Villa's Fab 50 Top Players

[Bill Locky]

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.

There's hope for Stephen Ireland then.

[Colhint]

Mortimer better than Macca then.

Wow

You could make a case for Sid being better, I know I would, but Mortimer better than Macca ? I would say I saw virtually all of Paul McGrath's Villa games and about half of Dennis Mortimers to judge them.
If being fortunate enough to be captain of a trophy winning side makes you a great then I suppose Dixon is coming up, I didn't see him play but that side seemed to flirt with relegation a lot in that era unlike McGrath's era.

My 'who I've seen in the flesh' top 5 would be:

1.Sid
2.Little
3.McGrath
4.Platt
5.Yorke

My Favourite Player Top 5 would be:

1. Andy Gray
2.Dean Saunders
3.Rambo
4. Gabby (I dunno why, derby goals, man u away, goals in big games, I suppose)
5. Gary Shaw

mine would be

1. Sid
2. Little
3. Eddie
4. Large

[gervilla]

Who ever compiled this list is smoking some grade a shit.

[Louzie0]

That would be the work experience student doing the photocopying and drawing names out of a snood.

[Colhint]

the top 3 must be all players before 1958. I aint seen any player in Claret and blue as good as God. Sid was damn close, but by God that man was good

[nuninho]

I love the reaction I get when people ask me the best player I've ever seen (ever, not just Villa).

Answer is always McGrath.  If I see better in my lifetime then I'll be lucky.

[Legion]

3: Johnny Dixon

Villa's Fab 50
3: Johnny Dixon
Career: 1944-1961
Appearances: 430
Goals: 144

The biggest tragedy of Johnny Dixon's later life was that he couldn't remember his greatest triumph.

Dixon suffered from Alzheimer's disease before his death in January 2009 at the age of 85, and had no recollection of the glorious day at Wembley half a century earlier when he proudly held the FA Cup aloft at Wembley.

Thankfully, the occasion will always be cherished by Villa folk.


Although it was the club's seventh Cup triumph, it was their first at Wembley - and their last of the 20th century.

A few years before his death, the popular Geordie described just how much it meant to him, describing how he was almost in tears a few minutes before the final whistle when he imagined the feeling of being presented with the trophy.

"It was fantastic when I went up to collect the Cup," he said. "The Queen handed me the Cup and I turned away from her to hold it up. To do something like that just once in a lifetime is tremendous and I will always be grateful for that."

Dixon's Villa career had begun a decade earlier when he wrote for a trial because he liked the club's name.

He arrived during the war, in August 1944, and 20 months later he scored on his debut against Derby County in the Football League (South).

After scoring three goals in five games, he established himself as a regular in the Villa line-up when league football resumed in 1946-47, going on to make an impressive 430 appearances before his retirement in 1961.

He also scored 144 goals, including five during the 1957 Cup run, and was on target in a 4-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in his farewell game - on the day Charlie Aitken made his debut.

A classy inside forward, he was Villa's leading scorer on four occasions, including the 1951-52 campaign, when he hit a personal best 28.

Dixon also helped Villa to regain top flight status by winning the Second Division title in 1959-60 after they had been relegated the previous season for only the second time in the club's history. Following his retirement, he coached the club's youngsters for six years.

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

[Clampy]

Who ever compiled this list is smoking some grade a shit.

I was just looking through the list on the OS. Gabby better than Platt? I hardly think so.

I met Johnny Dixon outside Wembley in 2000 before the Chelsea final and he signed my shirt. He seem genuinely humbled by the amount of people gathered round him wanting to say hello. Before my time, but a true legend.

[VillaZogmariner]

1. McGrath
2. Sid
3. Dixon
4. Mortimer

That is how I'd have the top 4.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm still amazed McGrath wasn't 1.

[Olneythelonely]

Unbelievable. I know these sort of lists throw up a few strange choices, but McGrath is one of the greatest players to have played the game, for anyone. It's actually pissed me off, quite a lot.

[Zhong Yi]

AVFC.co.uk's (strangely assembled) fab 50 leaves in my opinion:

Pong Wearing
Dennis Mortimer

considering he didnt ever train, Paul McGrath has surely got to be the best player to play for Villa.

[cdbearsfan]

Post-war only. Sorry Pongo fans.

[Legion]

Mortimer and Cowans?

[cdbearsfan]

Must be. Cowans number 1?