Never meet your hero

[martyn ellis]

A number of references to the great Sir Doug himself so I might as well add mine, which seems relevant.
In March 2006 I got a call from my brother asking if I could get a ticket for his son's 7th birthday present to go and see Arsenal - I live nearby but have no connection with the club so there was no way I would have been able to meet the request. So I offered a trip to Villa Park.
Now here's the interesting bit. You will notice that I share my surname with the great man (and there the similarities end), but even more curious is the fact that my brother, not much of a football fan, had rather thoughtlessly named his first offspring 'Dougie'. So I thought, little Doug Ellis sitting in the Doug Ellis stand for his birthday treat, we can't let this go by unnoticed. I wrote to Rob Bishop who edits the programme (and a great job he does too) asking if he could give a mention on the Young Lions page about this event. I then got an email back from Rob, saying that he could do more than that - would we like to come to the executive entrance and meet the great man himself and have some photos taken before the game.
My brother, Dougie, my daughter Tessa and I duly arrived and waited with Rob Bishop outside the executive lounge and out he came with the words 'There's someone here who shares my name - who is it?' Little Dougie puts his hand up. 'That's a bit of bad luck isn't it?' he says and we proceed to spend a good 15 minutes having our photos taken in the Trinity Road exec seats.
The whole affair appeared in the following programme and in the Villa Annual the following year. A thoroughly decent gesture, a memorable day for Dougie and a vindication of my love for my football club.
Forgot to mention we then went on to witness one of the most boring 0-0 draws (against Fulham) even I can remember. Some things never change.

[PeterWithe]

I'm not surprised about Reo Coker, he's well known as a bit of a bellend.

I remember a story of him spending most of an evening chatting with fans in the bar of the Radisson and picking up the drinks bill.

[willywombat]

I met Big Ron walking his dogs in the Lickey Hills a few days before the 94 League Cup win.

Bloody hell that's an amazing coincidence, so did I !!

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

I met Big Ron walking his dogs in the Lickey Hills a few days before the 94 League Cup win.

Bloody hell that's an amazing coincidence, so did I !!

There were thousands on the Lickeys that day; it was like the Sermon on the Mount.

[adrenachrome]

I met Big Ron walking his dogs in the Lickey Hills a few days before the 94 League Cup win.

Bloody hell that's an amazing coincidence, so did I !!

There were thousands on the Lickeys that day; it was like the Sermon on the Mount.

I know somebody who had him up the Clent and they had to get treatment shortly thereafter. Another fellow came across him up the Malverns. I once saw his dog wandering on Waseleys sans Ron. The Hills Have Eyes, and no mistake.

[Risso]

I met Big Ron walking his dogs in the Lickey Hills a few days before the 94 League Cup win.

Bloody hell that's an amazing coincidence, so did I !!

God, I hope you're not my ex-girlfriend!

[kippaxvilla2]

Don Goodman was a good laugh once.  He was a teammate of of Darren Bradley at Albion at the time and Darren lived with his folks about 3 doors from mine.  There was some party going on at Darren's house and out comes Don Goodman, Darren and a few other Albion rejects like Stacey Coldicott and some others.  Anyway, we were miscreants and were playing in a phone box when Goodman and his companions all tried to get into the phone box to 'break the world record on number of people in a phone box at one time'.   That's why I do like Goodman when he commentates because he's a down to earth sort.

[Percy McCarthy]

He is also a good co-commentator IMO.

[villa `cross the mersey]

I met Big Ron walking his dogs in the Lickey Hills a few days before the 94 League Cup win.

Bloody hell that's an amazing coincidence, so did I !!

God, I hope you're not my ex-girlfriend!

I was there as well - I was living in Rednal at the time and frequently walked my dogs across the Lickey Hills, Golf Course etc.

Ron was living in Barnt Green if I recall

[lordmcgrath5]

I live in a house that Terry Bullivant used to live in. I've never met him but nice to know I lay cables where an ex Villa player used to lay them

Quality. But I'd almost forgotten about Terry Bullivant, who spent a lot more time laying cables than he did playing for Villa. I remember him as an unused sub quite often.

[The Laughing Policeman]

Turning this around. Which of your football heroes would you most like to meet?
First on my list would be Mr. Saunders, but I fear that if I did meet him, even after all these years I'd just turn into a gibbering idiot.
Second would be Paul McGrath, so I could shake his hand and thank him for the pleasure I got from watching him play for our club.

[Percy McCarthy]

Not strictly football, but the hero of mine I'd most like to meet is Lily Thai*.

*NSFW.

[steamer]

Carson Yeung

[Vancouver]

Not strictly football, but the hero of mine I'd most like to meet is Lily Thai*.

*NSFW.

Haha!! I quite like her as well. Nice girl I'm sure...

[Percy McCarthy]

She's very well educated. She stayed on at school til she was at least 24. I saw her in the uniform.