Villa's Fab 50 Top Players

[G B Ramsay]

I've got no idea how to rate all these players, especially when you go back over 'ancient' history.  I do remember me old Man telling about George Cummings signed 1935 for £9,350, apparently was called the 'icicle' for his cool headed defending, he was a full back. Me Da' said that he remembered him silencing Stanley Matthews for about 89min, due to a first minute tackle, which basically said 'be afraid, be very afraid'. 

[dave.woodhall]

To get back to the subject, Martin Laursen was indeed a fine footballer for the short time he played for us, but David Platt is half the world-class players we've had in my lifetime.

[cdbearsfan]

I assume McGrath is the other Dave but I would suggest Yorke could be classed as World class too.

[dave.woodhall]

I assume McGrath is the other Dave but I would suggest Yorke could be classed as World class too.

I don't think he was when he was with us. He was good, but he moved up a gear with them.

[Steve67]

Laursen, McGrath, Platt and Cowans all world class.  Several just below that level for me, the likes of Saunders, Withe, Morley, Mortimer, Bernie Gallagher, Brendan Ormsby, Dwight Yorke and Gareth Farrelly.  Honestly!

[cdbearsfan]

I was with you up until the word "Bernie".

[Steve67]

I was with you up until the word "Bernie".

Ha Ha,  We've had our fair share of really poor players too haven't we? David Norton, Gallagher, Ormsby, Dean Glover, Gareth Farrelly, Bosco, Hadji, Kachloul, all terrible.

I wonder how thw OS has carried out this piece of work, have they had people vote or are they random selections? Martin Laursen should be up there in the top 10 I would have thought.

[cdbearsfan]

I think Hadji was ok. We didn't use him enough... there was always that rumour that we would've had to give Coventry an extra twenty quid or so if he played again. Not sure if it was true.

In answer to the second part, the OS has made this up as they go along. Wouldn't be surprised if they get all the way to number one and find out they've forgotten Billy Walker. And Paul McGrath. And Dennis Mortimer, all in a desperate attempt to squeeze Stevie Stevie Stone into the top ten.

[ClarrieBlue]

I've got no idea how to rate all these players, especially when you go back over 'ancient' history.  I do remember me old Man telling about George Cummings signed 1935 for £9,350, apparently was called the 'icicle' for his cool headed defending, he was a full back. Me Da' said that he remembered him silencing Stanley Matthews for about 89min, due to a first minute tackle, which basically said 'be afraid, be very afraid'.

My Dad told me a similar story. Apparently Sir Stan ended up in a stunned, tangled mess amongst the tea and Bovril urns at the back of the Trinity Road Enclosure as it was called then. I'm sure these stories grow in the telling but Sir Stan wouldn't touch and didn't want the ball after that. Apparently Cummings was eventually suspended -  "sine die" - which meant suspended with no definite end. They didn't mess about in those days but he was allowed to play again eventually.

[JJ-AV]

38 - Dion Dublin.

What?

[dave.woodhall]

37 - Gabby. They're making it up as they go along.

[andrew08]

Gabby has been wheeled out to coincide with his endorsement of AM. They think we're stupid.

[Big Dick Edwards]

If Dean Saunders, Dion Dublin and Gabby are really in that list of Villa's 50 greatest ever players I'm not even going to bother looking at it. The Times list is much more realistic.

[JUAN PABLO]

36 - David Unsworth 

[*shellac*]

36 - David Unsworth 

That's about right.