Degrees of separation

[Chico Hamilton III]

Not sure if this will work or even be interesting. Listening to the test match today and they are trying to make the fewest links back to WG Grace.

Which got me thinking

What's the fewest number of links that connect the present Villa team with the team that played Aston Brook St Mary's rugby team in our first ever game.

here's an example

Milner has played with Barry who has played with Ian Taylor who has played with Nigel spink who has played (once) with Brian Little who has played with Charlie Aitken who played with Jonny Dixon.....

Can anyone be bothered to make a direct link from the present team to the first ever Villa team?

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

Charlie Aitken who played with Jonny Dixon.....

Did he? Both played just one game in 60-61. Was it the same game?

[Chico Hamilton III]

Charlie Aitken who played with Jonny Dixon.....

Did he? Both played just one game in 60-61. Was it the same game?

could be wrong but i thought Aitken's debut was Dixon's last game for Villa

No?

[dave.woodhall]

Charlie Aitken who played with Jonny Dixon.....

Did he? Both played just one game in 60-61. Was it the same game?

could be wrong but i thought Aitken's debut was Dixon's last game for Villa

No?

Yes. Now, Archie Hunter played in our first FA Cup game, and later played with Jas Cowan who played with Joe Bache who played with Howard Humphries who played with Billy Walker who played with Eric Houghton who played with George Cummings who played with Johnny Dixon who played with Charlie Aitken who played with Brian Little who played with Nigel Spink who played with Ian Taylor who played with Gareth Barry.

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

There you go. I'm off for a Pimms then.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I love stuff like this but the game starts in 2 hours and 15 mins and i fancy a chinese take away rather than some crappy burger at the game.

[eric woolban woolban]

Johnny Dixon...

...Who played with Ernie 'mush' Callaghan.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Mush Callaghan played with Alex Talbot.

Gibson, Talbot, Tate across the back known as wind, sleet, and rain.

[cdbearsfan]

Young played with Barry (oo...err)

Barry managed by Gregory

Gregory played with Leighton Phillips

Phillips played with Aitken

Aitken managed by Eric Houghton

Houghton played with Walker

Walker selected by Ramsay (before we had a manager)

Ramsay played with most of the players who played in our first game, I guess.

[Glenn Peen]

Which, for me, raises another set of questions. As George Ramsay was connected with the club for so long, why aren't they more definitive answers to the key questions:

Why are we called Aston Villa?
Why do we play in claret and blue?
Why is our badge a lion?

I know all the proposed answers but you'd think someone somewhere would have documented the definitive answers. Did William McGregor keep a diary that has been kept by his family, I wonder...?

To me, it is strange that there aren't definitive answers - didn't anyone talk about the stories and pass the information on? We were, after all, the biggest club in the world. And in my pathetic mind, still are...

[cdbearsfan]

There probably aren't definitive  answers. I doubt most of the people who started it up didn't realise the club would still be going 136 years later and that they'd better write everything down.

[dave.woodhall]

Young played with Barry (oo...err)

Barry managed by Gregory

Gregory played with Leighton Phillips

Phillips played with Aitken

Aitken managed by Eric Houghton

Houghton played with Walker

Walker selected by Ramsay (before we had a manager)

Ramsay played with most of the players who played in our first game, I guess.

Aitken wasn't managed by Houghton.

[dave.woodhall]

Why are we called Aston Villa?
Why do we play in claret and blue?
Why is our badge a lion?

Aston Villa was the area of Lozells in which the club was formed.

The best explanation I've heard is that player & grahic designer Ollie Wheatley was asked to come up with a kit design.

mcGregor's Scottish background.

[Brend'Watkins]

Yes. Now, Archie Hunter played in our first FA Cup game, and later played with Jas Cowan who played with Joe Bache who played with Howard Humphries who played with Billy Walker who played with Eric Houghton who played with George Cummings who played with Johnny Dixon who played with Charlie Aitken who played with Brian Little who played with Nigel Spink who played with Ian Taylor who played with Gareth Barry.

I am mightily impressed with that Dave.

[Uncle Junior]

Claret represented Hearts and the blue was for Rangers. McGregor wanted to include his Scottish teams in Aston Villa's kit.