Spot on. When I talk about Colin to younger people, I'm sure they think I'm exaggerating. As a track athlete, he was, like you say, at least as fast as some Olympic gold medalists in several distances. It begs the question, how good a track athlete could he have been if he trained for athletics ? A multi-distance Olympic gold medalist without doubt. 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500, 5,000 - he would have had to decide which events to drop because of the schedule. To oldies like me - when Colin walks onto the pitch with other legends from the past it's lump in the throat time - impossible to describe why but it's just the effect he has on some of us. Maybe it's the sheer humility of the guy.
Colin was decades ahead of his time - the old heavy balls, the shit pitches (not ours though - courtesy of Stan Gibson). Had a wiry build - not an ounce of fat on him. He was a City 2019 player in the 60s and 70s. First name on Pep's teamsheet.
In my mind I can see Colin picking the ball up near his own box, surging forward past numerous opponents before hitting a precision diagonal to Summerbee on the right and to a lesser extent to Donachie overlapping down the left. Anyway, Summerbee crosses, Davies lays it off with his head and Franny runs in and crashes the ball in.
Early 90s, I saw Colin play for a City legends eleven against ICI over 35s in Crumpsall. He was in his 40s and his leg didn't have much flexibility, but he hit a string of 50/60 yard diagonals to Peter Barnes on the opposite flank. Awesome experience - virtually no backlift - each pass inch perfect.
Colin isn't a legend - he's a god.
