Last Fancy Dan
Duncan McKenzie demonstrated the artistry of football in an era when pitches were often ankle deep in mud, waterlogged or frozen back in the early 1970s. And tough nut defenders loved nothing more than taking out a player that threatened to waltz through a defence or take the Mickey with improvised skill they could only dream of possessing. The star player at Nottingham Forest, McKenzie arrived at Leeds United in the summer of 1974 for a record transfer fee by new boss Brian Clough. Cluffy left following an infamous 44-day stay but his legacy was a footballer who became a cult hero during a two-year stint. McKenzie was a genius on the ball but also an enigma. Would he trap a ball in an instant, nutmeg an opponent, go on a mazy run or strike for goal with aplomb? Playing off the cuff, McKenzie wooed the Elland Road faithful and there was an air of anticipation whenever the ball made its way in his direction. And his status was replicated at Anderlecht, Everton, Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers and Stateside with Tulsa Roughnecks and Chicago Sting. But this talented footballer was not just an entertainer on the pitch. At Forest he won many a bet by hurdling over a training gate while Leeds teammates gasped as he cleared a Mini for fun and lost bets galore with his golf ball throwing ability. On Merseyside, Evertonians tuned in to hear him as a radio presenter on Mac ‘n’ Tosh. And since hanging up his boots, this extraordinary character has carved out a second career as one of the most popular after-dinner speakers on the circuit up. McKenzie failed to win major honours and never made the England XI but football supporters name McKenzie as up there with the best. Come rain or shine, rock hard surface or quagmire pitch, McKenzie ran hatchet men Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris, Norman ‘Bites Yer Legs’ Hunter and Tommy Smith ragged. And when it came to putting the ball in the net, he delivered time and again while supporters sang “Duncan McKenzie is magic” from the terraces.