1983–2002
England Paul GascoigneNewcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough, Everton, Burnley, Boston United1985–2004
England Alan ShearerSouthampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United1987–2006
Wales Ryan GiggsManchester United1990–2014
France Eric CantonaLeeds United, Manchester United1991–1997
Denmark Peter SchmeichelManchester United, Aston Villa, Manchester City1991–2003
Netherlands Dennis BergkampArsenal1995–2006

References

  1. 1 2 "Football legends unveiled". BBC. 4 August 1998. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Football Legends: What you think". BBC. 4 August 1998. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  3. "Football Legends list in full". BBC Sport. 5 August 1998. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  4. "THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE 100 LEGENDS". football-league.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 March 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
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