Never meet your hero

[PeterWithesShin]

if i was ever to sit down for a pint with Shaw, Morley, Bremner etc, i honestly dont think i would be able to talk

Same here. Thirty years later and I would still be star struck.

i was much the same when i met peterwithesshin

Meet Legion and you're likely to be lightning-struck.

we are FB friends, thats as close as i dare get

You know all those times your computer plays up or you can't get on the internet?

[Legion]

if i was ever to sit down for a pint with Shaw, Morley, Bremner etc, i honestly dont think i would be able to talk

Same here. Thirty years later and I would still be star struck.

i was much the same when i met peterwithesshin

Meet Legion and you're likely to be lightning-struck.

Or hit by a reversing police van.

[Leighton]

Well he’s not my hero but he is a man I have a lot of respect for… Doug. I’ve met him a few times over the last 25 years and each time he has been a pure gent.

The firs time was when I was about 13 years old and me and a few of my mates caught the train from Walsall and went to Villa Park so that a few of us could buy our season tickets. Obviously this was during the summer, so we didn’t expect much activity in way of seeing players or collecting autographs. We wondered around the North Stand and entered the old ticket office, brought our season tickets and all had huge smiles on our faces as this was the first time we were all able to pay for the tickets ourselves as a result of saving up our paper-round wages.

As we cam out of the ticket office we saw Doug, entering the main entrance with his hands full of boxes. He was first to say hello and we all felt a little unsure of what to say, so we told him that we had just brought our season tickets out of our paper round money. He obviously knew he was dealing with future entrepreneurs and he went into a little speech about how we have all learnt the value of earning our own money and that our parents should be proud. Then he asked us if we would like to help him to take some more boxes up to his office, and led us to his car to fetch them.

He didn’t give us anything, he didn’t offer us a discount- he just made four young lads feel really important for a few minutes and gave us all a memory that we will all remember. In reality we were skivvies for a few minutes.

A few years later, when I was about 21, he nearly ran me over after he failed to stop at the zebra crossing just under the bridge by Witton train station. I should have been mad, but if I was to be splattered to death by a car then the AV1 wouldn’t be a bad car to be splattered by.

When I was 30 I had the chance to have a good chat with him at function at Villa Park, where Nobby Stiles and Norman Hunter were doing an after dinner speech. I even had a good conversation with him that night in the toilets when we were standing next to each other at the urinals, Ahhh memories…

Most recent meeting with him though was my favourite. It was immediately after the day we thrashed Small Heath Alliance in the 5-1 rout. My brother and I stayed behind at Villa Park that day to hang around the gates by the player’s entrance. Mainly to give the lads a massive cheer and absorb as much atmosphere from the day as we could, and partly to mock the Bluenose’s Gold, Sullivan and Brady.

I was on the phone to my Dad just as a number of the players started appearing and coming over to the gates to sign autographs. Gareth Barry was right in front of me and I asked him to say hello to George (my Dad) and he duly obliged, exchanging some fairly basic pleasantries over the phone. Then Doug appeared, with the biggest smile on his face and feeling more popular than he has ever done as a result of selling to Randy. I asked Doug to say hello to George too, and he had a solid two minute conversation with him. He made my Dads day, and he made mine and my brothers day even more memorable than we thought possible.

Yes he’s got his faults, but for me Doug is a rare breed of gentleman and a Villa man to his core.

[dave shelley]

As I've posted on here before; in 1994 myself and a mate brought a group of u16's on a football trip to Brum.  Part of the itinerary was a trip to Bodymoor where we were excellently treated by the club, given special priveleges and brought over to the edge of the pitch where the first team squad were training.  After training all the kids that wanted them got autographs but I got to meet Nigel Spink, who gave me the impression that he was a very unassuming man and was very pleased to pose with me for a photograph.  I'm  too old to be star-struck by anyone but this is one of my favourite pieces of Villa memories.  Special mention for Dalian Atkinson that day; he never left the field until everyone who wanted one got an autograph or 'photo, that included the general public as well as our group.  Top man.

This was the Friday on the eve of the 1994-5 season and Villa were away to Everton the next day and we had tickets to take the kids up for the match.  On the way back we stopped at a service station on the M6 and met Steve Staunton and Dean Saunders.  Deano was more than happy to talk to the kids but Staunton, as has been stated on this thread was a miserable fcuker and couldn't wait to get away.

[john e]

if i was ever to sit down for a pint with Shaw, Morley, Bremner etc, i honestly dont think i would be able to talk

Same here. Thirty years later and I would still be star struck.

i was much the same when i met peterwithesshin

Meet Legion and you're likely to be lightning-struck.

we are FB friends, thats as close as i dare get

You know all those times your computer plays up or you can't get on the internet?

so thats a not porn virus then ?

[gervilla]

Wow. It looks like Staunton's people skills are up there with his management skills.

[PeterWithesShin]

I've never met Staunton but it doesn't surprise me in the least that it seems he's a cock.

[dr.chekov]

Went to see Villa v Derby at Pride Park in the late 90s and Ian Taylor (who was injured I think) was sat a couple of rows in front of me. Was more than happy to chat to fans around him, although perhaps not surprising as he was being showered with adoration at the time.

Also met Andy Townsend at Tamworth train station. He was very nice, gave my then girlfriend (now dead to me) an autograph.

And although not Villa related, but worth mentioning for its surprising outcome, I once met Mark E Smith at one of those ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ things. He bought my friends and me a round of drinks and was thoroughly charming!!!

[dave shelley]

Re-Staunton; I never mentioned in my post that we were on a trip over from Ireland and all the kids (except my two) were, naturally Irish so you would have thought he would have been more than pleased to give them a bit of his time especially as the mother of one kid was a neighbour of Stauntons up in Co Louth and knows him personally.  Tosser, even though he played for Villa.

[Leighton]

Ref. Staunton, do you think it's because we all royally booed him on his Liverpool return to Villa Park when he got sent off?

If i recall correctly, it was never a sending off in a million years. But one of the funniest things I've witnessed as he stormed off down the tunnel to all four stands jeering and mocking him.

[Broughty-Villian]

Went to play golf at gleneagles solely to meet Ken Mc and he was a true gent, told him i was a villa fan when we met,and he was excellent all day.

Met Elvis Costello in NYC on our honeymoon, and was surprisingly chatty. He was staying in out hotel and kept picking up our tab for us. what a man!

[Legion]

I've met Steve Staunton. He happily shook my hand and had his photograph taken with me at an Old Stars event a few years ago.

I got extremely tongue-tied indeed when our erstwhile editor got Gary Shaw to come and say hello to me whilst selling H&V one time.

Tony Morley and all associated with the FPA have been absolute gents when I've met them.

[john e]

my all time sporting hero is Sir Ian Botham,

i've seen him in one of those talk night things with Viv Richards but never met him one to one,
i bet he's a top bloke though

[asgpaul]

Met several players over the years but my favorite 'sighting' was Nigel Spink who sat with us (well a couple of rows in front) for the League Cup Semi (1st leg) in '96 at Highbury.  I thought that was class.

As a side note, I recall that game being played on Valentines day, my wife (at the time) wasn't happy as I told her I was taking her to London for the day with her not realising we were Highbury bound on the evening!!       

[bodkins14]

Met Nigel Spink in Carrefore as it was in Minworth now bloody Asda in 1987 just before my 18th I was with my mom and dad at the time and had a good chat over the frozen chips. Top bloke and it got better because unbeknown to me my mom had a word and on the doorstep on my 18th was a signed card from the whole Villa team, still have that card.
Also met SGT, Tony Daley and Stuart Gray at the old HMV on New st they were signing copies of the season review VHS video made my day when SGT said I looked like Platty who at the time was my hero. Fortunately time has been better on me