Vinnie Jones is still controversial despite being regarded as one of the most difficult players in Premier League history. This is the point at which being a filthy player differs from being a difficult one. Jones was obviously not beyond boasting about himself and calling himself a hard man.
He lived in the 1980s and 1990s. Refereeing was more forgiving overall, despite significant changes to the game, such as the introduction of the red card for a professional foul. in order to joyfully mow opponents down without always getting carded right away. This is what Jones did most of the time.
In his opinion, there was only one opponent in the game who could match him in terms of being a hard man. That was Steve McMahon of Liverpool. The two played each other in the FA Cup Final in 1988. Wimbledon surprised everyone by defeating Liverpool 1-0 in that final. That continues to rank among football’s biggest shocks.
Wimbledon Beat the Odds to Win 1988 FA Cup Final
Vinnie Jones was up against Steve McMahon in midfield
Jones had the chance to make an impression in the first few seconds of the cup final after he had targeted McMahon. In England’s highlight match, the next tackle is among the most well-known. Although it did not yield any cards, it was also cruel. Before the big game, Jones shared his thoughts in an interview with TalkSport:
I’d seen a film where [Alan] Hansen or someone else would knock the ball to [McMahon], who would then let it fall to him, opening the way for him to play it out on the other side. The boys knew I was going to beat him because I had informed them early on that the referee wouldn’t send me off in front of roughly 100,000 people if I could. However, I didn’t receive a lot of feedback from the boys, so it was a bit of a risk.”
In the first few seconds of the cup final, this very situation occurred. how expected, McMahon got the ball just how Jones had envisioned. Hesitancy was not an option. Jones had the chance to send a strong message to Liverpool with this.
“I began to sprint as soon as the ball entered his hands. “Just open up,” I kept telling him as I stood about thirty yards away, and when he did, I said, “Merry Christmas.” BOOM!
Jones would thereafter assert that McMahon was his “only real rival” in contemporary sport for the title of “hardest man in football,” according to Liverpool Echo.
McMahon Played Down Significance of Jones’s Tackle
Liverpool man was not affected
McMahon’s histrionics were nonexistent at the time. Then he just stood up. McMahon downplays any notion that Wimbledon thought they could win the game because of Jones’s tackle. He claimed:
The fact that Vinnie Jones tackled me neck-high during the first five minutes of the championship game is unrelated to this. I wasn’t at all concerned by that tackle, so I got up and continued playing the game. I can tell him that it didn’t disturb me, even though I’m sure he believed it did.
Later on, Jones would admit that McMahon ultimately got his retribution. In fact, the Wales international needed stitches for a serious cut after the Liverpool star’s studs made such a strong contact with Jones.
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