Libor Kozák (confirmed post #190)

[Mister E]

"Villa fans have always had a strange relationship with big tall targetman strikers...all started with the legend of Peter Withe.

Peter McParland? Tony Hately?

Leonard ? Dougan ? Pongo ?

My guess is that this happened many years ago.

Before we were born.

But not before I was born.

Peter McParland (the finest Villa player I have ever seen) was basically a left winger who could fill in from time to time as a centre forward
he was not a target man in any sense of the word.
Big Tony Hateley was a goalscoring machine in a very poor team.Probably in the top three of all time in the air but lower league standard on the floor.
Keith Leonard had excellent skills  for a big man but very little pace.A serious injury cut short a very promising career.
Doog was a big character (at all his clubs) but did very little at Villa Park. Came good at Leicester and then Wolves.
Pongo Waring was before even my time! His goalscoring record speaks volumes.

Keith Leonard was a clever footballer and his career could well have developed further were it not for the injury he sustained.
Other CF of the 70's: Sammy Morgan, Terry Donovan - both pretty limited but effective.

[eastie]

"Villa fans have always had a strange relationship with big tall targetman strikers...all started with the legend of Peter Withe.

Peter McParland? Tony Hately?

Leonard ? Dougan ? Pongo ?

My guess is that this happened many years ago.

Before we were born.

But not before I was born.

Peter McParland (the finest Villa player I have ever seen) was basically a left winger who could fill in from time to time as a centre forward
he was not a target man in any sense of the word.
Big Tony Hateley was a goalscoring machine in a very poor team.Probably in the top three of all time in the air but lower league standard on the floor.
Keith Leonard had excellent skills  for a big man but very little pace.A serious injury cut short a very promising career.
Doog was a big character (at all his clubs) but did very little at Villa Park. Came good at Leicester and then Wolves.
Pongo Waring was before even my time! His goalscoring record speaks volumes.

When you say the greatest player  you've seen at villa are you talking about strikers or do you rate him above mcgrath?

[dave.woodhall]

McParland could play across the front line. He was by common consent the best winger we've had since Charlie Athersmith, a world-class international centre-forward for Northern Ireland and Danny Blanchflower regarded him as the best inside-forward in the world. He's also Villa through and through,  a truly great man in every sense.

[eastie]

McParland could play across the front line. He was by common consent the best winger we've had since Charlie Athersmith, a world-class international centre-forward for Northern Ireland and Danny Blanchflower regarded him as the best inside-forward in the world. He's also Villa through and through,  a truly great man in every sense.

Indeed , still does some work on AVTV on occasions and very passionate  about the club - only seen the fa cup final of 57 when he played but looked an excellent player.

[dave shelley]

Centre Forwards nicely summed-up by Ron Manager and Peter McParland accurately described by Dave W; although he neglected to say he was also as hard as nails.  Time can dim the memory but, I can barely ever remember McParland being out through injury.

[dave.woodhall]

The best way to sum him up is to say that at an FPA event his table had the longest queue for autographs. If that's not enough, standing in the queue  waiting for Peter McParland's autograph were Gordon Cowans and Gary Shaw.

[Dr Butler]

The best way to sum him up is to say that at an FPA event his table had the longest queue for autographs. If that's not enough, standing in the queue  waiting for Peter McParland's autograph were Gordon Cowans and Gary Shaw.

wow !

[Ad@m]

Centre Forwards nicely summed-up by Ron Manager and Peter McParland accurately described by Dave W; although he neglected to say he was also as hard as nails. 

Yep, Ray Wood can vouch for that!

[dave shelley]

I think it's on the BBC video of the Villa history that I have where it's shown Peter saying about the Wood incident that "when speaking to other goalkeepers' around the country they always said that, you wouldn't have done that to me...because I'd have got out of the way!"

Sums him up perfectly, like all true hard men, they never have to talk about how hard they are. 

I forgot to add, it's becoming sad that there are fewer of us left that can remember seeing him play in his prime.

[Ad@m]

7 minutes in - there's no way Ray Wood had that ball fully under control - it was there to be won!!

[Tayls_7]

7 minutes in - there's no way Ray Wood had that ball fully under control - it was there to be won!!

I loved watching that again Adam, thank you. In this day and age he would probably be facing criminal charges! A different world now. As a traditionalist I thought the game was being devalued when 'they' outlawed goalies collecting back passes and allowing players to wear numbers other than 1-11.

[Ron Manager]

Christ its grim oop north and wet and cold!  Peter McParland was and is the greatest Villa player I have ever seen. That includes such wonderful players as Gerry Hitchens and Paul Mcgrath. As Dave said he was rock hard and raided with power. I only remembered a couple of hours ago that he also filled in between the sticks if Nigel Sims got injured. There were no subs in those days!

I think there is a picture of him in goal against Liverpool (or it could be Everton) around somewhere.These days it would be called multitasking. I remember my dad saying 'he was bloody crazy!' as goalkeepers had little or no protection in the 50's .

[dave shelley]

Has anyone mentioned that Peter had a terrifically hard shot as well?  In the days when footballs were akin to cannonballs.  A hero in the true footballing sense, I genuinely feel sorry for the generations that never got to see him play.

I don't know why but, my memories of his goal scoring exploits are that the majority of his goals scored at Villa Park seemed to be scored at the Holte End.  I'm probably wrong but, that's how I remember it.

[Ron Manager]

Ok History lesson over back to Kozak. Originally I couldnt see anything in him but in his last four games he has come on really well.Still dont think he will score a lot but could form a good partnership with Benteke in the second half of the season.

[Clampy]

He's scored the same amount of league goals as Soldado who cost Ł23m more.