Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Rip Van We Go Again on March 27, 2011, 03:20:13 PM
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Out in the next couple of weeks, looks good....
John 'Budgie' Burridge is a true journeyman pro and a hero to football fans up and down the country. In a unique career spanning 30 years, Budgie played 771 league games for 29 teams, including Crystal Palace nad QPR (under Terry Venables at both clubs), Southampton (alongside a young Alan Shearer), Manchester City, Aston Villa (where he would play against Barcelona in the European Super Cup), Wolves, and in Scotland with Hibernian where he was a hero in their League Cup win of 1991.
That happy sojourn to Edinburgh would end in acrimony, however, as he ended up in a dressing-room fight with the manager. Highly respected as a goalkeeper, but denounced by many as an 'oddball' (he admitted that he often slept wearing only his goalkeeper's gloves), Budgie was famous for his madcap antics and his pre-match stretching routines. He would also make a point of going on a lap of honour to salute his club's fans at the end of every game, win, lose or draw - a gesture that endeared him to legions of supporters as a man of the people.
The Burridge story was far from over when he finally retired in 1997, at the age of 47.He lapsed into depression and spent months at the Priory Clinic as he struggled badly to cope with the void in his life. He became player-manager at non-league Blyth Spartans - only to late be convicted for dealing in counterfeit leisurewear. The prosecution case was significantly strengthened by the fact that there was video evidence of half the team wearing Burridge's sportswear before an FA Cup match.
Together with his wife of more than 30 years, Budgie moved to Oman in the Middle East to take up a coaching post with the national team. He sustained serious injuries when he wad knocked down by a car in 1999, but its back in rude health. He is still employed with the Oman FA, lives there, and acts as a TV pundit and newspaper columnist in Singapore. Burridge is still fascinating and funny to this day, and in this tell-all autobiography he reveals the truth behind his astonishing football career.
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Will be getting that.
Spent a few afternoons round the pool with him in Muscat when he was coaching out there
Quite a character
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Looks good.
Keepers used to be mad - Anyone remember Fred Barber. Wore horror masks and other masks.
Only picture I can find is here http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/lists/55942/top-16-sinister-photos-of-masked-footballers.html?pid=11260
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Not a very good keeper, but I remember him well from the 76/77 season.
I'm sure he'll have some interesting stories to tell.
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I will also be getting his autobiography i collect them like to get Villa ones past and present.
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Not a very good keeper, but I remember him well from the 76/77 season.
He was a big improvement on Jimmy Cumbes though not in the same league as Jimmy Rimmer. Budgie was more than a decent keeper and more than played his part in our greatest ever team. Ron Saunders, obviously guided by Tony Barton, was ruthless when it came to having the best keeper possible. He replaced Cumbes with Budgie after we'd won promorion and the League Cup, then brought in Jimmy despite us winning the League Cup again whilst playing the best football I've ever seen from a Villa team.
29 clubs is some going but it goes to show that despite his madness, Budgie really took care of himself. Should be an interesting book.
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"Budgie played 771 league games for 29 teams, including...Aston Villa (where he would play against Barcelona in the European Super Cup)."
Er no - UEFA Cup
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Super Cup was either Rimmer or Spink surely ?
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I can remember standing on the Holte and Villa would be attacking the Witton. All of a sudden Budgie would launch himself full length to tip an imaginary shot from an imaginary forward just over the bar into the Holte. All the Holte would cheer like mad as he brushed all the mud off. It was hugely entertaining. The rest of the team must have wondered what was going on but I'm sure they got wise to his antics. A true character.
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Burridge! Or is it Clifford?
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I will also be getting his autobiography i collect them like to get Villa ones past and present.
could you list all the others that there are that include the villa that you know of please. I have--cascarino, svc, andy gray, gregory, and our lord mcgrath. Any others worth reading?
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I remember Budgie was at the Villa at the same time Shilton was playing for Stoke.
You couldn't tell the two of them apart..... probably the curly black hair.
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"Budgie played 771 league games for 29 teams, including...Aston Villa (where he would play against Barcelona in the European Super Cup)."
Er no - UEFA Cup
I was thinking that - surely he can't have won the League Cup with us in the 70s and played against Barcelona in 1983, they must mean the UEFA Cup.
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Will be getting that.
Spent a few afternoons round the pool with him in Muscat when he was coaching out there
Quite a character
you old name dropper wiki!
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Will be getting that.
Spent a few afternoons round the pool with him in Muscat when he was coaching out there
Quite a character
you old name dropper wiki!
Me and Budgie, you know