McGrath is a Marked Man
(by the
Referee)
Ray
Bradley.
'Goal'
March 20, 1971. No. 137.
John
McGarth at Southampton.
SOUTHAMPTON
centrehalf John McGrath has the reputation of being one
of the hardest defenders in the First Division-if not THE
hardest. A defender who takes no prisoners; a muscular
match at 6 ft. and 182 Ib. for any striker in the air or
on the ground.
Big John
admits that his job is to stop strikers from scoringnot
from playing. That is why he gets annoyed when he hears
accusations of being "dirty" hurled from the
terraces.
Says the
much-maligned McGrath : "I've been crucified on a
few away grounds this season. When you get a reputation
for being a bit hard some people take it that you just go
out on a Saturday and try to clobber someone.
"That's
grossly unfair. I'm not a dirty player. If I was how come
the players I have to mark each week are fit for the
following Saturday?
"Sure,
I go in hard to win a 50-50 ball. If I didn't I'd get
injured. But in one match I played this season I was
booed before I kicked the ball. Then to make it worse the
referee penalised my first three tackles and threatened
to book me after the fourth. All within the first ten
minutes. I ask you, is that fair ?
"Quite
honestly, after that I was frightened to make another
tackle. Being penalised like that means that vou are a
marked man bv the referee. In an\\other industry you'd
claim victimisation."
McGrath
maintains that most First Division strikers are capable
of looking after themselves, but concedes that they are
having a rough passage at the moment.
"There
are a lot of forwards around today who can give a bit
back," he says. "They give you a slight nudge
in the ribs or an elbow in the chest. I don't blame them.
Why should we crib when we get a bit back.
"Believe
me I've got every sympathy for some of them.\par Take our
own Ron Davies. He's a big .fellow but he's such a gentle
chap really.
"Some
of the tackles on him
"Mind
you there are one or two babies around who are always
moaning every time you tackle them. But luckily there are
not many. Most of them accept the fact that we've both
got a job to do. Gerry Queen and Ian Hutchinson are two
who never flinch or moan. They just get on with the game.
"
After ten seasons in the First Division John McGrath
reckons that the game is no more brutal than it has 'ever
been-in fact, if anything it seems as if the
old-fasbioned shoulder charge has gone out of the game.
"Very
few referees let it go now," he says.
McGrath,
on his own admission, confesses that he would much rather
be faced with "the big lads" rather than the
nippy little fellows in any game.Says big John :
"Personally, I prefer marking the big fellow who
comes straight at you. The little lads tend to make a
tackle look much worse than it really is. They go flying
when you go in hard and you always seem to get penalised
by the ref.
"Frankly,
the little fellow usually causes me most bother .This guy
Terry Conroy at Stoke is fantastic. He's caused us a lot
of trouble in the past. Jimmy Greenhoff is another Stoke
lad who seems to cause big blokes a lot of trouble. Both
can stretch a defender on the ground with their speed.
"There
seems to be a trend towards playing the little fellows up
the middle, where their speed can cause defenders a lot
of trouble. Gerry Queen and John O'Hare are just two who
spring to mind."
John
concedes that it is not getting any easier for Soccer's
front runners these days, but quickly points out it's not
getting easier for defenders either.
"Big
guys like Hutchinson fly in to tackle a defender. Frankly
it is not getting any easier for us. Few forwards pull
out of tackles now. If they did, they would be dropped by
their managers. So you see it's not all one-way traffic,
is it?"
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