Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: Oscar Arce on November 10, 2015, 05:16:48 PM
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Portland Timbers 40 year reunion.
Willie Anderson was one of my earliest Villa heroes, look out for him on this recent video which also includes Peter Withe and Tony Betts.
So many Villa players left for the NASL, Pat McMahon also played for the Timbers and like Willie he never came back.
Willie looks so well these days, must be the Stateside life!
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Willie has worn well hasn't he? Great to see one of my first Villa heroes in such fine fettle- he's seems a pretty good interviewer too
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Willie, Willie, Willie Anderson.
Looks really well and seems to have developed into a real character, Withe looks a bit tired.
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That is an amazing watch, Oscar; thanks for posting as I had no idea what had happened to him. I was present at Willie's home debut - against Leicester in February 1967 - relegation season in what was my first full season of watching the Villa. Remember him in the wide open spaces of Wembley in the '71 League Cup Final. A real flair winger who played during a difficult period for the Club. As Oscar and Bernie both say, he looks very well, and a great Scouse/US accent!
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My earliest villa hero too hence choosing wearie willie as user name
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Bloody hell, Willie looks good for 68. He looks about 50
First hero for me just before Ray Graydon. Went to the opening of a Texaco petrol station in Washwood Heath where Willie and Chico were the star guests. Fell in love with AVFC and have been so since.
Happy days
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May be wrong, but I remember Willie make his home debut vs Spurs in a 3 3 draw in which he scored. One of my all time Villa heroes.
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You always thought something would happen when Willie or Chico received the ball. Willies habit of falling over by the corner flag endered him to the Holte End.A talented player who had problems getting in Man Utds first eleven because of the genius of George Best.
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Willie, Willie, Willie Anderson.
Looks really well and seems to have developed into a real character, Withe looks a bit tired.
I don't know without checking, but Willie Anderson must be a bit older than Peter With - he's looking good on it - maybe living across the pond is better than people like me (who have never been) think.
Pleased to see Willie looking so good - one of the first characters I remember going to VP in the late 1960s. (Didn't he join Man Utd around the same time as another winger who was from Belfast ?)
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Willie, Willie, Willie Anderson.
Looks really well and seems to have developed into a real character, Withe looks a bit tired.
Purely by co-incidence "Do You Wanna Dance" by Cliff Richard is on GOLD as I type - was this not the tune we sang this to ?
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Willie, Willie, Willie Anderson.
Looks really well and seems to have developed into a real character, Withe looks a bit tired.
Purely by co-incidence "Do You Wanna Dance" by Cliff Richard is on GOLD as I type - was this not the tune we sang this to ?
Are you thinking of " With his long black hair and eyes of blue
Scoring goals for me and you
Wi...illie.......Anderson"
to the tune of "Sorrow" by the Merseybeats (& later, David Bowie)?
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Great to see the Wombat in fine form.
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May be wrong, but I remember Willie make his home debut vs Spurs in a 3 3 draw in which he scored. One of my all time Villa heroes.
That was his second home match, Bob, exactly a month after his first; you're correct he did score in a 3-3 draw. I remember that Spurs game well. Despite having always been a Villa fan Jimmy Greaves was always a big hero of mine and I was desperate for my dad to take me to that game to see him. Unfortunately my dad was ill with flu so arranged for a workmate of his at IMI who was a steward in the Witton Lane Stand to take me and he duly got me in for free. However, when the line ups were announced Greaves was not playing as he also had flu, and I never got to see him play as we were relegated at the end of that season. :(
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May be wrong, but I remember Willie make his home debut vs Spurs in a 3 3 draw in which he scored. One of my all time Villa heroes.
That was his second home match, Bob, exactly a month after his first; you're correct he did score in a 3-3 draw. I remember that Spurs game well. Despite having always been a Villa fan Jimmy Greaves was always a big hero of mine and I was desperate for my dad to take me to that game to see him. Unfortunately my dad was ill with flu so arranged for a workmate of his at IMI who was a steward in the Witton Lane Stand to take me and he duly got me in for free. However, when the line ups were announced Greaves was not playing as he also had flu, and I never got to see him play as we were relegated at the end of that season. :(
What a player Jimmy Greaves was - never mind all the ooooh haaah about Wayne Rooney reaching 50 goals for England - Jimmy Greaves scored 43 in 57 games - that's 0.75 goal a game - an amazing strike rate - always feel so sorry for him when I watch the 1966 WCF. Of course in those days only the starting 11 played - and of course (and with all due respect to Sir Geoff Hurst) Greaves was going to be one of the main men for us in that World Cup - if you see him on touchline at the end - he clearly doesn't know whether to be happy or sad.
Pleased that I did get to see him play (albeit against the Albion at the Hawthorns) in 1967-68 season.
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Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.
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Willie and Chico I just couldn't decide between them so both posters were up on the wall.
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Glad you all enjoyed it, and Willie looks fantastic and in fine form!
An old fashioned winger was Willie, he used to take the ball up to an opponent slowly, then a swivel of the hips and he was away, sending in a cross for Andy Lochead.
As many have said, he's a Liverpool fan who found himself as George Best's 'understudy' before arriving at Villa Park. Remember his penalties? He always had a good record with them, and usually weighed in with 10-12 goals a season. I remember when he asked for a transfer when we were relegated to the third division and he nearly moved, but ended the season with a Cup final appearance at Wembley and was one of our best players in the promotion year, ending with 15 goals.
He was transferred to Cardiff and had his second spell in the NASL after that, staying in the States for good.
I met his son David last year at Villa Park, he brought along Willie's League Cup Final shirt and tracksuit, complete with original grass stains!
I hope I can look half as good as Willie when I get to his age!
Here's another feature on Willie when he mentions another Villa NASL pioneer, Brian Godfrey:
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Bernie and Castlefields:
The song I remember for Willie was: Give it to Willie, give it to Willie, Anderson...Anderson to the tune below (you'll recognise it) !
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Great memories Oscar.
Willie was with us when I was aged 13 - 19; an impressionable age for me and very mixed times for The Villa...although our times in Div 3 were some of the best in my years following us. Willie was our version of George Best and a similarly gifted player and I know we all loved him over those years.
Great to see him looking and sounding so well.
A definite Villa hero for me and fully deserving of the various songs we had for him.
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Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.
I was thinking when Willie Anderson cropped up on here - he was the first regular penalty taker I remember - and yes he had a good strike rate (I couldn't remember how many, so thanks for saying) - but yes it was always in the top left corner.
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Two games spring to mind for me were:
The pre season 'friendly' against Blues, we won 2-1 and Willie scored both goals, the first when he hit a dipping shot from the edge of the area and 'I'd run a mile and a bit to rub your face in the ****' crossed for Bob Latchford to eaqualise before Anderson scored in the second half from Keir Bradley's cross in front of the Holte.
We were crowned 'Kings of Birmingham' and we were the underdogs that day, Small Heath being in the higher division, happy days for a 15 year old kid from Billesley.
The other game was a League Cup First round second replay against Wrexham at the Hawthorns, Villa played in thier new yellow kit and I remember Willie ripping their full back to shreds, being fouled and scoring from the penalty, crossing for two of the goals and Villa winning 4-3!
Willie was brilliant in both games, our very own Georgie Best!
I have a clipping from the match report of that game and Vic Crowe said of Willie's performance after the new no-tackle from behind law 'This makes Anderson unstoppable now".
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Plus, how could I forget these two great games, Willie prominent in both. Happy Days.
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I missed the "friendly" in 1971 against the rags due to being on holiday - Although I do remember we cut short the holiday so we could get back for the first league game of the new season, at home to Plymouth, which if I remember correctly was a 3-1 win, with Willie Anderson scoring the third from a penalty at the Holte End.
I also was at that 4-3 second replay at the Hawthorns and remember the new yellow kit - Our keeper that night was Geoff/Jeff Crudgington.
A few years ago a friend of Mrs Castlefields introduced us to her "new chap" and he said he was a Wrexham supporter and amazingly one of the first things he said to me was he remembered that match (and who was in goal for us !!)
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Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.
I remember my first ever away game at Walsall around new year's day 1971, fresh off beating the mighty Man U in the league cup semi final and we were trounced 3-0. Willie Anderson missed a penalty and it must have been wide of the goal by 5 yards.
When I think of him I go back to my first visits to Villa Park in the Trinity Road enclosure and Willie running down the left wing towards the Holte. Such was the camber on the pitch there were times I couldn't see the ball.
I also recall that in the Man U semi final programme there was a photo of Willie Anderson with a few players, including George Best, from his days there. Sadly all my old stuff was thrown out over several moves by my mom when I lived in France.
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Although I lived in Great Barr, I went to secondary school at Blue Coat, Walsall and was the only Villa supporter in my class - a lot of the lads there supported "Manchester United AND Walsall"
Did I get some stick when I went back for the 1971 Spring Term.
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Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.
I remember my first ever away game at Walsall around new year's day 1971, fresh off beating the mighty Man U in the league cup semi final and we were trounced 3-0. Willie Anderson missed a penalty and it must have been wide of the goal by 5 yards.
When I think of him I go back to my first visits to Villa Park in the Trinity Road enclosure and Willie running down the left wing towards the Holte. Such was the camber on the pitch there were times I couldn't see the ball.
I also recall that in the Man U semi final programme there was a photo of Willie Anderson with a few players, including George Best, from his days there. Sadly all my old stuff was thrown out over several moves by my mom when I lived in France.
Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.
I remember my first ever away game at Walsall around new year's day 1971, fresh off beating the mighty Man U in the league cup semi final and we were trounced 3-0. Willie Anderson missed a penalty and it must have been wide of the goal by 5 yards.
When I think of him I go back to my first visits to Villa Park in the Trinity Road enclosure and Willie running down the left wing towards the Holte. Such was the camber on the pitch there were times I couldn't see the ball.
I also recall that in the Man U semi final programme there was a photo of Willie Anderson with a few players, including George Best, from his days there. Sadly all my old stuff was thrown out over several moves by my mom when I lived in France.
Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.
I remember my first ever away game at Walsall around new year's day 1971, fresh off beating the mighty Man U in the league cup semi final and we were trounced 3-0. Willie Anderson missed a penalty and it must have been wide of the goal by 5 yards.
When I think of him I go back to my first visits to Villa Park in the Trinity Road enclosure and Willie running down the left wing towards the Holte. Such was the camber on the pitch there were times I couldn't see the ball.
I also recall that in the Man U semi final programme there was a photo of Willie Anderson with a few players, including George Best, from his days there. Sadly all my old stuff was thrown out over several moves by my mom when I lived in France.
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I remember that penalty too Pat. I also remember being packed in like sardines as well. I can't remember if the match was all-ticket, I think it was but can't recall how I got my ticket, I was a season ticket holder at the time soot was probably through that. I couldn't believe how we lost that match, I though we were nailed on to win.
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I didn't actually go to the game - but I remember a pal of mine who did and apparently at 3-0 down, when the Villa supporters refused to give the ball back the ref said "if you help me, I'll help you" and a few minutes later awarded us that penalty. Obviously with Willie Anderson's success rate - he probably hadn't allowed for him ballooning it yards wide and over !
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As soon as I saw the comments of FMWMU I thought of Willie's penalty miss away at Walsall and Pat and Dave have beaten me to it with their comments. It was 2nd Jan, 1971 and only the third away game that my dad took me to, and the first that we stood on the terraces. We were in amongst the 'lads', or the 'steamers' as I think they were called in those days, and it was quite a 'tasty' atmosphere for a 12 year old! I also remember the incident referred to by 'castlefields' when the Villa fans kept the ball (just in front of where we were standing). I think you are generous ;), Pat, when you say the penalty was 5 yards wide, probably that far high and wide (of the right-hand angle as I recall). Isn't it funny how you remember everything about a game nearly 45 years ago but nothing about any home games over the past couple of years, apart from a certain cup game in early March?
Interested, castlefields, in your earlier comments on Jimmy Greaves.
I love these threads that reminisce.
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I was at the 4-3 game v Wrexham at the Hawthorns, a fantastic night.
Willie Anderson was very much a favourite of the fans.
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Loved watching Willie Anderson. He was so exciting.
I really enjoyed this film. Thanks.
(I was quite little at the time!)
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I was at the 4-3 game v Wrexham at the Hawthorns, a fantastic night.
Willie Anderson was very much a favourite of the fans.
I was there too. We always hard hard Tussles against Wrexham back in the Third Division days.
Anyone else there at Wrexham the day we won 4-2 I think. The day Chico Hamilton took a penalty with a run-up that would have done a long jumper credit. He scored.
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As soon as I saw the comments of FMWMU I thought of Willie's penalty miss away at Walsall and Pat and Dave have beaten me to it with their comments. It was 2nd Jan, 1971 and only the third away game that my dad took me to, and the first that we stood on the terraces. We were in amongst the 'lads', or the 'steamers' as I think they were called in those days, and it was quite a 'tasty' atmosphere for a 12 year old! I also remember the incident referred to by 'castlefields' when the Villa fans kept the ball (just in front of where we were standing). I think you are generous ;), Pat, when you say the penalty was 5 yards wide, probably that far high and wide (of the right-hand angle as I recall). Isn't it funny how you remember everything about a game nearly 45 years ago but nothing about any home games over the past couple of years, apart from a certain cup game in early March?
Interested, castlefields, in your earlier comments on Jimmy Greaves.
I love these threads that reminisce.
I was only 8 so I may be wrong but my recollection is that his penalty at Walsall came back off the brick wall of the terraces.
I only learned years later that we had been standing of the Hilary Street, the Walsall home end, and it was like a mini Holte End that day. I was so upset after the game my dad had to take me to Woolworths and fill me with chocolate to stop me blarting.
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Bernie and Castlefields:
The song I remember for Willie was: Give it to Willie, give it to Willie, Anderson...Anderson to the tune below (you'll recognise it) !
I remember that song too, we had a few songs about Willie didn't we. [Fill in here with your own jokes if you must.....]
Some great memories have been triggered on this thread-not least the Wrexham match at The Hawthorns- as with many memories from that period it's coupled with a personal life event- the following day, 1 September 1971 I started my first job, scary to think it's now nearly 4 years since I retired, albeit an Early Retirement.
Also that 0-3 Walsall match- I remember well Villa taking the place over but had forgotten the missed penalty.
Thanks all for the memories and other stories.
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I was at the 4-3 game v Wrexham at the Hawthorns, a fantastic night.
Willie Anderson was very much a favourite of the fans.
I remember a game at VP at the end of 1970-71 - I think by then we were already consigned to another season in the 3rd Division - lost to them 3-4 and I seem to remember we levelled 3 times but couldn't manage a 4th.
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Whether that penalty miss at Walsall was "the one" that broke his run of successful penalties I can't remember...but I remember the penalty being miles wide when we thought it would be a nailed on goal and we'd go on and beat Walsall easily. The giddy heights of that semi-final win!!!
I distinctly remember coverage in the local press of Willie having scored 11/12 penalties consecutively and, in true Villa fashion, he missed the next one he took. Whether it was the Walsall one, I don't know.
btw, I find it quite reassuring that I can look back at a 3-0 defeat by Walsall and not get upset, just shake my head sagely and think of the good old days!
If it was THEM I'd probably be climbing into the cupboard under the stairs and sucking my thumb 'til tea time.
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The 0-3 & 0-2 defeats of 2002-03 (Enkleman and all that) still irritate me and even more so to think those 6 points we gave 'em was the difference to the one and only time they've finished in a higher place than us since 1974-75.
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The 0-3 & 0-2 defeats of 2002-03 (Enkleman and all that) still irritate me and even more so to think those 6 points we gave 'em was the difference to the one and only time they've finished in a higher place than us since 1974-75.
They took 10 of 12 points from Villa and WBA that season. (3W, 1D).
7 fewer points would have sent them back down.
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The 0-3 & 0-2 defeats of 2002-03 (Enkleman and all that) still irritate me and even more so to think those 6 points we gave 'em was the difference to the one and only time they've finished in a higher place than us since 1974-75.
Sorry. What's that got to do with this topic?
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Bernie and castlefields memory's of songs match mine.
Bernie's version was one that we sang in the pubs and on the coach, it needed a little bit of attention to timing and application.
Castlefields version was from the Holte.
"Bless them all, the long and the short and the tall "
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The 0-3 & 0-2 defeats of 2002-03 (Enkleman and all that) still irritate me and even more so to think those 6 points we gave 'em was the difference to the one and only time they've finished in a higher place than us since 1974-75.
Sorry. What's that got to do with this topic?
They are a follow on to fmymu's last sentence
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I don't know if Walsall sent any tickets to Villa for the December 70 game, but they had a scheme which gave fans a voucher to get a ticket if they attended their (Walsall's) previous home game, which is how I got mine. Loads of Villa fans did it that way but most just paid at the turnstile, got their voucher and then climbed back out again without watching the match.
I did stay and watch and was stuck by how poor a team Walsall were and left rubbing my hands at the thought of sticking 5 or 6 past them.
The Chico penalty at Wrexham turned out to be the decider in a 3-2 win. I have no recollection as to why Willie didn't take it.....
My biggest memory of the three game marathon against Wrexham in the league cup the following year was then team captain Harry Gregory thumping Tommy Hughes in the away game after some disagreement or other. The captaincy was soon moved the Bruce Rioch and Gregory found himself out in the cold a few games later when the rest of the team supposedly refused to take the field alongside him.
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Harry Gregory thumping someone. It seems incredulous!
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Harry Gregory giving Valderrama and Fellaini a run for their money.
(http://c8.alamy.com/comp/D41EEX/harry-gregory-aston-villa-football-club-footballer-1972-D41EEX.jpg)
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Harry Gregory giving Valderrama and Fellaini a run for their money.
(http://c8.alamy.com/comp/D41EEX/harry-gregory-aston-villa-football-club-footballer-1972-D41EEX.jpg)
I went to school with his sons, garry and terry, if I recall correctly
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Willie used to sign autographs as Billy Anderson. According to my autograph book anyway..
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Willie used to sign autographs as Billy Anderson. According to my autograph book anyway..
Willie had a spell of calling himself Billy, in the 68-69 season only, he was in the programme and notes as Billy, but the following season 69-70 he was back to calling himself Willie.
Mick Wright had a similar situation in 69-70, being called Michael in the programmes, which continued until his injury and retirement.
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Ina similar vein I remember Newcastle having a keeper called Iam McFaul, who was later referred to as Willie McFaul.
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Willie used to sign autographs as Billy Anderson. According to my autograph book anyway..
Willie had a spell of calling himself Billy, in the 68-69 season only, he was in the programme and notes as Billy, but the following season 69-70 he was back to calling himself Willie.
Mick Wright had a similar situation in 69-70, being called Michael in the programmes, which continued until his injury and retirement.
I remember that time when Mick Wright decided he wanted to be called Michael. I remember many a rousing chorus from the Holte of:
Michael, Michael, Michael Wright,
Michael, Michael Wright.
I don't think this was ever really an appreciation of Mick, more taking the piss. Well, it was from me anyway.
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The one thing i remember about Willie Anderson is he fell over a lot, but my memory tends to go astray at times, this was an era when we'd been through the Mercers Minors and disgraced ourselves by dropping to the third.Whenever people say we are not a big club i think back to the crowds we had when we started coming back. I want Andy Lochead now.
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I have just realised that I went to my first two games at Villa Park that season. I was at boarding school and so could only get to VP in the holidays.
The first was the day after Boxing day against Sunderland. We won 2-1 after being a goal down. Lew Chatterley scored a penalty. The second was at Easter against Stoke City, and we won 2-1 after being a goal down. None other than Willie Anderson "bought" and then scored the penalty.
I dread to mention in passing that this was our last league victory of the season, and we began our descent into the abyss.
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Bernie and castlefields memory's of songs match mine.
Bernie's version was one that we sang in the pubs and on the coach, it needed a little bit of attention to timing and application.
Castlefields version was from the Holte.
"Bless them all, the long and the short and the tall "
was the next line
we'll see you assembly when we get to wembley so come you lions one and all
or something like that
or am i thinking of another song
fuck em all fuck em all tottenham west ham and millwall , we will not be mastered by no cockney bastards , so come on you lions fuck em all
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Willie, Willie, Willie Anderson.
Looks really well and seems to have developed into a real character, Withe looks a bit tired.
i think there was one more willie
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Bloody hell, Willie looks good for 68. He looks about 50
First hero for me just before Ray Graydon. Went to the opening of a Texaco petrol station in Washwood Heath where Willie and Chico were the star guests. Fell in love with AVFC and have been so since.
Happy days
yeah that was the one by the gate pub , opposite the gardeners
its not texaco now ,i think its gulf