Martin Hicks marking Pele

[Cripple Creek]

I've just been unpacking some stuff from the UK into our new house in Australia and I came across the David Downs book on Reading's hundred greatest players. I was astonished to discover that Hicks once played in some kind of England veterans team against another international veterans team and he marked Pele. Did anyone see this match or know where I could get any more info about it? Ta.

[higher]

I cant recall that one but notworthy for sure.Hicks was a great servant for the club and must have close to legendary status for his seeming zillion and a half appearances at center back through good times and bad.
Unfortunately although many good memories of Hicksy one that sticks in my mind was during a particularly bad phase when we couldnt string more that 2 passes together(Joselyn in the team I believe) the big mans defensive clearances were "hoofs" that went so high that the proverbial snow came down with the ball. The collective south bank wit chanted "Higher" every time he made a clearance.This seems to have stuck with me
I hope he swapped the shirt with Pele as he would have had the rest of the great man in his pocket .

[If you still hate Futcher]

I remember the Hicksy hoof - some of us were trying to calculate his transfer value in the (even then) over inflated market and basically added on £1million for each "cultured clearance".

By the end of the season I think he was up to around £20million

[Mr Optimist]

He's here,
he's there,
he's everyfingwhere,
Martin Hicks, Martin Hicks

A legend and a bloody nice bloke but unfortunately in his last few years his heaad seemed to grow into the shape of an anvil as he could no longer head the ball in the direction he wanted it to go.

This may be harsh though given the effort put in for the cause over many years.

[Garrincha]

I think it had more to do with the fact Hicksy had his jaw broken and had to have it wired- maybe they wired his head in the shape of an anvil! if I recall correctly it was 1985/6 season and the culprit was Futcher who broke it??

Tosser! (Futcher that is)

[Mr Optimist]

Unfortunately I may have called Hicksie a tosser or a lot worse a few times in his last couple of seasons with us....!

[Millsy]

I cant recall that one but notworthy for sure.Hicks was a great servant for the club and must have close to legendary status for his seeming zillion and a half appearances at center back through good times and bad.
Unfortunately although many good memories of Hicksy one that sticks in my mind was during a particularly bad phase when we couldnt string more that 2 passes together(Joselyn in the team I believe) the big mans defensive clearances were "hoofs" that went so high that the proverbial snow came down with the ball. The collective south bank wit chanted "Higher" every time he made a clearance.This seems to have stuck with me
I hope he swapped the shirt with Pele as he would have had the rest of the great man in his pocket .

Aha, I had wondered what your name meant. Just goes to show I'm a relative plastic!

[glass half full]

Could Hicksy have cleared East Stand roof at Madejski, I wonder?

[readingbedding]

Of course, in fact there are a couple of footballs launched by Hicks that are still orbiting the Earth.

[size 12]

When Hicks
Went Up
To Get the Simod Cup
We Were There, We Were There

Hands up those who thought Reading would never ever surpass that Wembley day?

[Rudolph Hucker]

For nearly nineteen years that day at Wembley has been the greatest day of my life. The way we played and the way we ripped apart a very good Luton team was the stuff that dreams are made of, particularly considering the decidedly average form in the league that season.

The last couple of seasons has seen several occasions that run that day close and now we are shoulder to shoulder with the elite of English football. It's hard to fathom that we are disappointed with a 1-0 defeat at Spurs or a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal!!

Perhaps the only thing that will surpass that glorious day back in '88 will be a trip to the new Wembley and lifting one of the 'proper' cups. The fact that this isn't such an impossibilty nowadays shows how far we've come.

[If you still hate Futcher]

He's here,
he's there,
he's everyfingwhere,
Martin Hicks, Martin Hicks

Later changed to

He's here,
He's there,
We're not allowed to swear,
Martin Hicks, Martin Hicks

at the behest of the great man himself

I think it had more to do with the fact Hicksy had his jaw broken and had to have it wired- maybe they wired his head in the shape of an anvil! if I recall correctly it was 1985/6 season and the culprit was Futcher who broke it??

Tosser! (Futcher that is)

Hence my username

If you still hate Futcher clap your hands
If you still hate Futcher clap your hands
If you still hate Futcher
still hate Futcher
If you still hate Futcher clap your hands

Who says I should move on

[Irvinchangeyaname]

The whole Futcher family were a bunch of thugs. His brother Paul IIRC was also sent off at EP a couple of seasons later (although to be fair there was a slight exaggeration from our player!)

[Riseley]

Martin Hicks' mode of transport was a red Vauxhall Cavalier estate with the proud legend 'Sponsored by Contact cars' on the drivers door. The good old days- when RFC player earnings were on a par with odd weathermen from Exeter. Which is ironic as the Hicksy hoof was known to disturb the odd Meteorological Satellite.

[Barry the bird boggler]

I think it had more to do with the fact Hicksy had his jaw broken and had to have it wired- maybe they wired his head in the shape of an anvil! if I recall correctly it was 1985/6 season and the culprit was Futcher who broke it??

Tosser! (Futcher that is)

Didn't Rotherham's Daral Pugh also break Hicksies jaw it the year before, seem to remember that when we beat Rotherham 2-1 in 1986 they had Pugh sent off (which was handy as we'd already had Hurlock(?) dismissed)?