Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: jackgbrown on October 10, 2018, 05:13:28 PM
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Hello all,
Thought I'd just make you aware of a new Aston Villa book out at the start of November: Ticket to the Moon, by Richard Sydenham.
The book takes a look at Villa's sharp rise and fall: from the title win in 1981 after promotion seven years earlier, the improbable European Cup triumph, to life back in the Second Division amid a lack of investment. Many of the key figures at the club are interviewed, including Sir Doug Ellis, Ron Saunders, Gordon Cowans, John Deehan, Andy Gray, John Gidman, Tony Morley and Dennis Mortimer (plus many others).
Richard also had access to the minutes from the boardroom meetings at the time, revealing who said what to who at key intervals during this period.
Thanks
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Hello all,
Nice one. Just in time for Christmas ✌
Thought I'd just make you aware of a new Aston Villa book out at the start of November: Ticket to the Moon, by Richard Sydenham.
The book takes a look at Villa's sharp rise and fall: from the title win in 1981 after promotion seven years earlier, the improbable European Cup triumph, to life back in the Second Division amid a lack of investment. Many of the key figures at the club are interviewed, including Sir Doug Ellis, Ron Saunders, Gordon Cowans, John Deehan, Andy Gray, John Gidman, Tony Morley and Dennis Mortimer (plus many others).
Richard also had access to the minutes from the boardroom meetings at the time, revealing who said what to who at key intervals during this period.
Thanks
Cocked that up. Sorry.
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Hello Jack,
If you're plugging something your company is producing it's only polite to ask first.
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I did think Dave would have done a book on the whole decade, from the stars to the gutter and top of the table again at the end of the 80's.
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I did think Dave would have done a book on the whole decade, from the stars to the gutter and top of the table again at the end of the 80's.
I did think about it, but there's nothing more that can be said about the 1980-82 period, the Taylor years have been covered in reasonable detail and the bit in the middle was just depressing. And to be honest I've written so much about 1990 onwards that I'd bore myself.
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Do you have any more books planned on any subject?
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Do you have any more books planned on any subject?
I wish.
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Has anyone read this yet?
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Personally, don't know if I'd have used an ELO song title for a Villa book, but that's just me.
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The author and Sid Cowans were on Talkshite radio this afternoon talking about this book and went into detail about those players that were close to Doug Ellis (A Gray, J Gidman B Little) rather than Ron Saunders so Ron sold them on as he wanted players loyal to him.
Sid then went onto say what the majority of us know that Doug wouldn't pay out to strengthen to keep us up and around the top of the league which was a major missed opportunity and that the team were broken up way to quickly whereas we had a good chance of competing at or around the top for around four years.
Sid also went onto say that it was him who rang up the president at Bari to get Platt the move he wanted and then negotiated a higher wage for Platt before he would sign. An interesting listen on the H&J show.
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I got this in Hardback as a birthday present in March. I think it's an interesting take on the ups and downs of Villa in the 70s and 80s. I recall it was well written and he had spoken to a lot of players and staff who were involved at various points, so it wasn't just from a distance.
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I love reading Dave's books I hope in the future he does another one fingers crossed.
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I read this last Christmas. So much intrigue and suspicion behind closed-doors, would make for a great Netflix series.
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I bought and read it a while back. Reading about the good times that we all lived through was a great nostalgic read. 1984 onwards brought back bad memories.
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Now that we're all social distancing I read this at one go, having received it at Christmas. Brought back some great memories and gave a lot of insight into Ron and the team he created. By using interviews with players and former staff, Sydenham tries to give a broad view of what went wrong and to balance arguments, especially with regard to our sorry decline once Doug Ellis had returned. His parsimony played a part but so did very poor managerial appointments. Sir Graham rescued us because he knew exactly what was needed, took control and still kept Doug Ellis sweet.
I thought it was well researched and well-written. Recommended for anyone feeling stuck indoors or feeling lost without football.
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Two things about the book.
First, from memory the evidence builds that it was all Doug's fault, then at the end the conclusion is that it wasn't.
Second, there's been a bit of controversy about it but nobody seems to know exactly what.
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I’ve just finally got round to reading this, as someone who turned 16 as the period the book covered finished I took most of it at face value so it was really interesting to read.
Thought it very much supported the SGT view of Doug that he would do enough but not make you good.
Think will re-read Children of the Revolution next, it’s been a few years
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CotR is literary perfection.
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Agree Lee
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Just started reading it,Children o t Revolution,, I had dipped in before but thought I would do cover to cover.
I am at where We just lost to Spurs In the LC Final after the greatest game at Villa Park in my lifetime.
The Docherty era as described seemed in many ways like M O’Neil Era, a great motivator, divisive but nothing to back it up.
Although I think he deserves some credit for arresting the slump and refreshing the team with some players that became very important.
Another great take away is Norman Smith then Chairman saying he did not see the demonstration as he left at half time to join the Arsenal celebrations at Highbury.
As bad as our players after the FACup Final?
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Reading it at the moment. Nothing will surpass CotR, IMHO, but this is coming at it from a slightly different perspective.
I realise, from my lofty age of xx, that I lived through the most amazing 12 years of club-supporting ... and, at the time I remember thinking: this is the start of something really big!! How we fell.
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Reading it at the moment. Nothing will surpass CotR, IMHO,
Ahem...
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I haven't read Ticket To The Moon for a while. To the best of my recollection it was very good but it only skimmed over the 1984-1987 period. As much as most of us would have loved to have fast forwarded that period it was a crucial time for the club even if mostly for the wrong reasons.
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Reading it at the moment. Nothing will surpass CotR, IMHO,
Ahem...
Which is your best book ?
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Reading it at the moment. Nothing will surpass CotR, IMHO,
Ahem...
Is that a nasty little covid-style tickle in the throat, Dave?
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Reading it at the moment. Nothing will surpass CotR, IMHO,
Ahem...
Is that a nasty little covid-style tickle in the throat, Dave?
is that a nasty little clip round the ear?
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Reading it at the moment. Nothing will surpass CotR, IMHO,
Ahem...
Is that a nasty little covid-style tickle in the throat, Dave?
is that a nasty little clip round the ear?
I thought clips round the ear died out with Spangles, going to church and white dog poo. ;)
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Reading it at the moment. Nothing will surpass CotR, IMHO,
Ahem...
Is that a nasty little covid-style tickle in the throat, Dave?
is that a nasty little clip round the ear?
I thought clips round the ear died out with Spangles, going to church and white dog poo. ;)
You're not too old to feel the back of my hand, young fellamelad.