Chopper Harris...the Butcher of Bilbao...Gary Neville...Norman Hunter...all apparently pale into insignificance compared to centre half Frank Barson, who played for Manchester United, Barnsley, Aston Villa and England in the 1920s, and got more bookings than anyone else before or since.
"He terrified opponents up and down the country" says John Harding, whose new biography Taking No Prisoners: The Legend of Frank Barson Football's Hardest Man is out now.
"Frank Barson was the 'Roaring Twenties' equivalent of Roy Keane, with a dash of Virgil van Dijk; a player who combined a ruthless winning mentality with a blistering tongue" he adds "Long forgotten by football historians, Taking No Prisoners is his story..."
Born in Sheffield and originally working on the factory floor, Barson began his crunching career with Barnsley, when he wasn't being sent off. However, Harding adds that despite his "frequent dismissals" he was "an extremely intelligent player, an inspiration to his colleagues and a true leader..."
Barson went on to play for United and Aston Villa but got just one England cap. Still his legend lives on even more with Harding's re-discovery of his talents. For anyone fed up of the PR inspired modern day footie stars' non-telltale tomes, this is for you...
Taking No Prisoners: The Legend of Frank Barson Football's Hardest Man by John Harding (Pitch Publishing) £12.99/Kindle/ Paperback £9.35
Find it on Amazon – click here