Dalian Atkinson

[dave shelley]

If he had and ole Red Nose had had the same inauspicious start as he had in Manchester then his feet wouldn't have touched the ground on the way out of the door.

[eamonn]

Poor Dalian and his family. Must be hard to heal from his death when this still hasn't been resolved.

[dave.woodhall]

If he had and ole Red Nose had had the same inauspicious start as he had in Manchester then his feet wouldn't have touched the ground on the way out of the door.

In his five full seasons before they won the league, they won three trophies and pre-European ban would have qualified for Europe four times. He was already their most successful manager apart from Matt Busby.

[Risso]

If he had and ole Red Nose had had the same inauspicious start as he had in Manchester then his feet wouldn't have touched the ground on the way out of the door.

In his five full seasons before they won the league, they won three trophies and pre-European ban would have qualified for Europe four times. He was already their most successful manager apart from Matt Busby.

Yep, they came second in his first full season.

[Ads]

Red Issue still embarrassed themselves by wanting him gone, which reflected a section of their support.

I guess the moral of the tale is less about giving managers time, just in case they go from being pretty darn good to best ever and more that Man United fans are utter twats.

[Toronto Villa]

Summer of 1991. That was a really good and fun team to watch. And even better the season after when Deano arrived and we just missed out on the title. Sad to think of those players we lost 4 of then so very young.

[CT]

He had a cracking start with that amazing day in Sheffield didn’t he?

Scored and set up Stan Staunton’s winner.

What a bloody great day that was.

[SoccerHQ]

All our 90s teams were great.

Such a good mix of experience and youth in them. Bozzy was pretty young for a keeper when he broke through and you forget how young Yorke still was even at start of 1995 season and he'd been with us for years. Add in great experience signing God, Townsend and Staunton.

Then in late 90s we had Merson and Dublin as been it seen it done it players combined with Hendrie and Barry.

Seems a little odd to me we seem to ignore the template now but guess that's just a reflection of how the transfer market has changed and our general standing as a club has reduced.

[Ads]

Richardson had won the league with Everton and Arsenal too. The way he got Tait sent off was amusing.

[ian c.]

An article in The Guardian about his time in Spain.

Goals, class, a red Ferrari: Aldridge, Richardson and Atkinson at la Real

[LeeB]

An article in The Guardian about his time in Spain.

Goals, class, a red Ferrari: Aldridge, Richardson and Atkinson at la Real

Read that earlier, it made me smile, especially the bit where Dalian asks about the town of Burgos where they next play, gets negative feedback, so decides he's not going. And doesn't.

Ties in with Andy Townshend saying how he got himself booked at the end of a game because it meant a suspension for the Boxing Day game, and was rubbing it in because he's now got the day off.

Some might be 'disgusted' by such behaviour, but you can see that his teammates there adored him. I did too, on his day there were none better, in 92-93 he was sensational right up until the injury at Anfield in January, had he stayed fit things may have been different.

[Risso]

I agree Lee, my favourite Villa player ever.

[kippaxvilla2]

Apart from maybe Yorke was there anyone ever as skilful and powerful than Dalian in his heyday?  He really was majestic.

[johnc]

An article in The Guardian about his time in Spain.

Goals, class, a red Ferrari: Aldridge, Richardson and Atkinson at la Real

I have just read that article and was going to post here. A very well written article. Dalian seemed like a lovely bloke

[dave shelley]

I've posted a couple of times about the time we had a group of u16's over on a football trip and we were privileged to be allowed into the Bodymoor training pitch where the first-team squad were training.  I'd written to the club but wasn't expecting the treatment we received.

Anyway, after training was over and the kids were getting autographs, mainly the Irish players, Dalian was the last player to go inside after everyone that wanted an autograph got one.  He even went over to the gate where all the other spectators who hadn't had the privilege that we had received and made sure they got theirs.

I have a treasured photograph of him signing my then fifteen-year-old son's book, I'd love to post it on here but continually fail to master how to do it.

RIP Dalian.