Crazy Gang

For the group of British entertainers formed in the 1930s, see The Crazy Gang.

For other uses, see Crazy Gang (disambiguation).

The Crazy Gang is a nickname used by the English media to describe Wimbledon F.C. during the 1980s and the 1990s.

The name, originally that of a well known group of British comedy entertainers popular in the late 1930s, was used because of the often eccentric and boisterously macho behaviour of Wimbledon's players, who were in the habit of playing frequent and outrageous practical jokes on each other and on the club's manager, Dave Bassett. Additionally, their general approach to the game was derided as amateurish and their playing style was often accused of being, at best, basic and unsophisticated in comparison to more glamorous teams; former England striker Gary Lineker once commented dismissively: "The best way to watch Wimbledon is on Ceefax",.^[1]

Nevertheless, regardless of all the criticism they were subject to, the team was very successful. The joking behaviour, together with a deep sense of being unjustly derided, undoubtedly bred an intensely close team spirit which was greatly to the club's benefit on the pitch. Moreover, their physical style, with players such as Vinnie Jones, often intimidated their opponents.

Within only a few years, they had won promotion from the bottom of the Football League to the very highest level, without ever changing their straightforward playing style.

History

Although the club had encouraged its players in this behaviour since the early 1980s, the nickname did not really become widespread in use, beyond the players of the club themselves, until 1988 when, against all expectations, Wimbledon won the FA Cup by beating highly talented favourites Liverpool 1-0, with goalkeeper Dave Beasant saving a penalty during play. At the final whistle, BBC TV commentator John Motson said the line: "The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club!". The name then caught on nationally, began to appear frequently in newspaper reports, and was often used in TV coverage of the club.

It is equally difficult to determine precisely when the term fell out of use. However, as Wimbledon became more established in the top strata of English football, their style of play necessarily became more advanced, and their bizarre behaviour was no longer so unexpected. Indeed, it can be said that the nickname lost much of its previous effect at the point it became "official", when the club itself began to use it in its own marketing. This was carried to the extent that the name even appeared for several seasons in the mid 1990s as a small badge on the team's playing shirts. In 2000, the club was finally relegated from the Premier League, by which time the name had simply became rather inappropriate as a description of its players, although the club still continued to use it for some years to promote itself commercially.

Members

The likes of Dennis Wise, John Fashanu, Vinnie Jones and Lawrie Sanchez are often considered as some of the high profile members of the 'crazy gang', although the club's first ever full-time apprentice Wally Downes is normally cited as the founder, being an inveterate practical joker.

See also

Spice Boys of Liverpool F.C

References

1. ^ Wollaston, Sam (22 September 2004). "Fax of life". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2004/sep/22/media.broadcasting. Retrieved 2008-10-07.