Its no big secret that I think that Mansfield Rugby Club is just about the best all round sporting club that I've met in some sixty years of being a sport nut. So what is more natural than to dream on a hot summers day about some of the great players we have had in our forty-six years?

I'm going to pick a dream team!

And you are all going to be convinced that here at last is proof that I don't know what I am talking about, and you know better! There is something about Mansfield that produces really good young fullbacks. We have had two England Colts and several Midlands players. Not all continue at full back as they get older but the class and vision never leaves them. Some of the full backs that come to mind are Wayne Kilford and Peter Moss (who went on to greater things with Coventry and Northampton), Wayne Robinson in the present side, late of Twickenham, is excellent and in previous years we have Mr. Reliable - Mick Taylor, the impressive Bob Bevan and of course the unforgettable "Rock" Mick Revill with great hands, excellent kicker, good positional skills and able to communicate at up to half a mile when grousing quietly.

Hang on a minute.

There are so many candidates I need some get out clauses, like:

The don't blame me clause:- Having talked this talk with Embo, Byron and countless old farts you can vent your disagreement with them in Mansfield.

The no present players clause:- This saves me getting offside with seven or eight really serious contenders in John Tasker's brilliant squad. So sorry Brad, Terry, Danny, Wayne etc.

The long-term commitment clause:- Only players who have sustained excellence over many seasons and against the best opposition can be in this dream. This then excludes Peter Moss who scored a blinding try at Twickenham and Wayne Kilford who gave such excellent service to Leicester and Coventry. Sadly it also shuts out two excellent wingers in Phil Richardson and Dave Buchanan whose careers were cut short by injury.

Talking wingers how many remember Keith Stringfellow and Bruce Arnold's father Arthur - now he was quick. In Byrons time (Medieval!!) there was Dave Burke who could play anywhere and was a one-man scoring machine. More recently there was Hughie O'Neill and that Rolls Royce winger Swithers.

There have been several useful center's like Charlie Clifford, who preferred fly half and Bryn Williams of the silver voice. More recently Ralph Leeson, Nick Smith, John Grey who was also a quality captain and of course the Foster duo. John F and Andy were unrelated and absolute opposites in just about everything, yet what a pair they made. John was the planner and visionary and Andy the hard, fast instinctive player.

Star fly halves are not plentiful, but then outside Wales they never were. 'Len' Deighton was pretty good as of course Charlie Clifford was when he played there and I seem to remember Eddie Phillips being pretty nippy in midfield. In more recent times, John Robertson reflected the power of the boot in the modern game as well as his all round skills.

Scrumhalves tend to be like goalkeepers and wicketkeepers by necessity a bit mad, and we have our share of eccentrics at Mansfield. How about Rob Waterhouse, Byron Edwards, Andy Corley, John Loughton and Bob Percival? Bob was so well qualified even his own captain sent him off!! Dai Wright who came to us from Llanelli had a lot of class and I'm only sorry Terry Davies is still playing because he would be a real contender.

Like Chesterfield produces goalkeepers and coal mines used to produce fast bowlers, Mansfield has forwards. It at times we have been a few backs short of a good fifteen we've never been short of a good pack. Not always fit pack but always a good one. Back row names like Ray Cosgrove, Kelly Bowman, Mel Kirby, Alan Eyres, Sting Mitchell, Jack Bilham, Bryn Howell and Bob Salmon. They were all top class first team players and I wonder if John Tasker like to pick from that lot?!

Second row men are large lumps. Some of them can run. Most of them can push. All of them can drink! The odd one can catch but as a rule you forget passing. Ray Lowery springs to mind and the "reborn" Andy Murrary in those glorious months after he came back from his horrific burns. John Perkins would qualify because he looked like Willy John but if we pick Perky we would have to pick Sos Chambers. (You will remember Perky only started to play after Sos gave him a couple of "wake ups"). But we cant pick him because of all the penalties he gave away. This leaves Derek Barlon-Hanson who was a good all-rounder. Mark "Six Six" Goldsmith who could move like a back and the best of them all Dave Kilford. (That's right, the father of the running Kilfords Anthony and Wayne)

Props are natural citizens of Mansfield from Ray George to Gerry Clough in earlier days to Keith Porter, Richard Sharpe (when not in films) and the versatile Dave Howells who was that rare prop who was actually very good on either head. A couple of other names to conjure with are Gerry Beecroftm 14 and a half years of rugby before he retired prematurely, and his little brother Peter Emberson.

We have bred good hookers too. Copestakes favourite is Ray Savage one of the early days players and although he has left the area he still sends money to keep Copers smiling. Kev Whale also now employs his skills as a frightener on Copers behalf, formally known as membership secretary. He was a great all park ball player and excellent hooker ahead of Chocker Clarey who upheld the great hard man tradition. But my choice of hooker has to part of a unit and the only thing I've seen in Rugby better than the Pontypool front row - Beecroft, Bushell and Emberson. Step forward Joe Bushell, ex-Wigan, Blackpool Borough and the sharpest line in dark arts you will ever meet.

If I could borrow from the NFL I'd have a specialist kicker. When TV used to tell us that Dusty Hare was the best kicker in England they were wrong. The very best played here. He should have been a pro soccer player but some referee got it wrong and sent the best dead ball kicker I have ever seen to Mansfield Rugby Club. He was good at a lot of things too judging by the flimsy mementos he brought back on Saturday nights and Billy Groz would always be number one on my bench.

So off the fence Colford !

The Dream Team :

Revill, O'Neil, Foster J, Foster A, Swithenbank, Robinson J, Wright

Emberson, Bushell, Beecroft, Goldsmith, Kilford D, Eyres, Mitchell, Salmon

Editors Note : What does a fan from Gloucester know about rugby anyway? Colford stuck in the last century. If you have better ideas and I'm sure you have,then send it in to info@mansfieldrugby.co.uk. (Selection rules apply as above).