11th December 1976

[olaftab]

Andy Gray super player. He was unstopable in that great season.

[JG]

JG I am really surprised by your last remark, without knowing I would have said Grahame Sharp  (both Scottish) both very confident players. 

It was the bullet header against Man Utd that sold himself to me.  He was the time the best centre forward in Britain without a shadow of a doubt. 

When you think back to the kind of player he was think in terms of a Dixie Dean, Peter McParland - a kind of cannonball - if he was playing today no doubt would be sent off week after week.  PS do me a favour and get me a signed photo of your dad xx

Well Sharpy would feature highly on the list, he was a great player & they're good pals. Dad also played with Kenny Dalglish don't forget, but that's just how highly he rates Brian. He regards him as a bonafida genius, the best natural talent he ever played with, who could things with a ball Dad didn't think were possible. Brian is one of the main reasons Dad scored so many goals at that time. I can't really give him any greater praise.

I have said to Dad that he wouldn't be stay on the pitch long these days, but he simply said that it was like that back then, everyone was the same and if he was playing now then you'd simply adapt. Have to say, I'm not convinced!! Ha ha

[Crops10]

Hi Jamie. How you doing?

Just been reading this thread, really nice to read about what you have  to say about your old man. Im sure he and and most of the team would have to adapt if playing now. When i talk to my Dad and i ask him about how much the game has changed, he just sayd that he would get sent off every week!

I hope you are well mate.

Crops

[JG]

Hi Jamie. How you doing?

Just been reading this thread, really nice to read about what you have  to say about your old man. Im sure he and and most of the team would have to adapt if playing now. When i talk to my Dad and i ask him about how much the game has changed, he just sayd that he would get sent off every week!

I hope you are well mate.

Crops

Alright Crops, all good here pal. Didn't see Dad play so I enjoy conversing with fans who did & giving a bit of feedback too. My Dad gets a bit of a bee in his bonnet about comparing era's. Tactics & formations change to an extent, but 4-3-3 isn't a new thing; he points out that the team he & your Dad were in played that way 40 years ago, with Dad, Brian & Jonny Deehan up front. They maybe played a little more long ball, but that was largely due to the pitches they had to play on, not because they couldn't pass. Players like your Dad & Sid Cowans were fabulous passers of a ball. And they went around clattering each other because that's what they could get away with, they wouldn't play that way now. Nowadays the pitches are perfect, things like sports science is much more advanced & medical care is much better. I know my Dad would of benefited greatly from modern surgery techniques. Do you know if your Dad's career would have been saved with modern surgery/rehab etc?

[Crops10]

Well 4-3-3 was the way that Eddie Turnbull played the Hibs side that Dad was in, in the early 70's so your right there, it isnt a new thing. I like yourself never saw Dad play, so i just have fans to tell me.

As far as the injuries go, i am almost certain Dad, your Dad, Brian, Shawrie list goes on. They would have all benefited from modern techniques and rehab. But Dads injury was a bad one so, im not sure?

Are you going down for the final?

[wittonwarrior]

5 foot 8 tackles late  Alex Cropley's fuckin great

[JD]

This thread has turned a bit bizarre with Crop10 and JG talking about the Villa when both of their Dad's were among my favourite players when I was a kid. Interesting that JG said the best player his Dad played with was The King of Villa Park, Brian Little (my favourite footballer of all time). It's nice to know that others appreciate what a brilliant player The King was. 

[peter w]

I was just talking about Brian Little last night in a bar here in Abu Dhabi. I think the conversation had turned there because Andy Gray was doing his programme on the telly. He, erm, seems to be approving of his lifestyle at the moment.

[JG]

Well 4-3-3 was the way that Eddie Turnbull played the Hibs side that Dad was in, in the early 70's so your right there, it isnt a new thing. I like yourself never saw Dad play, so i just have fans to tell me.

As far as the injuries go, i am almost certain Dad, your Dad, Brian, Shawrie list goes on. They would have all benefited from modern techniques and rehab. But Dads injury was a bad one so, im not sure?

Are you going down for the final?

Yep, I'm going down. I'm a season ticket holder & have been to all the cup games too, so my ticket is secure luckily. Feel for those whose aren't though. Are you going?

[JG]

This thread has turned a bit bizarre with Crop10 and JG talking about the Villa when both of their Dad's were among my favourite players when I was a kid. Interesting that JG said the best player his Dad played with was The King of Villa Park, Brian Little (my favourite footballer of all time). It's nice to know that others appreciate what a brilliant player The King was.

Brian's son David is on Twitter too, he's a really nice lad.

[peter w]

JG - did you get any of your dad's football ability? Obviously not to his level but did you play?

[JG]

JG - did you get any of your dad's football ability? Obviously not to his level but did you play?

Nope, I got my Mum's height, hairline & football ability. I can hold my own, but fair to say expectations didn't meet reality. I'd turn up at 5 aside and everyone would expect miracles, but I'd just sit at the back and keep it simple. Im not a bad player, but no one in their right mind would think I'm anything special. I'm 6ft 5.5" and nearly 17 stone, so I played more rugby than football. My son is pretty handy though, and is right handed & left footed like my Dad, so maybe it's skipped a generation!

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

The 76-77 season is my favourite (started in 63), due in no small part to Messrs Gray, Little, Cropley & Saunders et al., of course.

[Rudy65]

The 76-77 season is my favourite (started in 63), due in no small part to Messrs Gray, Little, Cropley & Saunders et al., of course.

Ditto that.

Gray in his pomp that season.

Cropley awesome in the midfield.

Better than 81 and 82 in my view.

Fab times

[wittonwarrior]

 It was a weird season in terms that in the league when Andy Gray  was missing we struggled (Stoke away for example), yet Little put out some outstanding performances in the league cup.  I remember against Wrexham think we won 5-1 a long cross ball was played by Gidman to Little who brought it down so brilliantly - Little was a better player than  a lot of people would give him credit and not just a goal scorer.  Think he suffered with comparison to Francis.

The only one fault Little had  was he could be a race horse he would gather the  ball  and want to go  for it himself ignoring a better option.  This was particularly true when Gray  was missing.

Have said it before if we had Rimmer for 76/77 instead  of Burridge in nets  we would have won the league.  Burridge just could not command his area, too small.  Again at Man Utd new year's day both their goals came from clever preparation knowing that Burridge struggled with crosses.