Random Stories About Footballers

[Dante Lavelli]

That's Gary Shaw.

Went to a Q & A last weekend with him, Sid & Tony Morley. He was asked to explain the feeling of scoring at the Holte End as a Villa fan, he said "against Small Heath, it was better than sex"
He is getting on a bit now I suppose

"I had more women that season than I scored goals. I scored 23 goals." Bastard.

Oh to be a footballer...

[eric woolban woolban]

Luckily Danny Graham doesn't have to adopt the same attitude, else he'd have to become a priest.

[ktvillan]

I am asking jnr to wear the famous white shirt with maroon stripes and have Withe printed on the back

Sorry but what colour stripes?

[Damo70]

I worked in Barclays Bank Sutton Coldfield in 1994-5 when I was 19. I would reguarly serve players such as Yorke, Bosnich, Ugo, Froggatt etc. Bosnich was a real poser who always tried to impress the female staff but they were all generally ok. On my last day working there I spent a 2 hour lunch break in The Cup pub opposite, with people buying me drinks (this was very much the done thing in those days, though it sounds bad now, and you got a 2 hour lunch on your very last day!). I was serving on the counter that afternoon, and was definately the worse for wear, when up walked Dwight Yorke. "Yorkie!" I shouted "Great goal last week mate", "We love you etc etc". Dwight's face was a puzzled look of "Is this guy serving me, pissed?!" My horrified boss quickly suggested I come off the counter and sit quietly out of the way.

I've told this one before, but one of the most surreal encounters I've had was when Gary Shaw walked into Azim's Balti House in Lozells on a Saturday night, several hours after a home game about 2 years ago. He was with a group who'd been on it all day, which included the Norwegian Lions. He came over and said hello as he passed our table and we acknowledged him. Later on, as I passed his table going to the loo, he called me over again for a chat. He's basically Villa mad, and was asking me and my mates Villa related trivia questions to test whether we loved the Villa as much as him! He also led a Villa sing song, before the best bit - talking me through Withe's goal in Rotterdam by using bits of broken poppadom to indicate who each player was. He'd position all the pieces of poppadom and move them around the table, saying "this is me, this is Morley" as he slid a piece along the side of the table etc. Posed for photos before leaving. The next morning was a proper "did that really happen last night?" moment.

Some mates of mine attended the Old Stars /Lions & Legends (forget which now) Xmas Party the year before last. It's fair to say that 2 of the 1982 squad can't stand the sight of each other (one was a 1st team regular, the other a squad member) and by the end of the night their respective families were having a major, pissed up slanging match until eventually each of the players wives came to blows on the car park, and were rolling around on the floor before being pulled apart!

Me and a mate ended up sat with Steve Bull at the bar at the Grosvenor Casino on Broad St about 4 or 5 years ago. Top bloke, happy to chat for ages whilst his Mrs played on the tables. Was happy to talk about England, scoring at Hampden, Italia 90, what a great guy Bobby Robson was etc. Then I had to ask him just how closed he'd come to ever joining Villa. He said that one summer he was sure that the deal was on, even had his bag packed ready to go, but for whatever reason it just never happened!

Great post!
We're the two '82 players Mortimer and Ormsby by any chance? I know Ormsby can't stand Mortimer.

I think Bull would have been great in a Villa shirt. I bet he wishes he joined us now.

I don't think there is much love lost between Tony Morley and Colin Gibson.

[simboy]

I've seen Devlin jogging around Walmley on occasions so he still lives locally.

Love that merson story at Windsor. From memory Walsall actually lost that cup game!

Devlin does live locally (Sutton), his nipper is at the same school as mine and he drinks in The Duke.

Paul Devlin ran a football training session for kids in the local youth centre - my lad always went in his Villa top - seemed a decent bloke.

 The first football team my lad played for when he was about seven trained at the back of a miners welfare in Rugeley. When i went down there was a young lad, same age, who was quick and two footed. He was clearly head and shoulders above the rest and when they played a game his dad used to turn up and watch. It came as no surprise his dad was one Tony Morley. He was very much into the whole thing although refrained from coaching  the team, he did do the end of year presentation evening. He even brought down his European cup winning medal on one occasion.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

I worked in Barclays Bank Sutton Coldfield in 1994-5 when I was 19. I would reguarly serve players such as Yorke, Bosnich, Ugo, Froggatt etc. Bosnich was a real poser who always tried to impress the female staff but they were all generally ok. On my last day working there I spent a 2 hour lunch break in The Cup pub opposite, with people buying me drinks (this was very much the done thing in those days, though it sounds bad now, and you got a 2 hour lunch on your very last day!). I was serving on the counter that afternoon, and was definately the worse for wear, when up walked Dwight Yorke. "Yorkie!" I shouted "Great goal last week mate", "We love you etc etc". Dwight's face was a puzzled look of "Is this guy serving me, pissed?!" My horrified boss quickly suggested I come off the counter and sit quietly out of the way.

I've told this one before, but one of the most surreal encounters I've had was when Gary Shaw walked into Azim's Balti House in Lozells on a Saturday night, several hours after a home game about 2 years ago. He was with a group who'd been on it all day, which included the Norwegian Lions. He came over and said hello as he passed our table and we acknowledged him. Later on, as I passed his table going to the loo, he called me over again for a chat. He's basically Villa mad, and was asking me and my mates Villa related trivia questions to test whether we loved the Villa as much as him! He also led a Villa sing song, before the best bit - talking me through Withe's goal in Rotterdam by using bits of broken poppadom to indicate who each player was. He'd position all the pieces of poppadom and move them around the table, saying "this is me, this is Morley" as he slid a piece along the side of the table etc. Posed for photos before leaving. The next morning was a proper "did that really happen last night?" moment.

Some mates of mine attended the Old Stars /Lions & Legends (forget which now) Xmas Party the year before last. It's fair to say that 2 of the 1982 squad can't stand the sight of each other (one was a 1st team regular, the other a squad member) and by the end of the night their respective families were having a major, pissed up slanging match until eventually each of the players wives came to blows on the car park, and were rolling around on the floor before being pulled apart!

Me and a mate ended up sat with Steve Bull at the bar at the Grosvenor Casino on Broad St about 4 or 5 years ago. Top bloke, happy to chat for ages whilst his Mrs played on the tables. Was happy to talk about England, scoring at Hampden, Italia 90, what a great guy Bobby Robson was etc. Then I had to ask him just how closed he'd come to ever joining Villa. He said that one summer he was sure that the deal was on, even had his bag packed ready to go, but for whatever reason it just never happened!

Great post!
We're the two '82 players Mortimer and Ormsby by any chance? I know Ormsby can't stand Mortimer.

I think Bull would have been great in a Villa shirt. I bet he wishes he joined us now.

I don't think there is much love lost between Tony Morley and Colin Gibson.

Damo has one of them correct. I'll PM you both.

[peter w]

Or just tell us?

[dave.woodhall]

Or just tell us?

Or not. Can we end this debate now, please.

[lovejoy]

Is it Sally Gunnell?

[Vancouver]

There was a masters six a side tournament over here a few years back. Allan Evens did his knee in playing. But Warren Barton was late as he he was still flying in for the game. The announcer kept us up to date for some reason. Anyway, he turns up and plays about 2 minutes before the end of the final game and England are out. I see him strolling back out of the stadium as I'm about to get another drink. 'Well that was worth Warren'. 'Fuck off' was the reply.

Met Staunton in a pub after the Liverpool game when he was sent off for them in the first half. I was hammered and told him that I had a better left foot than him. "but you don't get 10 grand a week for it' was his quick and clever reply!

[Sexual Ealing]

I've just been fisting Norman 'bite yer legs' Hunter.

[willywombat]

Or just tell us?

Or not. Can we end this debate now, please.

Why??

[Ron Manager]

I worked in Barclays Bank Sutton Coldfield in 1994-5 when I was 19. I would reguarly serve players such as Yorke, Bosnich, Ugo, Froggatt etc. Bosnich was a real poser who always tried to impress the female staff but they were all generally ok. On my last day working there I spent a 2 hour lunch break in The Cup pub opposite, with people buying me drinks (this was very much the done thing in those days, though it sounds bad now, and you got a 2 hour lunch on your very last day!). I was serving on the counter that afternoon, and was definately the worse for wear, when up walked Dwight Yorke. "Yorkie!" I shouted "Great goal last week mate", "We love you etc etc". Dwight's face was a puzzled look of "Is this guy serving me, pissed?!" My horrified boss quickly suggested I come off the counter and sit quietly out of the way.

I've told this one before, but one of the most surreal encounters I've had was when Gary Shaw walked into Azim's Balti House in Lozells on a Saturday night, several hours after a home game about 2 years ago. He was with a group who'd been on it all day, which included the Norwegian Lions. He came over and said hello as he passed our table and we acknowledged him. Later on, as I passed his table going to the loo, he called me over again for a chat. He's basically Villa mad, and was asking me and my mates Villa related trivia questions to test whether we loved the Villa as much as him! He also led a Villa sing song, before the best bit - talking me through Withe's goal in Rotterdam by using bits of broken poppadom to indicate who each player was. He'd position all the pieces of poppadom and move them around the table, saying "this is me, this is Morley" as he slid a piece along the side of the table etc. Posed for photos before leaving. The next morning was a proper "did that really happen last night?" moment.

Some mates of mine attended the Old Stars /Lions & Legends (forget which now) Xmas Party the year before last. It's fair to say that 2 of the 1982 squad can't stand the sight of each other (one was a 1st team regular, the other a squad member) and by the end of the night their respective families were having a major, pissed up slanging match until eventually each of the players wives came to blows on the car park, and were rolling around on the floor before being pulled apart!

Me and a mate ended up sat with Steve Bull at the bar at the Grosvenor Casino on Broad St about 4 or 5 years ago. Top bloke, happy to chat for ages whilst his Mrs played on the tables. Was happy to talk about England, scoring at Hampden, Italia 90, what a great guy Bobby Robson was etc. Then I had to ask him just how closed he'd come to ever joining Villa. He said that one summer he was sure that the deal was on, even had his bag packed ready to go, but for whatever reason it just never happened!

Great post!
We're the two '82 players Mortimer and Ormsby by any chance? I know Ormsby can't stand Mortimer.

I think Bull would have been great in a Villa shirt. I bet he wishes he joined us now.

I don't think there is much love lost between Tony Morley and Colin Gibson.

Didnt Gibson get invoved in fisticuffs with Andy Gray inside Gray's club the Holy City Zoo?

[bodkins14]

Back in the mid eighties my mum worked at the big Carrefour as it was (now ASDA) at Minworth and used to speak and serve a lot of Villa players at the time especially Nigel Spink. As a surprise for me she gave hm an card for my 18th birthday and had the entire side sign it and arranged for big Nigel to ring me on the morning of my birthday top present, and I still have the card.
While at uni I met a young lady and we became a couple, she kept asking me to visit her parents wih her but I always wiggled out of it but I ran out of excuses and eventually relented. It turned out her dad was on the board at Oldham Athletic and insisted I went along to watch a game with him, it was versus Bradford who spent the whole match takng the piss out of us signing Ian Orymondroid (sp). Anyhow after the game I was having a kick about on the plastic pitch when who should walk over but Joe Royle we got chatting and ended up having a kick about together really nice guy built like a brick outhouse and my god when he hit a ball it stayed hit (I bravely ducked out of the way of one of his shots).
Another player I met was King Kev the Geordie messiah, the was outside Villa Park before the inter Milan game (the Phil King penalty game)which I believe he was commentating on. I was waiting for some friends outside th players entrance when a black cab pulled up and out jumped a bloke with curly hair and if I remember correctly a purple/lilac coloured shirt he walked over signed an autograph proceeded to chat away and tell me how he thought we could win later that night. Seemed really nice, had a great deal of passion for the game nothing like the bonkers bloke who self imploded a few years later live on sky sports,

[dave.woodhall]

Or just tell us?

Or not. Can we end this debate now, please.

Why??

Because I don't want to see the names of two legends dragged into a story where they can't defend themselves.