Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: martin@ardenley on February 24, 2012, 01:41:48 PM
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Short Link (http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2012/02/24/aston-villa-brian-little-set-to-be-new-manager-at-sligo-rovers-97319-30399479/)
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I guess that's another one out the Wolves running then. What a coup for Sligo!
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I hope he does well there.
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Wolves have a new manager already. They promoted the assistant manager.
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All the best Brian. Looks like I now have an Irish team.
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I guess that's another one out the Wolves running then
Sir Brian was sacked as Wolves manager nearly 30 years ago.
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Good luck Brian and he still walks on water
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Great for us Irish villans to have him over here. He can try walking on the Garavogue River now...
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Good luck Brian. Looks like I have a new club to try and keep track of. How does UTS sound?
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Good luck Brian. Looks like I have a new club to try and keep track of. How does UTS sound?
Cheeky.
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I suspect that the sligo-based Villa ST holder that I've met on the way over to a number of games will be chuffed with this news. He goes to a fair few Rovers games as well.
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I guess that's another one out the Wolves running then
Sir Brian was sacked as Wolves manager nearly 30 years ago.
Was he sacked? I thought he was only warming the seat for a few weeks. Can't believe they've let the assistant take over, there'll be riots.
Hopefully we'll get invited for a friendly with Sligo in the close season.
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I guess that's another one out the Wolves running then
Sir Brian was sacked as Wolves manager nearly 30 years ago.
Was he sacked? I thought he was only warming the seat for a few weeks. Can't believe they've let the assistant take over, there'll be riots.
Hopefully we'll get invited for a friendly with Sligo in the close season.
We should be playing Shamrock Rovers, and although it is the other side of Ireland, you have now got me hoping we could combine the two! Sligo is a fantastic place.
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I suspect that the sligo-based Villa ST holder that I've met on the way over to a number of games will be chuffed with this news. He goes to a fair few Rovers games as well.
and there's me moaning about the trip up to B6 from Cambridge for matches...
PS: Good luck Sir Brian.
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Best of luck Sir Brian.
I loved the Brian Little & John Gregory partnership and I reckon that had Gregory stayed as Brians coach it would have been a great era.
Unfortunately, John left and Doug decided to poke his nose in and upset the apple cart by signing Collymore.
I'm not the only one who thought that Brian didn't want him!
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I suspect that the sligo-based Villa ST holder that I've met on the way over to a number of games will be chuffed with this news. He goes to a fair few Rovers games as well.
and there's me moaning about the trip up to B6 from Cambridge for matches...
I know, I made the trip from Galway for half a season or so and that was enough for me! He's been doing it for years, don't know how he puts up with it, or affords it for that matter. You'd be surprised at the number of regular faces you see on the flight over.
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During the question and answer session after the open training back in October he was saying he wasn't too fussed about getting back into management as he was about to become a father again and was enjoying his TV work. He did say he was enjoying going over to Ireland to do some of that TV work though. I think most Villa fans keep an eye out for the results of whoever he manages.
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It's quite boggy in that part of Ireland so I hope his walking on water abilities are still in tact.
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It's quite boggy in that part of Ireland so I hope his walking on water abilities are still in tact.
you bet they are !
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During the question and answer session after the open training back in October he was saying he wasn't too fussed about getting back into management as he was about to become a father again and was enjoying his TV work. He did say he was enjoying going over to Ireland to do some of that TV work though. I think most Villa fans keep an eye out for the results of whoever he manages.
A father again at 58?
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95/96 season will always be one of my fave seasons. I remember the only worry was Brian might get offered the England job and leave. Strange how things pan out career wise.
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Come on Sligo!
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Good luck Brian , it is a shame it did not work out longer for him at Villa. I thought he was building something special
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I hope he does well there.
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They're one of the stronger teams in the league, so hopefully he will be a success.
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Best of luck to him.
I may have to make a trip to Turners Cross for their game v Cork City.
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Hope Brian does well there. A new team to look out for. Where are Sligo Rovers from?
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Hope Brian does well there. A new team to look out for. Where are Sligo Rovers from?
Ireland.
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Yeah sorry, i know its in Ireland. I was asking where about in Ireland it is?
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Sligo. It's in the west of Ireland.
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Great news for Rovers, although another fans favourite assistant manager Gerry Carr loses out, and will probably leave the club now as he did not want to face into another season as no.2. Still great ambition being shown by the club in securing the title this season after the departure of Paul Cook who had recently taken charge of Acc Stanley (losing 4-0 in his 1st match) Still a hero in Sligo as we wone the FAI Cup twice in 3 years and out League Cup 2 years ago aswell, looking good for a right go at the champioship this season :)
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Hopefully Simon and the Irish Villains will keep us updated. Is it the close-season over there at the minute?
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Hopefully Simon and the Irish Villains will keep us updated. Is it the close-season over there at the minute?
Check the scores yourself you lazy git! And yeah, season starts in march some time (my local team folded a month or two back, so haven't been keeping an eye on it this year).
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Is Terryland Park going to be left neglected (like what happened to my team Kilkenny City's ground, Buckley Park, when they folded a few years ago)?
Brian clearly likes Ireland, he's done a lot of punditry for Setanta over here the last couple of years. The news is quite poignant as listening to Mr Little last week talk about Eamonn Deacy's death he said the main regret he has was that he hadn't kept in touch/seen Chick in recent years and he wouldn't get the opportunity now.
He'll shortly be living and working just up the road. It's life I suppose.
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Great, thanks for that Ger. Shame about your local team.
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Is Terryland Park going to be left neglected (like what happened to my team Kilkenny City's ground, Buckley Park, when they folded a few years ago)?
Brian clearly likes Ireland, he's done a lot of punditry for Setanta over here the last couple of years. The news is quite poignant as listening to Mr Little last week talk about Eamonn Deacy's death he said the main regret he has was that he hadn't kept in touch/seen Chick in recent years and he wouldn't get the opportunity now.
He'll shortly be living and working just up the road. It's life I suppose.
Terryland was never owned by Galway United, it's actually owned by Connaught FA. A lot of local schools and junior finals are held there. Once the Supporters Trust get the club going again, then I presume they'll be using it again for senior games the season after next. There's also plans to use it for a few concerts during the summer. Unlikely to be anything worth going to, but at least it won't be completely idol. The sad thing is that it's normally a very good surface, completely wasted with no team using it regularly.
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Yeah, the same with Buckley Park. It hosted a few Irish U21 games and the senior team trained on it, the surface was that good.
Weren't Salthill Devon and Mervue applying for senior football licenses this year? I presumed one of them would use Terryland. Can't believe there is only going to be 8 teams in the second tier, bit of a joke really. Especially when Cobh, Tralee, Carlow and Fanad were all busting a gut to get a license.
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It was a highlight of my year when Sir Brian accepted my fried request on Facebook, I seem to have a bright future behind me.
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Yeah, the same with Buckley Park. It hosted a few Irish U21 games and the senior team trained on it, the surface was that good.
Weren't Salthill Devon and Mervue applying for senior football licenses this year? I presumed one of them would use Terryland. Can't believe there is only going to be 8 teams in the second tier, bit of a joke really. Especially when Cobh, Tralee, Carlow and Fanad were all busting a gut to get a license.
Devon and Mervue are in the 1st Division again next year, but local politics has meant that they couldn't come to an agreement on using Terryland, or keeping some form of Galway United in the league. Shame really, but I suppose neither wanted to give up their identities. It really needs to get back to an amateur level here, there's too many sports competing with each other to ever make it a viable professional, or even semi-professional league.
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It always struck me that the FAI wasted a lot of their post-Italia 90 windfall propping up a league structure that not enough people wanted. Would I be right in thinking that the average Irish football supporter follows the Republic & any one of whichever is the current big four and wouldn't dream of watching their own league?
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It always struck me that the FAI wasted a lot of their post-Italia 90 windfall propping up a league structure that not enough people wanted. Would I be right in thinking that the average Irish football supporter follows the Republic & any one of whichever is the current big four and wouldn't dream of watching their own league?
Throw in the word "casual" and you'd be closer to the truth I think. Of those who go regularly to Irish matches (I'm not one of them so am open to correction on this) would have a high proportion that would follow their local team as well. Quite a few of my friends, one a barca fan and another a manyew fan, used to go down regularly with me to terryland.
Don't forget though that Ireland also has 2 other sports on top of the usual that vie for attention with football, both in terms of spectators, and probably more importantly participants (even if quite a lot of people would play both). For a country the size of ireland, that's going to affect the quality of the football on offer. Why bother going down to watch a bunch of cloggers in the freezing cold when you can watch the english league in the pub?
As for the FAI, well they'd make the FA look like a highly efficient outfit. Truly pathetic. Just one story (and 100% true) was that Galway United were due to have a meeting at the FAI to discuss their involvement in the league for the coming season (promotion and relegation is as much down to financial standing of the clubs as it is to final league position, or was at least), which was set for, say 830 in the morning. The boards of United and the FAI got there, and were stook outside for around an hour because the lads from the FAI forgot to bring a set of keys. A metaphor if ever there was one. They're also in serious debt by all accounts.
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I guess that's another one out the Wolves running then
Sir Brian was sacked as Wolves manager nearly 30 years ago.
Was he sacked? I thought he was only warming the seat for a few weeks. Can't believe they've let the assistant take over, there'll be riots.
Hopefully we'll get invited for a friendly with Sligo in the close season.
We should be playing Shamrock Rovers, and although it is the other side of Ireland, you have now got me hoping we could combine the two! Sligo is a fantastic place.
You're not alone. Fingers crossed.
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What a lovely place to live and work. Enniscrone, Bundoran, Clew Bay down the road. fabulous. I'm jealous. WB Yeats country in the shadow of Ben Bulben's head. and he may pick up a good junior or two in the process. Good luck Brian!!
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Yeah, post-'90 there may have been an opportunity for the FAI with the clubs to put something sustainable and long-term in place which was missed. Though the introduction of Sky to the English game with a steady offering of live games probably put the kibosh on any significant improvements domestically. I remember in the mid-90's a big deal being made of BSkyB's funding of floodlight installations across Irish grounds so that games could be moved to Friday and Saturday nights (instead of the traditional Sunday afternoon kick-off time as in Italy) to avoid clashing with televised English games and I think it took a long time for that culture of attending evening games to take effect.
By the start of the recession there were a handful of semi-professional clubs. Shelbourne, Cork, Derry, even a small club like Drogheda all had full-time players on their books. Sure enough, one by one they went into examinership/administration (maybe Derry didn't?) and demotion followed from which all of them are still recovering.
During the 'good times' average attendances at these grounds would have ranged from 2,000 to 4,500 at best.
The state broadcaster presumably pay a nominal amount to the league for the dozen or so games they screen each season. I can't imagine the viewership is too high. TV income is the great financial driver in practically every major football league these days. Take that away, together with meagre gates and you're left with very little cash to go around.
Ultimately, as Ger points out, when you're not only competing with the Premier League but also Gaelic football, hurling (where players are unpaid) and rugby which has seen a surge in interest among the general population over the past decade; allied to a small population, it's a losing battle. There will be the anomalies like Shamrock Rovers who made the group stages of the Europa League this season and had decent League One sized gates last season, but it's not easy.
Hopefully Brian Little gets all the support he needs. Sligo are probably one of the best-run clubs in the country, certainly provincially, so there's every chance he can hit the ground running provided all their best players don't follow their old manager across to Accrington.
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It should also be noted that another potential area of revenue for small clubs, transfers, is not as great as it possibly could be. It's very rare for a player in Ireland to sign up to more than a year, or two (at most), which means that any player who catches the eye of a club in England will cost a fraction of what might normally be expected.
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Going to Ireland for a few days at the Start of June not that far from Sligo. Looking at the fixtures the only game while I'm there is away at Bohemians and then they go on a mid season break. It would have been good to go see them.
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Since leaving us his jobs have been Stoke, Baggies, Hull, Tranmere, Wrexham, Gainsborough - to me that his been a continual downward curve in terms of size of club and job. With all due respect to Gainsborough, Sligo are a bigger club than them. This is his first upward career move since 1994.
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Hope he can do a good job, and maybe if he spots one or two useful players he can point them in our direction. Still can't really fathom out how his managerial record has gone from one of the top young English coaches to basically non league football. But if it was a straight choice of Brian Little or Alex Mcleish it would be "good bye Alex, hello Brian - oh by the way I believe you know Mr Cowans don't you?"
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good luck to Brian,
a few years ago my Dad was a steward at the MK Dons when they played at the hockey stadium before the new ground was built, because he was in his 70's he was given an easy job looking after the away bench.
anyway Brian Little was due with Doncaster i think, so i gave my Dad an old 1977 league cup 1st reply match programe against Everton (Hillsborough) and said get him to sign that.
you can imagine his face when he came out with his team and took his position in the dugout to be presented with this blast from the past.
i wasnt there but me Dad said he laughed said he remembered the night well ( he scored a scrappy goal) signed the programe and wished my father well,
my Dad said in all the time he was guarding the away bench Little was the one who treated everyone with utmost respect, and was a true Gent
ps, i dont think he had a to bad game in the 2nd reply !!
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It should also be noted that another potential area of revenue for small clubs, transfers, is not as great as it possibly could be. It's very rare for a player in Ireland to sign up to more than a year, or two (at most), which means that any player who catches the eye of a club in England will cost a fraction of what might normally be expected.
Aye.
As well as that, the vast majority of talented players will go direct to the Academies in England straight from schoolboy football nowadays. So clubs miss out on even those modest fees.
The likes of Kevin Doyle, Stephen Hunt and our own Enda Stevens seem to be the exception.
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Good luck Brian , it is a shame it did not work out longer for him at Villa. I thought he was building something special
Yes, then Doug started messing about
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Good luck Brian , it is a shame it did not work out longer for him at Villa. I thought he was building something special
Yes, then Doug started messing about
Brian was building something special when he won us the League Cup, got us to an FA Cup S/F and 4th place but by the time he left we were 15th in the table and looking like relegation possibilities. I don't think that the way things unravelled was all Dougs fault and/or down to the Collymore signing. Were not other things happening ?
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17149243
According to this, David Unsworth turned the job down before it was offered to Brian.
My understanding is that he had actually taken the job but resigned when Mrs. Unsworth discovered Sligo is in Ireland and not a small seaside resort just up the coast from Merseyside.
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Hopefully Simon and the Irish Villains will keep us updated. Is it the close-season over there at the minute?
Just finished our last pre-season match today 3-0 away to Longford Town, 5 wins out of 5 in pre-season, the season proper starts on 2nd March, 1st match away to Shelbourne ( who we beat in the Cup Final last season). A mouth-watering fixture against current champions Shamrock Rovers is on the last day of our season 26th October at home in Sligo, if that tuned out to be must win for a title for us im sure there may be a few Villa fans tempted to make the trip over!! Just another point of interest, we have recently acquired the sponsorship of none other than Volkswagen for the next 2 seasons, so you know a club is moving in the right direction when big companies like that are getting involved with the club. If anyone would like to get to know a little more about the Rovers, their website is www.sligorovers.com , where they have the latest news, fixtures, squad info and their online club shop.
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M.y favoutite Brian story was told me by an old mate and dates from 1995-98.
A Villa fan and his daughter called in at the ticket office one midweek. Who should walk through the door but the Great Man himself.
Said Villa fan engages Brian in conversation. Brian is apologetic, says he is in a rush but if the guy & gal would like a proper chat, would they please go into his secretary's office and book an appointment to see him.
They did as they were bid and subsequently enjoyed an hour-long chat with, for the bloke, one of Villa's great post-war players, and for the lass, her favourite Villa manager, over tea and bickies.
Makes you proud to be a Villain, eh?
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I will be going to more League of Ireland games now...
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M.y favoutite Brian story was told me by an old mate and dates from 1995-98.
A Villa fan and his daughter called in at the ticket office one midweek. Who should walk through the door but the Great Man himself.
Said Villa fan engages Brian in conversation. Brian is apologetic, says he is in a rush but if the guy & gal would like a proper chat, would they please go into his secretary's office and book an appointment to see him.
They did as they were bid and subsequently enjoyed an hour-long chat with, for the bloke, one of Villa's great post-war players, and for the lass, her favourite Villa manager, over tea and bickies.
Makes you proud to be a Villain, eh?
I wept like a baby when he left.
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M.y favoutite Brian story was told me by an old mate and dates from 1995-98.
A Villa fan and his daughter called in at the ticket office one midweek. Who should walk through the door but the Great Man himself.
Said Villa fan engages Brian in conversation. Brian is apologetic, says he is in a rush but if the guy & gal would like a proper chat, would they please go into his secretary's office and book an appointment to see him.
They did as they were bid and subsequently enjoyed an hour-long chat with, for the bloke, one of Villa's great post-war players, and for the lass, her favourite Villa manager, over tea and bickies.
Makes you proud to be a Villain, eh?
I wept like a baby when he left.
Fourteen years? Hard to believe. I remember coming home from school to the bad news. I remember hoping Gullit would get the villa job. Anybody remember the Football Focus that weekend after Gregory had been appointed? I remember Doug and Gregory being interviewed at length.
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Could do with an update that website..
Management Team
Friday, 10 December 2010 16:17
Sligo Rovers Management Team Details:
Manager: Paul Cook
Anyway, good luck Sir Brian and I'm another who now follows Sligo.
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Best of luck Sir Brian, may you walk on water once more!
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I hope it won't be too expensive to buy out his new contract in the summer.
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He may take up Surfing to keep fit. Sligo is the surfing centre of Ireland, with astonishing waves coming off the Atlantic.
http://www.surfsligo.com/
http://www.surfworld.ie/
dead trendoi!
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Good luck Brian.
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I remember my mate, who has never suffered from subtlety issues, relating the news about Brian's demise through the medium of an old Glitter Band tune: 'Hey! Rock 'n' Roll! Little's on the Dole!!'
Good, eh?
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Well just to update on the latest, Brian didnt get the gig, Ian Baraclough did ( former Scunthorpe manager), dont know much about him, but ill be keeping my finger crossed that he can do as well as Paul Cook did over the last 5 years!
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Baraclough? Mean, moody, magnificent.
Shame Brian didn't get it. I still don't have an Irish team to support. Except whoever's playing Rangers Linfield.
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I always wondered where it went wrong for Brian in management. To fail so comprehensively with practically every team since leaving Villa beggars belief - it's as if after losing the one job he always wanted, he couldn't really be arsed.
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Come back Brian
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Come back Brian
Not for Blackburn away, after the last time.
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I always wondered where it went wrong for Brian in management. To fail so comprehensively with practically every team since leaving Villa beggars belief - it's as if after losing the one job he always wanted, he couldn't really be arsed.
Brian had the dream team with himself, Alan Evans and John Gregory. Once Gregory left it all started to slowly fall apart.
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That's dreadful, I can't believe it.
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I always wondered where it went wrong for Brian in management. To fail so comprehensively with practically every team since leaving Villa beggars belief - it's as if after losing the one job he always wanted, he couldn't really be arsed.
Brian had the dream team with himself, Alan Evans and John Gregory. Once Gregory left it all started to slowly fall apart.
Aye.
Someone said to me a while ago that when things started to go wrong (post Collywobbles signing) Brian was too introspective and couldn't lift the players. The senior players (Bosnich, Southgate and Yorke) weren't happy with the latitude given to Stan either, when he clearly wasn't pulling his weight and barely breaking a sweat on matchday.
Gregory was always the counterbalance, the cheeky chappy to Brian's more thoughtful approach, and as a partnership (or triumvirate with Evans) it worked. And was part of the reason why JG initially got such a good response from the players when he came back in 1998.
The sentimental part of me wouldn't mind seeing all three back fulfilling their original roles. But football has moved on since then. And I don't think JG's ego would take being no.2 to anyone now. I'm not even sure they're still friends - According to JG's book things got a wee bit strained between him and Evans when he didn't keep the latter on when he was made manager in 1998.
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But football has moved on since then.
It may have elsewhere but at Villa Park it's gone backwards, what with JG, Sir Graham MKII, DOL, MON, GH and now McCleish.
Looking at that list, it's about time we had a bit of luck with our management appointments.