collapse collapse

Please donate to help towards the costs of keeping this site going. Thank You.

Recent Posts

Follow us on...

Author Topic: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch  (Read 230564 times)

Online dave.woodhall

  • Moderator
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 61434
  • Location: Treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry.
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #330 on: September 10, 2018, 12:12:56 AM »
The Crouch story is similar to Angel, who gained a lot of sympathy when he was apparently treated badly on his arrival. As was said at the time, "He expected help 24 hours a day, and Villa don't do that for anyone".

That’s not remotely as I recall it. He arrived, hardly speaking any English. His wife and child were then taken ill, and he was messed around by the hotel he was in. Gregory admitted they didn’t do enough to help him settle, which is why they appointed the player liaison officer afterwards.

He was asked to move his room in the Belfry for one night. That was the extent of his being messed around.

Offline mike

  • Member
  • Posts: 2236
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #331 on: September 10, 2018, 06:49:54 AM »
I’d have a bit more sympathy with JPA moving his whole family thousands of miles to a country where he can’t speak the language (and then them getting ill) than Big Pete moving a bit up the road. Having said that, I always liked both of them.

Offline footyskillz

  • Member
  • Posts: 3262
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #332 on: September 10, 2018, 08:36:19 AM »
Where's that from 'Skillz? Didn't Peter have the gumption to sort himself out with an apartment or was it bad old Doug's fault somehow?

From his hilarious book available online and in all good book stores

Offline fredm

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1394
  • GM : 02.09.2024
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #333 on: September 10, 2018, 11:16:45 AM »
The Crouch story is similar to Angel, who gained a lot of sympathy when he was apparently treated badly on his arrival. As was said at the time, "He expected help 24 hours a day, and Villa don't do that for anyone".

That’s not remotely as I recall it. He arrived, hardly speaking any English. His wife and child were then taken ill, and he was messed around by the hotel he was in. Gregory admitted they didn’t do enough to help him settle, which is why they appointed the player liaison officer afterwards.

He was asked to move his room in the Belfry for one night. That was the extent of his being messed around.

Yes but this was a (relatively) young man who had just moved continents, I believe had a very small grasp of the english language, and had a wife, who presumably couldn't speak the language, and a small child who was not very well. Perhaps the reasons for him being "messed about" were not made very well to him leaving him frustrated and upset that no one seemed to bother to ensure he fully understood what was happening.

Online dave.woodhall

  • Moderator
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 61434
  • Location: Treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry.
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #334 on: September 10, 2018, 11:24:21 AM »
The Crouch story is similar to Angel, who gained a lot of sympathy when he was apparently treated badly on his arrival. As was said at the time, "He expected help 24 hours a day, and Villa don't do that for anyone".

That’s not remotely as I recall it. He arrived, hardly speaking any English. His wife and child were then taken ill, and he was messed around by the hotel he was in. Gregory admitted they didn’t do enough to help him settle, which is why they appointed the player liaison officer afterwards.

He was asked to move his room in the Belfry for one night. That was the extent of his being messed around.

Yes but this was a (relatively) young man who had just moved continents, I believe had a very small grasp of the english language, and had a wife, who presumably couldn't speak the language, and a small child who was not very well. Perhaps the reasons for him being "messed about" were not made very well to him leaving him frustrated and upset that no one seemed to bother to ensure he fully understood what was happening.

At the time my heart bled for this man earning a fortune, who apparently couldn't contact anyone who speak Spanish to help him. It still does, as it does for all footballers. Incidentally, Sir Graham said that one of the reasons he couldn't get much out of Angel two years later was that he was still moping about his supposed ill-treatment. 

Offline Risso

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 84820
  • Location: Leics
  • GM : 04.03.2025
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #335 on: September 10, 2018, 11:30:46 AM »
It wasn't just his son who was ill, it was his wife.  And if Taylor did say that, it was utterly pathetic of him.  What was his excuse for failing to get much out of every other player in the squad as well then?

Online dave.woodhall

  • Moderator
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 61434
  • Location: Treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry.
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #336 on: September 10, 2018, 11:39:43 AM »
It wasn't just his son who was ill, it was his wife.  And if Taylor did say that, it was utterly pathetic of him.  What was his excuse for failing to get much out of every other player in the squad as well then?

Nice to see the Angel love-in still burns brightly. 2002-03 was a poor season; the many and varied reasons for that have been explained in full ever since. Sir Graham would probably have admitted that he shouldn't have come back - there's certainly enough evidence that had he known the full extent of what he was taking on he wouldn't have done so. I can't see how him being honest about a player years after the event makes him pathetic, but then again I can't understand why someone would want to stay in a job where he was so upset about being treated so badly.

I wonder what Ryu's doing these days?

Offline mike

  • Member
  • Posts: 2236
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #337 on: September 10, 2018, 12:13:13 PM »
It wasn't just his son who was ill, it was his wife.  And if Taylor did say that, it was utterly pathetic of him.  What was his excuse for failing to get much out of every other player in the squad as well then?

Nice to see the Angel love-in still burns brightly. 2002-03 was a poor season; the many and varied reasons for that have been explained in full ever since. Sir Graham would probably have admitted that he shouldn't have come back - there's certainly enough evidence that had he known the full extent of what he was taking on he wouldn't have done so. I can't see how him being honest about a player years after the event makes him pathetic, but then again I can't understand why someone would want to stay in a job where he was so upset about being treated so badly.

I wonder what Ryu's doing these days?

I'd normally agree with you on the spoilt footballer thing, Dave, but I think a man sat in a hotel in a country on a different continent where he can't speak the language with no family or friends suddenly finding his wife and young son ill is going to have a few problems, regardless of his income. I had the misfortune to have my son fall ill abroad and it was a nightmare, irrespective of the fact I am a mature man who has spent a lot of years in a tough working environment. Of course, you know more about the circumstances than I do, but I feel for him in that situation. I certainly didn't feel like finding an interpreter when I was at my wit's end.

Online dave.woodhall

  • Moderator
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 61434
  • Location: Treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry.
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #338 on: September 10, 2018, 12:32:07 PM »
It wasn't just his son who was ill, it was his wife.  And if Taylor did say that, it was utterly pathetic of him.  What was his excuse for failing to get much out of every other player in the squad as well then?

Nice to see the Angel love-in still burns brightly. 2002-03 was a poor season; the many and varied reasons for that have been explained in full ever since. Sir Graham would probably have admitted that he shouldn't have come back - there's certainly enough evidence that had he known the full extent of what he was taking on he wouldn't have done so. I can't see how him being honest about a player years after the event makes him pathetic, but then again I can't understand why someone would want to stay in a job where he was so upset about being treated so badly.

I wonder what Ryu's doing these days?

I'd normally agree with you on the spoilt footballer thing, Dave, but I think a man sat in a hotel in a country on a different continent where he can't speak the language with no family or friends suddenly finding his wife and young son ill is going to have a few problems, regardless of his income. I had the misfortune to have my son fall ill abroad and it was a nightmare, irrespective of the fact I am a mature man who has spent a lot of years in a tough working environment. Of course, you know more about the circumstances than I do, but I feel for him in that situation. I certainly didn't feel like finding an interpreter when I was at my wit's end.

To be honest, I might have had a lot more sympathy for him if he'd tried to meet us halfway but it was Martin Swain, no great lover of the board of the time, who said that he expected constant attention even before Mrs Angel and Geronimo arrived on the scene. I think the whole Angel affair was just the most visible aspect of a club that was riven with discord from top to bottom. I've just gone through the book interview Sir Graham did   with me and it's incredible to look back at what he said (even the publishable bits) and think that this was a club with serious top four designs at the time. As he said, it was a wonder we'd got anywhere near the top of the table and being there for so long in 1998 was an achievement by John Gregory that probably wasn't appreciated so much either then or now.

Offline Risso

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 84820
  • Location: Leics
  • GM : 04.03.2025
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #339 on: September 10, 2018, 01:57:07 PM »

At the time my heart bled for this man earning a fortune, who apparently couldn't contact anyone who speak Spanish to help him. It still does, as it does for all footballers. Incidentally, Sir Graham said that one of the reasons he couldn't get much out of Angel two years later was that he was still moping about his supposed ill-treatment. 

That's a bit like Gregory saying that Stan Collymore was earming too much money to be really depressed.

Offline Risso

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 84820
  • Location: Leics
  • GM : 04.03.2025
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #340 on: September 10, 2018, 02:00:33 PM »
It seems like JPA and his family all arrived together.  Gregory thankfully, seemed to be fairly understanding in this case, praising Angel's attitude:

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/angel-finds-mercy-for-a-family-dedication-9240293.html

Online dave.woodhall

  • Moderator
  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 61434
  • Location: Treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry.
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #341 on: September 10, 2018, 02:05:11 PM »

At the time my heart bled for this man earning a fortune, who apparently couldn't contact anyone who speak Spanish to help him. It still does, as it does for all footballers. Incidentally, Sir Graham said that one of the reasons he couldn't get much out of Angel two years later was that he was still moping about his supposed ill-treatment. 

That's a bit like Gregory saying that Stan Collymore was earming too much money to be really depressed.

It isn't, but never mind.

Offline Damo70

  • Member
  • Posts: 30877
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #342 on: September 10, 2018, 02:09:08 PM »

At the time my heart bled for this man earning a fortune, who apparently couldn't contact anyone who speak Spanish to help him. It still does, as it does for all footballers. Incidentally, Sir Graham said that one of the reasons he couldn't get much out of Angel two years later was that he was still moping about his supposed ill-treatment. 

That's a bit like Gregory saying that Stan Collymore was earming too much money to be really depressed.


I think a lot of people who haven't suffered from depression can have quite a dismissive attitude to people who do suffer from it. I was responsible for staffing twelve to fifteen betting shops and got quite intolerant with people who missed a lot of time from work due to depression. Having suffered with it myself in more recent years I have a totally different perspective of the illness.

Offline Risso

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 84820
  • Location: Leics
  • GM : 04.03.2025
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #343 on: September 10, 2018, 02:14:47 PM »
Completely agree Damo.  And I've also had friends and family who have been seriously ill, and when they are, the amount of money you earn, and the job you are supposed to be doing really do seem like unimportant trivialities, which I'm certain you are also all too aware of.

Online john e

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 19206
  • GM : 28.06.2024
Re: Ex- Villa Players still playing watch
« Reply #344 on: September 10, 2018, 08:04:58 PM »
I follow JPA on Twitter and he still loves the Villa,
so whatever happened and whoever's fault it was didn't change that

I loved watching him
He had more skill and vision than the rest put together

 


SimplePortal 2.3.6 © 2008-2014, SimplePortal