I WISH I could've seen Johnny Haynes play.

[FPT]

I've seen snippets, but nothing more.

[sunburywhite]

I am sure this thread will get many replies from old farts like myself but the man was without doubt the Messi of his day.

[Martinsback]

I've seen snippets, but nothing more.

I wish I could have seen Konstantinos "Kostas" Mitroglou play.

[jarv]

JH is the reason I support Fulham. I was 12 and had just moved to London (Southfields) from Glasgow. Went to a match and instantly became a Haynes fan so I kept returning to watch him. Coming from Scotland, I thought Jim Baxter was good, but JH was even better. After a few games, Fulham stuck. I did attend a few games at Chelsea but, apart from being a rubbish team, the crowd was full of thugs. Not a pleasant experience at that age, on my own at a match. Never went back.

[sunburywhite]

I've seen snippets, but nothing more.

I wish I could have seen Konstantinos "Kostas" Mitroglou play.

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[LBNo11]

...there are one or two snippets on the 'JOHNNY HAYNES STATUE' facebook page, as well as lot's of memoribilia, recollections as well as various documents relating to the statue and the campaign to get it erected.

Different generations have their different heroes, irrespective of what divisions, different styles and tactics, type of ball and boots etc., Your will hear those who saw him wax lyrical about his play, and younger generations will attribute those memories to the ramblings of ancient old gits, who embroidered the skill level and attributes of the man, but the biggest plaudits of him were his peers, Pele, Greaves, and team mates that represented their country at International level such as Robson, Leggat
etc., The best of a generation told us that he was amongst the best of the generation, believe them if you don't want to believe the rheumy eyed members of my generation...

[EdenRob]

JH is the reason I support Fulham. I was 12 and had just moved to London (Southfields) from Glasgow. Went to a match and instantly became a Haynes fan so I kept returning to watch him. Coming from Scotland, I thought Jim Baxter was good, but JH was even better. After a few games, Fulham stuck. I did attend a few games at Chelsea but, apart from being a rubbish team, the crowd was full of thugs. Not a pleasant experience at that age, on my own at a match. Never went back.

Whoa there Jarv!
Apart from Glasgow read Norf Lunun and your just written my experience.

[bucksfulham]

He could hit a perfect 60 yard cross field pass without even looking up! Absolute genius.

[Woodlawn]

I am one of those old farts who saw him when he first started playing, watching him at inside left and Charlie Mitten on the left wing was pure heaven. No doubt he was as good as everything you have heard and more

[Steven Ageroad]

He could hit a perfect 60 yard cross field pass without even looking up! Absolute genius.

He even managed it in high ankle brown lace up boots with toe caps and nail in studs, not these ponsey lightweight luminous jobs they wear today. (Written by an old fart who saw JH, the maestro, play many times)

[sunburywhite]

Whilst kicking a stone with laces in it

[grandad]

He is not named the Maestro for nothing.
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[blingo]

Who's Johnny Haynes????? lol lol lol. ;p

[Fernhurst]

My hero.... And most times I watched him...... Simply breathtaking.

RIP Maestro

[sunburywhite]

Would we have kept him in these greedy maverick days?

[Peabody]

Who knows whether we would keep him today, all I know is that we did keep him and he devoted his career to Fulham. I remember a campaign started by The People were one of their journalists went into print saying that"for the sake of English football, Fulham should let Arsenal have JH, fortunately they were unsuccessful.

[jarv]

Tottenham were always sniffing around. Wanted him to link up with Greaves (and Bobby Smith), the England attacking trio.

[davew]

Another old fart here who has supported the Club since 1956 (at the age of 5). Johnny was a genius, way ahead of his time and in terms of skill way ahead of the rest of his team mates. 1 of the things I loved was when he would make the perfect pass (from any distance) only for the recipient not to be on the same level and then Johnny would show his total disgust with that player, bit like Berbatov though he is nowhere near as good as Haynes'y was. I met Johnny a few times through my Grandad who was a Director of FFC for 22 years, Johnny was very graceful and polite, a really nice person and truly dedicated to FFC, how times have changed with the modern players!!

[Peabody]

Tottenham wanted him to replace John White who was killed by lightening in 1964

One name who rated JH and has not been mentioned was Bobby Charlton

[cmg]

It's quite impossible for words to do justice to the reality.

You sometimes see someone, like Andrea Pirlo, open up play with a  cross-field pass of exquisite precision and think, 'Wow, that's a bit like Johnny Haynes.' The thing is that Haynes did it all the time and he did it while Mackay or Stiles or Smith was trying to kick lumps out of him (not that people were not trying to kick Pirlo).