Premier League 2016/17

[MDK]

13 minutes ago, stokeriño said:

Way too early for most of those... Gullit (who pretty much kickstarted it all) wouldn't arrive until a year later. Kharine is correct though.

Dmitri Kharine (Russia)
Jakob Kjeldbjerg (Denmark)
Erland Johnsen (Norway)
Mark Stein (South Africa)
 

Oh behave, Mark Stein barely qualifies as foreign.

[stokeriño]

3 minutes ago, MDK said:

Oh behave, Mark Stein barely qualifies as foreign.

I know, but it's a technicality.  

[The Lusophone]

Did he choose English/UK citizenship or something? Seems weird that he never played for South Africa.

[MDK]

4 minutes ago, Mad Jack said:

Did he choose English/UK citizenship or something? Seems weird that he never played for South Africa.

He might have been a bit shit, maybe?  

[The Lusophone]

Just now, MDK said:

He might have been a bit shit, maybe?  

Career stats would suggest otherwise - 13 in 18 in 93-94 would suggest that he was at least in a great run of form. Who did South Africa even have at that point anyway? 

[MDK]

Just now, Mad Jack said:

Career stats would suggest otherwise - 13 in 18 in 93-94 would suggest that he was at least in a great run of form. Who did South Africa even have at that point anyway? 

Mark Fish. Literally the only South African player I can name from the 90's. Wait, was Tony Yeboah South African?

[stokeriño]

1 minute ago, MDK said:

Mark Fish. Literally the only South African player I can name from the 90's. Wait, was Tony Yeboah South African?

Ghanaian.

[The Lusophone]

Just now, MDK said:

Mark Fish. Literally the only South African player I can name from the 90's. Wait, was Tony Yeboah South African?

Ghanian. South Africa had a 20 year old Benni McCarthy in their squad for 98 but that's a bit too late for the time period Stein was good in (literally the 93-94 season >_>).

[MDK]

So I still only know one Saffa from the 90's.

[stokeriño]

You have to remember that South Africa only had their FIFA ban lifted in 1992, which cuts out some of Mark Stein's career (he would have been 26 years old). I don't know the details, but I wouldn't be surprised if the first couple of post-Apartheid years could have had all kind of issues/politics/reluctance/etc. when it came to national call-ups.

Or alternatively they looked at this guy playing for Chelsea and thought "Pfft, we can do better than these mid-table players. Let's pick Phil Masinga instead - he plays for Leeds!".  

[MDK]

1 minute ago, stokeriño said:

You have to remember that South Africa only had their FIFA ban lifted in 1992, which cuts out some of Mark Stein's career (he would have been 26 years old). I don't know the details, but I wouldn't be surprised if the first couple of post-Apartheid years could have had all kind of issues/politics/reluctance/etc. when it came to national call-ups.

Or alternatively they looked at this guy playing for Chelsea and thought "Pfft, we can do better than these mid-table players".  

God, I much preferred Chelsea when they were a bit shit. Dennis Wise scoring a goal at the San Siro and making Maldini look like a scrub? Nice.

[stokeriño]

Everyone prefers every other team when they were a bit shit.

I do have some weird nostalgia for our stupidly-early UEFA Cup exits, mind.

[The Lusophone]

2 minutes ago, stokeriño said:

Everyone prefers every other team when they were a bit shit.

I do have some weird nostalgia for our stupidly-early UEFA Cup exits, mind.

I think I actually preffered Arsenal when they were good. Their fans were less ridiculous.

As for nostalgia over early UEFA Cup exits... West Ham's European adventures usually start and end in August.

[MDK]

But you had such likeable players. Little Frankie Beef was my favourite.

[stokeriño]

He's here! He's there! We're not allowed to swear! Frank Leboeuf! 

[MDK]

Just now, stokeriño said:

He's here! He's there! We're not allowed to swear! Frank Leboeuf! 

Turns out he was in The Theory of Everything as a Swiss doctor. 

[Adam]

Mark Stein, South African? Surely not.

Stein was present on the greatest day of my childhood. In fact he scored, but thankfully in a losing effort. Keeping the Chelsea connection going, we also met John Terry that day because his brother Paul was in the Daggers side.

[stokeriño]

Stein was born in Cape Town, guys.

[Matt]

2 hours ago, MDK said:

So I still only know one Saffa from the 90's.

Radebe?

[Adam]

45 minutes ago, stokeriño said:

Stein was born in Cape Town, guys.

He's lived in England since he was a little kid though, did he ever try and play for South Africa or even talk about it? Suppose it's harder to document such things pre-internet boom but hey ho.

Also, I googled Paul Terry after my last post to see where he ended up and found out that him having an affair with Dale Roberts' wife when the pair were at Rushden is cited as a reason why Roberts hung himself a few years ago .