Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: ADVILLAFAN on July 05, 2021, 04:52:37 PM
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Who was your first Villa hero?
I think weirdly I quite liked Derek Mountfield, as I always liked goalscoring defenders. Moved onto Staunton afterwards.
I think my brother may have had a figurine of Mountfield, which may have helped. He has Van Basten by the same company, but I wasn't bothered about him.
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Andy Gray
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David Platt
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Not sure I really had one but if pushed probably Allan Evans.
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Sid by a country mile.
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Bruce Rioch
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Sir Brian.
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Charlie Aitken.
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Rambo McInally.
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Another vote for Bruce Rioch. I cried when he left for Derby. Not even a big club at the time I thought, though they went on to win the league.
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Garry Thompson.
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Willie Anderson
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Andy Gray and Sir Brian - could never split them even when I was really young.
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Tony Hateley. He was the main source of Villa's goals back then.
One very sad and puzzled 11-year-old when he went to Chelsea.
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David Platt but the one I truly idolised even more once he'd signed was Dean Saunders. We've had strikers with superior goalscoring records but I really loved the guy.
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Ray Graydon. I was 9.
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John Gidman
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Everyone giving there age away here
anyone says Watkins needs banning for being to young
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Tony Hateley...with Colin Withers in second place.
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Alex Cropley
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Peter McParland and Gerry Hitchens, can't split them.
In later years Bruce Rioch.
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Think my brother's was Archie Hunter
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Brian Little
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Properly, Dwight Yorke. But Daley and Dalian before him were up there. And God, moreseo for his Irish heroics (clearly didn't fully appreciate him as a 6-12 year old...in my defence, which kid does appreciate defenders?)
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Andy Gray and Brian Little for me too. I also liked John Deehan at that time but not as much as the other two.
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Everyone giving there age away here
The other day I checked up on Mark Hateley, and was shocked to see that he's 59 and his son Tom (currently playing in Cyprus) 31.
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Sir Brian
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Gerry Hitchens. Cried my eyes out when he went to Italy.
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Peter McParland and Gerry Hitchens, can't split them.
In later years Bruce Rioch.
Same here although for me Gerry just shaded it. Peter Mac took over the instant Hitchens left and I stopped crying.
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Andy Lochhead closely followed by Charlie Aitken
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Brian Godfrey- a gritty, hardworking, determined and fearsome yet skillful member of the pretty poor Villa sides when I started following the team as a kid in the sixties. Captain of the '71 League Cup Final side.
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Pongo Waring, because the way my dad spoke about him I assumed he must still be playing (plus the old man led me to believe Pongo was the sixth Marx Brother for a while). See also Frank Moss Jnr, Mush Callaghan, Frank Broome and George Cummings. Then I realised it was the 1970s and it was Andy Gray briefly until I saw Brian Little live.
It's still Brian Little.
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Bruce Rioch
Me too.
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When I asked for a number to be sewn on the back of my first Villa shirt (early 70s with blue lion), I was told that because the white tape in my mum's sewing box was straight it could only be numbers 4, 7 or 11. I chose 4 and with it Bruce Rioch.
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Slogger Sleeuwenhok.
To a youngster his surname was exotic.
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When I asked for a number to be sewn on the back of my first Villa shirt (early 70s with blue lion), I was told that because the white tape in my mum's sewing box was straight it could only be numbers 4, 7 or 11. I chose 4 and with it Bruce Rioch.
Wasn’t Rioch 8?
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You mean Tulip!
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You mean Tulip!
Always Slogger to me!
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You mean Tulip!
Always Slogger to me!
True.
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The GREAT Peter McParland
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Andy Gray until he sodded off, then Gordon Cowans. I still have a Christmas card from 1979 signed by him and Mr Saunders.
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When I asked for a number to be sewn on the back of my first Villa shirt (early 70s with blue lion), I was told that because the white tape in my mum's sewing box was straight it could only be numbers 4, 7 or 11. I chose 4 and with it Bruce Rioch.
Wasn’t Rioch 8?
You made me doubt myself for a minute so I've just checked my "A Complete Record..." and in the season (72/73) when I would have got the shirt for my birthday he only ever wore the number 4.
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Brian Godfrey- a gritty, hardworking, determined and fearsome yet skillful member of the pretty poor Villa sides when I started following the team as a kid in the sixties. Captain of the '71 League Cup Final side.
On the basis it is your first Brian is a good shout for me too.
We did not have much to choose from in them days but he was as hard as nails and gave everything for the club.
Was in tears when we sold Bruce Rioch but that was later.
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I think there had been years of decay before 71 when the club started back to the top. Rioch was the first top quality player we had seen for many years. That was what hurt so much when he left. It's how our newer fans will be feeling if/when jack eventually leaves.
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Brian Godfrey- a gritty, hardworking, determined and fearsome yet skillful member of the pretty poor Villa sides when I started following the team as a kid in the sixties. Captain of the '71 League Cup Final side.
I don't think there was a Villa fan who was not sorry to see Brian Godfrey leave the Villa, but as the makeweight to allow us to sign Ray Graydon from Bristol Rovers it was a great piece of business, for both clubs as it turned out, I think.
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When I asked for a number to be sewn on the back of my first Villa shirt (early 70s with blue lion), I was told that because the white tape in my mum's sewing box was straight it could only be numbers 4, 7 or 11. I chose 4 and with it Bruce Rioch.
Wasn’t Rioch 8?
You made me doubt myself for a minute so I've just checked my "A Complete Record..." and in the season (72/73) when I would have got the shirt for my birthday he only ever wore the number 4.
I have to admit I actually thought he was 6, I could only find the 71 league cup final team, he wore 8 in that game, so I assume he wore 8 for that season as Brian Godfrey was 4. Bruce must have taken 4 when BG left which ties in with 72-73.
Great choice for first hero, though 👍
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Bruce Rioch.
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Dave Rudge then because he hardly played he was taken over by Bruce Rioch, when he was sold, Brian Little.
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First would've been Nigel Spink, because I was army mad at the time and he was the man in green. First one for footballing reasons would've been Tony Daley.
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Gary Shaw
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He who walks on water followed by Sid and Des Bremner
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Brian Little
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It was either Alan McInally or Tony Daley
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Gordan Cowans. Then Paul McGrath, now Jack Grealish.
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Savo
Had the blue away shirt with his name on, left footed like me too so I liked him all the more.
Plus his bandana!
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The first wasn't a player, it was The Doc.
The first player was of course Andy Lochhead.
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Brian Little
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David Platt but the one I truly idolised even more once he'd signed was Dean Saunders. We've had strikers with superior goalscoring records but I really loved the guy.
This pretty much sums up my first hero(es)
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probably Tulip although only being a kid, could never understand why he got that nickname.
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Leslie Smith. He was an England international and I was an easily influenced eight year old. Then I got a natty centre parting and switched to Dickie Dorsett.
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This thread really does make you realise how many fantastic players we have had over the years. Rimmer, Nicholl, Evans, Cowans, Withe, Morley, Shaw, Saunders, Yorke, Platt, Atkinson, McGrath, Grealish, Lochhead, Gray, Mortimer, Staunton, Martinez, Mings, Young, Carew, Graydon, Houghton, Townsend, Little, Aitken, Merson, Angel, Petrov, Southgate, Barson and Ehiogu. Paul Birch too.
So many fantastic players. What a great football club we have. Hopefully Buendia, Ollie and Konsa join them.
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Brian Godfrey- a gritty, hardworking, determined and fearsome yet skillful member of the pretty poor Villa sides when I started following the team as a kid in the sixties. Captain of the '71 League Cup Final side.
I'd never have thought it, Godfrey ...
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probably Tulip although only being a kid, could never understand why he got that nickname.
I can remember his frequent last second slide tackles. Times have changed so much.
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Nobody has mentioned Harry Burrows and his ferocious shooting. Gutted when he left for Stoke
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Leslie Smith. He was an England international and I was an easily influenced eight year old. Then I got a natty centre parting and switched to Dickie Dorsett.
I've wondered previously, Brian, if you're the eldest Villain on here!
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Gary Shaw.
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Tony Daley. The most exciting player we had at the time. You could hear all the seats in the Trinity flapping up whenever he got the ball.
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It's Sir Brian for me too.
I tried for an earlier hero but could only think of Charlie Aitken because he lived in our road! (Orchard Road. Erdington)
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Savo.
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Andy Gray
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Brian Little
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Andy Gray for me too
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probably Tulip although only being a kid, could never understand why he got that nickname.
He was Dutch and so his landlady called him Tulip!
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Tony Morley is a close second.
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Andy Gray and John Deehan for me. Then it was Tony Morley, who to this day is still my favourite ever Villa player.
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First hero Nigel Sims
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Sir Brian
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Alan Wright.
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Nobody has mentioned Harry Burrows and his ferocious shooting. Gutted when he left for Stoke
Loved Harry B he was the star of the side when i first started going.
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Brian Godfrey- a gritty, hardworking, determined and fearsome yet skillful member of the pretty poor Villa sides when I started following the team as a kid in the sixties. Captain of the '71 League Cup Final side.
I'd never have thought it, Godfrey ...
The fan base was up in arms when Villa were chasing Ray Graydon from Bristol Rovers and they wouldn't let us have him unless they got BG.
Reluctantly we agreed......Didn't turn out too bad in the end.
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Alan Wright.
Good shout. Loved Alan Wright in the 95/96 team.
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Gordon Sidney Cowans
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God
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Alan Wright.
Good shout. Loved Alan Wright in the 95/96 team.
I think it was partly because, being about a foot shorter than everybody else on the pitch, he was the only player a 6-7 year old me felt confident of being able to identify from the stands.
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Brian Little.
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Willie Anderson and Colin Withers
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Ian Taylor. Chuffed he got to score in a winning final for us. Hope Jack gets to do the same.
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Tony Daley
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Ray Graydon
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McGrath.
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Withers, Slogger and Hateley for me.
Big Tone scored 20/25 goals a season to give us a chance of staying up. Big Col and Slogger gave everything to keep 'em out at the other end, but it wasn't enough.
By the time they'd all gone, we were headed for the third division.
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Andy Gray - couldn't believe he left, couldn't believe he was allowed to leave
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Bruce Rioch.