Tom Watt on Talk Shite

[peter w]

I've always thought of Andy Gray as a Villa man so glad to hear that he is. Dwight Yorke also.I've no doubt james Milner has a huge sofy spot for us too. Many of our ex-players do. Townsend, Southgate, Merson, McGrath etc. Which makes Platt even more bizarre.

[john e]

I've always thought of Andy Gray as a Villa man so glad to hear that he is. Dwight Yorke also.I've no doubt james Milner has a huge sofy spot for us too. Many of our ex-players do. Townsend, Southgate, Merson, McGrath etc. Which makes Platt even more bizarre.

Millner might have a soft spot for us due to the never ending love he gets, but he is a Leeds fan, I heard he/family still has a season ticket at Elland rd

[Quiet Lion]

Yorke has come out a few times and unequivocally stated he is a Villa fan above any other club.

[JG]

Thanks for all your kind words, a genuine pleasure to read. Dad wasn't the most skilful player, I can vouch for his lack of tricks and he struggles to juggle a ball for long, but he gave 100% every game he played and knew where the goal was. He was indeed the only winner of both the PFA & young PFA award until a certain Ronaldo and Gareth Bale repeated the feat many years later. He scored 25 league goals that season, the last Villa player to do so, which is pretty crazy really & Dad modestly doesn't think there could have been too many better strikers in Europe for a few years.

[PeterWithe]

I've always thought of Andy Gray as a Villa man so glad to hear that he is. Dwight Yorke also.I've no doubt james Milner has a huge sofy spot for us too. Many of our ex-players do. Townsend, Southgate, Merson, McGrath etc. Which makes Platt even more bizarre.

To pull two strands of this thread together, do you remember Platt being quoted as saying, as they came out of the tunnel to see 36k against Bradford in the 2nd division, something like 'there wasn't one of us who wouldn't have died for Aston Villa', I may have over dramatised that but its not too far out.

I wonder what changed?

[LeeB]

Thanks for all your kind words, a genuine pleasure to read. Dad wasn't the most skilful player, I can vouch for his lack of tricks and he struggles to juggle a ball for long, but he gave 100% every game he played and knew where the goal was. He was indeed the only winner of both the PFA & young PFA award until a certain Ronaldo and Gareth Bale repeated the feat many years later. He scored 25 league goals that season, the last Villa player to do so, which is pretty crazy really & Dad modestly doesn't think there could have been too many better strikers in Europe for a few years.

Mate, tell your dad I could happily crack one off to that header he scores at the Holte End against Man Utd in '76, it truly is a beautiful thing.

[JG]

Thanks for all your kind words, a genuine pleasure to read. Dad wasn't the most skilful player, I can vouch for his lack of tricks and he struggles to juggle a ball for long, but he gave 100% every game he played and knew where the goal was. He was indeed the only winner of both the PFA & young PFA award until a certain Ronaldo and Gareth Bale repeated the feat many years later. He scored 25 league goals that season, the last Villa player to do so, which is pretty crazy really & Dad modestly doesn't think there could have been too many better strikers in Europe for a few years.

Mate, tell your dad I could happily crack one off to that header he scores at the Holte End against Man Utd in '76, it truly is a beautiful thing.

I like the winner he scored in the 3-2 win around the same time. Much easier header but summed him up as a player perfectly. Smashed the defender out the way, then rises to salute the crowd

[PeterWithe]

Thanks for all your kind words, a genuine pleasure to read. Dad wasn't the most skilful player, I can vouch for his lack of tricks and he struggles to juggle a ball for long, but he gave 100% every game he played and knew where the goal was. He was indeed the only winner of both the PFA & young PFA award until a certain Ronaldo and Gareth Bale repeated the feat many years later. He scored 25 league goals that season, the last Villa player to do so, which is pretty crazy really & Dad modestly doesn't think there could have been too many better strikers in Europe for a few years.

Mate, tell your dad I could happily crack one off to that header he scores at the Holte End against Man Utd in '76, it truly is a beautiful thing.

If its not too personal a question, how old are you Lee?

[LeeB]

Thanks for all your kind words, a genuine pleasure to read. Dad wasn't the most skilful player, I can vouch for his lack of tricks and he struggles to juggle a ball for long, but he gave 100% every game he played and knew where the goal was. He was indeed the only winner of both the PFA & young PFA award until a certain Ronaldo and Gareth Bale repeated the feat many years later. He scored 25 league goals that season, the last Villa player to do so, which is pretty crazy really & Dad modestly doesn't think there could have been too many better strikers in Europe for a few years.

Mate, tell your dad I could happily crack one off to that header he scores at the Holte End against Man Utd in '76, it truly is a beautiful thing.

If its not too personal a question, how old are you Lee?

I'm 38, it was well before my time mate, but it has stuck with me since wearing down my VHS of the official history. It's absolutely magnificent.
 

[barrysleftfoot]

  Gray-Little-Deehan, was it 20 league goals each?

 Two memories of Andy Gray stick out, one was a goal at the Holte End, when the goalie , the RB, and the ball all end up in the goal, with Andy Gray wheeling away in celebration, the other, again against Ure, when he has just scored, again, and is standing in front of the Ure fans with both his arms raised, giving a double V sign to their fans.Superb.

[PROVERBS1966]

My all time favourite Villa player, he was a legend, an absolute cult hero. I was 13 and came home from school and Dad said Andy Gray is leaving the Villa for Wolves, I said no way as Dad often wound me up, it was true and I was gutted. The goal against Manure when he flattens I think Jimmy Nichol I just love it. The Gray, Little, Gidman and Cropley team is actually the side I enjoyed watching the most.
Really pleased to hear his no 1 club is the Villa, just like I heard John Gidman they were say on radio a while back. Made my night that has.

[dave shelley]

He got fined for that. I can't remember if he got suspended.

[Rudy65]

He got fined for that. I can't remember if he got suspended.

He didnt get suspended. But Shoot, my reading material at the time, were outraged.

Young, brave, centre forward, ballsey, goalscorer and  a big part of a great team.

Was only 12 but remember his hat trick v Ipswich in 76 like it was yesterday

[PeterWithe]

Thanks for all your kind words, a genuine pleasure to read. Dad wasn't the most skilful player, I can vouch for his lack of tricks and he struggles to juggle a ball for long, but he gave 100% every game he played and knew where the goal was. He was indeed the only winner of both the PFA & young PFA award until a certain Ronaldo and Gareth Bale repeated the feat many years later. He scored 25 league goals that season, the last Villa player to do so, which is pretty crazy really & Dad modestly doesn't think there could have been too many better strikers in Europe for a few years.

Mate, tell your dad I could happily crack one off to that header he scores at the Holte End against Man Utd in '76, it truly is a beautiful thing.

If its not too personal a question, how old are you Lee?

I'm 38, it was well before my time mate, but it has stuck with me since wearing down my VHS of the official history. It's absolutely magnificent.
 

No worries, I didnt imagine you were older than me but that post made me ask.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

One of favourite ever Villa players too...along with a good chunk of that team, Brian Little, John Gidman, Chris Nicholl...
Just after he arrived he was a sensation, scoring for fun...I seem to remember two games against Everton and Arse when we scored 5 in each game, Andy scoring at least a couple IIRC, one of them similar to Hurst's third in the 66 WCF - just ran straight at the goal and hammered it in with his left peg...at The Holte End!
A favourite memory is driving home after games in my mate's Capri, after yet another win and Andy having scored another goal or two, we'd have the radio on and Villa fans would phone up Tony Butler just to say "Alright Tone...Andy Gray's great!"
It used to wind up Nose Butler no end.

As you say JG, he certainly knew where the goal was!