Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Nelly on September 23, 2014, 06:28:05 PM
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Aston Villa fans accost public enemy No.1 Steve Hodge on his return to Villa Park:
From the Mail: http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-fans-accost-public-7818824
I thought some of you guys would appreciate this! He was before my era of following Villa, but I know about him because of this forum.
'Mercenary' midfielder still infuriates Villa fans almost three decades on
Villa fan Grant Adams pretends to throttle former player Steve Hodge
Villain of the piece Steve Hodge would not have expected a hero’s homecoming at Villa Park – and he didn’t get one!
In fact before Saturday’s defeat to Arsenal he was accosted by angry Aston Villa fans, still seething at his dereliction of duty from almost 30 years ago.
Corporate box holder and fanatical Villa supporter Grant Adams jokingly pretended to throttle Hodge when the former England midfielder was a guest at Saturday’s defeat to Arsenal.
But not until Grant and his friends had given Hodge a piece of their minds for the way he turned his back on the club in their hours of need during the relegation campaign of 1986-87.
Hodge has not been forgiven by most of the claret and blue faithful who still regard him as the club’s biggest villain of the modern-age.
In that season of struggle 28 years ago, Hodge angered the already disillusioned faithful by trying to engineer a transfer away from Villa.
The England midfielder made it quite clear he had bigger ambitions than battling the First Division drop with Villa and intended to pursue them, which he did with a mid-season move to Tottenham.
To make matters worse he scored a brace for Spurs in their 3-0 victory over Villa at White Hart Lane in January 1987.
He also took great delight in scoring a late equaliser for Leeds against Villa at Elland Road in September 1992 – a far cry from players refusing to celebrate against their former clubs nowadays.
Steve Hodge wheels away in delight after scoring for Leeds against Villa Steve Hodge wheels away in delight after scoring for Leeds against Villa
It came to a head for Hodge on September 20, 1986 when Graham Turner’s strugglers lost 4-1 at home to Norwich City. Hodge gave away a goal with a shocking back pass and did not seem particularly bothered about the mistake.
Ironically, he was back at Villa Park last Saturday, exactly 28 years to day since that clanger against the Canaries, as a guest in Villa’s corporate lounges.
If Hodge felt that the passage of time would have eased the Villa faithful’s fury, then he was sadly mistaken.
Villa fan Grant and his pals told Hodge exactly what they thought of him for leaving the club in the lurch as they went on to finish bottom of the top flight table and be relegated to Division Two under Billy McNeill.
“I did slaughter him!” said Grant.
“He said ‘I can’t go anywhere without being reminded by Villa fans. I am constantly abused by villa fans 28 years on’.
“I said good, you had no heart.
“He admitted he regretted signing in the first place from Nottingham Forest as the club was in meltdown and he also said he regretted how he left.
“I have to say he was honest, but blimey did he get it! I said I have waited 28 years to tell you what I think!
“He let us down and was nothing more than a mercenary, as I told him.”
Steve Hodge in England kit in 1986 Steve Hodge in England kit in 1986
Hodge played for England at World Cup 86 in Mexico, famously swapping shirts with Diego Maradona after the Argentina legend's controversial 'Hand of God' goal.
He even called his autobiography 'The Man with Maradona's Shirt'.
Now 51, Hodge has been working with Wolves helping to coach their out of favour players after losing his job as Notts County’s development manager in the summer.
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How times have changed. "Pretended to throttle"? Pfft. Once upon a time nothing short of public lynching from a floodlight pylon would have sufficed!
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How times have changed. "Pretended to throttle"? Pfft. Once upon a time nothing short of public lynching from a floodlight pylon would have sufficed!
Without floodlight pylons we can't lynch him!
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Whoever invited him to VP is a ******.
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just glad he knows that he will always be remembered by us for what he is
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We're not fickle...
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An even bigger bastard than O'Leary.
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Grade A cock
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amazing the hatred for Hodge lives on. What was he likes as a player ability wise?
It was Hodge pulling out of playing for Forest at Anfield that gave our assistant manager his league debut under Clough
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What was he likes as a player ability wise?
As a player? He probably made the mid-80s England midfield on merit and finished his career with a sprinkling of club honours, including being a bit-part player in the last Football League Champions side before the PL started. I think that justifies his ability, as is the fact that Brian Clough signed him twice.
As a man? One Villa Park performance sums that up.
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He's no 'man'.
And since when was his name allowed on here?
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He's no 'man'.
And since when was his name allowed on here?
agreed, darkened my mood
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He's not the only one to leave under a cloud - Staunton, Southgate, Ehiogu, Andy Gray (three times), Unsworth, Yorke, Young, Downing, Barry, Platt, Solano, Bosnich all fucked us over to varying degrees.
And I don't like any of them!
Players like Gibson and Milner left for arguably better clubs with some dignity, unlike that litany of twats.
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He is a small minded wanker and a complete arsehole. We should have known how he was going to turn out when he took Maradona's shirt.
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For me, his only rival for 'biggest wanker to ever play for Villa' is Alpay.
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He's not the only one to leave under a cloud - Staunton, Southgate, Ehiogu, Andy Gray (three times), Unsworth, Yorke, Young, Downing, Barry, Platt, Solano, Bosnich all fucked us over to varying degrees.
And I don't like any of them!
Players like Gibson and Milner left for arguably better clubs with some dignity, unlike that litany of twats.
I'd drink with you, and just because you started that list with the name Staunton; I'd buy the beers.
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Wanker.
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Nigel Callaghan has always been near the top of my Villa shitlist. The fat twat.
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Stephen Fucking Ireland for me.
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Biggest wanker ever to kick a ball for Villa. You had to be around in those days to realise how much he shit on us from a height. I will say though that he was a bloody good player, one of the best midfielders in the country at the time and that's why it hurt so much when he asked to leave. He was all about himself. He was nothing when he came to Villa and he ended up being a bit of a star for England in Mexico '86, then come back as billy big bollocks and said he had to get away for the sake of his England career (conveniently forgetting he became an international at Villa). I remember him gifting a goal (to Norwich I think) with a sloppy back pass at the Holte End and all hell broke loose. After that he was public enemy number one.
Then the wanker finally left then constantly scored past us to make matters worse.
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He's not the only one to leave under a cloud - Staunton, Southgate, Ehiogu, Andy Gray (three times), Unsworth, Yorke, Young, Downing, Barry, Platt, Solano, Bosnich all fucked us over to varying degrees.
And I don't like any of them!
Players like Gibson and Milner left for arguably better clubs with some dignity, unlike that litany of twats.
I'd take any of those players over Hodge.
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Danny Blanchflower for me, he also went to Tottenam wanksville.
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David ginola hasn't been mentioned. Twat. Or downing.
Callaghan was also one of the few players I hated whilst he played for us- pws. Crossing the ball from the halfway line cos he was too fat to run and take players on.
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David ginola hasn't been mentioned. Twat. Or downing.
Callaghan was also one of the few players I hated whilst he played for us- pws. Crossing the ball from the halfway line cos he was too fat to run and take players on.
In fairness to Ginola he recently apologised for being shit for us.
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He's not the only one to leave under a cloud - Staunton, Southgate, Ehiogu, Andy Gray (three times), Unsworth, Yorke, Young, Downing, Barry, Platt, Solano, Bosnich all fucked us over to varying degrees.
And I don't like any of them!
Players like Gibson and Milner left for arguably better clubs with some dignity, unlike that litany of twats.
You can argue this until the cows come home. Personally I don't blame Southgate (tapped up and shat on by Chelsea) or Ehiogu. Both were great players for us and left at a time when Doug seemed to be at his unambitious worst. There was a lot of unrest from the fans at the time and Southgate really just echoed the unrest of all of us. But after failing to secure the Chelsea move he played on for us admirably well and, having burnt his bridges, moved on quietly to Boro who, whatever revisionists will tell you now, were showing plenty of ambition at the time.
York was a choker, but you can't deny the move was good for him and having been such a great player for us it's churlish to begrudge him the move. Possibly the same for Bossie.
Staunton was a solid player and went back to Liverpool. Ok on a free, but hard to begrudge him that.
How did Platt leave under a cloud? That's an odd one.
I'll give you Downing & Solano. Unsworth doesn't really bother me, made a mistake and instantly rectified it and didn't cost us anything.
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I remember him gifting a goal (to Norwich I think) with a sloppy back pass at the Holte End and all hell broke loose. After that he was public enemy number one.
Then the wanker finally left then constantly scored past us to make matters worse.
I remember that back pass and his reaction like it was yesterday. In all my years of watching the Villa I'd never seen a player that really didn't give a shit until that day.
As a player, he was decent, nothing more. As a man, you summed him up perfectly, "Biggest wanker ever to kick a ball for Villa".
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Nigel Callaghan has always been near the top of my Villa shitlist. The fat twat.
that ******, what a joke.
Sir Graham, great man that he is, sed and I quote: "on his day , he is the best crosser of the ball in the cuntry" I must have misheard Sir Graham, because I thought he sed crosser (must have sed tosser)
I never saw the twat put one cross in, he was Shit.
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How did Platt leave under a cloud? That's an odd one.
Learning Italian and pining for a move to Italy while still playing for us. He couldn't leave fast enough the spoon faced cock socket.
Was a great player for us mind.
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How did Platt leave under a cloud? That's an odd one.
Learning Italian and pining for a move to Italy while still playing for us. He couldn't leave fast enough the spoon faced cock socket.
Also seems to forget he ever played for us, let alone how we turned him from a lower leagues player into an England regular.
These days, if you do get a peep out of him about us, it is almost never positive, and invariably without the slightest hint of affection for the club.
Great player for us, but an unlikable bell end with a frankly ridiculous face.
The ridiculous faced ******.
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How did Platt leave under a cloud? That's an odd one.
Learning Italian and pining for a move to Italy while still playing for us. He couldn't leave fast enough the spoon faced cock socket.
Also seems to forget he ever played for us, let alone how we turned him from a lower leagues player into an England regular.
These days, if you do get a peep out of him about us, it is almost never positive, and invariably without the slightest hint of affection for the club.
Great player for us, but an unlikable bell end with a frankly ridiculous face.
The ridiculous faced c***.
Forget you played for the Villa - get turned into a spoon. Seems fair.
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Maybe because he spent so much time on Button Moon he forgot about us.
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How did Platt leave under a cloud? That's an odd one.
Learning Italian and pining for a move to Italy while still playing for us. He couldn't leave fast enough the spoon faced cock socket.
Also seems to forget he ever played for us, let alone how we turned him from a lower leagues player into an England regular.
These days, if you do get a peep out of him about us, it is almost never positive, and invariably without the slightest hint of affection for the club.
Great player for us, but an unlikable bell end with a frankly ridiculous face.
The ridiculous faced c***.
Fuggly wife too.
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Stephen Ireland gotta be up there for me.
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David ginola hasn't been mentioned. Twat.
What did Ginola do wrong? Can't remember him doing anything out of line except not be as good as he used to be. Not his fault he got old.
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David ginola hasn't been mentioned. Twat.
What did Ginola do wrong? Can't remember him doing anything out of line except not be as good as he used to be. Not his fault he got old.
he is a twat though.
loved how Rodney Marsh dealt with him, on sky sports , "dave" pmsl
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David ginola hasn't been mentioned. Twat.
What did Ginola do wrong? Can't remember him doing anything out of line except not be as good as he used to be. Not his fault he got old.
he is a twat though.
loved how Rodney Marsh dealt with him, on sky sports , "dave" pmsl
another twat...
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Stephen Ireland gotta be up there for me.
over rated , over paid Twat
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Gary Penrice. Another cock.
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Can we bring back the auto change thingy for anyone mentioned on this thread. Especially the first one.
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Gary Penrice. Another cock.
To me, being signed and then being found not to be good enough doesn't make a player a cock in my eyes. Penrice falls into that category.
Having talent and squandering it for whatever reason does (e.g. Callaghan, Collymore).
But my biggest revulsion is for players who were stars, crowd favourites and who then shat on us. Especially when it was the Villa where they made their reputation or accelerated their career. Hodge falls squarely into that category.
I don't mind players leaving. That's the reality of the sport. I even accept that some of them further their career by moving away from Villa Park. But at least leave with a good word and a nod to how playing for the club has been the privilege that thousands and thousands of us would give our eye-teeth to have the opportunity to do.
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Don't agree at all about Gary Penrice.
Heard him speak a few years back and spoke well of his time here, probably knows he was a bit fortunate to even play for us.
Amazing goal at VP against Arsenal too. Not good enough maybe, but certainly not a Hodge.
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I saw him who shall not be named in HMV in Nottingham in about 1991 and had to restrain myself from attacking him.
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He's not the only one to leave under a cloud - Staunton, Southgate, Ehiogu, Andy Gray (three times), Unsworth, Yorke, Young, Downing, Barry, Platt, Solano, Bosnich all fucked us over to varying degrees.
And I don't like any of them!
Players like Gibson and Milner left for arguably better clubs with some dignity, unlike that litany of twats.
wouldnt hold it against any of the above to be fair. All (with the exception of Unsworth and his missus) did the business for us in a Villa shirt. Most of the above would be in with a shout of being in the best X1 Villa players of the last 25 years. Sometimes players like employees in other industries have to engineer circumstances to get a move. I wouldnt hold it against the above anyway.
The likes of Collymore, Curcic, Makoun, Nzogbia, Ireland have all been big money signings who displayed a complete lack of professionalism on and off the pitch during their respective times at the club. For all his positive soundbites about "his" club in the media these days, Stanley Victor Collymore to my mind destroyed the team he walked into and the manager over it during his time at the club. Regardless of what was going on in his personal life he was a complete disgrace during his time at Villa Park.
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How did Platt leave under a cloud? That's an odd one.
Learning Italian and pining for a move to Italy while still playing for us. He couldn't leave fast enough the spoon faced cock socket.
Also seems to forget he ever played for us, let alone how we turned him from a lower leagues player into an England regular.
These days, if you do get a peep out of him about us, it is almost never positive, and invariably without the slightest hint of affection for the club.
Great player for us, but an unlikable bell end with a frankly ridiculous face.
The ridiculous faced c***.
Chuckle.
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He's not the only one to leave under a cloud - Staunton, Southgate, Ehiogu, Andy Gray (three times), Unsworth, Yorke, Young, Downing, Barry, Platt, Solano, Bosnich all fucked us over to varying degrees.
And I don't like any of them!
Players like Gibson and Milner left for arguably better clubs with some dignity, unlike that litany of twats.
wouldnt hold it against any of the above to be fair. All (with the exception of Unsworth and his missus) did the business for us in a Villa shirt. Most of the above would be in with a shout of being in the best X1 Villa players of the last 25 years. Sometimes players like employees in other industries have to engineer circumstances to get a move. I wouldnt hold it against the above anyway.
The likes of Collymore, Curcic, Makoun, Nzogbia, Ireland have all been big money signings who displayed a complete lack of professionalism on and off the pitch during their respective times at the club. For all his positive soundbites about "his" club in the media these days, Stanley Victor Collymore to my mind destroyed the team he walked into and the manager over it during his time at the club. Regardless of what was going on in his personal life he was a complete disgrace during his time at Villa Park.
I agree entirely about Collymore. It turns my stomach hearing the way he gushes about the club these days given his pitiful commitment when he was playing for us.
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The problem with Curcic and Collymore was that they both went a bit chicken oriental so weren't able to perform at the level they ere capable of.
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That's 'Mysteryman' doing the throttling isn't it?
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That's 'Mysteryman' doing the throttling isn't it?
Yes.
I see he's toned down the new romantic look.
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How did Platt leave under a cloud? That's an odd one.
Learning Italian and pining for a move to Italy while still playing for us. He couldn't leave fast enough the spoon faced cock socket.
Also seems to forget he ever played for us, let alone how we turned him from a lower leagues player into an England regular.
These days, if you do get a peep out of him about us, it is almost never positive, and invariably without the slightest hint of affection for the club.
Great player for us, but an unlikable bell end with a frankly ridiculous face.
The ridiculous faced c***.
Lolgasm
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Sasa Curcic er wasnt he in the film "The Usual Suspects" :-*
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I remember him gifting a goal (to Norwich I think) with a sloppy back pass at the Holte End and all hell broke loose. After that he was public enemy number one.
Then the wanker finally left then constantly scored past us to make matters worse.
I remember that back pass and his reaction like it was yesterday. In all my years of watching the Villa I'd never seen a player that really didn't give a shit until that day.
It's really one of those stand out moments that I can still see clear as day. Hodge trudging back to the halfway line for the kick off after his back pass, Steve Hunt coming over to give him a consoling pat on the head and the Holte going completely berserk.
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AM I right didnt Hodge take a penalty and hit it half arsed, suffice to say the keeper saved it easily? mists of time but thats what I recall.
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Hodge and Platt should be in a movie; Smug and Smugger 2.
To be directed by HDE.
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The problem with Curcic and Collymore was that they both went a bit chicken oriental so weren't able to perform at the level they ere capable of.
curcic managed it at Bolton and Collymore at Southend forest and Liverpool, both of the consistently. To be fair I thought both did ok for us, but most of us would've hoped and expected more out of them.
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Wasn't Curcic filmed having some kind of nervous breakdown on a busy road in Belgrade?
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I've said before, a friend of mine got to know Curcic really well while he was with us and I had lunch with him one day. A few things I learnt about Curcic from the lunch and my mate.
He was a really really nice bloke
He was a batshit mentalist
He hated playing football and only did it because it meant he could provide for his family back home
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Wasn't Curcic filmed having some kind of nervous breakdown on a busy road in Belgrade?
no usual suspects was filmed in America.
Sorry , yes I think that was discussed on here some months ago, about his illness.
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Platt might be a bit of a twat but he was brilliant for us. His goals in the second part of the 87/88 season got us up, the next season him, Daley and Rambo (half a season) were the reason we stayed up. In 89/90, him, and God were brilliant and we almost piped Liverpool to the title. The following season with Taylor gone and Doctor Jo trying to get a long ball team to play like Spain, he kept us up single handed. I think he deserved a move.
Hodge on the other hand grade A arse.
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I managed to get onto a TalkSport phone in to have a pop at Hodge, he admitted the Norwich game was one of the lowest points of his career.
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... But at least leave with a good word and a nod to how playing for the club has been the privilege that thousands and thousands of us would give our eye-teeth to have the opportunity to do.
We don't want much do we - if they are going onto better, they leave under these circumstances, with an acknowledgement. I don't want us to be given clichéd dollox about us being the greatest fans in the world. Just for them to recognise that simple fact about priviledge above. Someone like Sir Graham gets it. I think that there's plenty of ex-players that do. It's just that some of ones that you'd hope would see that we were instrumental in making them realise their greatness don't. I don't care if they celebrate a goal against us - as long as they don't kick the backside out of it.
That sack of shite can go cram a beer can up his backside though. He's about as welcome as Hopkins.
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Platt might be a bit of a twat but he was brilliant for us. His goals in the second part of the 87/88 season got us up, the next season him, Daley and Rambo (half a season) were the reason we stayed up. In 89/90, him, and God were brilliant and we almost piped Liverpool to the title. The following season with Taylor gone and Doctor Jo trying to get a long ball team to play like Spain, he kept us up single handed. I think he deserved a move.
Hodge on the other hand grade A arse.
Yep, I don't give a shit if David Platt doesn't talk about us in glowing terms, it's what he did for us on the pitch that counts.
Alan McInally fucked off to Bayern after one good season, yet he's a legend because he still speaks highly of us? Collymore was mostly shit. Platt scored the goals that got us promoted, and the goals that got us close to winning the League. He's easily one of the Top 5 players who have played for us in the last 30 years.
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I don't think anyone has doubted what Platt did for us on the pitch. He is easily in the top 10 players i've ever seen play for us. It doesn't stop him being a spoon faced twat nozzle though.
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Platt might be a bit of a twat but he was brilliant for us. His goals in the second part of the 87/88 season got us up, the next season him, Daley and Rambo (half a season) were the reason we stayed up. In 89/90, him, and God were brilliant and we almost piped Liverpool to the title. The following season with Taylor gone and Doctor Jo trying to get a long ball team to play like Spain, he kept us up single handed. I think he deserved a move.
Hodge on the other hand grade A arse.
Yep, I don't give a shit if David Platt doesn't talk about us in glowing terms, it's what he did for us on the pitch that counts.
Alan McInally fucked off to Bayern after one good season, yet he's a legend because he still speaks highly of us? Collymore was mostly shit. Platt scored the goals that got us promoted, and the goals that got us close to winning the League. He's easily one of the Top 5 players who have played for us in the last 30 years.
Agreed. Platt was brilliant in a Villa shirt and I don't give a shit that he isn't a cheerleader for the club like say Ian Taylor is. He did his talking on the pitch and that's all that matters.
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He did use to run a bit funny though. As if his frankly ridiculous face was being blown back by the wind which made his chest stick out.
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I don't think anyone has doubted what Platt did for us on the pitch. He is easily in the top 10 players i've ever seen play for us. It doesn't stop him being a spoon faced twat nozzle though.
You have to agreed totally on this.
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All that money, exposure to Italian culture and so on. And he still ends up looking like a fat pie eater from Chadderton.
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I don't think anyone has doubted what Platt did for us on the pitch. He is easily in the top 10 players i've ever seen play for us. It doesn't stop him being a spoon faced twat nozzle though.
You have to agreed totally on this.
This for me.
I don't mind him not being a cheerleader. He wasn't a Villa fan and ultimately only at Villa for 30% of his career. What I mind is the way he writes us out of his history.
Not so much a nod unlike his gushing of Arsenal (Slgihtly more than a bit part player) and Manure - not even a bit part player.
Bollocks to him. And he is about as welcome in Nottingham as Steve Hodge is in most of Birmingham.
As for Collymore I wiah he had demonstrated 1% of the passion on the field that he now, to his creadit, does on Talkshite nowadays.
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I don't think anyone has doubted what Platt did for us on the pitch. He is easily in the top 10 players i've ever seen play for us. It doesn't stop him being a spoon faced twat nozzle though.
You have to agreed totally on this.
This for me.
I don't mind him not being a cheerleader. He wasn't a Villa fan and ultimately only at Villa for 30% of his career. What I mind is the way he writes us out of his history.
Not so much a nod unlike his gushing of Arsenal (Slgihtly more than a bit part player) and Manure - not even a bit part player.
Bollocks to him. And he is about as welcome in Nottingham as Steve Hodge is in most of Birmingham.
As for Collymore I wiah he had demonstrated 1% of the passion on the field that he now, to his creadit, does on Talkshite nowadays.
Can't argue with any of that. I don't expect players to behave like supporters but an acknowledgement of our existence would be nice.
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How did Platt leave under a cloud? That's an odd one.
Learning Italian and pining for a move to Italy while still playing for us. He couldn't leave fast enough the spoon faced cock socket.
Also seems to forget he ever played for us, let alone how we turned him from a lower leagues player into an England regular.
These days, if you do get a peep out of him about us, it is almost never positive, and invariably without the slightest hint of affection for the club.
Great player for us, but an unlikable bell end with a frankly ridiculous face.
The ridiculous faced c***.
Lolgasm
You may like to know that during his time at Man City, the back room staff referred to him as 'Codhead'.
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You may like to know that during his time at Man City, the back room staff referred to him as 'Codhead'.
I DO like to know that, Thank you, it's made me day.
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I've said before, a friend of mine got to know Curcic really well while he was with us and I had lunch with him one day. A few things I learnt about Curcic from the lunch and my mate.
He was a really really nice bloke
He was a batshit mentalist
He hated playing football and only did it because it meant he could provide for his family back home
I also heard possible reasons why Bolton were keen to get rid from people within professions within the town who were likely to know. Definitely libellous, though, so I'm not going to repeat
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I've said before, a friend of mine got to know Curcic really well while he was with us and I had lunch with him one day. A few things I learnt about Curcic from the lunch and my mate.
He was a really really nice bloke
He was a batshit mentalist
He hated playing football and only did it because it meant he could provide for his family back home
I also heard possible reasons why Bolton were keen to get rid from people within professions within the town who were likely to know. Definitely libellous, though, so I'm not going to repeat
I remember a TV interview with a Bolton player not long after Curcic joined us (can't rememeber who) where he was asked what the mood in the camp was like after his sale to Villa and he said something along the lines of "it's improved".
It wasn't long till we all found out what he was on about.
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Not particularly relevant, but I think it was while Platt was at Villa, there was an "exclusive" in one of the Sunday tabloids about his best man speech at a wedding, saying it was really tasteless and had the bride in tears, etc, accompanied by some grainy photos and unattributed quotes.