Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Richard E on November 08, 2017, 02:56:26 PM
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Sad news about his health:-
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/birmingham/2017/11/08/former-villa-boss-cant-remember-where-he-lives-due-to-heading-footballs/
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Such a shame. I used to see him quite regularly in Sainsbury's at Reedswood. Great player for us.
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One of my early favourites from the early 70's.
Such sad news
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Sad news, this will be interesting viewing.
Alan Shearer: Dementia, Football And Me, Sunday night BBC 1 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2017/46/alan-shearer-dementia-football-and-me)
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A fabulous player at a fabulous time to be a Villa fan!
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That is sad to hear. One of my favorite Villa players too; I hope he is getting the support he needs.
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Awh ffs! What awful news.
After reading that article I felt I had to revisit this thing of beauty
edit pipped to the post
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Very sad news. Earlier this year somebody in the 'Memories' section posted an article about Big Chris and it really upset me that a former Villa captain was living alone in what appeared near poverty. I really do hope there is somebody around to take care of him and as Bernie said, gets the support he needs.
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Haha! This is brilliant! "What am I going to do now? No more shoulders to drop".
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Before my time as a player but a lovely chap on the occasions i've met him. So sad to hear.
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This has being doing the rounds for sometime his family used to live by my nan’s Stockport Really sad as I loved the man. Took ages to get used to being without him when he left for Southampton
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Great player, one of my heroes, very sad news
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Very sad news. Earlier this year somebody in the 'Memories' section posted an article about Big Chris and it really upset me that a former Villa captain was living alone in what appeared near poverty. I really do hope there is somebody around to take care of him and as Bernie said, gets the support he needs.
I wasn’t aware of that. What a real shame. He always comes across as a positive character every time I’ve seen him.
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sad news for a great player for us
was right behind the goal when he unleashed his shot it was if it was aiming at me all the way in to the goal at the scoreboard end at old Trafford.
always thought some sort of levy could be added to tickets even if its 10 pence to help former players in there hour of need
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Not sure if anything from the link, was different from what was posted last year.
Chris was one of my heroes, A real Captain.
He led us through what were my Villa "golden years "
The stunner at Old Trafford.
Scoring 4 goals on granny's wedding day at Leicester.
I saw on the website that we wanted to create a society of old players.
Not sure what the aims are, but surely one of them should or could be to support a fund for players who fall on hard times like Chris.
Have a fund raising game /testimonial to create a pot for a trust that the club could match to get the ball rolling.
My poor pennies are waiting to be donated
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steamer
my pennies at waiting to
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Where is the PFA when they are needed.
What a shame for such a great player for us
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Very sad. However, as I think I commented on a thread in respect of Jeff Astle, there are an awful lot people who live with - and die from - debilitating conditions as a consequence of performing some form of manual work in less health and safety conscious times. If Chris Nicholl's condition is as a result of heading a football then he should have the same redress to compensation as any other worker. However, I wouldn't want to think that because being a footballer is a high profile occupation, their industrial injuries are somehow considered to be of greater consequence and their needs of greater importance than those of the men who watched them from the terraces.
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It does make me unreasonably angry about the riches that modern day footballers now enjoy. If I was convinced that the entertainment value was proportionately better I wouldn’t moan but in truth it isn’t and players of Chris Nichols generation were better crowd pleasers and far more in touch with the people they entertained. I too was at Old Trafford and behind the goal and as soon a Chris hit that ball I said to my brother it was going in the net. Seems to be a genuinely decent human being whose life, for whatever reason, has turned sour on him. I hope things improve.
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Awh ffs! What awful news.
After reading that article I felt I had to revisit this thing of beauty
edit pipped to the post
Poor old Chris. I remember when he signed for us. Me and my travelling companion to all Villa matches went around to Villa Park for a walk during lunch break, we worked in Witton. When we got there, some fellow who worked there asked had we heard the news of the latest signing? Of course we hadn't and then he told us who it was and that he was still inside. Happy days.
I've just watched that clip again and have only just noticed that as Chris receives the cup and turns to show it to us, Kenny Dalgleish is in the crowd.
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Chris was still is one of my heroes. For me the best number 5 we have ever had. Met him a few years ago at Villa Park in one of the hospitality areas and had a long chat. A really nice honourable man. I wish him well.
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I met him a couple of years back and, for what it's worth, he was cogent. He gave no indication or signs of being unwell. I wish him all the best.
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Nicholl, Evans, Mcgrath, Ugo, Olof, Laursen
he's right at home in that bunch for me
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Great player, great character and great captain, maybe no way to get better, but hope the PFA, or Villa do something to make it more comfortable.
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Meet him at a business function at Villa Park, great bloke happy to chat. I mentioned about "that goal" v Everton and he said he couldn't feel his foot as he had a big bandage on from the game at Derby the week before. He signed an autograph saying, "it was the bandage that won the cup, good luck Chris Nicholl"
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Nice memory. I love to read about these nice stories about meeting heroes who turn out to be everything you thought they might be.
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He was the first Villa player I ever spoke to! I was at Ayresome Park to watch one of many defeats to Boro and was waiting to get a couple of autographs, he spotted I wastge only Villa fan and invited me up on to the team bus to sign my programme and chat. Made my day!
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Sad news. He was slightly before my time watching Villa but he did a decent job following a club legend like McMenemy at Southampton. I was a bit surprised his managerial career never really kicked off from there.
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Truly my favourite goal ever. The first I can remember is Harry Burrows against 'Orient', so I have seen a few, but this one tops everything. It was the culmination & combination of a cup trail that seemed to last forever. That one strike made it all worth it.
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Truly my favourite goal ever. The first I can remember is Harry Burrows against 'Orient', so I have seen a few, but this one tops everything. It was the culmination & combination of a cup trail that seemed to last forever. That one strike made it all worth it.
Was that the Harry Burrows goal that went in direct from a corner? I was at that match and, IIRC, went and stood by the player's tunnel and was so early I would have been one of the first; if not the first in the ground that day. I remember Ray Moore the trainer at the time coming out and then speaking to me. I was overawed, you never got to speak to the playing staff like that back then. Well I didn't anyway.
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Truly my favourite goal ever. The first I can remember is Harry Burrows against 'Orient', so I have seen a few, but this one tops everything. It was the culmination & combination of a cup trail that seemed to last forever. That one strike made it all worth it.
Truly my favourite goal ever. The first I can remember is Harry Burrows against 'Orient', so I have seen a few, but this one tops everything. It was the culmination & combination of a cup trail that seemed to last forever. That one strike made it all worth it.
Was that the Harry Burrows goal that went in direct from a corner? I was at that match and, IIRC, went and stood by the player's tunnel and was so early I would have been one of the first; if not the first in the ground that day. I remember Ray Moore the trainer at the time coming out and then speaking to me. I was overawed, you never got to speak to the playing staff like that back then. Well I didn't anyway.
Was that the Harry Burrows goal that went in direct from a corner? I was at that match and, IIRC, went and stood by the player's tunnel and was so early I would have been one of the first; if not the first in the ground that day. I remember Ray Moore the trainer at the time coming out and then speaking to me. I was overawed, you never got to speak to the playing staff like that back then. Well I didn't anyway.
No-He did score a few of them but it was almost a corner inasmuch he was wide on the touchline and drove it in hard and low, a typical goal for him but ass much cross as shot. It was the only goal of the match and DW tells me it was 1962 as this was the only year Leyton Orient were in the top division.
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Unlike a lot of players today he gave 100% in every game. You always knew that he actually did give a shit about the club and if our players of the last few years had shown the same level of determination that he did I know we'd still be in the premiership.
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Why did he leave us for soton?
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As many have said, he is a lovely guy and really cares about the club.
He told me that he was given very bad financial advice.
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Why did he leave us for soton?
I think Saunders told him he was going.
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Why did he leave us for soton?
He beat Ron Saunders at golf.
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Scored in his last game for us.
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0a/ec/07/0aec07c795214ac18d7a9ba5ada41b99--aston-villa-villas.jpg)
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Truly my favourite goal ever. The first I can remember is Harry Burrows against 'Orient', so I have seen a few, but this one tops everything. It was the culmination & combination of a cup trail that seemed to last forever. That one strike made it all worth it.
Spot on.
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Scored in his last game for us.
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0a/ec/07/0aec07c795214ac18d7a9ba5ada41b99--aston-villa-villas.jpg)
That I think was the last game of the wonderful 76-77 season, and that night we tore Albion apart. You'll see in that line up three proper strikers - Gray, Little and Deehan - and something that sadly wasn't able to happen too often, Cowans and Cropley playing together in midfield, with Mortimer. To send out a team that was able to play so effectively, and with such flair and speed, wouldn't have been possible without a real leader at the back - Chris Nichol.
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Why did he leave us for soton?
I think Saunders told him he was going.
Saunders got shot of captain after captain Ian Ross Chris and Leighton Phillips.
Have mixed views of chris as a footballer not the greatest centre half but could and did carry the ball out of defence. I still think mcnaught was lucky he had Evans beside him
That goal at Old Trafford one of the best moments in my life
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That goal was one of the most memorable moments of my villa infatuation. I was ten years old and listening to the match on BRMB with Tony Butler telling us all to get our prayer mats out. I was kneeling on the living room floor with my head on the settee, it was my superstitious lucky position and I sat there through both replays with my feet going numb. The goal went in, Butler went mad and I jumped around the floor with floppy feet that didn't work properly.
Didn't he get a contact lens knocked out in the celebration too?
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That team with Chris, Dennis, Brian, Andy, Alex and Sid ...what would I give to have players of that calibre in out team today?
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That was tough viewing last night, hope he has family who have since taken him to get a proper diagnosis, was quite stunned that he hadn't sought any medical or professional help as indeed was Shearer.
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I talked to a friend of mine who live next door to him and it is true and it is awful and he can't remember where he live.
Dementia is horrible disease, my late father had it. I would urge all footballers especially strikers and central half to check their head especially from the time with heavy brown leather ball.
Bill Gates have pledge to donate $100millions dollars towards research for treatment. Well Done.
Can football work without heading.
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When Chris went up to lift the cup