11.4.14

World Team of the Decade-1900s


Player
Team
Country
GK
Leigh Richmond Roose
Stoke
Wales
It was reading about Roose's selection for the World v Another Planet in 1905 that gave me the idea for this series. A playboy maverick shamateur Roose represented 7 clubs in the Football League as well as Celtic. 

RB
Bob Crompton
Blackburn
England
I'd pick Bob Crompton on looks alone- his appearance is imperious, He also clocked up a remarkable 41 international appearances and 600 plus games for Blackburn Rovers. 

LB
Jimmy Watson
Sunderland
Scotland
Daddy Long Legs was a key  member of Sunderland's championship winning side of 1902.

RH
Andy "Daddler" Aitken
Newcastle United
Scotland
Aitken played over 300 League games for Newcastle United and represented Scotland 14 times. 

CH
Charlie Roberts
Manchester United
England
The mobile pivot was the inspiration for Pozzo's metodo.

LH
Ernest Needham
Sheffield United
England
The industrious and cerebral half back who was a 'box to box' player. 

OR
Billy Meredith
Manchester City
Wales
The original Welsh Wizard of dribble who played top class football for 30 years.

IR
Bobby Walker
Heart of Midlothian
Scotland
Considered by many contemporaries to have been the greatest player to date and a man who inspired the development of the inside forward as a midfield playmaker.

CF
Vivian Woodward
Tottenham Hotspur
England
Woodward was not all about smashing in hatfuls of goals against inept foreign teams- he scored  14 goals in 16 Home Internationals  and 103 goals in  238 League appearances.

IL
Colin Veitch
Newcastle United
England
A fascinating man who could haver been a succesful politician and was an accomplished dramatist, Veitch was a versatile player and successful club captain. 

OL
Bobby Templeton
Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Woolwich Arsenal Celtic, Kilmarnock 
Scotland
Templeton possessed dazzling skills and was known as the Prince of Dribblers