23 years ago this week - when Platt was great

[Chico Hamilton III]

Can't stand him now - he looks like a cooked onion.

remember this - was it an early kick off? midday-ish? And didn't Taylor come out with a pearl of wisdom to the players at half time?


Villa edge through as Crewe relax
By Nicholas Harling
368 words
9 January 1989
The TimesT
English
(c) 1989 Times Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved

Crewe Alexandra 2 Aston Villa 3

For 53 minutes on Saturday, Crewe Alexandra had looked like usurping Sutton United as providers of the day's biggest FA Cup shock, not so much, it must be admitted, by the scale of surprise as the size of it. ``Then,'' Dario Gradi said, ``we sat back a bit and had a little bad spell.''

The consequence, as the Crewe manager had ruefully witnessed, was that Aston Villa were able to come back from the brink of an embarrassing exit, to leave the home players, among them Walters, aged 16, and Swain, Gradi's evergreen player-coach, inconsolable in the dressing room. ``They've got their heads between their knees,'' Gradi said. ``But there's no need because I'm proud of them.'' Such praise was apposite since the hosts had never resorted to dubious ethics of roughing up their opponents or playing football unworthy of ertswhile fourth division leaders.

Indeed, the first shuddering challenge had come from Stuart Gray, of Villa, who were suitably punished in the fourth minute when Edwards, Crewe's left back, found Gardiner, who volleyed in off the far upright.

Crewe had the audacity to go further ahead when Keown unwittingly deflected Gardiner's cross away from the leaping Fishenden but past his own goalkeeper.

If McInally was playing thereafter for Villa in fear of greater punishment after an outrageous booking, the fierce commitment of the league's leading scorer did not betray it. From his header across goal, Platt started the revival against his old club. Kevin Gage, with a ferocious shot, drove in the equalizer. Platt made the winner for McInally, to leave Gradi facing the prospect of having rather fewer microphones shoved under his nose at Scunthorpe next week.

CREWE ALEXANDRA: D Greygoose: W Goodison (sub: I Macowat), P Edwards, P Billing, K Swain, W Gage, A Callaghan, A Murphy, S Walters, M Gardiner, P Fishenden.

ASTON VILLA: N Spink; C Price, D Mountfield, K Gage, A Evans (sub: I Olney), M Keown, A Daley (sub: A Gray), D Platt, A McInally, G Cowans, S Gray.

Referee: K Redfearn.

[Dr Butler]

Chico was it "" you got us in this mess, you can get us out of it ""

UTV

[Chico Hamilton III]

Chico was it "" you got us in this mess, you can get us out of it ""

That's the one, Doc! Cheers

Taylor really could be profound when it suited him.....

[Dr Butler]

Chico was it "" you got us in this mess, you can get us out of it ""

That's the one, Doc! Cheers

Taylor really could be profound when it suited him.....

abit like yourself mate 

[bertlambshank]

I had to climb over the fence via the train track to get in.A weird day all round.

[asgpaul]

Chico was it "" you got us in this mess, you can get us out of it ""

That's the one, Doc! Cheers

Taylor really could be profound when it suited him.....

I'm sure it was Big Ron that came out with that quote wasn't it....?

Loved Platt the player, hated the pundit, best said now re his current employers the better!!!

[Chico Hamilton III]

I'm sure it was Big Ron that came out with that quote wasn't it....?

you could imagine Ron saying something like this but it was definately Taylor at half time against Crewe

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I was at this one. I really thought it was going to be the first Villa humiliation I'd witnessed in my lifetime. Fortunately Platt came to the rescue. I'm sure there's a video of the game somewhere around.

[TopDeck113]

Remember all sorts of hassle getting a ticket for this one - and the half time wondering why on earth I'd bothered.

Literally half a bloody life time ago. 

[He wears a magic hat]

With regards to the "You got us into this mess now you get us out of it"  I'm pretty certain it was Graham Taylor in fact I'd bet on it and for anyone who knows me I don't part with money easily

I remember that game cuz I'd queued for a good couple of hours down the side of the Trinity Road stand upto the old ticket office at the back of the North Stand on a freezing December evening.

We were only given something like 1.5/2k tickets and they sold that night.

Got to the ground and some dodgy turnstile operator was taking cash -  well thats how my mate got in

[PeterWithesShin]

IIRC wasn't there some hoo-ha over people betting on the 3-2 result after the game as some bookies failed to notice it was an early kick-off and the game had already been played so they took the bets?

[nigel]

To be fair I think Platt's a pretty decent coach

[TopDeck113]

To be fair I think Platt's a pretty decent coach

Hmmmm, if that is indeed the case - and not Mancini doing the old pal's act - I'm sure that there will be plenty of Forest fans who'll say it's a pity that he's only showing it now he's got a squillion-and-a-bit's worth of talent to work with.

[nigel]

To be fair I think Platt's a pretty decent coach

Hmmmm, if that is indeed the case - and not Mancini doing the old pal's act - I'm sure that there will be plenty of Forest fans who'll say it's a pity that he's only showing it now he's got a squillion-and-a-bit's worth of talent to work with.

True, didn't think of that, but didn't he do a pretty good job with the England U21 before Pierce?
Have to say I'm not 100% sure to be honest. I haven't really followed his career after Villa.

[usav]

I want to know why he's always scribbling on a piece of a paper with a biro when a sub is about to be made?