Who's DOL talking about here do you reckon? 100???% Villa

[Greg N'Ash]

Saw this in the Daily mail today about interfering Chairman and this was DOL's contribution

"I have generally enjoyed a good relationship with my chairmen but have had a few strange requests. I once got a call asking me if i was aware a lot of broccoli was going to waste in the player's canteen. And i was also asked to make sure the lights were out before i left the training ground each night. On another occasion I was quizzed on a petrol receipt from Watford gap services. What was i doing there? I explained Id been in london to watch Arsenal ahead of the game we had against them the following weekend".

I reckon Lerner's been taking tips from Doug...

[ozzjim]

Isn't the broccoli story legend from Doug?

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I always had you down as a Daily Mail reader, Gregory.

I assume that's the other site you say you post on.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

Occasionaly DOL makes the odd press comment, when he manages to get out of Chris Smith's loft.

[Greg N'Ash]

don't buy a paper or go on their sites apart from in the transfer windows during the good old days when we used to buy players. And certainly not the Daily mail.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

don't buy a paper or go on their sites apart from in the transfer windows during the good old days when we used to buy players. And certainly not the Daily mail.

Your secret's safe with me.

[Dave]

You're aware that this is a Villa message board Greg?

Things in here are pretty much by definition 100% Villa.

[not3bad]

If it is confirmed this was a reference to DOL's time at Aston Villa it is another sad indication of the narrowness of vision there.  Broccoli needn't go to waste - there are stir fries, or curries or quiches and many more dishes that those left overs could be converted into.

[garyshawsknee]

If it is confirmed this was a reference to DOL's time at Aston Villa it is another sad indication of the narrowness of vision there.  Broccoli needn't go to waste - there are stir fries, or curries or quiches and many more dishes that those left overs could be converted into.

I hear Doug invented bubble n squeak.

[Mister E]

Saw this in the Daily mail today about interfering Chairman and this was DOL's contribution

"I have generally enjoyed a good relationship with my chairmen but have had a few strange requests. I once got a call asking me if i was aware a lot of broccoli was going to waste in the player's canteen. And i was also asked to make sure the lights were out before i left the training ground each night. On another occasion I was quizzed on a petrol receipt from Watford gap services. What was i doing there? I explained Id been in london to watch Arsenal ahead of the game we had against them the following weekend".

I reckon Lerner's been taking tips from Doug...

I can confirm that this is exactly what was going on. DOL is best mate of a friend of mine and although I've never met DOL* his friend shared with me a few of these anecdotes at the time; he was somewhat open-eyed / gobsmacked by them as he retold them to me! I actaully started to feel slightly sorry for DOL when I heard all this .... only slightly, though.



* TBH, I was dreading the time when Martin was going to ask if I wanted to meet with DOL because I'd become so antagonsitic toward the pug-nosed tw*t that I'd have really struggled in his presence. Fortunately I was not put in that position!

[Fergal]

If it is confirmed this was a reference to DOL's time at Aston Villa it is another sad indication of the narrowness of vision there.  Broccoli needn't go to waste - there are stir fries, or curries or quiches and many more dishes that those left overs could be converted into.

I hear Doug invented bubble n squeak.

I heard he invented Broccoli Tikka Massala

[Merv]

Ha! I had a great conversation with John Gregory once where he was telling similar stories - getting calls from the chairman to quiz him over a bill relating to the squad having dinner at a hotel the night before an away match.. apparently there was an order for a particular meal (Dover Sole, I think) that incurred a surcharge of a fiver, or something!

[damon loves JT]

It's the kind of thing that some bosses do to give the impression that they are in command of all the details. They notice one small fact, then they mention it. It's easy enough to deal with.

I had a query over the fact that I bought a toothbrush in Manchester.

`Why did you buy a toothbrush in Manchester?'
`because you sent me to Manchester and I needed to brush my teeth.'

*paid*

[Damo70]

It was Doug who first came up with the idea of tinned food whilst he was in the army. When he came out of the army he came up with the idea of corner shops in which to sell the tins of food. This is where the phrase 'corner shop mentality' was taken from and used as a criticism of his running of Villa.