Villa's Fab 50 Top Players

[Pete3206]

Brian Little at 25? The compiler of this nonsense should be named and shamed.

[Clampy]

Brian Little at 25? The compiler of this nonsense should be named and shamed.

I don't remember Brian in his playing days unfortunatley, but given the high esteem that he's held in even to this day, No.25 does sound a bit ridiculous.

[martin]

It's post-war which makes no. 25 all the more ridiculous.

Falklands or Gulf?

An excercise in total futility. Our best teams played before any of us were born;  Our most successful post-war team contained hardly anyone who could objectively be considered great.

Blanchflower and Mcgrath were great players who played for the Villa. Dwight won the European Cup - though he was substituted for either Sheringham or Solskjaer (I forget which) because he was playing shit and had zero impact on the final.

Little was God. End of.

[PeterWithesShin]

So who will be the rest of the top 10 then? I can think of the following who haven't  appeared yet. Hampton, Withe, Walker, Cowans, God, Athersmith, Devey, McParland, Mortimer, Pongo, Barson, James Cowan, Hunter, Spencer.

Unless i've missed something or miscounted, I make it that at least 4 of these aren't better than Alan Wright according to Villa.

Make that at least 5 who aren't better than Wright, Spink etc. That list is a complete joke.

[Legion]

8: Allan Evans

[dave.woodhall]

8: Allan Evans

I'm not going to argue with that one. Not while he's around, anyway.

[Legion]

7: Peter Withe

[andrew08]

I know he's coming up in the list soon, and I acknowledge his legend status, but I never really got Dennis Mortimer at the time. Of the Famous 14 from '81/82 I would say he was not really in the top 6 of that group but I know I will be in a very small minority......as the arguements I've had with mates at away games over the past 25 years or so show.

Mind you its getting to the time in life when I can be nostalgic, so I should say that my memory of him is improving with age and I would, of course, give a lot for 2011-2013 to mirror that period !

I will be staggered if he is above Sid and Macca.

[maidstonevillain]

I know he's coming up in the list soon, and I acknowledge his legend status, but I never really got Dennis Mortimer at the time. Of the Famous 14 from '81/82 I would say he was not really in the top 6 of that group but I know I will be in a very small minority......as the arguements I've had with mates at away games over the past 25 years or so show.

I can comfortably put 5 ahead of him, and all the rest each have a reasonably valid claim for 6th spot in my view.

[PeterWithesShin]

7: Peter Withe

I love Withey and he is rightly a Villa legend, but 7th in the list of all time Villa players? He'd probably struggle to be 7th in all time list of Villa strikers.

[Big Dick Edwards]

The history books suggest the majority of our greatest ever players were serving us 100 years ago but for what it's worth, the top 12 greatest Villa players of my lifetime (in no particular order) are Rioch, Gidman, Little, Gray, Rimmer, Morley, Cowans, Shaw, Withe, McGrath, Yorke and Platt.

[maidstonevillain]

The history books suggest the majority of our greatest ever players were serving us 100 years ago but for what it's worth, the top 12 greatest Villa players of my lifetime (in no particular order) are Rioch, Gidman, Little, Gray, Rimmer, Morley, Cowans, Shaw, Withe, McGrath, Yorke and Platt.

Saunders for Rioch.

[Legion]

Peter McParland

Villa's Fab 50
6: Peter McParland
Career: 1952-1962
Appearances: 341
Goals: 121

Whenever the 1957 FA Cup final is mentioned, one name immediately comes to mind.

Peter McParland is the man most responsible for Villa's famous Wembley victory over hot favourites Manchester United, scoring two second half goals to give his team a 2-1 verdict.

The Northern Ireland international is also remembered, of course, for his unfortunate collision with Ray Wood, which left United's goalkeeper with a fractured jaw and the Manchester club down to 10 men for long periods.

But McParland's contribution to the Villa cause extended far beyond his predatory instincts on that glorious May afternoon.

He scored a total of seven FA Cup goals that season, and his winners' medal certainly wasn't the only one the free-scoring winger collected during a decade in claret and blue.

He also helped Villa to the Second Division title in 1959-60 - and scored the extra-time winner which secured a 3-2 aggregate victory over Rotherham United in the inaugural League Cup final in 1961.

That goal gave him the distinction of being the first player to score in both an FA Cup and League Cup final.

McParland joined Villa from Irish club Dundalk in 1952 and even the man who signed him - manager George Martin - could not have envisaged the impact he would make at Villa Park.

Such was the impression he made that he won the first of his 34 international caps while still a teenager, scoring twice on his debut against Wales in 1954.

He also represented his country at the 1958 World Cup finals in Sweden.

Equally at home at centre-forward as he was on the left wing, McParland was a prolific scorer, hitting the target 121 times for Villa, including 25 league and cup goals during the 1959-60 campaign.

After nearly 10 years with the club, he moved across the West Midlands to join Wolves for £35,000 in January 1962.

All profiles courtesy of Rob Bishop and Frank Holt's comprehensive book: Aston Villa - The Complete Record.

[Legion]

5: Trevor Ford

Villa's Fab 50
5: Trevor Ford
Career: 1947-1950
Appearances: 128
Goals: 61

If there was a half chance of a goal - or possibly even less - Trevor Ford was willing to throw himself in where it hurt.

Strong and courageous, he simply revelled in battles against opposition centre-halves, and loved the business of scoring.

You only have to look at his statistics to realise that.

During his time with Villa he established himself as one of the most prolific marksmen in the club's history, falling only marginally short of a goal every two games.

Originally a full-back, Ford began his professional career with his hometown club Swansea immediately after the war before joining Villa for £12,000 in January 1947.

A week after his first game, a 2-0 win against Arsenal at Highbury, he marked his home debut with Villa's goal in a 1-1 draw with Blackpool, and by the end of that season he had hit the target nine times in as many games.

For the next three seasons, he was in double figures, heading Villa's goal chart on each occasion as his reputation as a fearless centre-forward grew.

He was a player who could shoot powerfully with either foot, and Villa fans really took him to their hearts.

Indeed, he was described by Charlton Athletic defender Derek Ufton as "the most complete centre-forward I have played against."

His value certainly increased during his spell at Villa Park.

The club's outlay for him was no mean figure in those days but it proved to be a wise investment - they received £30,000 from Sunderland when he moved to Roker Park in October 1950.

Ford, who subsequently spent three years with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, won 39 Welsh caps and became the first player to score more than 30 goals for that country.

All profiles courtesy of Rob Bishop and Frank Holt's comprehensive book: Aston Villa - The Complete Record.

[Ads]

Pongo Waring should be in the list as our greatest ever goal scorer.