DURING the 1980s and 1990s left-wingers were more likely to be political firebrands flying down the picket line than racing down the wing.

The decline of the left-winger as a pivotal part of a football team has coincided with the rise of the work ethic, which appears to leave little room for flair-playing passengers.

In the new football world of wing backs, work-rate, pasta, warm-downs and Christmas tree line-ups (with the fairy playing in the hole behind the front two) the likes of Eddie Gray, Leighton James and John 'gis-a-fag' Robertson hugging the touchlines appear to be just a distant memory.

OK you could throw the names Harry Kewell, David Ginola and Ryan Giggs at me, but with the exception of 'Davide' the others work far too hard to be included in the real left-winger club.

To qualify for this exclusive club you must never have ventured 10 yards in field and not understand the concept of tracking back or breaking into a sweat.

But that should not prove an issue because any left- winger worth his salt will have created enough goalscoring opportunities for his team-mates to spare him the chores of chasing back or closing down his opposite number.

Of course whether to play an out-an-out winger is a difficult choice for managers to make - flair and creativity versus teamwork and defensive responsibility.

As we've seen at Aston Villa, John Gregory is reluctant to play Ginola because he's not recognised as being worker.

He's great going forward but 'ooh la la' have you seen him defend?

Perhaps the modern game has no room for a wing wizard and its legacy may have popped its clogs when Sir Stanley Matthews made his final run down the flank.

But I've always subscribed to the notion that you need to score goals in football and a good winger oozing with confidence and skill can be a boost to any side.

At Worcester City the solution to who plays in the left-sided position has proved as tricky as a John Barnes' nutmeg.

Manager John Barton has played at least four players out there -- Ian Reed, Jamie Hyde, Ian Cottrill and Nathan Jukes -- to varying degrees of success.

All have their qualities but none has nailed their colours firmly to the mast and made that position their own.

Perhaps it is wishing too much for Cottrill to recreate himself as a latter day Tom Finney, but a left- winger in the old fashioned mould could be just the thing Barton is looking for.