229: Gary Blissett, Wimbledon, Merlin’s Premier League 96 Sticker Collection

During the War of 1812 the British Empire’s forces were indebted to the Iroquois people of North America in their successful defence of what was then known as Upper Canada from the USA. The ability of the indigenous soldiers to march up to fifty miles a day and their knowledge of the terrain that had been their homelands for millennia more than compensated for Britain’s numerical disadvantage owing to the ongoing Napoleonic Wars and they were instrumental in the pivotal victory at Queenston Heights. The Iroquois Confederacy was composed of the people of the Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora and Mohawk tribes and known by the British as the Six Nations long before Italy were being added to a longstanding rugby tournament. Many of the male Iroquoian warriors could be recognised by their distinctive hairstyle where all but a central tuft of hair was plucked away. Although, through various reprehensible conquests and policies, the Mohawk people now only number around 28,000 across upstate New York, Ontario and Quebec their legacy lives on in a hairstyle adopted by a range of cultural figures from punk rockers to footballers.

The ever fashion conscious David Beckham brought the hairstyle back into the public eye in the build up to the 2002 World Cup and thus into the playgrounds of English schools with varying levels of panache. In subsequent years the likes of Sergio Ramos, Marek Hamsik, Mario Balotelli and the next David Beckham himself, David Bentley, have all sported their own interpretations of the Mohawk and it is highly likely more up and coming stars will be hitting the clippers as fashion dictates. It’s strange that in an era of such excellent footballing hairstyles that the Mohawk was not particularly present in the 1990s when the beautiful game’s stars sported everything from boy band curtains, iconic ponytails and dreadlocks. Which leads us nicely on to Gary Blissett.

After scoring 39 goals in four seasons at Crewe Alexandra in the Fourth Division Blissett was snapped up by Brentford of the tier above ahead of the 1987/88 season. He initially struggled for form in front of goal, with the Bees’ goals mainly coming from future England midfielder Andy Sinton, but came into his own the following campaign as the Third Division side reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup thanks to Blissett’s goals against Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City. A profitable partnership grew between Blissett and future housewives’ favourite Dean Holdsworth and helped Brentford to the play-offs the following season before they eventually topped the Third Division at the end of 1991/92. The campaign wasn’t without its drama, however, as an aerial challenge between Blissettt and Torquay United’s John Uzzell resulted in the latter suffering a fractured cheekbone and eye socket. Blissett was charged with GBH with intent but was cleared almost a year later thanks to video evidence showing his eyes firmly on the ball and not his opponent.

Despite the legal disputes, and Brentford’s relegation from Division Two at the end of 1992/93, Wimbledon decided to reunite Blissett with Dean Holdsworth in the Premier League ahead of the 1993/94 season. Perhaps Joe Kinnear was inspired by their West London neighbours’ run to the semi-finals of the Anglo-Italian Cup or maybe he felt that Dons’ forward John Fashanu (awooga) needed company in the elbowing department but the new arrival chipped in with a few goals as Wimbledon finished in an impressive sixth position. From then on Blissett found his first team opportunities limited, in part due to the impressive form of fellow forwards Holdsworth, Marcus Gayle and Efan Ekoku, and was clearly keen to catch his manager’s eye ahead of the 1995/96 season. What else could explain his interesting interpretation of a famous Native American hairstyle for that year’s team photo? Unfortunately for Blissett it didn’t really work out and, perhaps as a punishment for his questionable barbering, he was farmed out on loan to Wycombe Wanderers and former club Crewe before departing Wimbledon in 1997 for Singaporean side Sembawang Rangers.

Gary Blissett finished his career with German club SV Elversberg with a more than healthy 130 goals in 465 games and a place in Brentford’s Hall of Fame. Up until I started researching for this post I have to confess I knew next to nothing about him but I do remember this particular sticker purely for the forward’s distinctive hairstyle. Similarly, until I had to teach about Canadian history as part of the A Level course on the British Empire, I knew very little about the Iroquois Confederacy besides the Mohawk people’s iconic appearance. Proof, if it were needed, that there’s a lot going on behind a haircut.