Psycho Pat: Legend or Madman?

"Psycho" is a word rarely bandied about in football today. There is no place on the pitch for player contact, let alone the sort of hard, robust tackling that could earn a player such a nickname. But 25 years ago, things were different. Only when players really overstepped the mark were their names added to the referee's little black book. And Pat Van Den Hauwe had a reputation as one of the hardest players in the game. In a career encompassing some 401 Football League appearances for Birmingham City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Millwall, he notched up two league titles and a European Cup Winner's Cup medal—but he also made his mark as one of the toughest and most feared defenders in the game. But Pat wasn't just a tough player on the pitch. The way he lived his life meant that he needed to be tough off the pitch as well. A "hard nut" reputation invites people into your life who want to see how far they can push you, and Pat Van Den Hauwe attracted such people by the bus-load.