Daily Mail article on Ron Saunders

[purpletrousers]

Trips to India and the Far East with Breeda in the early 90s sparked a spiritual outlook on life and he returned to embrace vegetarianism and would meditate daily to Indian music.

So as the resident vegan Buddhist chaplain of this forum, from now on anyone ever has a pop at being veggie or meditating will get the full 110% Ron quoted at em!

In all seriousness, I never expected to read that, somewhat incongruous with the rest of the picture? Which is of course the beautiful unpredictability of human nature.
Though I'd have had him down as a more hardcore stare at the wall Zen type?
Certainly not meditating to music, I don't know any serious meditators who do that.

Gosh this really is a revelation. I grew up to Ron, I was 8 months old when he came to Villa, we don't know when my first match was, carried in in my dads arms, but I was so blessed to have a season ticket in time to see us win the League at age 7. I just had no idea our Gaffer might have been a spiritual seeker/role model too...

And for any squad building detail the Daily Heil didn't go into, do also enjoy a longer read of this by villa fan ‪@MichaelPlant82 ‬- a young writer we need to support?

Neglected heroes: Ron Saunders, Aston Villa and the glory of the early 1980s


Also do see the Dessie thread I just bumped:.

Interview: Des Bremner on the rise and fall of Aston Villa, memories of Hibs, and why Ron Saunders was the Pep Guardiola of his day (15 May 2016)

[pbavfckuwait]

Best days ever of being a Villa fan, just left school when he came, had money in my pocket, no responsibilities, so going everywhere with the Villa was the norm and some of those matches my god were beautiful, as mentioned the Media darlings of Scouseland, getting their arses kicked for 45 minutes, Old Trafford 77 cup final, Highbury in May, thank you Ron and how ever long you have left, I hope life gives you some of the pleasures you gave me and many like me.

[Matt Collins]

Great article.

Thought one league title in 107 years. It's not great is it?

[Salsa Party Animal]

We should look at Ron Saunders method on recruiting players as he doesn't seem to have too much trouble.

[class-of-82]

So sad to read about his decline
the term greatest or legend don't come close to describe him or what he did for us.
The day he finally becomes a Holte ender in the sky there should be a 10 minute applause not a 1 minute one

[Stu82]

Aston Villa 5 Liverpool 1. The best 90 minutes of football I've ever seen.

45 minutes!

The first game I ever went to.
I was blown away by the whole experience and the excitement. Thought it would be like that every week.
Very good article about Ron, if only he had stayed on to continue the great achievments.

[Bad English]

Cheers Purple!

[clash city rocker]

I should imagine Ron''s way of signing players was to phone them  and tell them to get down to Villa Park as they would be signing for us. They would also be informed that if they didn't make it there within 3 hours they would automatically be fined their first 2 weeks wages. How I would like to have seen Ron get his hands on the likes of Richards, gabby and a few others.

[TopDeck113]

Whilst the League Championship trophy rather suggests that the ends justified the means, Ron's way was not universally popular at the end of the 70s as one favourite after another was shown the door.  My mate's dad didn't renew his season ticket for 1980-81 as he'd had enough of Saunders...

[Dave Cooper please]

...if Martin O'Neill had been give the £20 million or so that was quickly splashed on Darren Bent only a few months after.

He'd have spent it on more centre-backs.

[Chinchilla Bathhouse]

...if Martin O'Neill had been give the £20 million or so that was quickly splashed on Darren Bent only a few months after.

He'd have spent it on more centre-backs.

And played them at full back.

[villaxl]

Yes it was at Sty Andrews and we sung you must be f**king mad Saunders Saunders to that tv advert tune. even though he was there we still applauded him

Two weeks later, he was back at Villa Park as manager of Birmingham with Blues fans singing, 'We'll take good care of you, Ron Saunders', to the tune of a British Airways TV advert.

[Allan C]

A great article but the pictures brought back so many fantastic memories of being a fan in the mid-70's. It's the only time that I can honestly say I looked forward to every game. I particularly remembered the last home game of the promotion season and beating Sunderland 2-0 in a game they had to win to have any chance of promotion. Fantastic days.

[brentastonb6]

Very interesting read, slight mistake here mind - the game was at St. Andrews where we won 1-0.

Two weeks later, he was back at Villa Park as manager of Birmingham with Blues fans singing, 'We'll take good care of you, Ron Saunders', to the tune of a British Airways TV advert.

Yes and interestingly the Mail omitted we were all singing " You must be Fucking mad, Saunders, Saunders"

[brentastonb6]

Yes it was at Sty Andrews and we sung you must be f**king mad Saunders Saunders to that tv advert tune. even though he was there we still applauded him

Two weeks later, he was back at Villa Park as manager of Birmingham with Blues fans singing, 'We'll take good care of you, Ron Saunders', to the tune of a British Airways TV advert.

Sorry VillaXL you pipped me to it!