Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: martin@ardenley on February 21, 2014, 09:15:22 AM
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From the OS (http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~3678289,00.html)
There's no question Tommy Johnson was adored by the claret and blue faithful in his two-year spell for Villa.
After all, this was the man who was dubbed "Super Tommy Johnson."
But it's fair to say the feeling is mutual as Johnson discusses the supporters who cheered him week after week in the late 1990s.
He said: "The fans at Villa were different class. They were superb, truly superb.
"I think they appreciated me because of what I gave to the club on the pitch.
"I was hard working. I used to shoot on sight too - that was a big thing with the lads in the dressing room. I often didn't pass it - I just had a go. If I missed a chance or something went wrong, I wouldn't mope - I'd just get on with it.
"I wasn't the most skilful player to put on the claret and blue but I gave everything for that shirt.
"I always played football with a smile on my face too because I loved playing for the Villa.
"I think there's a picture of me after the cup final win and I'm wearing a daft comedy wig - that sums me up because I enjoyed it so much! The song that came from my nickname was amazing."
Johnson arrived at Villa in a £1.9m deal from Derby County in January 1995.
After easing himself in for three full games and a couple of substitute appearances, he gave a magnificent performance against Wimbledon with a hat-trick in the astonishing 7-1 victory at Villa Park.
It was a moment he remembers fondly in a season of consolidation for Brian Little's men.
He continued: "I had previously gone from Notts County to Derby County, which in itself was a stepping stone. The Rams were in Division One.
"When I heard about Villa being in for me, I immediately thought about the size of the club and the history behind it.
"We played Leicester in the play-off final in 1993-94 and Brian Little was manager of Leicester.
"If Derby had won, I would probably have ended up staying with them as they would have been in the Premier League.
"But it was ironic that Leicester won, they went up, Brian went to Villa and then he signed me. It was a strange situation. I was delighted to go. It was the right move.
"I remember being struck by the atmosphere at Villa Park when I arrived.
"I knew about the Holte End already - one of the biggest stands in English football. But the atmosphere all over the ground was electric.
"It was a struggle at first. We were down in the bottom half of the table and it was just about staying out of trouble. But, in spite of those struggles, the mood was still great. The whole place was top-class - the ground, the training ground, the players, the staff - everything. It was geared for success.
"The hat-trick against Wimbledon in my first season was great. That set me off.
"I was aware Villa had paid a lot of money for me and I was just delighted to get that trio to get me going.
"It was only a few years later that I realised it was a header, right foot and left foot - the perfect hat-trick they call it, don't they?
"Those are the moments you remember. It was my first hat-trick in the Premier League! I kept the matchball.
"After that season, the gaffer made some changes. He looked to change the team. He signed younger players. The gaffer wanted to freshen it up with young British players.
"In came the likes of Tayls [Ian Taylor], Drapes [Mark Draper], The Gate [Gareth Southgate], Franny [Franz Carr] and Wrighty [Alan Wright]. We all knew each other from the England U21s and the gaffer wanted us to carry that on at Villa."
What Little created for that 1995-96 season was a squad of substance, style and spirit.
Johnson points to the perfect mix - younger starlets like Dwight Yorke and Savo Milosevic and experienced aces like Andy Townsend and Paul McGrath.
Villa won the League Cup with a fabulous 3-0 win over Leeds at Wembley, reached the FA Cup semi-final and finished fourth in the Barclays Premier League.
Johnson also insists that a lot of that success is down to the camaraderie in camp.
He added: "It was an amazing season.
"We got The Gate, Drapes, Savo - and Yorkie signed a new contract and established himself as a centre-forward then.
"We still had a few of the old timers like Nigel Spink, Paul McGrath and Steve Staunton.
"We had a good mix of up-and-coming players and established internationals who had seen it and done it.
"Pre-season was really good and we carried it into the season.
"We got the formation right - three at the back - with Charlesy and Wrighty bombing on. We had Tayls, Towny and Drapes and - when I started playing - I was in the hole behind Savo and Yorkie.
"It was a free role, pretty much, which was brilliant for me. I just went where I wanted and did my best to support Savo and Yorkie.
"It was a great season and we had a great feeling.
"Team spirit was unbelievable and we had brilliant players.
"Andy Townsend was different class. Paul McGrath was unbelievable. He didn't train much but when he played he was incredible.
"Stan Staunton had a wonderful left foot but used to moan for fun. Nigel Spink looked after us.
"We had a great mix. The banter was good. We were winning games. We were successful.
"You can imagine what the dressing room was like.
"There were plenty of daft things done - and I was involved in most of them. It was such a fun dressing room. It was a real great place to be.
"It started when Drapes used to walk in every morning with his daft clothes on and continued after training.
"There was always something kicking off in the dressing room that had us in bits. But, trust me, when we went on that training ground, we meant business."
Johnson missed out on the Wembley showpiece, sitting out the glorious game from the bench.
But what some still don't know to this day is that he was just glad to be involved at all!
He continued: "I got injured against Ipswich in the FA Cup match in February.
"That gave me about six weeks until the final.
"I played in the first leg of the semi-final when we drew at Arsenal 2-2 but then I missed the home leg.
"My main aim was just to get fit because I was still struggling with my thigh at the time. It was constant work to make the final.
"I wanted to be involved. My first session back was the day before the final.
"The gaffer was brilliant. He put me on the bench. When I see him now, though, I hammer him for not putting me on.
"But just to be involved was brilliant.
"The togetherness was second to none in the group.
"We travelled down a couple of days before the final and when we won it, everyone stayed down in London for a get-together. Everyone was in the hotel, even the office staff. The wives and kids were there - it was fantastic.
"It was the first trophy I had won. Just to be part of it was great.
"I was so grateful to the gaffer. He didn't have to put me on the bench. He could have picked someone else. There were only three subs then, too!"
His appreciation for Little still continues to this day as he recalls life under him in B6.
He admits Little was a "quiet man" but one who got his message across day after day during his tenure in the Villa Park hotseat.
Although Johnson admits he didn't agree with the mild-mannered manager during initial talks about a move to the claret and blues.
He added: "The gaffer was great. He was very quiet but you knew where you stood with him.
"Doug Ellis saw something in him that he liked after his great spell at Leicester. He was terrific to work with.
"You realise now what hard work it is being a manager or a coach.
"He came up with the system of three at the back - he was probably one of the first to use that formation.
"He had his full-backs pushing on and me in the free role.
"When he told me he wanted to play me there I was having none of it. This was before I signed! He said he saw me playing in the hole behind the strikers. I was thinking 'no I am a centre-forward, I want to score goals.'
"But when I see him now, I say 'yeah you were right!' That was my best position.
"I still speak to him now. He's in good fettle and it's great to see.
"We had a great backroom staff to work with too - Alan Evans, John Gregory, Paul Barron and Jim Walker. They were fantastic. There was Kevin MacDonald and Tony McAndrew too.
"I owe a lot to them. They helped ever such a lot."
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I loved Super Tommy Johnson. Often infuriating and like he says, a bit selfish to shoot on sight a lot of the time but when he was on his game he was brilliant. He was always at his best playing in the hole behind Savo and Yorkie. One of them was always going to score past you. Shame he was sold, arguably we'd have been stronger holding on to him and not buying Collymore as it turned out but hindsight is a wonderful thing. I remember most his hat-trick vs Wimbledon, his performance as a sub vs West Ham where he DESTROYED them, and goals vs Wolves and Coventry. He also did that celebration with Taylor where they'd go down on one knee and fold their arms.
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Great memories. Loved the Villa then.
Still do, but you know what I mean...
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Wimbledon hat-trick
Boro away
Gravesend at home
Wolves at home
Enjoy
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Certainly one of the best season on modern times. Though 18 years ago. Time flies.
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The goal against Boro away was liquid football.
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Really liked him, very good squad striker for us as was Joachim behind the big two of Yorke and Savo.
Was surprised we sold him mid season to Celtic in 96/97 I think?
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I'd love to see us give someone a good roasting this season. Thinking back to games like Wimbledon 7-1, the 6-0 against Derby with that cracking goal from Stan, and 6-1 against Sunderland last season among others. We could do really do we dishing out a good tonking to someone and it'd be nice for us lot to really enjoy a game. Especially if we did it at Villa Park.
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I remember going away to Spurs in I think the second game of the 95-96 season, sat with my Spurs friend in their end, and we passed them off the pitch (won 1-0). Everyone, me included, was stunned at how well we had recruited over the summer and played that night. It was indeed a great season.
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The goal against Boro away was liquid football.
The two goals up at Boro, with Wright's volley, were two of the best goals you will ever see. Complete contrast, a wonder volley and about 30 passes of total football, but it was great.
The 4-1 down at West Ham was magic too.
He used to be at the Newcastle away games a few years ago in our end, although I always remember him for throwing up. I cannot recall if it was against Man City or Sheffield Wednesday?
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Loved Tommy, I was at West Ham when he came on and changed the game and we won 4-1. Brilliant day by the time Dicks scored the pen the ground was empty
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Great season - my favourite ever. I was too young to appreciate the early 80's
Great home kit with the Holte End making a racket every game.
Home game against Spurs when Yorkie fired the winner sitcks in the mind for atmosphere.
The 3-0 anihiliation of Leeds prior to League Cup final set us up nicely for the never in doubt Cup Final.
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loved Super Tommy
good times
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Great season, considering he was not a popular signing he proved the doubters wrong.
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Great season, considering he was not a popular signing he proved the doubters wrong.
Yep - Me included.
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God, do I have to be reminded how good it used to be and what supporting Aston Villa used to mean; it's like reading about another club altogether, one I recognise far more than the mid/lower table crap I am now witness too. Still, another couple of seasons of aspiring to 12th and I'm sure my sights will be fully adjusted
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Them were the days when i use to look forward to home games and i always liked Tommy Johnson ,i thought he was underated and was sad to see him leave
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The goal against Boro away was liquid football.
The two goals up at Boro, with Wright's volley, were two of the best goals you will ever see. Complete contrast, a wonder volley and about 30 passes of total football, but it was great.
The 4-1 down at West Ham was magic too.
He used to be at the Newcastle away games a few years ago in our end, although I always remember him for throwing up. I cannot recall if it was against Man City or Sheffield Wednesday?
I love both the goals in the Boro game, I wish I could find some highlights that show just how good the build up to the second goal was it was a joy to watch.
I remembering him throwing up I think it was against Spurs might have been his home debut?
I always really liked him as a player he wasn't the most gifted of players but he always gave it his all and he seems like a really nice guy. I always felt sorry for him in the League Final in 96 I wish he had got to come on as a sub I think he deserved that, he seemed to celebrate more than anyone else that day though. Seems a such a long time ago now that team they were so good to watch I hope those days come back soon.
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God, do I have to be reminded how good it used to be and what supporting Aston Villa used to mean; it's like reading about another club altogether, one I recognise far more than the mid/lower table crap I am now witness too. Still, another couple of seasons of aspiring to 12th and I'm sure my sights will be fully adjusted
Remember how good we were the season before?
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God, do I have to be reminded how good it used to be and what supporting Aston Villa used to mean; it's like reading about another club altogether, one I recognise far more than the mid/lower table crap I am now witness too. Still, another couple of seasons of aspiring to 12th and I'm sure my sights will be fully adjusted
Remember how good we were the season before?
Sure do Dave, it was always good in those days. You felt something good was round the corner and that things would change. And we'd sign some exciting players. And there was an aspiration, nay expectation, for us to finish high up in the league.
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One of the best performances I've seen from a Villa team was the 2-2 at Highbury in the first leg league cup semi final when we came back from 2-0 down, and Tommy Johnson had a storming game.
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He nearly bloody fucked that chance up against Wolves.
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Those were the days. Can't believe it was so long ago.
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He nearly bloody fucked that chance up against Wolves.
He did. Very nearly. I didn't mind. Especially as I met my sole Wolf supporting work colleague walking up towards Perry Barr after the game. They played well that night and we were very average although Ugo turned Bwooll-eeee inside out on one occasion. Made him look like a rank amateur.
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God, do I have to be reminded how good it used to be and what supporting Aston Villa used to mean; it's like reading about another club altogether, one I recognise far more than the mid/lower table crap I am now witness too. Still, another couple of seasons of aspiring to 12th and I'm sure my sights will be fully adjusted
The season before: one place above relegation and an average attendance of less than 30,000?
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He always struck me as someone who appreciated how lucky he was to be a professional footballer.
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One game at Newcastle, which I think was the one where the stand to our right was under construction, Tommy Johnson was sitting behind us, full of smiles as ever.
I remember the time when he had to go off at Ipswich. My son, who would only have been about 4 at the time, started crying. When we asked him what was the matter, he said it was because Tommy Johnson had gone off.
Tommy Johnson was a credit to the club and had an insatiable appetite for the game.
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One game at Newcastle, which I think was the one where the stand to our right was under construction, Tommy Johnson was sitting behind us, full of smiles as ever.
I remember the time when he had to go off at Ipswich. My son, who would only have been about 4 at the time, started crying. When we asked him what was the matter, he said it was because Tommy Johnson had gone off.
Tommy Johnson was a credit to the club and had an insatiable appetite for the game.
That sums him up. Tommy Johnson, not your son.
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God, do I have to be reminded how good it used to be and what supporting Aston Villa used to mean; it's like reading about another club altogether, one I recognise far more than the mid/lower table crap I am now witness too. Still, another couple of seasons of aspiring to 12th and I'm sure my sights will be fully adjusted
The season before: one place above relegation and an average attendance of less than 30,000?
Yep, it was never as dull or as uninspiring as is now. I remember that season very well and there was still hope, a sense we would very quickly rise again and were in a totally false position.
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1994-95 we had a very team of players that was getting on a bit and BFR couldn't seem to motivate them or drop favoured players anymore. There were still far more memorable games - and even highlights - than we have had in the last 3 seasons. As for the attendences, they were lower all around the league at that time. Remember in our case the Holte was under construction for half the season and the country was in a nasty recession.
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Didn't he puke up on the pitch a few times?
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Against Spurs at home he did for sure - the game where Bossie clattered Klinsmann and Deano got the winner.
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Didn't he puke up on the pitch a few times?
He definitely puked up in the centre circle shortly into his VP debut. It was quite something.
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Didn't he puke up on the pitch a few times?
He definitely puked up in the centre circle shortly into his VP debut. It was quite something.
I'm surprised that Benteke doesn't blow chunks more often when he sees the state of the service behind him sometimes. ;)
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There aren't many players who played for a relatively short time for us that remain as universally popular as Super Tommy Johnson.
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Top man was Super Tommy Johnson, great read too that interview. What a great team we had back then.
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looking back on the some of those goals and those seasons it seemed so much better that the internet didn't exist and we didn't spend hours on end cutting everything to pieces. Over time, the good times were great and the bad times were never as bad. But in truth some of those years in the mid 80's, and 90's were every bit as shit as some of the years we've endured recently. Worse in many cases. But we only had our eyes, the radio, some TV and the Mail/Argus to share with us the goings on at the club. In many ways, it was much better knowing less.
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He had some funny goal celebrations aswell, shame I ditched my VHS ages ago as I always enjoyed watching the 96/97 season review DVD which was pretty basic compared to today's slick productions.
Anyway he scored a penalty in one game, did a forward role and then folded his arms with Ian Taylor which was quite amusing. He also did that finger to his lips celebration for a few of his other goals.
We had a really good team in the mid 90s right through the side. Also seemed a really good team spirit there...well until Stan and Curcic turned up....
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The goal against Boro away was liquid football.
The two goals up at Boro, with Wright's volley, were two of the best goals you will ever see. Complete contrast, a wonder volley and about 30 passes of total football, but it was great.
The 4-1 down at West Ham was magic too.
He used to be at the Newcastle away games a few years ago in our end, although I always remember him for throwing up. I cannot recall if it was against Man City or Sheffield Wednesday?
That season was so full of magical away days - WHU away when Johnson came on for Townsend early, QPR away with Spink playing up front, Boro New Years Day, & the Arsenal League Cup SF.
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Didn't he puke up on the pitch a few times?
He definitely puked up in the centre circle shortly into his VP debut. It was quite something.
I think he did v West Ham at home as well. We lost 2-0
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Penalty vs Derby plus celebration. I also remember him smacking the crossbar with a scorcher in this one but its not in this clip. This match also saw Curcic debut as a sub and he looked like Pele.
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Didn't he miss a sitter against Leicester and then scored a scorcher in the Leicester 4-4.
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Didn't he miss a sitter against Leicester and then scored a scorcher in the Leicester 4-4.
yes he hit the underside of the bar from close-range but Yorke knocked in the rebound.
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Bizarre to see this thread. Just the other day I was reading a last season copy of H&V with a piece about Tommy Johnson being a scapegoat at the time. It made me think of two things. First, that I didn't agree with the article and second, that it reminded me of the exciting team we had at the time under Sir Bri and how Tommy Johnson was very much part of that squad.
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Fear not, my son; you are forgiven...
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I loved to see him in a Villa shirt, he just seemed to love playing football. 95/96 was a tremendous season.