Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: Legion on July 05, 2021, 10:55:38 PM
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Jack Grealish.
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McGrath.
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Brian Godfrey
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Gordon Cowans.
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Cowans
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McGrath
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Brian Godfrey
Hero of mine too, when he managed Gloucester City. Proper old fashioned gaffer. Who’s captain? I want 11 captains out there.
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Merson followed by McGrath.
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Jack’s my favourite, but there was one player who was more exciting to watch in his pomp - Andy Gray.
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Overall, Bosnich
Followed by Dalian, Ugo, Merson and Angel.
Nowadays, Jack.
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Dean Saunders
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The greatest of all was The Lord. So unappreciated as much as he was appreciated at the time. But history hasn’t been kind to him outside of B6. David Platt was absolutely superb for us. Dwight Yorke was immense fun to watch. Shame our memories of both are tarnished. JPA and Carew as they, in my opinion were the best foreign strikers we ever signed. Martin Laursen for his fire, passion and leadership. And Jack now because he just embodies all we hope we can be. He has everything.
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1 - God
2 - Grealish
3 - Cowans
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McGinn
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Brian Little.
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Paul Mcgrath
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Johny Dixon followed by Bruce Rioch.
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Paul McGrath and Scottish Andy Gray equal first.
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Ian Taylor
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God.
But Jack is closing the gap. Sign a new contract and I think that’ll do it.
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Favourite player - Dalian
Best I've ever seen at Villa - Jack
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1. McGrath
2. Grealish
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Seems very obvious but Paul McGrath
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Brian Little
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Gary Shaw followed by Sid, God and Dalian.
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Tony Morley, closely followed by McGrath. Merse was quality too. Jack from recent years. Spinksy in goal, just for Rotterdam.
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McGrath
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Brian Little
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McGrath
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Brian Little.
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The great Peter McParland, the only Villa player to have scored in an FA Cup Final at Wembley.
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Brian Little (Jack.............you're so close)
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Andy Gray with Jack coming up on the outside
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Sir Brian
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Mark Walters
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If we're talking about sheer skill, it would have to be Jack.
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I'm going to say that, in the last 12 months or so, I think Jack Grealish has edged out in front. I just think he's bloody great. He's living out my dreams for me :)
Prior to that, I'd say Nigel Spink, followed by Paul McGrath.
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I consider myself incredibly lucky have grown up following the amazing journey that the club I love embarked on in December 1968 which culminated in victory in Rotterdam. So so many players passed through Villa Park in that period. One stands out above all others to represent the hope, excitement, sheer joy and unforgettable memories of that time. Brian Little.
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Gordon "Sid" Cowans for me. And meeting him at a Villa gathering where lots of drink was drunk, it was nice to see that he's a great bloke too.
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Was always Sid, however I have to say it’s now Jack.
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Mr Paul McGrath - he would have walked into that great Milan team.
There's a young fellow playing who could yet usurp him.
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For the pleasure and joy they gave my dad, and that I was able to see him enjoy and share with him, Brian Little and Gordon Cowans.
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Gordon Sid Cowans - a joy to watch play football for our club, should of been a regular in the England team of the early 80’s
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Gordon "Sid" Cowans for me. And meeting him at a Villa gathering where lots of drink was drunk, it was nice to see that he's a great bloke too.
Gordon Sid Cowans - a joy to watch play football for our club, should of been a regular in the England team of the early 80’s
I would echo this, having had the pleasure of his company on one occasion I found him wonderfully humble too.
I only got to see him in the flesh second time around, but he was my favourite. I wanted to play football like him, elegantly sweeping the ball around the pitch. Unfortunately I was a donkey.
Young Jack however is fast approaching top spot for me.
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Difficult to name just one when you've been following Villa for over 50 years but I'll throw in a different name to the obvious contenders. Tony Daley - he was such an exciting player for us at times. Blistering pace is always thrilling to see but Daley had it to burn. Amongst many fantastic goals he scored for Villa I'll never forget one he scored at home to Luton. He picked the ball up on the left wing of the half way line and despite all the Luton defenders he beat pushing him wide, he out paced them all on the outside to score from a tight angle.
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Would we have won the league if Andy stayed , I think not
The season he left 78/79 he had scored 3 league goals before going.
Next season our leading scorer was shaw with 9
The Catalyst was Withe, he scored 19 league goals the following year when we won the league, shaw alongside him scored 18
Then Withe,s Knee Won the European cup . yet nobody has posted him as their favourite player.
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Would we have won the league if Andy stayed , I think not
The season he left 78/79 he had scored 3 league goals before going.
Next season our leading scorer was shaw with 9
The Catalyst was Withe, he scored 19 league goals the following year when we won the league, shaw alongside him scored 18
Then Withe,s Knee Won the European cup . yet nobody has posted him as their favourite player.
History has treated certain players better than others. Andy Gray is revered and his behaviour when he left and afterwards explained away, because "It's what he did on the pitch that matters." Yet Dwight Yorke, equally successful with us and massively more so elsewhere, gets slaughtered.
Equally Peter Withe, as you say, gets overlooked and Gary Shaw doesn't fare much better while Gordon Cowans is more popular now than he was in his playing days.
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Would we have won the league if Andy stayed , I think not
The season he left 78/79 he had scored 3 league goals before going.
Next season our leading scorer was shaw with 9
The Catalyst was Withe, he scored 19 league goals the following year when we won the league, shaw alongside him scored 18
Then Withe,s Knee Won the European cup . yet nobody has posted him as their favourite player.
History has treated certain players better than others. Andy Gray is revered and his behaviour when he left and afterwards explained away, because "It's what he did on the pitch that matters." Yet Dwight Yorke, equally successful with us and massively more so elsewhere, gets slaughtered.
Equally Peter Withe, as you say, gets overlooked and Gary Shaw doesn't fare much better while Gordon Cowans is more popular now than he was in his playing days.
I think Sid gets the adoration because he came back to us and was very successful a second time - he was a more rounded player in his second spell. He got a lot of stick from the crowd when he was a young player, including during the Championship season when many thought he didn't play that well. Shaw was another to get a lot of criticism from the crowd, especially when he didn't reach the heights of 80/81.
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McGrath.
Or Simon Nimrod. Can't decide.
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Brian Little for me. It is always special when you see a player come into the team as a youngster and see him develop into a really fine player. It’s one of the reasons why so many of us are getting overemotional about Grealish. Him and Little are the most elegant players I’ve seen in a Villa shirt. Also, Little’s goal celebrations were the best.
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Good post.
Brian Little will get loads of support on here. I just think of him as the first player who came through the new youth system set up by the Ellis board, apart from everything else he did for us.
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From when he broke through Brian was a talismanic symbol of our rebirth. He was immensely talented but there was a fragility there that made you want to look after him as well as idolise him. That he got injured when we were on the verge of our greatest moments justadded to the poignancy. As I wrote many years ago, Paul McGrath is worshipped, Dennis Mortimer is respected and Brian Little is loved.
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From when he broke through Brian was a talismanic symbol of our rebirth. He was immensely talented but there was a fragility there that made you want to look after him as well as idolise him. That he got injured when we were on the verge of our greatest moments justadded to the poignancy. As I wrote many years ago, Paul McGrath is worshipped, Dennis Mortimer is respected and Brian Little is loved.
Yep. He was synonymous with Villa for me. My first hero – in football or anything else.
I still remember my uncle telling me he’d retired. Devastation isn’t the word. A childhood trauma on par with my parents telling me the cat had gone to live on a big farm in the countryside.
At least in those days you got the news from a reliable source rather than having to endure days/weeks of twitter lies/bs before finally knowing the truth.
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From when he broke through Brian was a talismanic symbol of our rebirth. He was immensely talented but there was a fragility there that made you want to look after him as well as idolise him. That he got injured when we were on the verge of our greatest moments justadded to the poignancy. As I wrote many years ago, Paul McGrath is worshipped, Dennis Mortimer is respected and Brian Little is loved.
Excellently put Dave. I still love Brian Little and he will always be my football hero.
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Ian Taylor
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Up until about a week ago…
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Probably Sir Brian but ask me tomorrow and its Withey, the day after Gary Shaw, day after that Gordon Sidney etc. Etc...
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Frankie Broome.
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would be easy for me to say Andy Gray or Bruce Rioch, but have to say for just the icon he became has to Paul McGrath