FOND MEMORIES OF EMLYN HUGHES

He was just great.

Can’t quite believe that it’s been seven years, but on November 9 2004 a true sporting great (and a fantastic person too) was taken from us.  Way too soon. 

Emlyn Hughes, aka Crazy Horse, was a star performer and a mainstay of Bill Shankly’s Liverpool.  Tough in the tackle but an intelligent and highly technical performer, Hughes made 474 appearances for the reds and was capped 62 times by England. 

After football, Hughes became a familiar face on UK televisions as a team captain on the BBC’s Question of Sport opposite Bill Beaumont.  Diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2003, Hughes passed away a year later and is sorely missed throughout the beautiful game.

We found a lot of footage featuring Hughes the player, and also Hughes the pundit, but one particular video really stood out. 

Considering the standing that football has in the games console industry, it’s great to think that Hughes put his name to a forerunner of PES, FIFA and all the others with 1982’s ‘Emlyn Hughes International Soccer’ on the Commodore 64.

Here’s some footage that will either bring you to a frenzied froth of pure nostalgic glee, or a slack jawed gape at what was once considered cutting edge.  It was by far and away the best of its kind, rest assured.

This made us smile, which is kinda how we want to remember Emlyn.  Oh, and the winning goal is a beauty.

Click the image to watch.