Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: martin@ardenley on March 23, 2016, 04:55:20 PM
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From the OS (http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~5439184,00.html)
Brian Little discusses his return to Aston Villa.
On coming back…
I think it would be very difficult to put exactly into words how proud I feel.
I am only too delighted to help in any way I can - whether that be in a small way or a large way.
On how he was appointed…
The Chairman put the call into me and asked me the question.
We met and things have snowballed since then.
To be here and hope I can help is the most important thing in my mind.
I will try very hard to have some input.
On the role…
You think you know something about a club when you've played for them and managed them but then you come in and there are reams of paperwork about what's going on behind the scenes.
There's a lot going on and when I've got to grips with that, I can really start helping the Board make decisions, which are hopefully good decisions.
But it's fascinating and I'm genuinely chuffed to bits to say the least.
On the challenge ahead…
The team are currently in a very difficult position.
I'd love to be part of something that starts going back in the right direction.
On his personality…
I will give an opinion. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a loud person. But you don't have to be loud to have an opinion on things and be heard.
The key is that it is worthwhile and honest. That's what I will do. I have always been like that - and won't change now.
It's not a case of saying the right things at the right times.
I think the important thing for me is to have the belief in saying what you think is the right thing. Then it's up to other people whether they take that advice.
I won't say what other people want to hear if I don't believe in it. That has always led me in the right direction.
On the feedback from fans…
It's been fantastic - I've been humbled by it all.
I have been very, very fortunate to have played for the club from a young age - playing in an era where it rose back from its lowest point to its highest point. That was a fantastic era for me.
Coming back as a manager, there was a little something - that people touched on - that sometimes you go back to a club and if it doesn't work you have a little mark against you.
That was a concern but management went really well for me and we were really successful.
I can go back to Villa Park now and people will talk about me as a player and a manager - now they will talk about player, manager and advisor.
I am very hopeful that the third time around will go somewhere near as well as the previous two attempts.
On his career so far…
It's been 46 years since I joined Aston Villa. I have mentioned this to the staff - and to the young lads there.
I said to the young lads 'if you're here at the training ground 46 years on from this point in time and stand where I'm standing, you'll have had a great life, let me tell you!' I have had a fantastic ride and journey.
I know I want to do well and I will try very hard to do well.
I just want to replicate my two previous visits here. That's very important to me.
On tapping into contacts…
Of course, it's important to work with the people I know in the game.
There are so many players that I come across now that are coaches, who keep in touch with me.
There are lots of managers who I have tussled with in the past. I have a nice mix with that.
And there's also the media side, which I have worked with on and off for the last 10 years.
I have covered lots of Premier League, Champions League, Europa League, Football League, Conference matches…you name it.
In the last two weeks, in fact, I have seen 12 games of football - and commentated on 10.
I can't stay away from football. Some ask 'don't you get fed up with it' and the answer is no.
On the Board…
The brilliant thing is that we all bring something different to the table.
I think that's the most important thing - that blend.
The short time we have spent together, we have already hit it off.
That's because we have a common ground - and that's trying to do really, really well for Aston Villa.
Their knowledge and their ability in their fields allied to my football knowhow, I believe, will be a great combination.
The great thing is we are all very keen to do our very best for this great football club.
We want to turn the fortunes around here.
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<choke>
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True Villan, if the current shower had 25% of his love and commitment of this great club we wouldn't be where we are now.
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This man puts the previous muppet brigade into perspective - all about the club, all about the fans, all about the love....
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He's only here until the end of the season as quoted in the B'ham Mail today. Can't believe he's only been given 2 months. Says he wants stay next season; surely it's a long term fix required?
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legend
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Love the bloke, one of us.
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In 50/60 years time (one or two on here may hopefully still be alive) the name Brian Little will be spoken of in the same reverential way that we here now talk of the likes of: McGregor, Rinder, Hunter, Stephenson, Walker and Waring et al. True Villa men. Brian Little is special.
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I know the bloke can walk on water, but fixing our woes in two months? Someone's taking the piss!
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I know the bloke can walk on water, but fixing our woes in two months? Someone's taking the piss!
Rather deflating, isn't it? Hopefully they'll see sense and keep him on in some capacity. It's not like they don't need the help. Leaving the football decisions to King, a life long fan and Bernstein, a football administrator, hardly fills me with confidence in that department.
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He's only here until the end of the season as quoted in the B'ham Mail today. Can't believe he's only been given 2 months. Says he wants stay next season; surely it's a long term fix required?
As far as I was aware he was he for the foreseeable future, not until the end of the season. Has the mail stated that he is only in post for two months then?
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In 50/60 years time (one or two on here may hopefully still be alive) the name Brian Little will be spoken of in the same reverential way that we here now talk of the likes of: McGregor, Rinder, Hunter, Stephenson, Walker and Waring et al. True Villa men. Brian Little is special.
Some of us already do dave.
You're right mate...he is very special and always was.
I hope he's involved for the longer term.
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In 50/60 years time (one or two on here may hopefully still be alive) the name Brian Little will be spoken of in the same reverential way that we here now talk of the likes of: McGregor, Rinder, Hunter, Stephenson, Walker and Waring et al. True Villa men. Brian Little is special.
Some of us already do dave.
You're right mate...he is very special and always was.
I hope he's involved for the longer term.
I've thought of a banner.....
AVFC
LIFE OF BRIAN
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Love this guy.
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Think he's here to find the new manager. two months should do it!
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He's only here until the end of the season as quoted in the B'ham Mail today. Can't believe he's only been given 2 months. Says he wants stay next season; surely it's a long term fix required?
As far as I was aware he was he for the foreseeable future, not until the end of the season. Has the mail stated that he is only in post for two months then?
Afraid so. Brian quoted as saying so.
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I agree with sickbeggar. He's here to test out the current Management team. Garde is going nowhere until Brian says so. Then he will help to select the next one if he gives Remi the thumbs down treatment. Makes sense. If true, of course!
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I think Sir Brian has been engaged to come up with a structure that supports the manager, and I think he's wise enough to know that once it's in place, it doesn't include a former club legend hanging around the place in a non-specific capacity, undermining the manager just by his presence. See Matt Busby, Kenny Dalglish, Sir Graham Taylor etc.
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I can't see what he can possibly achieve this season where we're already doomed to relegation, so if he is only here until then it's clearly just a short term appeasement appointment, in my opinion. If he's here longer, then great.
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20 years ago today we won our last trophy and Sir Brian was manager. great he is involved.
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20 years ago today we won our last trophy and Sir Brian was manager. great he is involved.
Bloody hell - 20 years? That went quickly!
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20 years ago today then I was at Wembley, to see us totally outclass Leeds!
Brings back fantastic memories
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20 years ago today we won our last trophy and Sir Brian was manager. great he is involved.
Bloody hell - 20 years? That went quickly!
It seems a lot longer as we had Lambert in charge for so long.
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It feels 20 years at least to me having seen the dirge served up over the last half a dozen years.
Great Day though. Never in doubt even when they started brightly. Just before Savo scored Townsend absolutely creamed Carlton Palmer winning the ball - I knew the game was up for them.
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It feels 20 years at least to me having seen the dirge served up over the last half a dozen years.
Great Day though. Never in doubt even when they started brightly. Just before Savo scored Townsend absolutely creamed Carlton Palmer winning the ball - I knew the game was up for them.
I was sat a couple of seats away from ex-Palace manager Alan Smith. I think that was just about the most controlled and stress-free Villa win I've ever seen, considering the importance of the match.
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He really is one of us isnt he ;D
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I can't see what he can possibly achieve this season where we're already doomed to relegation, so if he is only here until then it's clearly just a short term appeasement appointment, in my opinion. If he's here longer, then great.
So, you can't see him advising of the creation of a football board, or a possible new manager, or any other structural elements of the club. It's all pointless flim-flammery eh?
Um.
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Here's more of Brian. From 5 Live 23/03.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076h33l
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Whatever Sir Bri says I shall listen to and I shall trust him implicitly.
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Whatever Sir Bri says I shall listen to and I shall trust him implicitly.
and the thing is Hollis and King will too. And I believe Randy will start to ask himself why he didn't do this years ago. It's not like Sir Brian will tell the board to spend stupidly, but he'll point out where things could improve, the investments that will make sense and ultimately provide a perspective, much like King will as to how we feel as part of the decision making process. It would have been very useful to have had him in the room as Randy and Faulkner opened their mouth at the prospect of appointing McLeish for example.
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I wonder if he still wears a magic hat. Is there nothing he can't do?
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I like that he's spent some time looking at the Championship, and has identified the type of player that we need in the squad and importantly the type we need to get out of the division (around 25.40 on)
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Journey to school involved Wylde Green station. Brian Little was sometimes stood at the end of the other platform down by the coal bunker. The other memory was of the goals he scored from a breakaway after an opposition corner. He would stand on the halfway line approx inside right position. Corner would be cleared out to him. Running parallel to the touch line he would flick the ball over his head and his opponent with his right foot. He would then cut inside leaving opponent for dead, head for goal and more often than not score.
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I remember him playing a match away at Forest on a cold night when they were well good, I think we lost 3 or 4 nil, he was on the wing
I don't think he touched the ball all night and looked disinterested all match, he could be a lazy fella when the mood took him,
I still love him though, as he was magic on a lot more occasions
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I remember him playing a match away at Forest on a cold night when they were well good, I think we lost 3 or 4 nil, he was on the wing
I don't think he touched the ball all night and looked disinterested all match, he could be a lazy fella when the mood took him,
I still love him though, as he was magic on a lot more occasions
Wha..............? I'm sorry but this kind of sedition surely is a step too far.
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I remember him playing a match away at Forest on a cold night when they were well good, I think we lost 3 or 4 nil, he was on the wing
I don't think he touched the ball all night and looked disinterested all match, he could be a lazy fella when the mood took him,
I still love him though, as he was magic on a lot more occasions
Wha..............? I'm sorry but this kind of sedition surely is a step too far.
Forgive me father for I have sinned
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I remember him playing a match away at Forest on a cold night when they were well good, I think we lost 3 or 4 nil, he was on the wing
I don't think he touched the ball all night and looked disinterested all match, he could be a lazy fella when the mood took him,
I still love him though, as he was magic on a lot more occasions
Wha..............? I'm sorry but this kind of sedition surely is a step too far.
Brian was a very naughty boy at times.
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I remember him playing a match away at Forest on a cold night when they were well good, I think we lost 3 or 4 nil, he was on the wing
I don't think he touched the ball all night and looked disinterested all match, he could be a lazy fella when the mood took him,
I still love him though, as he was magic on a lot more occasions
Wha..............? I'm sorry but this kind of sedition surely is a step too far.
Forgive me father for I have sinned
You are very lucky that blasphemy is no longer a criminal offence in this country.
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I don't know who wrote this old blog, but I love it
http://www.heroesandvillains.info/heroesarchive/best/1.htm
Especially this bit about a night I remember very well.
His testimonial in May 1982 showed the full extent of his loss to football, as playing on one leg he destroyed an England XI who were shortly to play in the World Cup. That tournament would have been a fitting stage for the talents of Brian Little, yet the career of one of the most brilliant players Villa Park has ever seen had been cut short at the age of twenty seven.
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One of my biggest gripes with Doug is that his lack of credible sincerity failed to build long term 'Aston Villa love' in the players of his tenure.
Other than Brian I can't think of one single former player who's advisory appointment could bring me this much optimism.
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I don't know who wrote this old blog, but I love it
http://www.heroesandvillains.info/heroesarchive/best/1.htm
Especially this bit about a night I remember very well.
His testimonial in May 1982 showed the full extent of his loss to football, as playing on one leg he destroyed an England XI who were shortly to play in the World Cup. That tournament would have been a fitting stage for the talents of Brian Little, yet the career of one of the most brilliant players Villa Park has ever seen had been cut short at the age of twenty seven.
One of mine.
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Should be on another thread I know, but I'm pretty sure I saw his debut against Torquay. Coming on as a sub and scoring from a poor backpass to the keeper at the Witton end. He anticipated it and started running before the defender played the ball.
I've not googled it in case I destroy a treasured memory!
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Should be on another thread I know, but I'm pretty sure I saw his debut against Torquay. Coming on as a sub and scoring from a poor backpass to the keeper at the Witton end. He anticipated it and started running before the defender played the ball.
I've not googled it in case I destroy a treasured memory!
I don't think it was his debut as I believe he had come on as sub in an away game previously. As to the incident you mentioned I think he intercepted a back pass and squared it for Andy Lochead who scored. He who walks on water did bag himself a goal in the second half in the 5-1 victory which I'm sure was televised by Star Soccer, however all recordings from that era were unfortunately destroyed by ATV.
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Should be on another thread I know, but I'm pretty sure I saw his debut against Torquay. Coming on as a sub and scoring from a poor backpass to the keeper at the Witton end. He anticipated it and started running before the defender played the ball.
I've not googled it in case I destroy a treasured memory!
I don't think it was his debut as I believe he had come on as sub in an away game previously. As to the incident you mentioned I think he intercepted a back pass and squared it for Andy Lochead who scored. He who walks on water did bag himself a goal in the second half in the 5-1 victory which I'm sure was televised by Star Soccer, however all recordings from that era were unfortunately destroyed by ATV.
You know, I think you're spot on!
Much appreciated.
Playing towards the Witton in the first half?
We even used to win the toss in them days.
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BL's debut was as a sub (20 mins) against Blackburn.
His goal v Torquay was the fourth and was scored at the Witton End towards the end of the first half following a corner.
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Should be on another thread I know, but I'm pretty sure I saw his debut against Torquay. Coming on as a sub and scoring from a poor backpass to the keeper at the Witton end. He anticipated it and started running before the defender played the ball.
I've not googled it in case I destroy a treasured memory!
I don't think it was his debut as I believe he had come on as sub in an away game previously. As to the incident you mentioned I think he intercepted a back pass and squared it for Andy Lochead who scored. He who walks on water did bag himself a goal in the second half in the 5-1 victory which I'm sure was televised by Star Soccer, however all recordings from that era were unfortunately destroyed by ATV.
Welcome back.
Your memory is astounding given your long association with numerous boozers ...
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The man not only walks on water, he's not afraid to tell it as it is:
When Fox got abuse from fans, Little was in the directors’ box and asked him if he was okay.
“He said he was and then came out with this sentence about, ‘We are working hard on the commercial side’ and I’m going, ‘No, no Tom, that’s not it. It’s about the football’.
“You knew then there was a lot needed doing.”
Little has been back to Villa’s training ground to canvas views. Hollis, former FA chairman David Bernstein, who is also a new board appointment, and Little got the low-down on what has gone wrong.
“The academy coaches felt isolated from the top end, not from the manager’s point of view, but from Hendrik, he might have had more input.
“There’s staff at the academy from when I was manager and I’m privy to the things they might have wanted to say to a person in a directorial position, but for whatever reason thought they wouldn’t bother.”
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Is he really going in 6 weeks
Brian is the best man to sort this shit out , from top to bottom
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6 months was in the article, but would like it to be a much longer term arrangement.
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6 months was in the article, but would like it to be a much longer term arrangement.
thought it was just till the end of the season
initially
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Little’s role is for six months, but he would like it to develop into something more permanent and would drop other commitments to stay.
“I don’t think there is anyone on the planet who has done as many things at one club as I have. I’m comfortable in my skin at Villa Park, it’s become my club.
“People say how does it get under your skin? I say it’s sweeping the terracing at 15, eating fish and chips with the apprentice lads. Those early days form something which always stay there. It’s immense for me.”
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Little’s role is for six months, but he would like it to develop into something more permanent and would drop other commitments to stay.
“I don’t think there is anyone on the planet who has done as many things at one club as I have. I’m comfortable in my skin at Villa Park, it’s become my club.
“People say how does it get under your skin? I say it’s sweeping the terracing at 15, eating fish and chips with the apprentice lads. Those early days form something which always stay there. It’s immense for me.”
He is a true club man. Many were in his day. Although it will never happen to the same extent with modern day football, somehow the club has to try and develop pride in playing for the club.
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Little’s role is for six months, but he would like it to develop into something more permanent and would drop other commitments to stay.
“I don’t think there is anyone on the planet who has done as many things at one club as I have. I’m comfortable in my skin at Villa Park, it’s become my club.
“People say how does it get under your skin? I say it’s sweeping the terracing at 15, eating fish and chips with the apprentice lads. Those early days form something which always stay there. It’s immense for me.”
He is a true club man. Many were in his day. Although it will never happen to the same extent with modern day football, somehow the club has to try and develop pride in playing for the club.
You've hit on the nub of the problem here. It's hard to turn around a position where the club is the butt of every joke, is synonymous with failure and defeat, is a byword for farcical appointments. In short, a soap opera. But it's even more difficult when the owner of that club seemingly has no pride or interest in it. That's when it and everybody in it drifts.
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My concern all along is that this is tokenism.
Or -if I am being uber cynical (and why would a Villa fan go that route) it might be an attempt to put the kybosh on this 'lack of football experience' catcry once and for all.
If Brian/ Bernstein recommend a Bruce or Pearson (and people within football do look at that pair of oddbods in a different light than most football fans) and they turn out to be duff appointments, Lerner's people can say -similar to the Lambert appointment- "We tried it your way and that didn't work either."
Also, how much bite does this new footballing board actually possess? The suggestion is that Bernstein, King and Little aren't taking any sort of salary for this. They might make recommendations, generate plenty of positive PR with upbeat, knowledgeable comments in the press. But then the actual decisions still get made by people (one person in particular) who has shown a distinct lack of aptitude for the job over an extended period of time.
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That we've been having a clear out of the non-footballing guys, and have been adding the "quote/unquote" footballing people must improve the chances of Brian staying on for longer. As long as he's happy with the direction of the club long term I can see him being there next season.
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hope he hed the chant of "Brian Little's Claret and Blue Army" today - made me all warm inside
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I see, the club hands longterm contracts to Flabby, Bacuna etc. and gives Sir Brian 6 months?? Great thinking there...
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I see, the club hands longterm contracts to Flabby, Bacuna etc. and gives Sir Brian 6 months?? Great thinking there...
They are hardly related decisions though are they?
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Hope it isn't true but I heard a story today that he is not directly involved in the decision making process regarding the next manager. Also that he isn't really being 'consulted'.
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Hope it isn't true but I heard a story today that he is not directly involved in the decision making process regarding the next manager. Also that he isn't really being 'consulted'.
Where did you hear that?
What else would he be doing if he wasn't advising on the new manager appointment?
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They said it on WM. And seeing as he has been a summariser for them they seemed to be suggesting they had some insight.
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Hope it isn't true but I heard a story today that he is not directly involved in the decision making process regarding the next manager. Also that he isn't really being 'consulted'.
But he's said that he is. Why would he lie?
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They said it on WM. And seeing as he has been a summariser for them they seemed to be suggesting they had some insight.
I'm hoping it's not true and that he's not just here to make the fans feel better.
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And why would WM lie?
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And why would WM lie?
I'm around 1500 words into trying to answer that question!
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!
This isn't about past decisions that are hard to dismiss as being nuts. I'm going by every decision made since hiring Hollis. Or maybe you are saying all of those decisions including bringing in Little is lunacy?
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!
This isn't about past decisions that are hard to dismiss as being nuts. I'm going by every decision made since hiring Hollis. Or maybe you are saying all of those decisions including bringing in Little is lunacy?
I'm saying we could have Pep Guardiola managing the team with Zidane as football consultant but as long as Lerner is pulling the strings then we are exposed to whatever next mental decision he makes about how we should operate.
Or maybe you're saying that you suddenly trust Lerner ?( while we're asking stupid questions)
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I think he is saying that Lerner no longer 'pulls the strings'.
So we're constrained by randy's wallet but there are new personalities running the business.
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And why would WM lie?
Understand and accept that they are massive wind up merchants but even by their standards that would be a bit crass.
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I think he is saying that Lerner no longer 'pulls the strings'.
So we're constrained by randy's wallet but there are new personalities running the business.
So what's Krulak doing?
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I see, the club hands longterm contracts to Flabby, Bacuna etc. and gives Sir Brian 6 months?? Great thinking there...
They are hardly related decisions though are they?
It speaks volumes whether related or not.
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!
This isn't about past decisions that are hard to dismiss as being nuts. I'm going by every decision made since hiring Hollis. Or maybe you are saying all of those decisions including bringing in Little is lunacy?
Can't blame people for being a bit distrusting now can we? Look where we are, it will take an awful lot for people to have any faith.
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I see, the club hands longterm contracts to Flabby, Bacuna etc. and gives Sir Brian 6 months?? Great thinking there...
They are hardly related decisions though are they?
It speaks volumes whether related or not.
It doesn't say anything at all. For a start, Brian doesn't have a contract.
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!
This isn't about past decisions that are hard to dismiss as being nuts. I'm going by every decision made since hiring Hollis. Or maybe you are saying all of those decisions including bringing in Little is lunacy?
I'm saying we could have Pep Guardiola managing the team with Zidane as football consultant but as long as Lerner is pulling the strings then we are exposed to whatever next mental decision he makes about how we should operate.
Or maybe you're saying that you suddenly trust Lerner ?( while we're asking stupid questions)
The whole point of the new board structure is that he is NOT pulling the strings. He's the owner just as Joe Lewis is at Spurs for example. But Daniel Levy is the chairman and they make decisions as a board. It is how we should have been set up from the beginning and the fact that we weren't is exactly why we are where we are.
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I see, the club hands longterm contracts to Flabby, Bacuna etc. and gives Sir Brian 6 months?? Great thinking there...
They are hardly related decisions though are they?
It speaks volumes whether related or not.
It doesn't say anything at all. For a start, Brian doesn't have a contract.
You wouldn't feel more comfortable having Brian Little involved in a more permanent capacity than present?
His involvement is the only straw we have to clutch right now.
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!
This isn't about past decisions that are hard to dismiss as being nuts. I'm going by every decision made since hiring Hollis. Or maybe you are saying all of those decisions including bringing in Little is lunacy?
It was lunacy to not spend in January and surrender our PL status and Hollis was our chairman then.
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I don't know Brian Little's personal circumstances, how much time he can afford to devote to us, for how long and what his and our long-term plans are. However, at the present time he is one of several new arrivals who give me confidence for the future.
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Hope it isn't true but I heard a story today that he is not directly involved in the decision making process regarding the next manager. Also that he isn't really being 'consulted'.
Do you really think that he would agree to something like that if his voice wasn't going to be heard? Mind you, it's on WM so it must be right.
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I think he is saying that Lerner no longer 'pulls the strings'.
So we're constrained by randy's wallet but there are new personalities running the business.
So what's Krulak doing?
To me that kinda demonstrates the point. Randy cannot even be bothered to attend the meetings anymore so he's sending a trusted friend/colleague to keep him up-to-date on their decisions.
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!
This isn't about past decisions that are hard to dismiss as being nuts. I'm going by every decision made since hiring Hollis. Or maybe you are saying all of those decisions including bringing in Little is lunacy?
It was lunacy to not spend in January and surrender our PL status and Hollis was our chairman then.
It was a gamble that I didn't agree with, but they might now look at what Newcastle did and see that it confirmed for them that it wouldn't have guaranteed survival. We were 11 points back and we could have tied ourselves to some contracts that being in the Championship would be rather undesirable. I'm not disagreeing with you though I'm saying that I can also see to a point why they did what they did under the circumstances. I'll always maintain that I believe had we still been 5 points back as we were when Garde arrived we'd have committed to new players as opposed to not doing so.
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Bernstein, King, Hollis and Bevington are no fools. If Brian Little puts forward a point of view they will listen. Randy Lerner on the other hand of course is a fool but he will not be present.
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I suspect the new regime have to deliver within certain parameters, i.e. I'll fund £Xm per year, the rest must be self generating.
Hollis would have been in the job only a few weeks in January and maybe decided that he'd prefer to take stock first and not restrict his 'war-chest' for future seasons.
At least I hope that was the case!
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I get the impression Hollis quickly realized how utterly fucked everything was and didn't want to make commitments to spending that might compound the state we were in.
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!
This isn't about past decisions that are hard to dismiss as being nuts. I'm going by every decision made since hiring Hollis. Or maybe you are saying all of those decisions including bringing in Little is lunacy?
It was lunacy to not spend in January and surrender our PL status and Hollis was our chairman then.
It was a gamble that I didn't agree with, but they might now look at what Newcastle did and see that it confirmed for them that it wouldn't have guaranteed survival. We were 11 points back and we could have tied ourselves to some contracts that being in the Championship would be rather undesirable. I'm not disagreeing with you though I'm saying that I can also see to a point why they did what they did under the circumstances. I'll always maintain that I believe had we still been 5 points back as we were when Garde arrived we'd have committed to new players as opposed to not doing so.
Aye, but rather than going the Poocastle loony way and throwing everything at the thing, we could have tried for an Afobe, Dwight Gayle or similar.
That is, a player who might have helped our unlikely effort to stay up -but who would have definitely been a big asset in the next league down anyway.
To do no business at all was pitiful.
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Oh I don't disagree Kev. We should have done something. We'll never know for example if Garde wanted those players or if he did, did they even want to come. 11 points in the hole would hardly have been an attractive proposition for any player.
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This whole "Football Board" thing is all smoke and mirrors to my mind and done by Lerner in the hope the critics will go away. Too many people involved in making critical decisions. Is any manager with pedigree going to agree to work where he has to go through a committee and then the chairman?
We need a chairman or CEO who has an in-depth knowledge of the game, and a proper football manager. The others are totally unnecessary and not needed.
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Yes LTA because the people he employed are all mugs with no tenure or standing in life, business or in football. Lerner has hoodwinked the lot of them. Fuck me.
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This whole "Football Board" thing is all smoke and mirrors to my mind and done by Lerner in the hope the critics will go away. Too many people involved in making critical decisions. Is any manager with pedigree going to agree to work where he has to go through a committee and then the chairman?
We need a chairman or CEO who has an in-depth knowledge of the game, and a proper football manager. The others are totally unnecessary and not needed.
Which other clubs do you know who have a Chairman/CEO and a football manager, and no other executives or board members?
Incidentally, David Bernstein has exactly that pedigree having run both Manchester City and the national F.A, and yet the other day you were slagging him off.
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Hope it isn't true but I heard a story today that he is not directly involved in the decision making process regarding the next manager. Also that he isn't really being 'consulted'.
Do you really think that he would agree to something like that if his voice wasn't going to be heard? Mind you, it's on WM so it must be right.
Clamps I think the inference was (and I'll admit I was washing up at the time so was concentrating on the dishes) that things has slightly changed and that Bevington was being touted as Director of Football Operations. In other words things had changed since he came in.
And like I said in response to Dave I know they are wind up merchants extraordinaire but this would be ridiculous to just spout. They seemed to be inferring that they had a source.
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The club created a football board to make football related decisions. He has been brought in very specifically for that. Why would anyone then believe a rumour that Bernstein, Hollis, King and Bevington would then not consult him? If that was truly the case why would he have been at that gong show today?
Because we've got a genuine lunatic owner who has made unbelievable decision after unbelievable decision. Why should anyone think he's suddenly become lucid. I hope he has, finally, and Brian gets the chance to influence things but I'll believe it when it happens. Fuck Lerner!!!
This isn't about past decisions that are hard to dismiss as being nuts. I'm going by every decision made since hiring Hollis. Or maybe you are saying all of those decisions including bringing in Little is lunacy?
It was lunacy to not spend in January and surrender our PL status and Hollis was our chairman then.
It was a gamble that I didn't agree with, but they might now look at what Newcastle did and see that it confirmed for them that it wouldn't have guaranteed survival. We were 11 points back and we could have tied ourselves to some contracts that being in the Championship would be rather undesirable. I'm not disagreeing with you though I'm saying that I can also see to a point why they did what they did under the circumstances. I'll always maintain that I believe had we still been 5 points back as we were when Garde arrived we'd have committed to new players as opposed to not doing so.
Aye, but rather than going the Poocastle loony way and throwing everything at the thing, we could have tried for an Afobe, Dwight Gayle or similar.
That is, a player who might have helped our unlikely effort to stay up -but who would have definitely been a big asset in the next league down anyway.
To do no business at all was pitiful.
Garde had made us harder to beat. We were grinding out the odd result. There was a reaction after Wycombe away and it was stopped dead when we brought in nobody in January.
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I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.
I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.
One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me. Why complicate matters?
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Garde improved us to a point and then he became Tim Sherwood in his player personnel decisions. And some of the things he came out with in the end were bizarre and affected his ability to do the job. In he end his record spoke for itself and we were anything but solid on top of being impotent up front.
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I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.
I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.
One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me. Why complicate matters?
Are you going to answer my question? How many other clubs have only one executive or board member?
I'll save you time - none.
It's not a committee - it's a board of directors. The same as at any club in the world.
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I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.
I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.
One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me. Why complicate matters?
Are you going to answer my question? How many other clubs have only one executive or board member?
I'll save you time - none.
It's not a committee - it's a board of directors. The same as at any club in the world.
That maybe so. But did the manager have to consult each and every one of them if he wanted to buy a player? It creates the potential for people to interfere and undermine the managers position.
What happens if they disagree on something? Toss a coin perhaps?
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I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.
I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.
One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me. Why complicate matters?
Are you going to answer my question? How many other clubs have only one executive or board member?
I'll save you time - none.
It's not a committee - it's a board of directors. The same as at any club in the world.
That maybe so. But did the manager have to consult each and every one of them if he wanted to buy a player?
No, and neither do they in Villa's structure. As you well know.
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To name but two clubs.:
Chelsea - Owner - Abramovich / Chairman - Buck / Technical Director - Emenalo
Man City - Owner - Al Mabarak / CEO - Soriano / Director of Football - Begiristain
Villa - Owner - Lerner / Chairman - Hollis / Chair of Football Board - Bernstein
The same number of people.
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LTA, would you prefer it that the manager personally scouts every player from youth level upwards? That the manager researches and makes every key decision? That is way too much work for one individual.
Even if they get it right there's a huge risk that the manger would be headhunted and take the whole structure with him. Having a structure of people at the club will mean that some intelligence remains at the club.
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Hope it isn't true but I heard a story today that he is not directly involved in the decision making process regarding the next manager. Also that he isn't really being 'consulted'.
Do you really think that he would agree to something like that if his voice wasn't going to be heard? Mind you, it's on WM so it must be right.
Clamps I think the inference was (and I'll admit I was washing up at the time so was concentrating on the dishes) that things has slightly changed and that Bevington was being touted as Director of Football Operations. In other words things had changed since he came in.
And like I said in response to Dave I know they are wind up merchants extraordinaire but this would be ridiculous to just spout. They seemed to be inferring that they had a source.
By inferring they have a 'source' says it all about them. A local radio station trying to make things even more difficult that they already are.
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I don't know Brian Little's personal circumstances, how much time he can afford to devote to us, for how long and what his and our long-term plans are. However, at the present time he is one of several new arrivals who give me confidence for the future.
Exactly my feelings too. The club may continue to screw up but at least the new personnel gives us a chance to succeed that has not been present for so long.
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They showed him in the Director's Box today and it looked like he was just watching and not commentating.
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I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.
I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.
One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me. Why complicate matters?
Are you going to answer my question? How many other clubs have only one executive or board member?
I'll save you time - none.
It's not a committee - it's a board of directors. The same as at any club in the world.
That maybe so. But did the manager have to consult each and every one of them if he wanted to buy a player? It creates the potential for people to interfere and undermine the managers position.
What happens if they disagree on something? Toss a coin perhaps?
You know, it would be just as easy to say "I don't understand the way that the new structure will operate, could somebody who does please explain it to me".
It'll probably save you a lot of unnecessary stress that you could otherwise avoid.
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It would be easier if you just let people have their say without being so smug about it.
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It really wouldn't surprise me if Little was named as manager.
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It would be easier if you just let people have their say without being so smug.
I don't think that I stopped him from having his say.
But if "his say" is something quite stupid, then I'll have "my say" in pointing out that it's quite stupid.
If that's alright with you.
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I never said they were mugs or didn't know the game.
I just don't think having a whole committee who the manager deals with first and then the chairman (who himself admits he doesn't know the game well) is going to be particularly attractive to any manager.
One knowledgeable CEO and a good manager is enough for me. Why complicate matters?
Are you going to answer my question? How many other clubs have only one executive or board member?
I'll save you time - none.
It's not a committee - it's a board of directors. The same as at any club in the world.
That maybe so. But did the manager have to consult each and every one of them if he wanted to buy a player? It creates the potential for people to interfere and undermine the managers position.
What happens if they disagree on something? Toss a coin perhaps?
You know, LTA, I was with you and your logic on this until your final question.
No, I don't think tossing a coin would be part of the decision making process on recruitment at Aston Villa.
Now, sadly, I just think you are a bit of a wind-up artist, as they say round here.
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It would be easier if you just let people have their say without being so smug.
I don't think that I stopped him from having his say.
But if "his say" is something quite stupid, then I'll have "my say" in pointing out that it's quite stupid.
If that's alright with you.
Well it's very decent of you to let him have his say, althoughI didn't realise you had the power to stop him, so yes carry on. It's fine by me...
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There is no way on God's earth that Brian is going to become Manager. He is in a perfect role, still knows enough about the modern game to give sound advice (assuming they listen to him) without having the day to day stress of sorting this sorry lot out.
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There is no way on God's earth that Brian is going to become Manager. He is in a perfect role, still knows enough about the modern game to give sound advice (assuming they listen to him) without having the day to day stress of sorting this sorry lot out.
I did wonder for a short while why Richardson played today? Was it because we already have a Manager lined up and he wants too see different players before the end of the season, why else would anyone in their right mind select Richardson? I'm sure you're right though. It won't be Brian Little.
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They showed him several times on the US coverage sat next to Hollis. He looked utterly disgusted.
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To name but two clubs.:
Chelsea - Owner - Abramovich / Chairman - Buck / Technical Director - Emenalo
Man City - Owner - Al Mabarak / CEO - Soriano / Director of Football - Begiristain
Villa - Owner - Lerner / Chairman - Hollis / Chair of Football Board - Bernstein
The same number of people.
A couple of good examples of clubs with owners who don't pull the strings....
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" I think the important thing for me is to have the belief in saying what you think is the right thing. Then it's up to other people whether they take the advice."
There's the key,when you have an incompetent owning the club how they respond is anyone's guess.
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There is no way on God's earth that Brian is going to become Manager. He is in a perfect role, still knows enough about the modern game to give sound advice (assuming they listen to him) without having the day to day stress of sorting this sorry lot out.
I did wonder for a short while why Richardson played today? Was it because we already have a Manager lined up and he wants too see different players before the end of the season, why else would anyone in their right mind select Richardson? I'm sure you're right though. It won't be Brian Little.
I doubt that to be honest. Richardson has been around that long any manager would know the kind of player he is by now or they should.
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There is no way on God's earth that Brian is going to become Manager. He is in a perfect role, still knows enough about the modern game to give sound advice (assuming they listen to him) without having the day to day stress of sorting this sorry lot out.
I did wonder for a short while why Richardson played today? Was it because we already have a Manager lined up and he wants too see different players before the end of the season, why else would anyone in their right mind select Richardson? I'm sure you're right though. It won't be Brian Little.
I doubt that to be honest. Richardson has been around that long any manager would know the kind of player he is by now or they should.
Plus isn't he out of contract from 31st May?
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There is no way on God's earth that Brian is going to become Manager. He is in a perfect role, still knows enough about the modern game to give sound advice (assuming they listen to him) without having the day to day stress of sorting this sorry lot out.
I did wonder for a short while why Richardson played today? Was it because we already have a Manager lined up and he wants too see different players before the end of the season, why else would anyone in their right mind select Richardson? I'm sure you're right though. It won't be Brian Little.
I doubt that to be honest. Richardson has been around that long any manager would know the kind of player he is by now or they should.
Plus isn't he out of contract from 31st May?
Yep.
2016 - Richardson, N'Zogbia, Kinsella, Donacien, Robinson, Calder
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I know he's out of contract, would there be any point in keeping him for the lower league? Not in my book, I think Richardson is shit.
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To name but two clubs.:
Chelsea - Owner - Abramovich / Chairman - Buck / Technical Director - Emenalo
Man City - Owner - Al Mabarak / CEO - Soriano / Director of Football - Begiristain
Villa - Owner - Lerner / Chairman - Hollis / Chair of Football Board - Bernstein
The same number of people.
A couple of good examples of clubs with owners who don't pull the strings....
Abramovich?
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To name but two clubs.:
Chelsea - Owner - Abramovich / Chairman - Buck / Technical Director - Emenalo
Man City - Owner - Al Mabarak / CEO - Soriano / Director of Football - Begiristain
Villa - Owner - Lerner / Chairman - Hollis / Chair of Football Board - Bernstein
The same number of people.
A couple of good examples of clubs with owners who don't pull the strings....
Abramovich?
Sarcasm?
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To name but two clubs.:
Chelsea - Owner - Abramovich / Chairman - Buck / Technical Director - Emenalo
Man City - Owner - Al Mabarak / CEO - Soriano / Director of Football - Begiristain
Villa - Owner - Lerner / Chairman - Hollis / Chair of Football Board - Bernstein
The same number of people.
A couple of good examples of clubs with owners who don't pull the strings....
Abramovich?
Sarcasm?
That's what I thought. Which was completely pointless as the two examples were to show other clubs had more than one board member or executive, and I hadn't said anything about the owner interfering or not. But never mind.
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This site is rapidly losing the sense of humour which attracted me to it when I first signed up ( 15 years ago?). Too many pedants and literalists, if that's a word?
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This site is rapidly losing the sense of humour which attracted me to it when I first signed up ( 15 years ago?). Too many pedants and literalists, if that's a word?
... it is now!
To be fair, it's only certain threads, and I don't think it's anything personal. It's just because everyone's so incredibly pissed off at the club having to be "reset" for life in the second division and the amount of unknowables that entails.
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I know he's out of contract, would there be any point in keeping him for the lower league? Not in my book, I think Richardson is shit.
No, I agree. We need a few experienced players but they also need to have the quality to contribute to the team.
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Richardson get rid. Terrible player.
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Chico, lots of people are just a bit tetchy at the minute due the club's current predicament. So stop trying to be funny okay. :-)
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WM on about Brian again tonight. Saying they are hearing he won't stay beyond the end of the season.
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WM on about Brian again tonight. Saying they are hearing he won't stay beyond the end of the season.
If they get the right Manager and DOF, he might not need to. Hopefully, a job well done from Sir Brian.
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WM on about Brian again tonight. Saying they are hearing he won't stay beyond the end of the season.
Also questioning why Mervyn King is on the board as he isn't qualified and saying other new board members not justifying their appointments.
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WM on about Brian again tonight. Saying they are hearing he won't stay beyond the end of the season.
Also questioning why Mervyn King is on the board as he isn't qualified and saying other new board members not justifying their appointments.
And they say they haven't got an agenda.
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Have they turned their attention to more pressing matters of Bronx hats?
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WM on about Brian again tonight. Saying they are hearing he won't stay beyond the end of the season.
Also questioning why Mervyn King is on the board as he isn't qualified and saying other new board members not justifying their appointments.
And they say they haven't got an agenda.
It was a caller who was calling Mervyn's appointment into question during a rant. They didn't instigate that.
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WM on about Brian again tonight. Saying they are hearing he won't stay beyond the end of the season.
Also questioning why Mervyn King is on the board as he isn't qualified and saying other new board members not justifying their appointments.
And they say they haven't got an agenda.
It was a caller who was calling Mervyn's appointment into question during a rant. They didn't instigate that.
But they've carried it on by the sound of it. 'Franksey' mentioned it last week as well.
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I wish Sir Brian would give us a update on future plans. The silence from the club as usual is deafening. The fans are in desperate need of some positive news for once. A new manager must come in asap.
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You want even MORE positive news? Bloody hell, we have a team that is playing with the fluid freedom the fans deserve now the weight of relegation is off their shoulders, a romantically nourished owner and one of our academy players just won the league. What more could you possibly want? ;D
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It'll all start moving as soon as the final whistle goes at Arsenal.
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You could be right Kippax, I heard yesterday that the sold sign will be going up "within days" of the end of the season.
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It'll all start moving as soon as the final whistle goes at Arsenal.
I think so as well. To me, it makes sense to do it then.
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It'll all start moving as soon as the final whistle goes at Arsenal.
I think so as well. To me, it makes sense to do it then.
To me it makes sense to do it now. Or several weeks ago.
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Well at least 3 years ago.
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Just suppose a new manager was announced now and in the dugout for the last two games and saw no change - it wouldn't exactly be an uplifting start. Clean slate, whole summer, no association with this season best way forward. It could also be of course that we are waiting for someone to leave their post. I would like to think that even if it is Pearson they have known it for sometime in the background and he has already been making behind the scenes plans.
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I think it is almost certainly Pearson with whoever he wants to bring in. He is no doubt fully up to date on what is required in terms of player recruitment and who
may be leaving. The Leicester success story was in part down to him and more importantly the Leicester players have spoken very well of their previous manager.
especially Riyhad Mahrez.
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Just because nothing has been announced officially doesn't mean the chosen manager isn't working diligently in the background.
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Just because nothing has been announced officially doesn't mean the chosen manager isn't working diligently in the background.
Sorry mate, but until it is a definite that we have been sold, I doubt that we will hear of a new manager being appointed.
And even sorrier, unless the new owner is prepared to get rid of the useless coaching staff, the useless scouting staff and most of the first team squad, we will go down to the next division faster than we left the premiership!
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Just because nothing has been announced officially doesn't mean the chosen manager isn't working diligently in the background.
Sorry mate, but until it is a definite that we have been sold, I doubt that we will hear of a new manager being appointed.
And even sorrier, unless the new owner is prepared to get rid of the useless coaching staff, the useless scouting staff and most of the first team squad, we will go down to the next division faster than we left the premiership!
that's technically impossible, as there are more games next season in the championship. 😄
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Just because nothing has been announced officially doesn't mean the chosen manager isn't working diligently in the background.
Sorry mate, but until it is a definite that we have been sold, I doubt that we will hear of a new manager being appointed.
And even sorrier, unless the new owner is prepared to get rid of the useless coaching staff, the useless scouting staff and most of the first team squad, we will go down to the next division faster than we left the premiership!
that's technically impossible, as there are more games next season in the championship. 😄
I don't think anything with Villa is technically impossible no more
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Just because nothing has been announced officially doesn't mean the chosen manager isn't working diligently in the background.
Sorry mate, but until it is a definite that we have been sold, I doubt that we will hear of a new manager being appointed.
And even sorrier, unless the new owner is prepared to get rid of the useless coaching staff, the useless scouting staff and most of the first team squad, we will go down to the next division faster than we left the premiership!
that's technically impossible, as there are more games next season in the championship. 😄
More games to lose then!
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I think it is almost certainly Pearson with whoever he wants to bring in. He is no doubt fully up to date on what is required in terms of player recruitment and who
may be leaving. The Leicester success story was in part down to him and more importantly the Leicester players have spoken very well of their previous manager.
especially Riyhad Mahrez.
The latest news about a takeover suggests a new manager is on the back burner until the new owners are in situ and wasn't Pearson's back room staff at Leicester the driving force in their success?
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So we won't be seeing a new manager until we are sold.
If we don't have a new owner in the next 15 weeks or so, we'll go into the new season with the same shite backroom/coaching staff.
That means we'll still have players, who cannot pass, control the ball, tackle, defend, attack, shoot .....pretty much anything that a kids Sunday League team can do, because our backroom/coaching staff are fucking useless, and have been for more than the last five seasons.
And yet, we have posters on here, who think we will come straight back up.
WTF and GIVE ME STRENGTH!!!
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So we won't be seeing a new manager until we are sold.
If we don't have a new owner in the next 15 weeks or so, we'll go into the new season with the same shite backroom/coaching staff.
That means we'll still have players, who cannot pass, control the ball, tackle, defend, attack, shoot .....pretty much anything that a kids Sunday League team can do, because our backroom/coaching staff are fucking useless, and have been for more than the last five seasons.
And yet, we have posters on here, who think we will come straight back up.
WTF and GIVE ME STRENGTH!!!
What utter rubbish.
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So we won't be seeing a new manager until we are sold.
If we don't have a new owner in the next 15 weeks or so, we'll go into the new season with the same shite backroom/coaching staff.
That means we'll still have players, who cannot pass, control the ball, tackle, defend, attack, shoot .....pretty much anything that a kids Sunday League team can do, because our backroom/coaching staff are fucking useless, and have been for more than the last five seasons.
And yet, we have posters on here, who think we will come straight back up.
WTF and GIVE ME STRENGTH!!!
You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?
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Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
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Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
You'd never miss the point if you was a Westwood
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Sale in the next few weeks if you are interested. And no new manager until then. Put the razor blades down for now, I am worried about you.
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Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
Because by saying WTF and GIVE ME STRENGTH, you're saying people are wrong for thinking we could get back up. How about seeing what happens first? The season hasn't even finished yet.
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Sale in the next few weeks if you are interested. And no new manager until then. Put the razor blades down for now, I am worried about you.
I'll believe it, mate, when I see it. As for razor blades, sorry but I don't use em.
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[ The season hasn't even finished yet.
Don't tell Cheltenhamlion, the irishwolfhound might escape!
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Sale in the next few weeks if you are interested. And no new manager until then. Put the razor blades down for now, I am worried about you.
I'll believe it, mate, when I see it. As for razor blades, sorry but I don't use em.
I can tell from your knuckles.
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[ The season hasn't even finished yet.
Don't tell Cheltenhamlion, the irishwolfhound might escape!
I can get away with no socks in this weather.
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Sale in the next few weeks if you are interested. And no new manager until then. Put the razor blades down for now, I am worried about you.
I'll believe it, mate, when I see it. As for razor blades, sorry but I don't use em.
I can tell from your knuckles.
And what's that supposed to mean? An accusation that I'm a knuckledragger, just cos I don't see it the same as the other two who cannot answer me???
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Sale in the next few weeks if you are interested. And no new manager until then. Put the razor blades down for now, I am worried about you.
I'll believe it, mate, when I see it. As for razor blades, sorry but I don't use em.
I can tell from your knuckles.
And what's that supposed to mean? An accusation that I'm a knuckledragger, just cos I don't see it the same as the other two who cannot answer me???
We've both answered you I think.
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Because by saying WTF and GIVE ME STRENGTH, you're saying people are wrong for thinking we could get back up. How about seeing what happens first? The season hasn't even finished yet.
Oh yeah, the season hasn't finished yet.......our season finished after we didn't buy in January, but I'll agree that the season isn't finished yet....just 5 days to go.....then approx. 14 weeks till the new season,......then we'll see won't we?
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[ The season hasn't even finished yet.
Don't tell Cheltenhamlion, the irishwolfhound might escape!
I can get away with no socks in this weather.
Is the correct answer! Quality
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Because by saying WTF and GIVE ME STRENGTH, you're saying people are wrong for thinking we could get back up. How about seeing what happens first? The season hasn't even finished yet.
Oh yeah, the season hasn't finished yet.......our season finished after we didn't buy in January, but I'll agree that the season isn't finished yet....just 5 days to go.....then approx. 14 weeks till the new season,......then we'll see won't we?
Yes, we will see, so stop panicking. No-one know's what's going to happen, I don't and neither do you.
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Eddie's a bit like an excitable gerbil, isn't he?
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Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
I think this was the point.
Daily Mail article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3577949/Nigel-Pearson-No-1-candidate-Aston-Villa-job-appointment-not-takeover-talks-completed.html)
Telegraph article (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/04/30/aston-villa-delay-nigel-pearson-announcement-until-takeover-bid/)
90min.com article (http://www.90min.com/posts/3165931-aston-villa-takeover-talks-holding-back-nigel-pearson-s-appointment-as-manager)
Birmingham Rag Mag article (http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-managerial-update-cut-11287003)
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Sale in the next few weeks if you are interested. And no new manager until then. Put the razor blades down for now, I am worried about you.
I'll believe it, mate, when I see it. As for razor blades, sorry but I don't use em.
I can tell from your knuckles.
And what's that supposed to mean? An accusation that I'm a knuckledragger, just cos I don't see it the same as the other two who cannot answer me???
It was a joke suggesting you were of simian nature. If I wanted to call you out as a Dogshitter you can rest assured it wouldn't have been done with hidden meaning. I am fed up of the race to the bottom (just in case you think it, I am not suggesting you are gay) from some of our fans to try to be the angriest about everything all the time. Whether real or not.
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Sale in the next few weeks if you are interested. And no new manager until then. Put the razor blades down for now, I am worried about you.
Is that [fires up Prokofiev on the discman] ITK?! [/Prokofiev]
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Hiding in plain sight.
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Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
I think this was the point.
Daily Mail article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3577949/Nigel-Pearson-No-1-candidate-Aston-Villa-job-appointment-not-takeover-talks-completed.html)
Telegraph article (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/04/30/aston-villa-delay-nigel-pearson-announcement-until-takeover-bid/)
90min.com article (http://www.90min.com/posts/3165931-aston-villa-takeover-talks-holding-back-nigel-pearson-s-appointment-as-manager)
Birmingham Rag Mag article (http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-managerial-update-cut-11287003)
Cheers ViD, I couldn't reply earlier as I've been out for a couple of hours badminton followed by a civilized natter over a pint or two.
Some of us do have another life away from the misery;-)
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Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
I think this was the point.
Daily Mail article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3577949/Nigel-Pearson-No-1-candidate-Aston-Villa-job-appointment-not-takeover-talks-completed.html)
Telegraph article (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/04/30/aston-villa-delay-nigel-pearson-announcement-until-takeover-bid/)
90min.com article (http://www.90min.com/posts/3165931-aston-villa-takeover-talks-holding-back-nigel-pearson-s-appointment-as-manager)
Birmingham Rag Mag article (http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-managerial-update-cut-11287003)
Cheers ViD, I couldn't reply earlier as I've been out for a couple of hours badminton followed by a civilized natter over a pint or two.
Some of us do have another life away from the misery;-)
badminton 😉 you have a life, you say?
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Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
I think this was the point.
Daily Mail article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3577949/Nigel-Pearson-No-1-candidate-Aston-Villa-job-appointment-not-takeover-talks-completed.html)
Telegraph article (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/04/30/aston-villa-delay-nigel-pearson-announcement-until-takeover-bid/)
90min.com article (http://www.90min.com/posts/3165931-aston-villa-takeover-talks-holding-back-nigel-pearson-s-appointment-as-manager)
Birmingham Rag Mag article (http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-managerial-update-cut-11287003)
Cheers ViD, I couldn't reply earlier as I've been out for a couple of hours badminton followed by a civilized natter over a pint or two.
Some of us do have another life away from the misery;-)
badminton 😉 you have a life, you say?
Don't knock it till you've tried it:-)
-
Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
I think this was the point.
Daily Mail article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3577949/Nigel-Pearson-No-1-candidate-Aston-Villa-job-appointment-not-takeover-talks-completed.html)
Telegraph article (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/04/30/aston-villa-delay-nigel-pearson-announcement-until-takeover-bid/)
90min.com article (http://www.90min.com/posts/3165931-aston-villa-takeover-talks-holding-back-nigel-pearson-s-appointment-as-manager)
Birmingham Rag Mag article (http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-managerial-update-cut-11287003)
Cheers ViD, I couldn't reply earlier as I've been out for a couple of hours badminton followed by a civilized natter over a pint or two.
Some of us do have another life away from the misery;-)
badminton 😉 you have a life, you say?
Don't knock it till you've tried it:-)
I fucking love badminton.
-
Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
I think this was the point.
Daily Mail article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3577949/Nigel-Pearson-No-1-candidate-Aston-Villa-job-appointment-not-takeover-talks-completed.html)
Telegraph article (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/04/30/aston-villa-delay-nigel-pearson-announcement-until-takeover-bid/)
90min.com article (http://www.90min.com/posts/3165931-aston-villa-takeover-talks-holding-back-nigel-pearson-s-appointment-as-manager)
Birmingham Rag Mag article (http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-managerial-update-cut-11287003)
Cheers ViD, I couldn't reply earlier as I've been out for a couple of hours badminton followed by a civilized natter over a pint or two.
Some of us do have another life away from the misery;-)
badminton 😉 you have a life, you say?
Don't knock it till you've tried it:-)
I fucking love badminton.
Superb game, superb social life and keeps me as fit as I ever was.....almost.
-
Admit it. There are ladies involved. THAT'S why you love it.
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Shuttlecocks.
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Quotes from Clampy and GordonCowansisthegreatest
"What utter rubbish."
"You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
Utter rubbish? How/why?
Missed the point? Where and when and who said there was a cut off point? And probably by the end of May? Sale by when?
Sorry, but I think that shows you've obviously missed the point!!!
I think this was the point.
Daily Mail article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3577949/Nigel-Pearson-No-1-candidate-Aston-Villa-job-appointment-not-takeover-talks-completed.html)
Telegraph article (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/04/30/aston-villa-delay-nigel-pearson-announcement-until-takeover-bid/)
90min.com article (http://www.90min.com/posts/3165931-aston-villa-takeover-talks-holding-back-nigel-pearson-s-appointment-as-manager)
Birmingham Rag Mag article (http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-managerial-update-cut-11287003)
Yes I read all of the articles, and you still don't get it.
I suggest you read the fans comments in the Birmingham Mail article, especially those of "grahamhs and Mcgrath1874".
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I only copied the link address for the Rag Week mag. I won't contaminate either my own or my employers IT equipment with the shit on their website, but some people seem to enjoy the outrage of stating how shit it is by repeatedly visiting. Others believe the utterances of Greg Evans as though they were the 5th Gospel.
So you'll have to help me out and tell me what do I still not get?
1. Hollis has openly said that he's negotiating with interested parties.
2. It's widely reported that these interested parties are 1 from China, 1 from USA and 1 from UK.
3. It's further acknowledged that for the sake of planning for next season, if there's no deal by an arbitrary date, widely believed to be the end of May, the existing board will appoint a manager they've already identified, believed by the press to be Pearson and task him with getting us ready for next season.
Reasonable conclusions from that are that Hollis believes that at least one of these interested parties will proves serious enough to hand over the required, unspecified, amount of cash and that that deal can be brokered before month end so as not to require the contingency plan.
If those 2 comments you refer to profess to be any form of ITK, I'll politely decline to pay heed to them. ITK on boards like this are more likely to mean I Took Ketamine than In The Know. Anyone blabbing it in the comments section of a 4th rate comic is slightly less serious than Leslie Nielsen on Hippy Crack.
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Admit it. There are ladies involved. THAT'S why you love it.
Can't beat a spot of mixed doubles, to work up a thirst ;-)
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I doubt if the comments by grahamhs or McGrath1874, are made by people in the know.
They just happen to reply with how they feel about the club and the present situation.
I suppose that they must be on Ketamine or Hippy Crack then?
As for you don't get it,
I will believe the club is sold when it is stated as sold on the clubs website.
I will believe we have a new manager, when I see him holding a villa scarf/shirt at Villa Park, after signing his contract.
I will believe that we have new owners, when it happens.
We did have two directors, who we all believed, would be part of a new beginning, but we all saw how RL screwed that up.
I accept that you and others have a point of view that is contrary to mine, but I reserve the right to reply, when I'm told that what I post is ;
"Utter Rubbish"
" You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
As I have previously stated, the season ends at the end of this week and we then have approx. 14 weeks till next season starts.
We'll see if Mr Hollis is to be trusted, very soon, won't we.
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Just because we haven't been sold yet and we don't have a manager yet doesn't mean it's not going to happen. It's as simple as that really.
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I would think it more likely that the club wanted to appoint Pearson, but not all parties involved in DD agreed, so it is on hold pending who emerges as the successful buyer.
I am now also convinced that the reason for Garde's sudden and somewhat hurried departure from the club was to make a financial settlement with him there and then rather than let his departure muddy the DD waters.
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I'm getting concerned for Eddie. He needs to calm down.
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No need, the man's just speaking his mind, surely?
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who said he wasn't - I was expressing concern
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I doubt if the comments by grahamhs or McGrath1874, are made by people in the know.
They just happen to reply with how they feel about the club and the present situation.
I suppose that they must be on Ketamine or Hippy Crack then?
As for you don't get it,
I will believe the club is sold when it is stated as sold on the clubs website.
I will believe we have a new manager, when I see him holding a villa scarf/shirt at Villa Park, after signing his contract.
I will believe that we have new owners, when it happens.
We did have two directors, who we all believed, would be part of a new beginning, but we all saw how RL screwed that up.
I accept that you and others have a point of view that is contrary to mine, but I reserve the right to reply, when I'm told that what I post is ;
"Utter Rubbish"
" You obviously missed the point that there is a cut off point where a manager will be appointed, probably by the end of May, if the sale hasn't gone through by then?"
As I have previously stated, the season ends at the end of this week and we then have approx. 14 weeks till next season starts.
We'll see if Mr Hollis is to be trusted, very soon, won't we.
You really should read what was written.
The Ketamine / Hippy Crack line was a light hearted dig at ITK gurus who actually know jack.
You've still not said what they said and I'm not going onto the rag mag website, but from your last comment I'm guessing they've expressed frustration at the apparent lack of progress and mistrust for anyone associated with club and their ability to get a deal done with a good prospective owner, in which case no spurious claims of ITK = no ketamine or hippy crack.
The way your "I believe" monologue is phrased, is the same as saying we'll only know when it's official which is obviously true.
If you're saying that you don't believe that the club is in negotiations with potential buyers or that you don't believe that the club have identified the manager they want if a sale can't be completed in a timely fashion then it's your prerogative to call Hollis a liar on the first point and ignore all reports, not to mention common sense on the second.
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BL was the best player we ever had in my view. Terrible shame that he had to retire so soon. A thoroughly nice bloke too.
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Sir Brian'liked' my tweet today.
I am the same age as Bri and a retired headteacher but for a few minutes I was 10 years old again.
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Sir Brian'liked' my tweet today.
I am the same age as Bri and a retired headteacher but for a few minutes I was 10 years old again.
Best post I have read on here :)
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What did you tweet?
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I remembered the promotion match at Hillsborough in 1974 when Sir Brian was denied a hat trick by a handball on the line.
I sat almost next to him in the main stand at Bradford when he had travelled with the team as a 17 year old. He was more interested in the fighting below (as most 17 year olds might have been).
I delighted in his vision and skill when he made his full debut (I think) in a 5-1 victory over Torquay.
A Villa man.
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I remembered the promotion match at Hillsborough in 1974 when Sir Brian was denied a hat trick by a handball on the line.
I sat almost next to him in the main stand at Bradford when he had travelled with the team as a 17 year old. He was more interested in the fighting below (as most 17 year olds might have been).
I delighted in his vision and skill when he made his full debut (I think) in a 5-1 victory over Torquay.
A Villa man.
It was April 1975 at Hillsborough. Then I remember Sunderland at home on the Saturday with 2-0 win in front of 57,000.
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I remembered the promotion match at Hillsborough in 1974 when Sir Brian was denied a hat trick by a handball on the line.
I sat almost next to him in the main stand at Bradford when he had travelled with the team as a 17 year old. He was more interested in the fighting below (as most 17 year olds might have been).
I delighted in his vision and skill when he made his full debut (I think) in a 5-1 victory over Torquay.
A Villa man.
I remember Sunderland at home on the Saturday with 2-0 win in front of 57,000.
My first match............
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I remembered the promotion match at Hillsborough in 1974 when Sir Brian was denied a hat trick by a handball on the line.
I sat almost next to him in the main stand at Bradford when he had travelled with the team as a 17 year old. He was more interested in the fighting below (as most 17 year olds might have been).
I delighted in his vision and skill when he made his full debut (I think) in a 5-1 victory over Torquay.
A Villa man.
It was April 1975 at Hillsborough. Then I remember Sunderland at home on the Saturday with 2-0 win in front of 57,000.
Yep. I was there (58,000 wasn't it?!).
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I remembered the promotion match at Hillsborough in 1974 when Sir Brian was denied a hat trick by a handball on the line.
I sat almost next to him in the main stand at Bradford when he had travelled with the team as a 17 year old. He was more interested in the fighting below (as most 17 year olds might have been).
I delighted in his vision and skill when he made his full debut (I think) in a 5-1 victory over Torquay.
A Villa man.
It was April 1975 at Hillsborough. Then I remember Sunderland at home on the Saturday with 2-0 win in front of 57,000.
Yep. I was there (58,000 wasn't it?!).
Every Monday at school you had to write a diary entry about what had happened at the weekend. I wrote about that match and drew a picture which was mainly filled with circles to represent the spectator's faces. I saw the goalposts once and the corner flag twice from the Witton End.
I got a gold star and "very good"!
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From memory Ian Ross scored from a penalty and Sir Brian got the second?
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Correct, 57266 acc to a link I had in my notes. I was 14 at the time. Stands out like yesterday for the size of the crowd, expectation, result, and struggling to get out in the crush at the end.
Good win for us.
Some stats I found at 11v11.com (tried to post the link but apparently that is "not allowed")
Maybe someone will know if that was the last largest crowd at VP, or if not where it stands in a table of attendances?
UTV
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Welcome 260475. That was indeed a memorable game. At 57k it was some way short of the ground record attendance.
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Correct, 57266 acc to a link I had in my notes. I was 14 at the time. Stands out like yesterday for the size of the crowd, expectation, result, and struggling to get out in the crush at the end.
Good win for us.
Some stats I found at 11v11.com (tried to post the link but apparently that is "not allowed")
Maybe someone will know if that was the last largest crowd at VP, or if not where it stands in a table of attendances?
UTV
My largest attendance at Villa Park was 62,500 league cup semi-final 2nd leg against Man U in 1970 - one of my greatest Villa Park nights ever watching Third Division Aston Villa beat the 1968 European Champions and not only beat them but outplay them in both legs. As Mary Hopkin once sang "Those were the days my friend , We thought they'd never end ,We'd sing and dance forever and a day!
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Traffic to that Man U game was horrendous. I drove down the Coventry Rd to Sheldon then past the Swan to Acocks Green then the 44 bus to Dale End thence on foot. Worth every yard of the journey. What a game.
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Thanks for the Welcome, have been tracking the site since Christmas, as I now have more time on my hands. I must say it has been interesting (the comments even sometimes entertaining!) to observe from the side, at a time when it has all been going wrong. Although it clearly had been for some years.
Maybe now we are starting to turn the corner, and when you look back at those years '75 was about when we were building momentum for '77 and onwards to '81/82, so it's going to take some time I reckon.
I was moved to register and post when my favourite game ever got a mention, realise it wasn't an all time record attendance, but in terms of 'last' (i.e. in reverse date order) great crowd numbers must be up there? If I ask the question slightly differently - which attendance has not been bettered by any that follow it?
My first game was in '71 as a one off - Villa / Port Vale I think in Div 3 (Still have the programme somewhere), which reminds me of an old adage that says when you look where you've come from you know just how far you've been.
UTV
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Odd you should mention that Port Vale game 260, it has a place in our family history as the last game attended by my oldest brother Val (as in Kilmer). He is still going strong at 90 years of age. Half way through the second half he tore off his scarf, jumped on it and left. He has not been back since though his grandchildren and even great grandchildren come up from Cheltenham to Villa Park. In our family it is called "doing an Uncle Val".
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We haven't had a bigger crowd since that Sunderland game. The following season we had 53,782 v sha, 51,300 v West Ham and 50,094 v manure. 76/77 we had 50,084 v sha and that was it for 50K crowds.
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Odd you should mention that Port Vale game 260, it has a place in our family history as the last game attended by my oldest brother Val (as in Kilmer). He is still going strong at 90 years of age. Half way through the second half he tore off his scarf, jumped on it and left. He has not been back since though his grandchildren and even great grandchildren come up from Cheltenham to Villa Park. In our family it is called "doing an Uncle Val".
Who's the oldest poster on here, Brian?
You are the Venerable Brian but there must be someone older?
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Thanks for the Welcome, have been tracking the site since Christmas, as I now have more time on my hands. I must say it has been interesting (the comments even sometimes entertaining!) to observe from the side, at a time when it has all been going wrong. Although it clearly had been for some years.
Maybe now we are starting to turn the corner, and when you look back at those years '75 was about when we were building momentum for '77 and onwards to '81/82, so it's going to take some time I reckon.
I was moved to register and post when my favourite game ever got a mention, realise it wasn't an all time record attendance, but in terms of 'last' (i.e. in reverse date order) great crowd numbers must be up there? If I ask the question slightly differently - which attendance has not been bettered by any that follow it?
My first game was in '71 as a one off - Villa / Port Vale I think in Div 3 (Still have the programme somewhere), which reminds me of an old adage that says when you look where you've come from you know just how far you've been.
UTV
I remember the Port Vale game as the programme had the form for sticking the programme vouchers to for getting a ticket for the League Cup Final. We had so many copies of that programme.
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The Port Vale Game was a 1-0 home win on 16th Jan '71, and although I was there, I had to look up the result.
Plenty of goals in other games against them in Div 3, incl a 4-4 away draw the following November.
As far as the Sunderland home game we are talking about goes, made my day that I was at the last biggest crowd, and thanks to PWS for the data.
UTV
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Something I've wondered before - which was the last game where we had 50,000 Villa supporters? I've a feeling it might be Boxing Day 1975 as West Ham were never particularly well-supported away.
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Not me by a mile Bernie. Amy Dainty has had a couple of posts via my late brother John's computer on here. She is 99 and says she actually remembers seeing Harry Hampton riding his bike to Villa Park. She lived by my grandparents in Portugal Place Nechells. She now lives in a nursing home in Northamptonshire. We have one surviving member of the family well into her nineties, Auntie Peg who lives round the corner from BE's mom in Castle Vale but she is a nose.
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Something I've wondered before - which was the last game where we had 50,000 Villa supporters? I've a feeling it might be Boxing Day 1975 as West Ham were never particularly well-supported away.
You may well be right there. I was at that game on the Witton End with my dad and we had an uncle and cousin who only came once a year if we were at home on Boxing Day. I think an annual trip to see us at xmas was common for many floating or lapsed fans back then. There were usually a number of away fans in the Witton End - generally with no trouble - and I have no recollection at all of any there that day, though to be fair I am sure there were no trains and far less car ownership back then. It was a common site to see white vans (Kenning Hire Vans always spring to mind) with 12-15 boozed up blokes springing out near the ground while their poor driver had to spend ages looking for a parking space.
The first game of the following season against West Ham they had several thousand in the Witton End. We walked in on a boiling hot afternoon to see loads of bare chested cockneys being pushed down the steps and arrested by the police.
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Something I've wondered before - which was the last game where we had 50,000 Villa supporters? I've a feeling it might be Boxing Day 1975 as West Ham were never particularly well-supported away.
On the subject of attendances Dave have we actually had a bigger crowd since the Albion and Ipswich games in 1981? I seem to recall they were both around the 46,000 mark but I may be wrong.
Just remembered Juventus in '83 must have been similar.
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Albion was 47988 and our capacity was 48000.
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I reckon our biggest attendance since then was the 46,324 v Liverpool in the FAC when we were in Division 2.
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Something I've wondered before - which was the last game where we had 50,000 Villa supporters? I've a feeling it might be Boxing Day 1975 as West Ham were never particularly well-supported away.
On the subject of attendances Dave have we actually had a bigger crowd since the Albion and Ipswich games in 1981? I seem to recall they were both around the 46,000 mark but I may be wrong.
Just remembered Juventus in '83 must have been similar.
Juventus was only 43,000, which was disappointing considering they had about 8,000.
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I reckon our biggest attendance since then was the 46,324 v Liverpool in the FAC when we were in Division 2.
Was that 1988? That was the day before I started my first job. It was a Superbowl Sunday as well as I recall. Even though I don't actually have any interest in American Football.
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Juventus I reckon is the next biggest since 80/81, 45,531.
Holte's last stand was 45,347, which I believe was a PL record at the time. Although everything i've seen for the highest attendance for the PL that season has Liverpool v Newcastle at 44,601 for some reason.
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Something I've wondered before - which was the last game where we had 50,000 Villa supporters? I've a feeling it might be Boxing Day 1975 as West Ham were never particularly well-supported away.
You may well be right there. I was at that game on the Witton End with my dad and we had an uncle and cousin who only came once a year if we were at home on Boxing Day. I think an annual trip to see us at xmas was common for many floating or lapsed fans back then. There were usually a number of away fans in the Witton End - generally with no trouble - and I have no recollection at all of any there that day, though to be fair I am sure there were no trains and far less car ownership back then. It was a common site to see white vans (Kenning Hire Vans always spring to mind) with 12-15 boozed up blokes springing out near the ground while their poor driver had to spend ages looking for a parking space.
The first game of the following season against West Ham they had several thousand in the Witton End. We walked in on a boiling hot afternoon to see loads of bare chested cockneys being pushed down the steps and arrested by the police.
Me and the wife were in the Witton End too that game and I remember very few (if any) West Ham supporters.
I declared myself thoroughly underwhelmed by Dennis btw. Um.
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Something I've wondered before - which was the last game where we had 50,000 Villa supporters? I've a feeling it might be Boxing Day 1975 as West Ham were never particularly well-supported away.
You may well be right there. I was at that game on the Witton End with my dad and we had an uncle and cousin who only came once a year if we were at home on Boxing Day. I think an annual trip to see us at xmas was common for many floating or lapsed fans back then. There were usually a number of away fans in the Witton End - generally with no trouble - and I have no recollection at all of any there that day, though to be fair I am sure there were no trains and far less car ownership back then. It was a common site to see white vans (Kenning Hire Vans always spring to mind) with 12-15 boozed up blokes springing out near the ground while their poor driver had to spend ages looking for a parking space.
The first game of the following season against West Ham they had several thousand in the Witton End. We walked in on a boiling hot afternoon to see loads of bare chested cockneys being pushed down the steps and arrested by the police.
Me and the wife were in the Witton End too that game and I remember very few (if any) West Ham supporters.
I declared myself thoroughly underwhelmed by Dennis btw. Um.
1975 US v sunderland over 57000 in the ground and about a million on the Hill. absolutely MAGIC, even if my maths aint the Best.
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Something I've wondered before - which was the last game where we had 50,000 Villa supporters? I've a feeling it might be Boxing Day 1975 as West Ham were never particularly well-supported away.
You may well be right there. I was at that game on the Witton End with my dad and we had an uncle and cousin who only came once a year if we were at home on Boxing Day. I think an annual trip to see us at xmas was common for many floating or lapsed fans back then. There were usually a number of away fans in the Witton End - generally with no trouble - and I have no recollection at all of any there that day, though to be fair I am sure there were no trains and far less car ownership back then. It was a common site to see white vans (Kenning Hire Vans always spring to mind) with 12-15 boozed up blokes springing out near the ground while their poor driver had to spend ages looking for a parking space.
The first game of the following season against West Ham they had several thousand in the Witton End. We walked in on a boiling hot afternoon to see loads of bare chested cockneys being pushed down the steps and arrested by the police.
Me and the wife were in the Witton End too that game and I remember very few (if any) West Ham supporters.
I declared myself thoroughly underwhelmed by Dennis btw. Um.
1975 US v sunderland over 57000 in the ground and about a million on the Hill. absolutely MAGIC, even if my maths aint the Best.
They locked the gates before 2.00 pm I'm sure. The Holte was already full.
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Odd you should mention that Port Vale game 260, it has a place in our family history as the last game attended by my oldest brother Val (as in Kilmer). He is still going strong at 90 years of age. Half way through the second half he tore off his scarf, jumped on it and left. He has not been back since though his grandchildren and even great grandchildren come up from Cheltenham to Villa Park. In our family it is called "doing an Uncle Val".
What are they called Brian? I might know them.
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Jan 29 1969 LC Replay v Soton 59084 - my biggest crowd - and I was there for the Sunderland match too. Sadly missed out on the Manu SF at VP - but was in the Stretford End Paddock (the corner bit) for the first leg (was at U.M.I.S.T. at the time)
Just to plant a flag for the elderly - I will be 67 in two weeks
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Jan 29 1969 LC Replay v Soton 59084 - my biggest crowd - and I was there for the Sunderland match too. Sadly missed out on the Manu SF at VP - but was in the Stretford End Paddock (the corner bit) for the first leg (was at U.M.I.S.T. at the time)
Just to plant a flag for the elderly - I will be 67 in two weeks
I was at that replay having been to the first game in Southampton. IIRC, SHA were involved in a replay the previous night I'm not too sure. I do know that I was at it with my old man. I can't remember who the opposition was, it could have been Arsenal and I think they won. What I do remember was being in a crush getting out and this Nose roaring out, "There must be 50,000 here tonight, let's see the fucking Villa beat that!". Fast forward 24 hours and that 59k crowd. Obsessed about us even then.
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Neither of my brother's sons has children Stuart but his daughter who lives at Charlton Kings has three sons by her late husband. They are Moores same names as royal children - Edward, Andrew and William. Eddy is Fast Eddy and runs two or three discotheques in Ibiza. He sits up with us in the Holte. Andrew has a discotheque in Los Angeles. He lives with his mother in Charlton Kings when he is not designing and fitting out discos around the world. William is a plumber. He and his long time partner have a baby who is heiress to a huge estate on the borders of Hertfordshire and Essex between the two famous villages of Ugley and Nasty. William has never been allowed to marry his partner for inheritance reasons. He doesn't give a shit. You may have seen Fast Eddy from a Channel 4 documentary about Ibiza discos.
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The 47,998 in 80/81 is the largest VP crowd I know i've been part of. I may well have been in some bigger in the 70s as a nipper as dad started taken me around 1975/76 when I was 5 or 6, but I can't remember them.
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The Barcelona game in 1978 was probably the highest VP attendance i've been in. Over 49 thousand i think.
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The Barcelona game in 1978 was probably the highest VP attendance i've been in. Over 49 thousand i think.
Remember what the gk did to the General after he scored that penalty, and as I recall the ref never sent the twat off. oh the mysts of time.
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That was the Super Cup.
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That was the Super Cup.
oh yeah oops, my apologies, my caveat is, I did say mists of time.
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The Barcelona game in 1978 was probably the highest VP attendance i've been in. Over 49 thousand i think.
I left that game early when we were losing 2-0 to go and get the bus, I was young and stupid!!!
I have never left a game early ever since
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The Barcelona game in 1978 was probably the highest VP attendance i've been in. Over 49 thousand i think.
I left that game early when we were losing 2-0 to go and get the bus, I was young and stupid!!!
I have never left a game early ever since
Many years ago I used to quote that game as a reason for staying to the bitter end.!
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The Barcelona game in 1978 was probably the highest VP attendance i've been in. Over 49 thousand i think.
I left that game early when we were losing 2-0 to go and get the bus, I was young and stupid!!!
I have never left a game early ever since
Many years ago I used to quote that game as a reason for staying to the bitter end.!
I learnt the hard way, such is life
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I wasn't at the Barcelona game in 1978. My first game was a 0-3 defeat to Manure in 1979. Which may explain my lack of love for them to this day. I have two memories of the Super Cup final in 1983. The outraged reaction of the Villa fans to Barcelona's 'tactics' which were not quite so beautiful and tikki takka as they are these days. More borderline illegal. And I'm pretty sure Small Heath won the 'Soccer Sixes' at the NEC on the same night. Which, if I have remembered that correctly may well be the only time two teams from the same city have both won a trophy in that city on the same night.
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1975 US v sunderland over 57000 in the ground and about a million on the Hill. absolutely MAGIC, even if my maths aint the Best.
Ridiculously crowded that day - the actual attendance would have been higher as well as plenty used to find a way in without paying. I remember having to perch on the foot of the floodlight to get a decent view. I recall the Leeds game first match next season felt as crowded but the attendance (48k I think) was understated as the gate at the Holte End was broke open and hundreds flooded in. We had a few 50+ gates that first season back.
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I recall the Leeds game first match next season felt as crowded but the attendance (48k I think) was understated as the gate at the Holte End was broke open and hundreds flooded in. We had a few 50+ gates that first season back.
Yes, that was as cramped as i've ever seen -------------Cumbes made a howler or two if I remember.
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Neither of my brother's sons has children Stuart but his daughter who lives at Charlton Kings has three sons by her late husband. They are Moores same names as royal children - Edward, Andrew and William. Eddy is Fast Eddy and runs two or three discotheques in Ibiza. He sits up with us in the Holte. Andrew has a discotheque in Los Angeles. He lives with his mother in Charlton Kings when he is not designing and fitting out discos around the world. William is a plumber. He and his long time partner have a baby who is heiress to a huge estate on the borders of Hertfordshire and Essex between the two famous villages of Ugley and Nasty. William has never been allowed to marry his partner for inheritance reasons. He doesn't give a shit. You may have seen Fast Eddy from a Channel 4 documentary about Ibiza discos.
They wouldn't have gone up on our supporters coach then I am guessing. Eddy Moore does ring a bell though.
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How hot was it the day after of the Leeds game I think I melted on the Holte that day.
Biggest crowd for me was the man yoo semi in the league cup if you see the toilet roll flying on the pitch when andy lochead equalised that was right over my head at the front of the Holte
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What was the crowd when Pele was down B6 with Santos, remember my Dad picking me up from school at lunchtime and then standing outside the Holte once the pubs had closed lunch time for a night kick off.
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What was the crowd when Pele was down B6 with Santos, remember my Dad picking me up from school at lunchtime and then standing outside the Holte once the pubs had closed lunch time for a night kick off.
54437
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
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Probably my biggest crowd at Villa would have been Nottingham Forest vs Swindon (FA Cup Second Replay). Swindon reckon there were just under 53,000 there (I saw bugger all, squished in The Holte behind giant Forest supporters. Failing that West Germany vs Spain 1966 (51,875). Saw much more of that due to friendly giant Germans making room.
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I may have posted this before so apologies. FA Cup sixth round v Preston in 1960. The official figure given was 69,732 (just checked). I was there with my dad who reckoned that there were far more than that and he would have had a fair idea having stood in Villa's record attendance. That's the biggest crowd I can recall standing in down there. Semi-Finals used to pull in those figures too.
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Probably my biggest crowd at Villa would have been Nottingham Forest vs Swindon (FA Cup Second Replay). Swindon reckon there were just under 53,000 there (I saw bugger all, squished in The Holte behind giant Forest supporters. Failing that West Germany vs Spain 1966 (51,875). Saw much more of that due to friendly giant Germans making room.
The only time I have seen a game at Villa Park that didn't involve Villa was a second league cup replay between Arsenal and Liverpool in the late eighties. I think both sets of supporters had half of the Holte End each. I was in the Arsenal side as I never liked Liverpool.
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
I was there. I always believed that Brian Tiler's headed goal was from about 40 yards but maybe it's my old age playing memory tricks.
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
I was there. I always believed that Brian Tiler's headed goal was from about 40 yards but maybe it's my old age playing memory tricks.
I believe Barrie Hole got the first but I have no idea what type of goal it was as everyone jumped up when it went in and I could not see a thing :) I must ask my Dad's brother which pub we went in before the game as I believe it was the Aston Tavern...
UTV
The Doc
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
I was there. I always believed that Brian Tiler's headed goal was from about 40 yards but maybe it's my old age playing memory tricks.
41296 was the crowd....i thought it was Barry Hole who scored the header from outside the box that day. They were both the scorers that day.
I will be disappointed as i've lived the last 48 years believing it to be Hole!!!!
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Correct, 57266 acc to a link I had in my notes. I was 14 at the time. Stands out like yesterday for the size of the crowd, expectation, result, and struggling to get out in the crush at the end.
Good win for us.
Some stats I found at 11v11.com (tried to post the link but apparently that is "not allowed")
Maybe someone will know if that was the last largest crowd at VP, or if not where it stands in a table of attendances?
UTV
My largest attendance at Villa Park was 62,500 league cup semi-final 2nd leg against Man U in 1970 - one of my greatest Villa Park nights ever watching Third Division Aston Villa beat the 1968 European Champions and not only beat them but outplay them in both legs. As Mary Hopkin once sang "Those were the days my friend , We thought they'd never end ,We'd sing and dance forever and a day!
I was there - standing in the Trinity Road lower. One of the very best nights at VP - perhaps only bettered by the 5-1 vs Redscouse on 15th December 1976.
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
I was there. I always believed that Brian Tiler's headed goal was from about 40 yards but maybe it's my old age playing memory tricks.
41296 was the crowd....i thought it was Barry Hole who scored the header from outside the box that day. They were both the scorers that day.
I will be disappointed as i've lived the last 48 years believing it to be Hole!!!!
Well, PGW, we need a final arbiter, someone who is of sound mind and clear vision!
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
I was there. I always believed that Brian Tiler's headed goal was from about 40 yards but maybe it's my old age playing memory tricks.
41296 was the crowd....i thought it was Barry Hole who scored the header from outside the box that day. They were both the scorers that day.
I will be disappointed as i've lived the last 48 years believing it to be Hole!!!!
Well, PGW, we need a final arbiter, someone who is of sound mind and clear vision!
That rules out anyone posting on here then.
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someone who is of sound mind and clear vision!
not sure of that, but 11v11 says this :)
http://www.11v11.com/matches/aston-villa-v-cardiff-city-26-december-1968-114088/
UTV
The Doc
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
I was there. I always believed that Brian Tiler's headed goal was from about 40 yards but maybe it's my old age playing memory tricks.
41296 was the crowd....i thought it was Barry Hole who scored the header from outside the box that day. They were both the scorers that day.
I will be disappointed as i've lived the last 48 years believing it to be Hole!!!!
Well, PGW, we need a final arbiter, someone who is of sound mind and clear vision!
That rules out anyone posting on here then.
I'm gonna believe i'm correct as pointed out it was Brian Tilers debut that day, scored on his debut that's all. Not a screaming header from outside box!!!!
Cheers Doc
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no problem PGW...loved those Aston Villa days :)
UTV
The Doc
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
I was there. I always believed that Brian Tiler's headed goal was from about 40 yards but maybe it's my old age playing memory tricks.
41296 was the crowd....i thought it was Barry Hole who scored the header from outside the box that day. They were both the scorers that day.
I will be disappointed as i've lived the last 48 years believing it to be Hole!!!!
Well, PGW, we need a final arbiter, someone who is of sound mind and clear vision!
That rules out anyone posting on here then.
I'm gonna believe i'm correct as pointed out it was Brian Tilers debut that day, scored on his debut that's all. Not a screaming header from outside box!!!!
Cheers Doc
Somebody prove me right. It was a headed goal from many yards out by Brian Tiler's.
.... wasn't it?
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EI Adio from 2010:
Yes I remember Brian's debut. Headed goal from a corner in front of the Holte where I was standing. It seemed too good to be true at the time,
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
I was there. I always believed that Brian Tiler's headed goal was from about 40 yards but maybe it's my old age playing memory tricks.
41296 was the crowd....i thought it was Barry Hole who scored the header from outside the box that day. They were both the scorers that day.
I will be disappointed as i've lived the last 48 years believing it to be Hole!!!!
Well, PGW, we need a final arbiter, someone who is of sound mind and clear vision!
That rules out anyone posting on here then.
I'm gonna believe i'm correct as pointed out it was Brian Tilers debut that day, scored on his debut that's all. Not a screaming header from outside box!!!!
Cheers Doc
Somebody prove me right. It was a headed goal from many yards out by Brian Tiler's.
.... wasn't it?
I'm with you Berneboy, debut goal scored on a snow covered pitch by Tiler at the Holte End. Thanks to the Birmingham Library Archive Department I was able to find a picture taken of the packed Holte End with yours truly, aged 11 with my long departed father clearly in view- It must have been a bit party as I have what looks like a woollen scarf wrapped around my head.
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I wonder what Sir Brian makes of our mainly inept performances this season? He should be advising Tony to pull the trigger and get Bruce in!
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Brian would most likely be advising Tony to stick with RDM, what with him being an ex-manager, and he'd be right to.
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not sure what the biggest crowd I have stood in at Villa Park is but a Christmas visit to see both sides of my family and my first ever live game with my Dad, his brothers, cousins and Grandad in 1968 Boxing Day vs Cardiff....over 40,000 there and I was 5 years old and in awe of Villa Park, the people, and the city(and if my memory serves me right it snowed)....never looked back :)
UTV
The Doc
I was there. I always believed that Brian Tiler's headed goal was from about 40 yards but maybe it's my old age playing memory tricks.
41296 was the crowd....i thought it was Barry Hole who scored the header from outside the box that day. They were both the scorers that day.
I will be disappointed as i've lived the last 48 years believing it to be Hole!!!!
41250 to be precise!
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I wonder what Sir Brian makes of our mainly inept performances this season? He should be advising Tony to pull the trigger and get Bruce in!
What makes you not think that he was advising on the appointment in the first place.
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Well, Sir Brian was brought is as an advisor to the board, so naturally you'd expect him to advise the board ffs!
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One game that sticks in my mind was an FA Cup Replay against Southampton. It was in the days of Tommy Docherty and we had drawn 2-2 at The Dell. I reckon the crowd was 65000 but I could be delusional. I remember Dave Rudge skipped over a massive sliding tackle from a bloke called John McGrath to cross for a Peter Broadbent headed goal. It was a Wednesday night and when we played at home again on the following Saturday, you could still see the stud marks in the pitch from the sliding tackle. Have I got my facts right?
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One game that sticks in my mind was an FA Cup Replay against Southampton. It was in the days of Tommy Docherty and we had drawn 2-2 at The Dell. I reckon the crowd was 65000 but I could be delusional. I remember Dave Rudge skipped over a massive sliding tackle from a bloke called John McGrath to cross for a Peter Broadbent headed goal. It was a Wednesday night and when we played at home again on the following Saturday, you could still see the stud marks in the pitch from the sliding tackle. Have I got my facts right?
I remember the game well. We were on a double decker coming down College Road but not going very far due to the huge volume of traffic. A few of us decided to jump off and run the rest of the way in case we missed the start of the game. As we were jogging past The Barn the bus cruised past and we had the piss taken out of us by all on board.
I don't think it was 65K though, more like 60K.
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One game that sticks in my mind was an FA Cup Replay against Southampton. It was in the days of Tommy Docherty and we had drawn 2-2 at The Dell. I reckon the crowd was 65000 but I could be delusional. I remember Dave Rudge skipped over a massive sliding tackle from a bloke called John McGrath to cross for a Peter Broadbent headed goal. It was a Wednesday night and when we played at home again on the following Saturday, you could still see the stud marks in the pitch from the sliding tackle. Have I got my facts right?
I remember the game well. We were on a double decker coming down College Road but not going very far due to the huge volume of traffic. A few of us decided to jump off and run the rest of the way in case we missed the start of the game. As we were jogging past The Barn the bus cruised past and we had the piss taken out of us by all on board.
I don't think it was 65K though, more like 60K.
59084 was the attandance. If you are thinking of the goal scored in front of the Holte from a Rudge cross was Lionel Martin a tap in rather than a header after Godfrey dummied at the near post stepping over ball
for Martin to finish. I can't recall the goal at the Witton End by Broadbent at all for some reason. That may have been a header from a Rudge cross.
The first game was brilliant 2-0 up at HT through Godfrey and Hole, thousands of Villa in the 27k crowd absolutely swamping the Milton Rd end. Plus rather unfortunately for a wedding fans running everywhere around church grounds when trying to take wedding photos. Heady days as a 14 yr old
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One game that sticks in my mind was an FA Cup Replay against Southampton. It was in the days of Tommy Docherty and we had drawn 2-2 at The Dell. I reckon the crowd was 65000 but I could be delusional. I remember Dave Rudge skipped over a massive sliding tackle from a bloke called John McGrath to cross for a Peter Broadbent headed goal. It was a Wednesday night and when we played at home again on the following Saturday, you could still see the stud marks in the pitch from the sliding tackle. Have I got my facts right?
I remember the game well. We were on a double decker coming down College Road but not going very far due to the huge volume of traffic. A few of us decided to jump off and run the rest of the way in case we missed the start of the game. As we were jogging past The Barn the bus cruised past and we had the piss taken out of us by all on board.
I don't think it was 65K though, more like 60K.
59084 was the attandance. If you are thinking of the goal scored in front of the Holte from a Rudge cross was Lionel Martin a tap in rather than a header after Godfrey dummied at the near post stepping over ball
for Martin to finish. I can't recall the goal at the Witton End by Broadbent at all for some reason. That may have been a header from a Rudge cross.
The first game was brilliant 2-0 up at HT through Godfrey and Hole, thousands of Villa in the 27k crowd absolutely swamping the Milton Rd end. Plus rather unfortunately for a wedding fans running everywhere around church grounds when trying to take wedding photos. Heady days as a 14 yr old
I was there with my Dad, it was an amazing atmosphere, when the Doc took over from Cummings that season it was such a roller coaster, I was certain of us storming our way back to the top flight the following 69/70 season but it didn't quite work out that way.
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I wonder what Sir Brian makes of our mainly inept performances this season? He should be advising Tony to pull the trigger and get Bruce in!
Personally I think our performances have been better than our results suggest. Although I admit results are what matter. As for Bruce I think he is a decent manager but the last time we appointed a former Small Heath manager it didn't end well. And just like McLeish he also managed to get the noses relegated. I also recall drinking with Small Heath season ticket holders at the time and even when things were going well they were moaning about his style of football.
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Well, Sir Brian was brought is as an advisor to the board, so naturally you'd expect him to advise the board ffs!
If you refer back to my comment, I was asking if you didn't think he advised the owner on RDM. Clearly you don't think so.
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I was just seeing on Twitter that Sir Brian has a book out soon
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I've got a signed copy of this.
(https://pictures.abebooks.com/SPORTSPAGESUK/md/md14217415557.jpg)
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I was just seeing on Twitter that Sir Brian has a book out soon
I have a Brian Little book. 'The Return Of The Little Villan'. I haven't read it for while but I think it was pretty much what it said on the tin. It was pretty much all about his return to Villa as a manager. So a proper autobiography would be interesting. After a good playing career sadly cut short he made a terrific start to his managerial career at Darlington (two promotions I think), Leicester (another promotion after a couple of close misses) and winning a trophy with Villa. There seem to be various reasons put forward for how, when and why he left his post as Villa manager so it would be good to hear his side of the story. Sadly his managerial career went progressively downhill from there at Stoke, Albion, Hull, Tranmere and Wrexham.
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I was just seeing on Twitter that Sir Brian has a book out soon
I have a Brian Little book. 'The Return Of The Little Villan'. I haven't read it for while but I think it was pretty much what it said on the tin. It was pretty much all about his return to Villa as a manager. So a proper autobiography would be interesting. After a good playing career sadly cut short he made a terrific start to his managerial career at Darlington (two promotions I think), Leicester (another promotion after a couple of close misses) and winning a trophy with Villa. There seem to be various reasons put forward for how, when and why he left his post as Villa manager so it would be good to hear his side of the story. Sadly his managerial career went progressively downhill from there at Stoke, Albion, Hull, Tranmere and Wrexham.
Ending up finally I think at Gainsborough Trinity and then as consultant to the Jersey FA if memory serves.
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There was a very good programme about Brian Little on Talksport a year or so back. I can't remember the name of it but it was one of a series of 'looking back' interviews Danny Kelly did. It was very much dominated by his playing and managing spells at Villa and if I remember right he was consultant to the Jersey FA at the time of the interview.
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I've got a signed copy of this.
(https://pictures.abebooks.com/SPORTSPAGESUK/md/md14217415557.jpg)
Me too!
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And me.
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And me.
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After the last few posts we should probably point out that the #Me Too movement has absolutely nothing to do with Brian Little.
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I've got a copy of The Little Villan book going for free if anyone wants it
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After the last few posts we should probably point out that the #Me Too movement has absolutely nothing to do with Brian Little.
Yes, I'd like to point out my earlier post was in no way accusing Brian of sexually harrassing me.
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I've got a copy of The Little Villan book going for free if anyone wants it
I'd love it if it's not already taken?
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What was the view when he became WBA manager in 1999? Just seems a bizarre move for them to make when you consider his legendary status at this club. He hadn't done much at Stoke who were a divison below WBA at the time so seemed odd they wanted him.
Lasted just over half a season and was sacked when they were in the bottom 3 (Townsend was also there at the time). Megson came in and kept them up on the last day of the season and then got them up to the premier league two years later.
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What was the view when he became WBA manager in 1999? Just seems a bizarre move for them to make when you consider his legendary status at this club. He hadn't done much at Stoke who were a divison below WBA at the time so seemed odd they wanted him.
Lasted just over half a season and was sacked when they were in the bottom 3 (Townsend was also there at the time). Megson came in and kept them up on the last day of the season and then got them up to the premier league two years later.
It was the only time I've ever wanted them to do (reasonably) well.
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I had a bit of a row with one lad in Torquay about it at the time, he didn't rate Little and subsequently I told him he was wasted on his poxy club, or some suchlike.
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I remember being extremely disappointed when I heard he was going to SHA as a player. I was never over fussed that he went to the Albion.
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When Little took over Albion it had been over a decade since we'd been in the same division. Few cared that much about them. It would be nice to hear the story of that 99/00 season in Smethwick. I believe certain promises about funds and the sale of players were made and not necessarily acted upon. Little, never the most open and outgoing character with the press, had a face like thunder throughout what was a pretty horrible eight or so months. It was not a happy club although, perhaps surprisingly, Megson brought a lot of fun back into the place.
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Hi ex wife lives in the same village as have a place in Spain - very quiet but respectable lady
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I've got a copy of The Little Villan book going for free if anyone wants it
Thanks for The Little Villan book!! It arrived today! What a fantastic gesture, most kind of you and much appreciated. Thanks again
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I've got a copy of The Little Villan book going for free if anyone wants it
Thanks for The Little Villan book!! It arrived today! What a fantastic gesture, most kind of you and much appreciated. Thanks again
My pleasure!
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Sorry if it’s been posted before, but the Little videos on you tube (villa view) are brilliant. Over two videos he talks about his whole time at Villa.
Great man.
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I see Brian is doing a book signing in the Holte Suite before the Stoke match - might be a stupid question, can anyone go in the Holte Suite or is it only ST holders?
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For book signings anyone can gain entry. He will be to the right of the door by the entrance and besides can’t say anymore that the door staff pay attention to the season ticket cards.
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I'm half-way through this. It is well worth a read. It is not a literary (or editorial) great, but it really is extraordinary to read about his journey from miner's son to Villa star. Frightened of his own shadow (but feisty in a strange way) until he got on the pitch where he had no nerves. Also throws some light on the KM culture now under scrutiny. It must have been like being a squaddie for apprentices.
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What time is the book signing today?
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Not sure of the time for Sir Brian’s book signing but you could make it a double whammy by getting to The Aston Tavern to get a copy of Rob Bishop’s book ‘Euro’s & Villans’ . Tweet below from Rob with the details:
Three @AVFCOfficial legends - Gordon Cowans, Tony Morley and Des Bremner - will be signing copies of Euros & Villans at the Aston Tavern on Saturday (15th Dec) from 12.30pm to 2.00pm. The book is a limited edition of 1982 copies. #AVFC
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Went first to the tavern for the euros book. Only wanted £3 entrance even if going in and out for the book. Rang through and explained to the landlord dnd it was then sorted but the pinky fella on my he door had a right strop on him
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Did anybody else go to the evening with Brian last night at the walmley club? Superb night and I can't wait to get in to his book.