Geezer of the day - Batigol

It's the 9th of the 9th, so I thought I'd go with a famous number 9 for today's Geezer.

Diego called him the best number 9 he had seen play, he refused to cut his hair to comply with team rules, stayed with Fiorentina to get them promoted back to Serie A and banged in 56 in 78 for Argentina.

Who can't love a man with the nickname 'Batigol'? Gabriel Batistuta was one of the best of recent times, and you have to agree because Diego said it, so it must be true!

Geezer of the Day

This guy would have to be in the conversation about best French striker of all time. 30 goals in 54 games for the national team. 134 in 215 games for Marseille and countless (well, not countless, just too many to list) goals for AC Milan, Bayern Munich and Bordeaux.

Loved a volley, was great in the air and was a fantastic finisher. Also gives me a reason to hum the French national anthem, which has to be one of the best there is. Today's Geezer is Jean-Pierre Papin.

And one of many tributes on YouTube...

Geezer of the Day?

Not sure we can call Ian Wallace a Geezer, but the look of disgust in his face surely proves that he can see his reflection in the camera lens.

Not sure if it's the hair or the kit, or the clash, but fair play to the Scottish star for putting up with it. His 58 goals in 130 games for Coventry earned him a move to double-defending European Champions Nottingham Forest in 1980, where he would become their top scorer for the next two years.

Nutcase of the Day

Over 70 games for Italy, 330 for Milan, a World Cup winner, and there's still no sign that this 35 year-old is calming down.

Gennaro Gattuso was sent off in just his second game as Palermo manager this weekend. He once headbutted Spurs Assistant Manager Joe Jordan (although Joe probably didn't even notice), was partially blamed for the row that got Zidane sent off in the World Cup final, and worst of all, he married a Scottish woman - so he's very brave as well as off his head!

Palermo lost 1-0 as the former midfielder was sent off for dissent, something you can't rule out happening every game this season - he only lasted 3 months as manager of Sion in Switzerland, and his stint in Serie B may not last much longer.

Geezer of the Day

I saw Iraq were playing Chile today and wondered who would be watching that - it's by no means a glamour friendly, but it's great to see that football is back and booming in Iraq.

(UPDATE: Iraq lost 6-0 to Chile in Brondby, Denmark.)

FIFA says there are 110 clubs in the country, with over half a million players. They have just slipped out of the world's top 100, and only qualified for 1 World Cup (1986), but they did really well at the recent U20s tournament and it seems like football is a real tool for helping rebuild.

So today's Geezer is Hussein Saeed - he scored 61 goals in 126 games for his country (both records) and represented Iraq at 3 Olympic games in the 1980s.

*Apologies as I don't know if it's Said or Saeed.

Geezer of the Day

This video kind of sums up Paulo Wanchope - he's through on goal, should score, and fluffs it. He then performs a little trick, skins a guy and finishes nicely. Unfortunately, there was too much of the former and not enough of the latter in his career.

But fair play to him, he still scored 45 in 73 for Costa Rica, played in some amazing places (FC Tokyo, Rosario Central, Malaga, Chicago) and some average ones (Manchester, Derby).

Weekend Geezer

Who would have thought this guy could have been a professional footballer. He scored 228 goals in 515 games for a variety of teams, but he's this weekend's geezer because he loved a goal on the opening day of the season.

Mickey Quinn scored 4 for Newcastle against Leeds back in 1989-90, but is probably more memorable for his hat-trick for Coventry against Arsenal at Highbury on the opening day of the 1993-94 season.

Fat Mickey (as he was affectionately known) never looked like a footballer, and is now a horse racing commentator, which seems far more fitting.

Geezer of the Day

What is there to say about this guy? Every soccer fan says he's a New Jersey and USA legend - and the kind of guy who Geezers would love to have a pint with - basically he's everything that Alexei Lalas isn't.

(UPDATE: Fair play to Alexi @AlexiLalas - he tweeted back to point out I couldn't spell his name!)

He was drafted by the New York Yankees out of high school, tried out for the New York Jets as a kicker, played 100 times for his country and most importantly, had a Super Nintendo game named after him.

I know I'm gonna see him at Satin Dolls soon (that's the Baba Bing to all Sopranos fans).

In 2012, he was inducted into the Mullet Hall of Fame - who can argue with that?

Business in the front, party in the back.

 and seems he inspired a generation!

Geezer of the Day

You can't be that bad a player when you're named AC Milan's Player of the Century, have your number 6 shirt retired, win the Champions League 3 times, Serie A 6 times and the World Cup.

Baresi always seemed to be old, so finding a picture of him as a younger man was tough - but when the Milanese nickname you 'Piscinin' (Little One) and you stand 5ft 9" as a defender, then you have to be up to the challenge.

Geezer of the Day

How can you not love someone with the nickname 'Der Tiger' ? 

Stefan Effenberg was a top quality Geezer too. He picked up 109 yellow cards playing in the Bundesliga, which was the all-time high when he retired. He won the Champions League in 2001, but his loss to Manchester United in 1999 while Bayern captain is probably more memorable.

Plus I wanted to put the pic of a young Stefan up!

Geezer of the Day

Don't tell me you don't miss the Pierluigi Collina stare.

The best referee I can remember. Did the World Cup Final (2002), the Champions League Final (1999) and the UEFA Cup Final (2004). Players seemed to respect 'Kojak', he was on the cover of Pro-Evo Soccer, made averts around the world, and won best referee of the year 6 times.

Geezer of the Day

Some people just considered him a marketing tool

Hidetoshi Nakata is our Geezer today. Got away with some ridiculous haircuts and fashion sense, even making Pele's Top 100 top living players (the only blemish on Nakata's career). 77 caps and 11 goals for Japan, a good goalscoring record in Italy and this link suggests he's moving into the alcohol-producing field. How can Hide not be a Geezer?

Geezer of the Day

I forgot yesterday, but the Geezer of the Day is back. Today is a man who scored a hat-trick for Barcelona against Real Madrid, won the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup, has never been given a red or yellow card in any game, and once thought that this was a good look.

Weekend Geezer

Have to stop going back to the World Cups i grew up with, but hard to ignore this face.

By no means prolific in Serie A (although he scored a few for Messina in the lower leagues), Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci won over fans all over the world at the Italia '90 World Cup. The excitement in his face when he scored reminded me of a kid in a playground.

Geezer of the Day

Remember this goal from the 1986 World Cup?

Noticed we've picked up a few Russian viewers of Football Geezer

Ok, so Vasily Rats was from the Ukraine, but played for the Soviet Union in both the 1986 and 1990 World Cups. Not sure why, but i remember this goal against France in Mexico. Maybe just his name stuck with me - I wonder what he's up to now.

Non-Geezer of the Day

A little break from our Geezers to bring you this. Apologies in advance. Alvero Negrado, I'm calling you out. Manchester City paid a lot of money for you, and sure the wages aren't too shabby either. You can't replace Mario Balotelli for shock value. This is inexcusable to me. Sorry everyone, but jorts are making in onto the site!

Geezer of the Day

So I hope I didn't alienate any female readers with our explanation of the offside rule. As a little bit of an apology, today's Geezer is David Ginola. I think we were all a little jealous of him at some stage, but then he moved to Spurs and we felt sorry for him.

I'm sure he scored a great volley against Manchester United too, but couldn't find it. So here's the one away at Barnsley - bit of a change from the Parisian catwalks, but answers the question 'He's got talent, but could he do it on a wet night at Oakwell?' - Not that many people ever ask that question!

Geezer of the Day

There's no denying this man was cool. Socrates was part of the great Brazil team from the early 1980s that most people thought would win the 1982 World Cup.

He passed away in 2011, but the headband, beard and aura lives on in the memory. And because of that, he gets both a picture and a video!

Geezer of the Day

He's not done anything that special today, but how can he not be our Geezer today after I found this quote...

"The day I was born, God laid eyes on me and said: 'He's the man.'"

The greatest finisher I can remember. Ladies and Gentlemen, Romario.

Geezer of the Day

German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann dies aged 89

Manchester City's former prisoner of war broke his neck in 1956 FA Cup Final

Trautmann played more than 500 times for City, and his broken vertebrae in the 3-1 Cup Final victory should make modern players even more embarrassed to roll around on the floor only to jump up seconds after getting the free-kick.