Gregory on Talksport now

[Mortimer's Bear]

I was so stressed during the semi I kept wishing I'd never got interested in football.

My main memory of that game is Dean Holdsworth blazing an absolute sitter over the bar.

[Big Dick Edwards]

As disappointing as the 2000 FA Cup final performance ultimately was, I'd thank John Gregory to getting us to our only one in the last 55 years. His stats tell you he did a very good job during his time as Villa manager.

[eastie]

As for Gregory, bearing in mind one minute he was managing Wycombe Wanderers (his first managerial job i think) then next managing Aston Villa, he probably could'nt believe his luck. Yeah he overpaid on some dross (what manager has'nt) and the footy was'nt always great but overall i think he did a reasonable job.

He was a breath of fresh air at the time and we did well to stay top of the league for as long as we did that one season. He was unlucky to lose Yorke and who knows how good Luc Nillis would have been?

I think the one mistake he did make was taking the Derby job as soon as he did.

Wasn't it rumoured that Stuart Gray was brought in as first team coach on the advise of Graham Taylor with Gregory knowing nothing about it? The Gregory-Deehan partnership was when we looked like going places but it all went negative after Gray's appointment.

In the end, Gregory's downfall was due to him spenting too much time fighting Doug when he should have been focusing on the team.

R
Sir Graham said that the first he knew of it was when Gray's appointment was announced and he wasn't happy as it might have seemed he was involved in the decision.

r

What a shame sir graham has never written an auotbiography, he would have given us a great insight into a wonderful management career , not just at villa.
Many lesser villa managers have done a book and Graham's career is more than worthy of reading .

[RossLeach]

I just have the memory that we were playing OK leading up to the final with the likes of Alan Thompson in the side, only for JG to bring in all his old favourites for them to stiff completely in the final.

Sort of agree with this. Neither Dublin or Taylor were really fit to start that final (you can argue that Dublin had looked fit enough at Spurs a few weeks earlier when we came back from 2-0 down to 4-2 up, but Carbone and Joachim would have been the better bet I think).

[Pete3206]

Regarding rubbish FA Cup finals, I would say the 1996 shitfest called Man Utd v Liverpool was the worst final ever. But, Ooh ahh Cantona scored the winner, so it was ace really (© Sky)

[dave shelley]

Tottenham v Chelsea 1967 was absolutely dire.  Over hyped as the first all London FA Cup Final and cost me a fiver for a ticket to my eternal shame from a tout.  A weeks wages for me at that time.

[Ian.]

Regarding rubbish FA Cup finals, I would say the 1996 shitfest called Man Utd v Liverpool was the worst final ever. But, Ooh ahh Cantona scored the winner, so it was ace really (© Sky)

I have fond memories of that one, not so much the game but I was in the Dawlish Town squad which reached the Pub Cup Final at Wembley. I didn't get on from the subs bench but I had a kick-a-bout on the pitch before the game and scored in the same net as Cantona the day before. I did the Wembley steps as a winner too which Gregory's team didn't do! Cracking day out.

Gregory's time started so well and we played some good stuff for a while, we seemed to have a good spirit too. I don't know where it went wrong but we was not in the best of shape come the end.

[Mortimer's Bear]

I may be wrong but my beer addled memory is telling me that it all started going wrong when he switched from a tracksuit to a proper suit on matchdays.

[jeowje]

The 3-2 against arsenal from 2-0 down was was of the best villa games i have been to (half time aside)- took us back top with one tabloid headline stating "Villa- loud and clear" (as title favourites).

[Mortimer's Bear]

The 3-2 against arsenal from 2-0 down was was of the best villa games i have been to (half time aside)- took us back top with one tabloid headline stating "Villa- loud and clear" (as title favourites).

Was that the game where the parachuting father christmas had that awful accident at half time?

[Percy McCarthy]

Yes. At 2-0 down at half-time a few under the Holte were hoping for an abandonment.

[Mortimer's Bear]

I remember on the way home listening to Tom Ross, some twat phoned in and said thanks to father christmas for the brilliant half time entertainment, dickhead.

[Lizz]

The 3-2 against arsenal from 2-0 down was was of the best villa games i have been to (half time aside)- took us back top with one tabloid headline stating "Villa- loud and clear" (as title favourites).

Was that the game where the parachuting father christmas had that awful accident at half time?

I was feeling slightly delicate at that game [Christmas party the night before may have been a contributory factor]. The fall from the stand to the ground seemed to occur in slow motion, though obviously it didn't.

[eamonn]

I was so stressed during the semi I kept wishing I'd never got interested in football.

The semi the cute 17 year old gave you in the Chelsea hotel or the Bolton game?

[ktvillan]

I'd waited 35 years, from the age of 5, for Villa to get to an FA Cup final.  And when we did, we didn't even try.  Whatever good stuff Gregory did is totally undermined by that one disgraceful performance.   

To say we didn't try is wrong. You don't get to an FA Cup Final and not try. It'd be much more apt to just say we were shit.

I disagree.  We just didn't look interested in taking the game to Chelsea, it was like watching a McLeish team just trying to limit the damage.     

Ok...but you're wrong. No player doesn't try in a FA Cup final. To suggest otherwise seems a bit silly.

I'm talking about as a team, tactically - it looked very much like we were set up not to lose rather than to try to win.  Much Like McLeish did against various teams last season.   Nice debating skills by the way.  "you're wrong" wins it every time.