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Author Topic: R.I.P BIG MAL  (Read 13233 times)

Offline villasjf

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #15 on: October 15, 2010, 02:08:10 PM »
Larger than life, still remember the cigar and Fedora which was his trade mark.

Offline sid1964

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #16 on: October 15, 2010, 02:16:45 PM »
R.I.P - Remember watching a documentary about his training methods and he used to get Gary NO NECK Owen to run around the training ground with heavy bags to try and stretch his neck!!

Offline peter w

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #17 on: October 15, 2010, 02:24:50 PM »
Ah that's a shame, a real throwback to "when football was football"!

Larger than life sums him up I think.

Can I use 'larger than life' for the crap phrases that is on off topic?

A passing moment but really not to perturbed by this. Sad for the family and for them its a shame. That's all.

Offline Lucky Eddie

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #18 on: October 15, 2010, 03:16:22 PM »
Was Dean Saunders off side for 89 minutes of the game at Twerton Park? Or was it only 88?

Offline Concrete John

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #19 on: October 15, 2010, 03:36:35 PM »
Just to add my sadness at the passing of one of the true characters of the game.

RIP, Big Mal.

Offline Phil from the upper holte

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #20 on: October 15, 2010, 03:45:35 PM »
Sad

I wonder how big Ron feels? In his book he talks about how much he despises him. But these things have a way of making you feel regretful

Offline PeterWithesShin

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #21 on: October 15, 2010, 04:00:19 PM »
One of those names that brings back memories of football in my younger days.

RIP

Offline Chris Harte

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #22 on: October 15, 2010, 04:08:47 PM »
I'm too young to have any memory of him other than him laying into Ron Atkinson (who didn't respond at all) around the time of those cup ties with Bristol Rovers.

Anyway, RIP.

Offline Dave Cooper please

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #23 on: October 15, 2010, 05:16:05 PM »
Ah that's a shame, a real throwback to "when football was football"!

Larger than life sums him up I think.

Can I use 'larger than life' for the crap phrases that is on off topic?



You could, but Allison was one of those characters that epitomised the game in my informative years. Yes it's a crap phrase, but it does sum him up in those days I think.

Offline richard moore

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #24 on: October 15, 2010, 05:40:15 PM »
Very sad news
 
In my early years of properly following the Villa from about 1970 when we were in the 3rd division, Man City were always my favourite 'big' first division team. I think I just loved that iconic red and black striped away strip plus they had some cool players. Couldn't say that now
 
Also very sad to see Sky devote about 30 seconds to this - of course, football wasn't invented when Big Mal was around, a time when teams won things because of the skill of the manager and not due to some rich owner and TV monies. Sky wouldn't really understand that concept...

Offline KevinGage

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #25 on: October 15, 2010, 05:41:15 PM »
I guess he's one of those blokes that if he was involved at your club you'd have a lot of affection for him.

Personally I always thought he was more style over substance, the Fedora, cigars and pool parties with porn stars generating more headlines for him in the UK than his limited achievements as manager.

Fine if you were a struggling club as the likes of Palarase and Bristol Rovers were, when any publicity is good publicity. But not really what the game should all be about at the top level.

BFR often takes stick for the perma tan and champagne image but at the heart of it all he's football daft with an encyclopaedic knowledge of players, old matches and facts- as Bobby Robson and most other managers who achieved any success were. You need to have that almost obsessive love of the game.

Allison walked away at various stages saying he was bored - football always seemed secondary to him.

Online nick harper

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #26 on: October 15, 2010, 06:26:38 PM »
I guess he's one of those blokes that if he was involved at your club you'd have a lot of affection for him.

Personally I always thought he was more style over substance, the Fedora, cigars and pool parties with porn stars generating more headlines for him in the UK than his limited achievements as manager.

Fine if you were a struggling club as the likes of Palarase and Bristol Rovers were, when any publicity is good publicity. But not really what the game should all be about at the top level.

BFR often takes stick for the perma tan and champagne image but at the heart of it all he's football daft with an encyclopaedic knowledge of players, old matches and facts- as Bobby Robson and most other managers who achieved any success were. You need to have that almost obsessive love of the game.

Allison walked away at various stages saying he was bored - football always seemed secondary to him.

His relationship with Joe Mercer was Clough/Tayloresque for three or four years in the late sixties and shouldn't be underestimated. That was a great Man City side and he played a significant part in their success.

Agree his ability as a manager in his own right was much more questionable.

Offline picicata

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #27 on: October 15, 2010, 08:50:59 PM »
My memory of Big Mal is also mainly from the sparring with BFR... in fact wasn't Big Fat Ron just Big Ron up til that point? was it not Big Mal that added in the 'Fat'?

Offline BC54 VFC

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #28 on: October 15, 2010, 08:57:55 PM »
RIP 

I only saw him on TV last night in the Bobby Moore story..

...or, as BE would say: 'I saw him on TV only last night in the Bobby Moore story'.  ;)

R.I.P. Malcolm

Offline villa `cross the mersey

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Re: R.I.P BIG MAL
« Reply #29 on: October 15, 2010, 09:20:05 PM »
 I recall a documentary about him and he used to play music in the dressing room before a game - this introduced me to Arc of a Diver, by Stevie Winwood...I have been hooked ever since- thanks Mal, smoke a big one for me !!!

 


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