Hatfield’s Rodney Marsh was one of the most talented footballers of his generation, but he never quite had the England career befitting of his ability.
A risk-taker and an entertainer, Marsh earned icon statues with QPR and became a fan favourite at Manchester City, but England’s World Cup winning manager Sir Alf Ramsey was not among his admirers.
An English footballing icon in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the forward earned a paltry nine caps for his country.
Rodney William Marsh was born on October 11, 1944 in Hatfield, but his time in Hertfordshire lasted just a few days.
His parents, Lilian Dredge, a housewife, and William Marsh, a docker, went to Hatfield for the birth to avoid the Second World War German bombs that were falling on London.
Growing up in Palatine Road, Stoke Newington, Marsh played for Hackney Schools alongside future Chelsea defender Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris, scoring all three goals as they won the schools national championship.
His professional career began with Fulham in 1963, and he impressed at Craven Cottage, scoring 22 goals in 63 games, all despite spending 10 months out with a broken jaw and skull and being told he might never play football again.
But, the problems that would see his England career fail to hit the heights reared their head for the first time in 1966.
When manager Bedford Jezzard left the club, Fulham appointed Vic Buckingham. He and Marsh did not get along, and after ridiculing his manager, the forward was frozen out of the first-team.
Third Division QPR took a chance on him in March 1966, paying £15,000 for his services. He would stay with the London side for six years in a spell that yielded 106 goals in 211 games and promotion to the Second Division.
Before his club-record £200,000 move to Manchester City in 1972, Marsh earned his first England cap, playing in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland at Wembley.
He would win a further eight caps and score a goal in a 3-0 win over Wales, but it could and should have been far more for the talented forward.
Unfortunately for Marsh, England boss Sir Alf Ramsey was not a fan of the maverick, preferring hard working players over the entertainers.
He wasn’t the only one to miss out, with fellow 1960s and '70s mavericks Stan Bowles, Charlie George, Peter Osgood and Alan Hudson barely getting a look in. Between them, they earned just 19 caps for the Three Lions.
In a Guardian piece from 2009, Marsh accepted that his style contributed to his lack of England games, but admitted he wouldn’t change a thing.
“All that stuff about maverick players, it was the culture of British football at the time and I don't regret for one minute my attitude towards football,” he said.
“I'm not speaking for any other player but I was born a free spirit and I played the game the same way. You either loved it or you hated it. I make no excuses for that and I wouldn't change a thing.
“Did that contribute to me to only getting nine caps? Probably.”
His last cap came in a game against Wales in 1973, with a crude comment during a dressing down from Sir Alf seeing him frozen out of the national team.
“The last time I was picked by him for England we had a team talk before the game and Alf told me we all had to work harder.
“’Rodney you in particular,’ he said in his accent. Then he said ‘if you don't work hard I'm going to pull you off at half time.’ And I said: "Christ, at Man City all we get is a cup of tea and an orange.”
“Nobody laughed. And not only that, but it was the last time I ever got picked.”
Marsh refused to blame Ramsey for his underwhelming England career though, continuing: “But to be fair to Alf I also hadn't played well for England.
“That's not an excuse or a reason; it's just an explanation.”
“Still, I had a good run. I think Stan Bowles only played twice. People like Charlie George and Tony Currie only got a couple of games. But I don't blame Alf Ramsey; I blame myself.”
By 1975, Marsh was playing in Ireland after leaving Manchester City, and he spent the swansong of his career in the US with Tampa Bay Rowdies.
In a fitting end, Marsh returned for a brief loan spell at his first club Fulham, scoring five goals in 16 games alongside fellow maverick George Best.
A cult hero of his generation and adored at the clubs he shone for, Hatfield’s Rodney Marsh was amongst the most talented players of his generation. But it never quite happened in an England shirt. It could and should have been far more successful.
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