Villa's Fab 50 Top Players

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

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

Billy Walker and Harry Hampton are our greatest ever goal scorers.

Pongo holds the record for most goals in one season.

[nick harper]

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.

I think my lifetime is the same as yours BDE. I would have Mortimer for Morley, otherwise agree with your list. I would think if you went back a generation, Hitchens, McParland and maybe Johnny Dixon would be the main players challenging your top 12 (those are my Dad's favourites).

[dave.woodhall]

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

It's post-war. And Trevor Ford should be nowhere near number five.

[PaulTheVillan]

Trevor who?

[Ads]

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

Billy Walker and Harry Hampton are our greatest ever goal scorers.

Pongo holds the record for most goals in one season.

I was going off goals per game ratio. Waring scored a goal every 1.35, which is even better than Hampton's record.

I didn't realise it was post-war only.

I know it was a different era, style and so forth, but it makes you wonder what sort of fees these players would command today.

[Peles best mate]

Trevor who?

A big thug of a journeyman centre-forward who played for the Villa for 3 seasons after the war. Was suspended later in his career for accepting illegal payments.

What on earth are the criteria for this list - will Messrs Bishop and Holt like to fill us all in one day? It has got to be done statistically somehow - but I cannot work it out.

If Mortimer, as I expect, is number one - that will be the icing on the cake. I hope Cowans and Bremner got extra points for doing all his running and tackling.

[Ads]

I'd assume McGrath will be number 1 (unless he's been already).

He's certainly my favourite player, not just because he was unbelievable, but because he was far from perfect. Much like Botham, I think we quite like our heroes in this country to be a little mad.

[Peles best mate]

I'd assume McGrath will be number 1 (unless he's been already).

4 left.  Cowans, McGrath, Dixon, Mortimer

[dave.woodhall]

Trevor who?

A big thug of a journeyman centre-forward who played for the Villa for 3 seasons after the war. Was suspended later in his career for accepting illegal payments.

Last season I was talking to two supporters from that era and when his name came up they went apoplectic over some allegedly deliberately-missed penalty against a club he was linked with.

[TheSandman]

I reckon number one will be Sid.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I reckon number one will be Sid.

He should be.

I can't believe Dennis is in the Top 4. Very decent player, scored a couple of vital goals and a great captain in a team of captains. But Top 4, never.

[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.

I think my lifetime is the same as yours BDE. I would have Mortimer for Morley, otherwise agree with your list. I would think if you went back a generation, Hitchens, McParland and maybe Johnny Dixon would be the main players challenging your top 12 (those are my Dad's favourites).

Mortimer would have been next on my list, followed closely by Cropley.

[saunders_heroes]

I reckon number one will be Sid.

I'd never have Cowans down as our best player. McGrath for me. I don't think I ever saw him have a bad game for us.

[Mazrim]

Sid by a mile.

[Legion]

God by a furlong.