Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Ad@m on July 12, 2019, 12:01:27 PM

Title: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Ad@m on July 12, 2019, 12:01:27 PM
Packed it in.  Another season in Burnley was too much to bear apparently!

Cracking player - thought he was great for us and got too much unfair stick.

Never let fame get to his head either - favourite quote?  "What would you be if you weren't a footballer, Peter?"

"Single"

All the best big lad!
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: ChicagoLion on July 12, 2019, 12:06:09 PM
Agree, really did not get a fair crack with us.
I think England could have used him more and better.
Good feet for a big man and comes across as a decent bloke.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: AsTallAsLions on July 12, 2019, 12:06:45 PM
Can't say I thought he was great for anyone, let alone us, but bear him no ill will either.

Good sense of humour on him and I'm told his podcast is alright, by those who like listening to that sort of thing.

All the best Crouchy!
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: ktvillan on July 12, 2019, 12:08:07 PM
I heard the actual answer to that question was "a virgin".  Anyway I liked him too and he got far too much stick for his unlikely appearance than credit for his ability when here.  We missed out by letting him go.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Tuscans on July 12, 2019, 12:08:08 PM
Just a proper bloke.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Ad@m on July 12, 2019, 12:08:47 PM
Can't say I thought he was great for anyone

108 top flight goals, several World Cup appearances, an FA Cup winners medal and a Champions League appearance would beg to differ!
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Ad@m on July 12, 2019, 12:09:31 PM
I heard the actual answer to that question was "a virgin".  Anyway I liked him too and he got far too much stick for his unlikely appearance than credit for his ability when here.  We missed out by letting him go.

You might be right - my memory's not what it was (and it was shit to start with!).
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: AsTallAsLions on July 12, 2019, 12:12:16 PM
Can't say I thought he was great for anyone

108 top flight goals, several World Cup appearances, an FA Cup winners medal and a Champions League appearance would beg to differ!

So? Emile Heskey scored 110. Pretty sure he ticks the other boxes too.

I'll say again - Crouchy's a top lad and I bear him absolutely no ill will. I just don't go in for the revisionism of suggesting he was great for us now that he's retiring.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: PeterWithe on July 12, 2019, 12:14:09 PM
His book is a good read and he seems a normal grounded bloke.

He had his moments with us but overall he came here when he was a bit young and immature and it showed.

He’ll make a good pundit.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: AsTallAsLions on July 12, 2019, 12:15:40 PM
His book is a good read and he seems a normal grounded bloke.

He had his moments with us but overall he came here when he was a bit young and immature and it showed.

He’ll make a good pundit.

Agreed - or even a co-commentator.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Smirker on July 12, 2019, 12:16:39 PM
His bicycle kick goal was ridiculous. His record for England is very good too.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: cdbearsfan on July 12, 2019, 12:17:24 PM
I always liked him, not afraid to make fun of himself. You can't imagine bellends like Ronaldo or Henry doing that.

Good luck to him.

Unless he ends up as manager of someone horrible, obviously.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Nev on July 12, 2019, 12:22:53 PM
I remember him coming on as sub for one of his last appearances and some ****** in front of me on the Holte was booing before he'd even touched the ball, what a fuckin' twat. I had a right go, he was wearing one of the those John Motson style sheepskin coats. Every time Crouch scored for someone else I thought of him. I hope he's stopped going.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: kipeye on July 12, 2019, 12:44:38 PM
I remember him coming on as sub for one of his last appearances and some c*** in front of me on the Holte was booing before he'd even touched the ball, what a fuckin' twat. I had a right go, he was wearing one of the those John Motson style sheepskin coats. Every time Crouch scored for someone else I thought of him. I hope he's stopped going.
The away performance at Leicester should have been enough for us to keep him. Always thought he was never fully utilised as he had a good all-round game.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: cdbearsfan on July 12, 2019, 12:54:33 PM
ATAL, have you still got the Motson coat? 😉
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Eckybloke on July 12, 2019, 02:23:18 PM
By his own admission he was too young when he came to us.  Listen to the transfers episode of his podcast if you can, I think that's the one where he goes on about us a bit and how he felt bad for SGT that he couldn't have the success he wanted for him.

He comes across as a genuinely nice, funny and refreshingly honest guy in his podcasts.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: garyshawsknee on July 12, 2019, 02:27:12 PM
Seems like one of the good guys in the game. Like many of our signings, he came at a difficult time and it never quite worked out, but he developed into a good player.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: LeeB on July 12, 2019, 02:28:03 PM
I remember him coming on as sub for one of his last appearances and some c*** in front of me on the Holte was booing before he'd even touched the ball, what a fuckin' twat. I had a right go, he was wearing one of the those John Motson style sheepskin coats. Every time Crouch scored for someone else I thought of him. I hope he's stopped going.

I remember having the same issue in the lower Trinity with some twat in a midweek game when he was about to come on. The ****** waved his season ticket at me when I pulled him up on it, whatever the fuck that was supposed to mean.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: danno on July 12, 2019, 02:33:19 PM
I remember him coming on as sub for one of his last appearances and some c*** in front of me on the Holte was booing before he'd even touched the ball, what a fuckin' twat. I had a right go, he was wearing one of the those John Motson style sheepskin coats. Every time Crouch scored for someone else I thought of him. I hope he's stopped going.

I remember having the same issue in the lower Trinity with some twat in a midweek game when he was about to come on. The c*** waved his season ticket at me when I pulled him up on it, whatever the fuck that was supposed to mean.

I'm quite fluent in "twat". It means "I've paid my money I can say what I want and be an arsehole if I choose".

It also has traces of "better fan than you", the inference being that perhaps you are not a season ticket holder and therefore in no position to question him.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: AsTallAsLions on July 12, 2019, 03:24:45 PM
ATAL, have you still got the Motson coat? 😉

I swear your honour, I was in the southern hemisphere at the time!
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Damo70 on July 12, 2019, 03:53:48 PM
Packed it in.  Another season in Burnley was too much to bear apparently!

Cracking player - thought he was great for us and got too much unfair stick.

Never let fame get to his head either - favourite quote?  "What would you be if you weren't a footballer, Peter?"

"Single"

All the best big lad!


I think his actual answer to the question "What would you be if you weren't a footballer"? Was "A virgin"! I saw his Villa Park debut against Newcastle and the Newcastle defence couldn't handle him. I think all of their back four got booked for fouling him. I also remember him putting in an excellent performance when we were attempting to claw back the League Cup Semi final second leg tie at home to Bolton. What a great decision it was by DOL to flog him at a loss to Southampton and bring in Carlton Cole on loan instead. In his first autobigraphy he tells how Doug put him up in a luxury hotel suite whilst the deal was going through for him to join Villa. Then when the deal was done Doug had him moved to a tiny cheap hotel room.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: West Derby Villan on July 12, 2019, 06:16:21 PM
Agree, really did not get a fair crack with us.
I think England could have used him more and better.
Good feet for a big man and comes across as a decent bloke.

This 110%
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Pete3206 on July 12, 2019, 06:18:46 PM
Superb professional who deservedly had a great career.

Sir Graham saw the potential in him and it was a shame it didn't work out for him at Villa.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: dave shelley on July 12, 2019, 06:25:35 PM
I agree with all the positive comments above.  Always enjoyed his endevour even if it was from distance.  He'd be one of life's nice people whatever his chosen profession had been.  Good luck big 'un.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: West Derby Villan on July 12, 2019, 06:28:01 PM
And his podcast is very entertaining as well
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Nii Lamptey on July 12, 2019, 06:30:03 PM
I was lucky enough to meet him during his first week at Villa. I was working as an animator at Codemasters (Club Football video game for PS2/Xbox) at the time, and as a Villa fan, managed to blag my way into the pickup shoot to get head reference for modelling the new/missed players' heads.

We were set up in a portacabin at Bodymoor Heath, whereby the media guy (the fella that used to do ITV sport headlines) would bring the players in to us, one by one. Crouchy came in really sheepishly and had to literally bend over double to get through the door! Was taken aback at how shy he was back then - Lovely, modest guy. Couldn't believe it when he hooked up with Abi Clancy!

Always liked him as a player, and new he'd do alright from that moment on. Congrats on a cracking career Rodders and good luck for the future!  ;)
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: CT on July 12, 2019, 07:32:16 PM
Boro away, last minute, UDLC crosses the ball, keeper parties, Crouchy bangs in the winner.

Mad scenes in the away end. We only had ten men and had defended brilliantly for the second half (Sorensen and Mellberg were outstanding).

Definitely my favourite memory of him.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: SoccerHQ on July 12, 2019, 09:41:12 PM
I too thought his move to us came a little too early in his career, it was his first move to premier league club and I believe SGT said in his autobiography he was actually still commuting from London in his early months.

Could see in his early games he certainly had a "good touch for a big man" which was repeated non stop throughout his career but a little bit too gangly and in any case Angel and Vassell was a good combination for us in those days so he wasn't developing as quickly off the bench.

Still very hard player to dislike and certainly one who maximised his career to the full. If you'd said to me when he left us in 2004 that within three years he'd have played and scored in a world cup and also played in a champions league final for Liverpool I'd have been laughing for close to three years.

Full respect to Crouchy.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: ktvillan on July 12, 2019, 11:13:35 PM
Can't say I thought he was great for anyone

108 top flight goals, several World Cup appearances, an FA Cup winners medal and a Champions League appearance would beg to differ!

So? Emile Heskey scored 110. Pretty sure he ticks the other boxes too.

I'll say again - Crouchy's a top lad and I bear him absolutely no ill will. I just don't go in for the revisionism of suggesting he was great for us now that he's retiring.

No revisionism from me, I liked him at the time.  I wouldn't say he was great for us I just thought he had something but others just seemed to see a gangly awkward youth and mocked him for it.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air on July 12, 2019, 11:27:39 PM
He should carry on playing and John Burridge should be doing that Carphone warehouse ad. Crouchy only played for 10 different clubs, Budgie got to 29.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: KevinGage on July 12, 2019, 11:38:56 PM
Packed it in.  Another season in Burnley was too much to bear apparently!

Cracking player - thought he was great for us and got too much unfair stick.

Never let fame get to his head either - favourite quote?  "What would you be if you weren't a footballer, Peter?"


"Single"

All the best big lad!

Didn't think he was great for us.

But there were signs he was getting it together and was worth persisting with.

But going to a club like Southampton - with smaller gates and lower expectations-  meant he could go on to become their main man at the time. He might not have had that luxury at VP with two international forwards ahead of him, so probably wouldn't have gone on to enjoy the same career.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: danno on July 13, 2019, 03:28:47 AM
I think he was lucky in a way that his next club was Southampton.
 
In so far as Beattie and Kevin Phillips were there at the time, two players who both operated differently and weren't speed merchants.

Crouch seems a bright guy and would have had to walk around with his eyes shut not to learn something training and playing with those two.

Thought we'd keep him after him and Vassell tore Chelsea a new one at the end of the season one year.

He's had a great career, had thought he'd scored more than he did though. He ended up learning to use his height to his advantage, I recall he didnt have that good a header on him when he was with us and preferred the ball to feet.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Steve67 on July 13, 2019, 03:43:54 AM
Great player, great guy, lovely family. I hope he goes on to fashion a career in the media.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Toronto Villa on July 13, 2019, 04:00:34 AM
Lovely guy? Didn’t he allegedly cheat on his stunning wife with a prostitute while she was pregnant?
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: robbo1874 on July 13, 2019, 04:19:49 AM
Not the best player we’ve ever had at the club, but always had a smile on his face- clearly enjoyed the game. As he said, maybe he was a bit too young when he joined. I enjoyed watching him for Villa and England.
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Steve67 on July 13, 2019, 04:25:07 AM
Lovely guy? Didn’t he allegedly cheat on his stunning wife with a prostitute while she was pregnant?

I note the word allegedly!  I wasn't aware of that to be honest. We know not if it was true or if Abbey wasn't putting out! All men have needs. (Just to be clear, I am joking and, if true, I take back the comment about him being a great guy).
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Damo70 on July 13, 2019, 10:29:29 AM
Lovely guy? Didn’t he allegedly cheat on his stunning wife with a prostitute while she was pregnant?

I note the word allegedly!  I wasn't aware of that to be honest. We know not if it was true or if Abbey wasn't putting out! All men have needs. (Just to be clear, I am joking and, if true, I take back the comment about him being a great guy).


I don't know if she was a prostitute or not but I do remember him being caught out having a one night stand on a lads holiday. Although I also seem to recall a newspaper story of his wife having a fling too (although I think it was when she was his girlfriend).
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: Monty on July 13, 2019, 10:30:23 AM
Lovely guy? Didn’t he allegedly cheat on his stunning wife with a prostitute while she was pregnant?

I note the word allegedly!  I wasn't aware of that to be honest. We know not if it was true or if Abbey wasn't putting out! All men have needs. (Just to be clear, I am joking and, if true, I take back the comment about him being a great guy).


I don't know if she was a prostitute or not but I do remember him being caught out having a one night stand on a lads holiday. Although I also seem to recall a newspaper story of his wife having a fling too (although I think it was when she was his girlfriend).

What I'm sure of is that it isn't really any of our business, no?
Title: Re: Crouchy (retired)
Post by: eamonn on July 13, 2019, 11:35:37 AM
Enjoyed his book, I listened to it on Audiobooks after it came out about a year ago. The Crouch BBC podcasts came out soon after but it looked a bit too Peak-Crouchy for me with young(ish) football journalists called "Fenners" or "Tubes" trying to extract as much bantz as possible from him, clocking that Crouchy is one of the few normal footballers who is both articulate and possesses a sense of humour.

From reading his comments on retiring and him saying that he still felt fit enough to keep playing, I'm surprised that he didn't decide to drop down a league or two, maybe go back to o QPR if he was sick of only coming on for the last ten minutes of games over the past couple of years.
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