Crazy Gang (football)
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
The Crazy Gang is a
Despite enjoying decent success as a fixture in the
The name originated in the immediate aftermath of Wimbledon's 1988 FA Cup final victory over Liverpool, when BBC commentator John Motson declared that "the crazy gang has beaten the culture club". Most closely associated with the team of that period, notable members included Vinnie Jones, Dennis Wise, Dave Beasant, John Fashanu and Lawrie Sanchez. Under the management of Dave Bassett, they climbed from the Fourth Division to the First Division in four seasons leading up to 1986 without ever changing their straightforward playing style.
History
Although the club had been known for its players' oftentimes outlandish behaviour since the early 1980s, the team became more widely recognised for it following their promotion to the First Division in 1986. Practical jokes and initiations for new players were commonplace; these ranged from players being stripped and forced to walk home naked to belongings being set on fire to players being tied to the roof of a car at the training ground and driven at high speeds along the A3 among a multitude of others, with long-serving midfielder Vinnie Jones saying "you either grew a backbone quickly or dissolved as a man", in reference to the club's boisterous culture.[3][4] As the now top-flight team received more attention for their antics from the media, they also became subject to criticism from many pundits and fellow players, who accused the team of taking a "simplified, overly aggressive, and intimidating" approach to football in comparison to the other teams in the league. This newfound scrutiny created a close bond and tenacious camaraderie among the players, who adopted an "us vs them" mentality on the field as more and more opposing teams feared the side and their reputation.[4][5][3] Players such as Vinnie Jones and John Fashanu were often accused of showing little regard for their opponents and deliberately making dangerous, risky tackles.[3] Both received significant attention after both Gary Stevens and Gary Mabbutt of Tottenham Hotspur were injured in separate incidents following challenges from Jones and Fashanu respectively; Stevens never fully recovered from the injuries suffered as a result of Jones' tackle and retired four years later.[6][7]
As the team saw a sustained degree of success in the First Division, their most famous moment came in 1988, when they upset league champions
Despite many key members of the original group leaving in the aftermath of the FA Cup final victory, the media and the club itself continued to use the nickname, with Wimbledon chairman
Members
Below is a list of notable members of the group, who were widely known to partake in the group's notorious off-field antics, though the nickname was applied to the entire squad for much of the late 1980s and 1990s.
Name | Tenure |
---|---|
John Fashanu | 1986–1994 |
Vinnie Jones | 1986–1989, 1992–1998 |
Dave Beasant | 1979–1988 |
Dennis Wise | 1985–1990 |
Lawrie Sanchez | 1984–1994 |
Terry Phelan | 1987–1992 |
Wally Downes | 1979–1988 |
See also
References
- ^ a b "Remembering Wimbledon's Crazy Gang". These Football Times. 10 February 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ Wollaston, Sam (22 September 2004). "Fax of life". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Remembering Wimbledon's Crazy Gang". 10 February 2015. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- ^ a b c "The Story of Wimbledon's Crazy Gang". 10 December 2014. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ a b "The tale of Crazy Gang | Deccan Herald". 30 November 2019. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "The new life of Gary Stevens, the Brighton and Tottenham hero whose career was over at 30 – SussexLive". 15 June 2020. Archived from the original on 5 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
- Independent.co.uk. 26 November 1993. Archivedfrom the original on 1 September 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.