Getting a long throw Legg-up
It's been amusingly dubbed the 'Delapidator', and Steve Bruce is faced with the task of dealing with Rory Delap's long throws tomorrow.
Wigan Athletic, who play Stoke City, have a couple of decent chuckers themselves in Mario Melchiot and Maynor Figueroa.
But there's no-one to compare with Delap and his long throw, that has helped account for half of Stoke's goal this season.
Bruce reckons he has a plan to counter the danger posed by Delap's fast and flat deliveries.
And maybe he is calling upon his time as a player at Blues, when Andy Legg was the human catapult.
I was listening to Legg on the radio the other day. He recalled that his best throw of 44.54m earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
He achieved that mark in a specially-arranged contest before an England-Brazil game at Wembley. Not sure what the Samba stars made of it, but I doubt if they started playing the percentage game from then on.
Legg's crown was eventually taken by Dave Challinor, then of Tranmere Rovers now of Colwyn Bay, who lobbed the ball 46.34m.
Legg - who is only 5ft 8in tall - said he found the fuss over Delap's throw funny because the tactic was nothing new. Because of the spotlight on the Premier League, and the fact
that Delap has ruffled the big guns, that's why everyone is talking about it. Ask various Championship defences from last season.
During his time at Blues between 1996 - 98, Barry Fry signing Legg played on the wing or left-back and his long throw wasn't actually that productive, even when 6ft 7in Kevin
Francis was on board.
As I recall, it was only at Derby County's Baseball Ground where the long throw routine worked: Legg launched into in the heart of the area from near the byline, big Kev flicked
the ball on and Gary Breen headed it in at the back post.
After Legg came to the club from Notts County, Blues strike force was hardly taylor-made for his throw. Paul Devlin, Paul Barnes, Paul Peschisolido, Jason Bowen and Jonathan Hunt were all vying with Francis for attacking places.
Fry was sacked soon after Legg arrived and the Welshman's opportunities receded under Trevor Francis.
Legg is still going strong now, playing for Llanelli in the Welsh League.
In 2005, he had to quit playing and assisting for Peterborough United after the removal of a cancerous tumour in his neck. Legg also recovered from a second cancer scare.
Older/Newer
« Three in a row | I guess that's why they call them the Blues »
8 Comments
Leave a comment
Profile
Colin Tattum - Mail man Colin Tattum’s view of what’s going on at Birmingham City FC.
Very intesting but aren't you supposed to be writing about Blues?
I think you will find this is about Blues as are all the other blogs here which are always insightful and interesting combined with the daily stuff in the Mail
yah blues scored a goal from a long throw in 1969 Halifax Geoff Vowden,I was over the moon.
I think you will find that the difference between my long throws and the long throws made by other players (like Andy Legg) is that mine come in hard and flat rather than high and loopy.
That's what all the fuss is about. So stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
Andy Leg could spin it and make it change direction in the air just like that foreign cricketer bloke Shane Worn.
And why do you allways wear long sleeved jerseys have you got a piece of bungee elastic up there,your action is very suspect.
So you can stick that up you pipe and smoke it.
this De Loop johnny should be playing netball not soccer,its a discrace,sack him now.
'Andy Leg could spin it and make it change direction in the air...'
No mate, that was the wind.
no mate it wasnt the wind,i saw him do it with my own three eyes.
so you can put that right up your pipe and smoke it