33 years ago today

[dave.woodhall]

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-flashback-peter-withe-8604543?ICID=FB-Birm-avfc

[Damo70]

Was it a Tuesday? I was eleven but have memories of it being reported on TV in a sports special for an Liverpool V Ipswich Milk Cup semi final.

I doubted myself for a second so double checked I was right. 9th Feb '82, Liverpool 2 Ipswich 2, Liverpool win 4-2 on aggregate.

Did we draw 1-1 at home the following night with Tony Barton in charge against either Southampton or Spurs?

Checked again - H Southampton Wed 10th 1-1, H Spurs Wed 17th 1-1.

[TopDeck113]

One of those "JFK" moments.  I can tell you where I was, what I was doing and who I was with when I heard the news.   

[Ron Manager]

Ron was footballs answer to Jack Regan. You knew exactly who was boss. I still insist Ron's greatest achievement was getting Birmingham promoted to the top division with a very average squad of triers. Nobody else could have succeeded in doing that.

No doubt about it he was Villa,s greatest ever manager.

[Villan For Life]

I always thought Ron looked really old. A quick Google search reveals that he was 48 when we won the league, the same age that I am now. I wonder if I look that old to today's 15 year olds?

He always seemed to operate with a quiet, dignified authority and his teams seemed to reflect that.

[Damo70]

Ron was footballs answer to Jack Regan. You knew exactly who was boss. I still insist Ron's greatest achievement was getting Birmingham promoted to the top division with a very average squad of triers. Nobody else could have succeeded in doing that.

No doubt about it he was Villa,s greatest ever manager.

It was some achievement. They flogged Coton, Van Den Hauwe, Blake, Gayle and Harford after going down. So they not only lost arguably all of their best players but also about a million quid a year in fines.

[Rudy65]

Yep, remember standing on the Holte on the night of the Southampton game unable to believe he had gone. I was 17 and not a care in the world apart from Ron's departure. Gutted. And so it proved because after 26th May that year it was downhill all the way.

Very successful manger but to the wider media was never given the credit he deserved for winning trophies, playing some great football, and building several successful squads.

[LTA]

Ron was footballs answer to Jack Regan. You knew exactly who was boss. I still insist Ron's greatest achievement was getting Birmingham promoted to the top division with a very average squad of triers. Nobody else could have succeeded in doing that.

No doubt about it he was Villa,s greatest ever manager.

I think you'll find our best ever manager was here between 2006 and 2010.













At least thats what his mates would have us believe

[olaftab]

I must I didn't realise the ramifications of this event. Thinking was we'll get another manager and our winning ways will continue....

[OzVilla]

Even as a kid I was shocked when he'd left.

Even more shocked when I found out where he was going to.

[Damo70]

Even as a kid I was shocked when he'd left.

Even more shocked when I found out where he was going to.

Even after all these years it is hard to think of a comparable situation. Can you imagine if Dalglish had gone to Everton a week after quitting Liverpool in 1991? Although we must be the only city to have a manager quit to go to our neighbours with a trophy still in the cabinet and then have the exact opposite happen thirty years later. But leaving a relegated side for a top flight side does not compare to leaving the reigning champions.

[olaftab]

As for Ron going to Small Heath  I have no problem with that. He had a disagreement with our Board and did the honourable  thing by resigning after that he can do whatever he likes.

[ADVILLAFAN]

I hadn't realised that Withe cost us £500'000.

Must have seemed like a lot at the time.

[usav]

I hadn't realised that Withe cost us £500'000.

Must have seemed like a lot at the time.

It was, but worth every penny.

[Pat McMahon]

I must I didn't realise the ramifications of this event. Thinking was we'll get another manager and our winning ways will continue....

I was concerned Aftab, but felt that our players were so good anybody could manage them.

I always had a feeling that if Saunders had stayed we would not have won the European Cup, but we would have remained a contender for honours for several years.