Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: dave.woodhall on February 09, 2015, 05:20:22 PM
-
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-flashback-peter-withe-8604543?ICID=FB-Birm-avfc
-
Was it a Tuesday? I was eleven but have memories of it being reported on TV in a sports special for an Liverpool V Ipswich Milk Cup semi final.
I doubted myself for a second so double checked I was right. 9th Feb '82, Liverpool 2 Ipswich 2, Liverpool win 4-2 on aggregate.
Did we draw 1-1 at home the following night with Tony Barton in charge against either Southampton or Spurs?
Checked again - H Southampton Wed 10th 1-1, H Spurs Wed 17th 1-1.
-
One of those "JFK" moments. I can tell you where I was, what I was doing and who I was with when I heard the news.
-
Ron was footballs answer to Jack Regan. You knew exactly who was boss. I still insist Ron's greatest achievement was getting Birmingham promoted to the top division with a very average squad of triers. Nobody else could have succeeded in doing that.
No doubt about it he was Villa,s greatest ever manager.
-
I always thought Ron looked really old. A quick Google search reveals that he was 48 when we won the league, the same age that I am now. I wonder if I look that old to today's 15 year olds?
He always seemed to operate with a quiet, dignified authority and his teams seemed to reflect that.
-
Ron was footballs answer to Jack Regan. You knew exactly who was boss. I still insist Ron's greatest achievement was getting Birmingham promoted to the top division with a very average squad of triers. Nobody else could have succeeded in doing that.
No doubt about it he was Villa,s greatest ever manager.
It was some achievement. They flogged Coton, Van Den Hauwe, Blake, Gayle and Harford after going down. So they not only lost arguably all of their best players but also about a million quid a year in fines.
-
Yep, remember standing on the Holte on the night of the Southampton game unable to believe he had gone. I was 17 and not a care in the world apart from Ron's departure. Gutted. And so it proved because after 26th May that year it was downhill all the way.
Very successful manger but to the wider media was never given the credit he deserved for winning trophies, playing some great football, and building several successful squads.
-
Ron was footballs answer to Jack Regan. You knew exactly who was boss. I still insist Ron's greatest achievement was getting Birmingham promoted to the top division with a very average squad of triers. Nobody else could have succeeded in doing that.
No doubt about it he was Villa,s greatest ever manager.
I think you'll find our best ever manager was here between 2006 and 2010.
At least thats what his mates would have us believe
-
I must I didn't realise the ramifications of this event. Thinking was we'll get another manager and our winning ways will continue....
-
Even as a kid I was shocked when he'd left.
Even more shocked when I found out where he was going to.
-
Even as a kid I was shocked when he'd left.
Even more shocked when I found out where he was going to.
Even after all these years it is hard to think of a comparable situation. Can you imagine if Dalglish had gone to Everton a week after quitting Liverpool in 1991? Although we must be the only city to have a manager quit to go to our neighbours with a trophy still in the cabinet and then have the exact opposite happen thirty years later. But leaving a relegated side for a top flight side does not compare to leaving the reigning champions.
-
As for Ron going to Small Heath I have no problem with that. He had a disagreement with our Board and did the honourable thing by resigning after that he can do whatever he likes.
-
I hadn't realised that Withe cost us £500'000.
Must have seemed like a lot at the time.
-
I hadn't realised that Withe cost us £500'000.
Must have seemed like a lot at the time.
It was, but worth every penny.
-
I must I didn't realise the ramifications of this event. Thinking was we'll get another manager and our winning ways will continue....
I was concerned Aftab, but felt that our players were so good anybody could manage them.
I always had a feeling that if Saunders had stayed we would not have won the European Cup, but we would have remained a contender for honours for several years.
-
As for Ron going to Small Heath I have no problem with that. He had a disagreement with our Board and did the honourable thing by resigning after that he can do whatever he likes.
I remember at the time there were rumours that he had been in negotiations with Blues before he resigned - no idea if there was any truth in this. In any case I agree with you it doesn't actually matter. The longer time goes on the more things like these are forgotton. However, there was a time when he was hated down the Villa and the derbies after he moved had a very nasty atmosphere.
-
Resigning after falling out with the Bendalls is one thing, pitching up at St Andrew's a matter of days later is another. The fact that we still went on and won the European Cup I think significantly diluted - and continues to dilute - the malevolence towards him.
-
As for Ron going to Small Heath I have no problem with that. He had a disagreement with our Board and did the honourable thing by resigning after that he can do whatever he likes.
I remember at the time there were rumours that he had been in negotiations with Blues before he resigned - no idea if there was any truth in this. In any case I agree with you it doesn't actually matter. The longer time goes on the more things like these are forgotton. However, there was a time when he was hated down the Villa and the derbies after he moved had a very nasty atmosphere.
That was for reasons other than Saunders. In fact, I always thought that t he fuss died down remarkably quickly - winning the European Cup helped with that. Once the initial game against them was over we had more important things to concern us.
-
As for Ron going to Small Heath I have no problem with that. He had a disagreement with our Board and did the honourable thing by resigning after that he can do whatever he likes.
I remember at the time there were rumours that he had been in negotiations with Blues before he resigned - no idea if there was any truth in this. In any case I agree with you it doesn't actually matter. The longer time goes on the more things like these are forgotton. However, there was a time when he was hated down the Villa and the derbies after he moved had a very nasty atmosphere.
That was for reasons other than Saunders. In fact, I always thought that t he fuss died down remarkably quickly - winning the European Cup helped with that. Once the initial game against them was over we had more important things to concern us.
What was that first game like? I reckon including a Birmingham Senior Cup final where both teams played their strongest sides we played a Saunders Small Heath seven times and that one was the only one I missed.
-
[quote author=olaftab link=topic=53593.msg2769893#msg2769893 date
What was that first game like? I reckon including a Birmingham Senior Cup final where both teams played their strongest sides we played a Saunders Small Heath seven times and that one was the only one I missed.
It was a typical derby game with a winner from Withe at the Railway end. Loads of trouble, with a number of C Crew storming into the Kop about half an hour before kick off. The walk back to New St was one continuous flow of skirmishes.
I said recently on another thread that a Geordie mate, not averse to a bit of rough and tumble, came to that game and to this day he thinks Villa fans are lunatics. When he calls he always chips in with "Will never die, will never die.." In a poor Brummie accent.
-
[quote author=olaftab link=topic=53593.msg2769893#msg2769893 date
What was that first game like? I reckon including a Birmingham Senior Cup final where both teams played their strongest sides we played a Saunders Small Heath seven times and that one was the only one I missed.
It was a typical derby game with a winner from Withe at the Railway end. Loads of trouble, with a number of C Crew storming into the Kop about half an hour before kick off. The walk back to New St was one continuous flow of skirmishes.
I said recently on another thread that a Geordie mate, not averse to a bit of rough and tumble, came to that game and to this day he thinks Villa fans are lunatics. When he calls he always chips in with "Will never die, will never die.." In a poor Brummie accent.
That's about right but from then on it wasn't as bad as the seventies, right up to the Vietnam game. When Saunders came back to Villa there was, from memory, surprisingly little reaction.
-
I met Peter Withe last week. I'm still on an emotional high about it now.
What i remember about Saunders resigning was that Ipswich were playing that night and their highlights were on telly. Bobby Robson said he was shocked at the news.