The hardest player to ever play for Reading?

[Linden Jones' Tash]

I spotted Terry Hurlock on a train, a few years after he stopped playing and noticed he was wearing a Rangers tracksuit, had a Southampton sports bag and a Millwall baseball cap on his head.

Was deeply disappointed he didn't have any obvious RFC merch on his person.... unless his socks and pants had Kingsley on them.

Decided not to engage him due to his choice of clobber..

Was pretty intimidation on the pitch.

Am surprised Phil Parkinson hasn't being mentioned more - if he wasn't a 'hard man' what was he? Did he just run around and play to the crowd...

[From Despair To Where?]

I think what separates players like Hurlock and Whitehurst apart is their overall air of menace. Parky was a hard player but I'm pretty sure he didn't get opposition players thinking "He's going to hurt me".

[Dick Habbin's hairdo]

1) Hurlock without a shadow of doubt.

2) Billy Whitehurst - nutjob.

3) Mick Tait - but not in the same 'intimidation' ranks as Hurlock and Whitehurst.

Bikey was just bonkers ... he wasn't 'hard' per se

[Four Of Clubs]

I’d add Steve Hetzke to the list.

..from that era when I started going regularly to EP I'd add in Dave Moreline (who probably looked much harder than he was - don't recall him being particularly dirty just looked a handful)
- and pound for pound Alan Lewis (RIP) could be a nasty little b*$tard when he needed to be - loved him playing for us - a real trier.

Another notable at the time - when Ron Harris was the benchmark for 'damage' - and I saw him kick 7 bells out of Leighton James once at GP when Swansea were rising up the league's in the 80s - would have been ex-Sh!ts and Hornets grafter Roger Joslyn.
Was in the twilight of his career with us, (79-82) having done good things with Watford : recall reading about some up and coming starlet in the opposition ranks (vaguely remember it was someone like that Sheff Wed fellah Terry Curran) needing extensive treatment after a few clashes with our Rog.
The report of his injuries after the game sounded like he'd fallen off a roof or been hit by a bus - ankle calf knee thigh spleen ribs shoulder elbow & wrist

[Snowflake Royal]

Parky the obvious one from my era.

More recently and not yet mentioned ... Yiadom and McIntyre both relish a crunching tackle and leaving a bit on someone.

Matt Mills was a bit of a psycho at times and happy to use an elbow or stamp, but he wasn't hard.

[LUX]

I spotted Terry Hurlock on a train, a few years after he stopped playing and noticed he was wearing a Rangers tracksuit, had a Southampton sports bag and a Millwall baseball cap on his head.

Was deeply disappointed he didn't have any obvious RFC merch on his person.... unless his socks and pants had Kingsley on them..

Tbf he only played 29 games for us.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

1) Hurlock without a shadow of doubt.

2) Billy Whitehurst - nutjob.

3) Mick Tait - but not in the same 'intimidation' ranks as Hurlock and Whitehurst.

Bikey was just bonkers ... he wasn't 'hard' per se

Pretty much agree with this top 3....they all played for us at roughly the same time too, although I think Hurlock had been sold just before Whitehurst and Tait were signed.

[Phoenix Force]

I agree with Hurlock as the hardest. Johnny Walker pushes him close though. He was one of those players who either tackled you or, if you looked like beating him, simply chopped you down. Like all good hard men he had the knack of making it look like a fair attempt to tackle you though.

[Taffster]

Ricky Newman

[Westwood52]

Has to be Sonko.

[royal67]

Jay Tabb.....

[paultheroyal]

Parky the obvious one from my era.

More recently and not yet mentioned ... Yiadom and McIntyre both relish a crunching tackle and leaving a bit on someone.

Matt Mills was a bit of a psycho at times and happy to use an elbow or stamp, but he wasn't hard.

I am sure you post for wind-ups now or reaction! Unless you are referring to a different type of "hard".

[grey_squirrel]

Yeah it's got to be Hurlock.

Taken from a Rangers forum a decade ago

Tony Cascarino: "Some of us [Millwall players] were playfully goading Terry about what he was going to do to Vinnie Jones in the upcoming fixture with Wimbledon. Without saying a word, he got up from the table and walked to the entrance of the pub and ripped the door off its hinges."

Notable mentions to
Gordon Cumming (he got sent off in consecutive matches. At least one was for a punch)
Billy Whitehurst
Alan Lewis is a strange one. Was nicknamed "chicken Lewis" when playing at left back but was like a man possessed when pushed into midfield.

[Sutekh]

Is it possible to select a "hard" XI? Presumably the keeper would be the hardest position to agree on though suspect Marcus would be the obvious choice but then Steve Death for some reason I think would be a contender.

Alternatively any keeper prior to the 1960s could probably be a rival after all you'd have to be hard to be able to take heavy laced footballs regularly covered in mud and/or ice being belted at you during a game and all without gloves.

Anyone think Trevor Morley or Jimmy Quinn would be a good partner for Billy?

[Snowflake Royal]

Parky the obvious one from my era.

More recently and not yet mentioned ... Yiadom and McIntyre both relish a crunching tackle and leaving a bit on someone.

Matt Mills was a bit of a psycho at times and happy to use an elbow or stamp, but he wasn't hard.

I am sure you post for wind-ups now or reaction! Unless you are referring to a different type of "hard".

Quality post there ptr. Most enlightening.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Is it possible to select a "hard" XI? Presumably the keeper would be the hardest position to agree on though suspect Marcus would be the obvious choice but then Steve Death for some reason I think would be a contender.

Alternatively any keeper prior to the 1960s could probably be a rival after all you'd have to be hard to be able to take heavy laced footballs regularly covered in mud and/or ice being belted at you during a game and all without gloves.

Anyone think Trevor Morley or Jimmy Quinn would be a good partner for Billy?

Death would be ahead of Marcus for the keeper's jersey, he was exceptionally brave regularly diving in amongst the boots, against lower tier forwards with very limited ability/timing. keepers were far less protected back then then too

[paultheroyal]

Parky the obvious one from my era.

More recently and not yet mentioned ... Yiadom and McIntyre both relish a crunching tackle and leaving a bit on someone.

Matt Mills was a bit of a psycho at times and happy to use an elbow or stamp, but he wasn't hard.

I am sure you post for wind-ups now or reaction! Unless you are referring to a different type of "hard".

Quality post there ptr. Most enlightening.

Cheers x

[RoyalBlue]

I'm amazed there are so few mentions of Robin Friday. He took awful punishment from opponents, usually got up laughing and sought retribution later in the game.

'Tin Head' Trevor Morley
The man in the mask - Parky.

[Snowball]

By "hard" are you guys talking "tough", "can take the knocks", brave etc

or do you mean dirty player, lots of deliberate hurting of opponents? (eg Mings)?

I think Noel Hunt and Shane Long were very gutsy and knocked seven
shades out of CB partnerships over 90 minutes. Noel was brave to the
point of stupid. Felt like he was knocked out every other game.

Contrast those two with Meite who may be big but is hardly
a hurt-machine.

Or contrast them with Church who always looked and played "scared" to my eyes.

Who was the ex-Stoke right-back who came to us for a season, good old-fashioned,
no messing-about FB who got his only ever winners medal while with us?

[RoyalBlue]

Is it possible to select a "hard" XI? Presumably the keeper would be the hardest position to agree on though suspect Marcus would be the obvious choice but then Steve Death for some reason I think would be a contender.

Alternatively any keeper prior to the 1960s could probably be a rival after all you'd have to be hard to be able to take heavy laced footballs regularly covered in mud and/or ice being belted at you during a game and all without gloves.

Anyone think Trevor Morley or Jimmy Quinn would be a good partner for Billy?

Death would be ahead of Marcus for the keeper's jersey, he was exceptionally brave regularly diving in amongst the boots, against lower tier forwards with very limited ability/timing. keepers were far less protected back then then too

Very true. No gloves in the early days either!