Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Villa Lew on May 01, 2022, 09:34:49 AM
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Yes 'Mr Aston Villa' our all time record holder with 660 appearances, becomes an octogenarian today. Happy birthday Charlie.
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Happy birthday Charlie!
He used to live in the next road to me.
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Happy birthday Charlie. Never to be forgotten, what a great player for this club. I doubt his appearance record will be broken?
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I was there for his debut and for most of his Villa career then, in later years had the pleasure of refereeing him when he played for the Villa Old Stars. A thoroughly nice man. Happy birthday Charlie, legend.
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I was there for his debut and for most of his Villa career then, in later years had the pleasure of refereeing him when he played for the Villa Old Stars. A thoroughly nice man. Happy birthday Charlie, legend.
Yeah I was there for his debut Dave, also Johnny Dixon's final game.
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I was there for his debut and for most of his Villa career then, in later years had the pleasure of refereeing him when he played for the Villa Old Stars. A thoroughly nice man. Happy birthday Charlie, legend.
Yeah I was there for his debut Dave, also Johnny Dixon's final game.
and me, was it Gerry Hitchens last game too before being transferred?
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Great servant, happy birthday Charlie.
50 years since we won the 3rd division championship and the start of the road to Rotterdam. It would be nice for the club to get as many of them to VP as possible before the end of the season for the fans to show their appreciation, especially after Andy Lochhead’s recent passing.
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I always loved Charlie Aitken a true servant and Villa through and through
Happy Birthday Charlie
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I remember his last game for us 0-0 away at Arsenal first season back. Got treated badly by the club at the end but that's football all over. A proper servant of the club - hardly seen in football these days.
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I was there for his debut and for most of his Villa career then, in later years had the pleasure of refereeing him when he played for the Villa Old Stars. A thoroughly nice man. Happy birthday Charlie, legend.
Yeah I was there for his debut Dave, also Johnny Dixon's final game.
and me, was it Gerry Hitchens last game too before being transferred?
No, I'm fairly sure it was against Burnley in the first ever League Cup. I think he was gone before the final. For those that never saw Gerry play, you miseed something very special.
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Thanks for reminding me how old I am.
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My first Villa hero, and, for me, the best ever left back.
A little side story.
My in laws lived just down the road from him in Burcot. The father in law knew him fairly well in some capacity.
F.i.L was telling me that Charlie really looked after his body. He was really in to nutrition and was mindful of what he ate and drank.
I guess this was pretty much unheard of back then in an era of boozing and smoking.
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Happy Birthday Charlie
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My old dad was a rugby man from the valleys, and didn't have a lot of time for football players, but he met and really liked Charlie. I don't think it's possible to dislike him by all accounts.
Happy Birthday Charlie and may you have many more happy years.
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One of the greats. My dad took me to my first game at VP in 77 so missed seeing him live.
Happy birthday
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I did see Charlie play because I’m that old but he is before my time to remember him with any recollection
But I do know one thing he is a true Villa legend
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Happy birthday Charlie, one of my first Villa heroes!
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Todays teams.
For Aston Villa...Withers, Wright, Aitken....
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I was there for his debut and for most of his Villa career then, in later years had the pleasure of refereeing him when he played for the Villa Old Stars. A thoroughly nice man. Happy birthday Charlie, legend.
Yeah I was there for his debut Dave, also Johnny Dixon's final game.
and me, was it Gerry Hitchens last game too before being transferred?
No, I'm fairly sure it was against Burnley in the first ever League Cup. I think he was gone before the final. For those that never saw Gerry play, you miseed something very special.
Yes he was indeed, very direct. So Charlie’s debut coincided with Gerry Hitchens last league game. Charlie Aitken was my favourite Villa left back, quite quick I recall. He played wide up front for a while when we were desperately fighting relegation around 1966/7
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Mr dependable
He used to play tennis on the courts behind the Beaufort picture house in Ward End
Always gave a smile and hello, nice guy
I went to his testimonial at Villa Park against Coventry
I seem to think he had 2 testimonials but could well be wrong
I also think he was involved in some unfortunate incident when his jewellery shop was robbed
Happy Birthday Charlie
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I was there for his debut and for most of his Villa career then, in later years had the pleasure of refereeing him when he played for the Villa Old Stars. A thoroughly nice man. Happy birthday Charlie, legend.
Yeah I was there for his debut Dave, also Johnny Dixon's final game.
and me, was it Gerry Hitchens last game too before being transferred?
No, I'm fairly sure it was against Burnley in the first ever League Cup. I think he was gone before the final. For those that never saw Gerry play, you miseed something very special.
Oh my this makes me feel old! I was there for Charlie's 1st/ Johnny's last game. As for Gerry Hitchens what a player. I saw him sell a dummy to the other 21 players on the pitch. For those who don't know - nicknamed Scratchins.
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Todays teams.
For Aston Villa...Withers, Wright, Aitken....
Todays teams.
For Aston Villa...Withers, Wright, Aitken....
Or the fabled ....Wright, Aitkin, Arce, Hole..........:)
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Happy birthday Charlie.
I remember making him laugh a few years ago when a friend and myself told him that we called the new stand 'The Charlie Aitken Stand'.
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Mr dependable
He used to play tennis on the courts behind the Beaufort picture house in Ward End
Always gave a smile and hello, nice guy
I went to his testimonial at Villa Park against Coventry
I seem to think he had 2 testimonials but could well be wrong
I also think he was involved in some unfortunate incident when his jewellery shop was robbed
Happy Birthday Charlie
Slightly pedantic but wasn't it an antiques shop?
My mom's favourite Villa player ever and I'm sure she fancied him. I met him after our first home game in the Championship v Rotherham in 2016 and he was a real gent. He also kept himself in good shape.
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One of my first heroes and in my eyes still the best left back we ever had. Happy birthday Charlie.
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Mr dependable
He used to play tennis on the courts behind the Beaufort picture house in Ward End
Always gave a smile and hello, nice guy
I went to his testimonial at Villa Park against Coventry
I seem to think he had 2 testimonials but could well be wrong
I also think he was involved in some unfortunate incident when his jewellery shop was robbed
Happy Birthday Charlie
Slightly pedantic but wasn't it an antiques shop?
My mom's favourite Villa player ever and I'm sure she fancied him. I met him after our first home game in the Championship v Rotherham in 2016 and he was a real gent. He also kept himself in good shape.
I think it was described as an " Antiques and Jewellery shop" I was to lazy to type the full description
I suspect the robbers were after the jewellery rather than the Antiques
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I remember his last game for us 0-0 away at Arsenal first season back. Got treated badly by the club at the end but that's football all over. A proper servant of the club - hardly seen in football these days.
His last match was QPR at home a few weeks after the Arsenal match. It was my first visit to Villa Park.
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Happy birthday Charlie!
He used to live in the next road to me.
I lived in Orchard Road when he was in digs at the bottom of the road.
With The Abbey at the top!
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My Dad loved to see Charlie charging up the left wing.
Like many others, the top two lines on the back of my satchel was
Withers/Dunne, Wright, Aitkin.
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Todays teams.
For Aston Villa...Withers, Wright, Aitken....
Withers was the first keeper I saw in a Villa shirt but the first Villa team I could recount as a kid began Dunn, Wright, Aitken..
Happy birthday Charlie. A true legend of our great club.
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From Alice Springs, Happy happy brithday Charlie,amazing to think you where never capped by Scotland although you appeared quite a few times at under 23s with the barely remembered Cammie Fraser.
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Happy birthday, Charlie. Thanks for all the memories.
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Happy 80th number 3! Charlie always seemed to be in the side in my early seasons watching Villa. I can remember him being presented with an award for breaking Billy Walker's appearance record before one game. If I remember correctly it was Billy Walker's widow who presented it- Villa history right there! I played against him once in a Sunday league game- he was the oldest player by many years, was still the fastest and most skillful (playing in midfield) and had the cleanest kit at the end!
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Hi Brian.
The record appearance game was against Notts County in December 1973.
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Thanks Dave. I was pleased that his Villa career continued long enough for him to end it in the first division.
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He was Mr Aston Villa for me when I first started out going the match
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I reckon I saw him in the white swan in Edgbaston after the Norwich game - is that possible at all?