Clint Hill Joins Dream Team Defence

By Deadly Submarine
March 1 2005

Centre back Clint Hill has become the latest member of the Total Tranmere Rovers Dream Team following the end of the latest poll. Clint makes up the third player in what is to eventually be a Four Man Defence. He polled 44% of all votes cast.

Total Tranmere Rovers Dream Team : Centre Back (1) – Clint Hill

How He Won:

 

 

 

Hill’s Tranmere Career:

 

Played:  167 (and 3 Sub)

 

Scored:  20

 

Yellow Cards:  39

 

Red Cards:   7

 

Clint Hill beat off some stiff competition to become the first of two centre backs selected to the Total Tranmere Rovers Dream Team.  Remembered amongst Tranmere fans for his part in some fantastic cup runs between 1999 to 2001 as well as for his often fiery reputation on the field.  It was a reputation that brought him seven red cards during his Tranmere career including four in one season alone in 1999-2000 of which two became very famous dismissals indeed!

 

Despite the reputation he often made for himself, Clint was a popular and extremely competent defender who formed the backbone of Tranmere’s defence for five seasons.  After coming the youth ranks at Prenton Park, Clint Hill signed professional forms for Rovers in 1997 at the age of 19 and made his debut at the start of the 1997/98 season.  Following his debut, it was a number of months before he featured again for Rovers but he was soon to become an almost permanent fixture in the defence under John Aldridge.

 

Clint Hill’s most infamous season is surely the 1999/2000 season in which he was sent off no less than four times but helped guide Rovers to their first and currently only major Cup Final.  His sending off in the FA Cup 3^rd Round in January 2000 at Prenton Park sparked what is probably still today the most controversial moment seen at Prenton Park.  As Hill departed the field after being shown the red card against Sunderland, Tranmere made that infamous substitution that still left them with eleven players having used Hill as the substituted player during a mix up.

 

Just over a month later, with great help from Clint himself, Tranmere were in the Worthington Cup Final at Wembley against Leicester and Hill was again, somewhat harshly given a second yellow card and dismissed.  Clint also had to face the pain of relegation with Tranmere but this does not alter the fact that as the poll result clearly shows he was one of the best defenders to have graced the Rovers team over the last ten years and a lot of fans will have great respect for him.

 

Some Rovers fans dislike the way in which Hill left the club under a cloud to sign for Oldham at the end of the 2001/0 season but in fairness despite saying almost mid-season that he was leaving the club at the end of theseason, he still played on for the Whites and gave 100% for the cause. 

 

The day he played his last game for Rovers at Prenton Park – a 2-2 draw against Reading,  was a sad occasion with Hill launching his shirt and boots into the Kop for a final gesture at the end of the game.

 

So who will join Clint Hill in the centre of defence in the Total Tranmere Rovers Dream Team?  The vote is still ongoing and it looks set to be the closest result yet so your vote most definitely counts!