Rodney Marsh – the Maverick

Rodney Marsh’s name is one of the most remembered in the history of English football. Widely admired by thousands for his spirit and charisma, as well as incredibly talented gameplay, his career peaked in the 60s and 70s with many highs and lows on the way. Perhaps, he was too talented for the times he was born in.

Rodney Marsh’s story is the story of undermined talent and free spirit.

Rodney Marsh was very well-known among the English fans for his performance in several renowned clubs. He started at Fulham as a junior team player, and after scoring 40 goals there, he was given a chance to show what he is capable of in the 1963 game against AstonVilla. The winning goal was his, and manager Jezzard was very satisfied with this beginning.  However, soon enough Jezzard was replaced by Vick Buckingham, who had little tolerance towards individuality and order defiance. He and Rodney Marsh sure did not get along. It was understandable, though: Rodney’s style of game was far from conservative, he longed to play by his own rules, to be maximally effective on the field even if his game contradicted the manager’s overall strategy.  He sought to entertain fans rather than win the game. He wanted to have fun on the field, pulling off tricks and challenging his own teammates.  What kind of manager would love that?

Apparently, Marsh was a complicated personality to deal with, often lost and unable to decide what he wanted.  He was born and raised in extremely poor conditions, and often mentioned his controversial relationship with his father.

He grew up a free spirit, unwilling to play by the rules of the system.  In his interactions with managers, he pulled off jokes that could certainly come off as disrespectful.  However, he had one advantage: he was an amazingly talented player.

Alec Stock, manager to Queens Park Rangers, was among those who appreciated Marsh’s talent and individuality, and let him attack fiercely on the field, just as Marsh had wanted.  In the 1966 season, March scored 44 goals out of 53, with some of the goals being so tasteful and thought through, they seemed almost impossible to perform.

Rodney himself admitted that he was too free-spirited for the conventional English football. His talent did get him far, but his compliance and easy disposition could have got him even further. Unfortunately, he had neither.  The tone in which he made remarks about the games, fellow team members and managers left much to be desired. He was very rarely tolerant of the situation around him, and filed for transfer multiple times throughout his career.  His many injuries did give him further career setbacks. But he was loved by many, and he never settled for a bleak compromise. His style and flare will live in the memories of his fans, because he truly knew how to play for them, and not for the club’s management pleasure or profit. And this made him a true maverick.