Tom Watt on Talk Shite

[Jimbo]

Ha ha, don't worry, JG, I'll get over it one of these days. There were a lot of Villa-mad kids down our road, as you'd imagine, so I think they handed out their fair share of autographs while they were there. I definitely caught him at the wrong time. But the whole thing demonstrates just how far removed today's footballers are from ordinary fans.

You lived on Gleneagles Drive, then? I am a little bit older and lived round the corner, opposite Alex Cropley. Kids were constantly bugging Andy. He had an Old English Sheepdog called Ben, and the local kids (me included) used to frequently bug him by offering to take Ben for a walk. I have to say my experience was that Andy was very tolerant of the attention that he attracted. He even took me and my sister down to Bodymoor for training session one time (in the white RS2000), and donated some old boots for a school raffle after I'd bugged him yet again.

Many years later, I saw Andy at a restaurant in Birmingham and I was surprised that he actually remembered me from about 20 years earlier.

Pretty sure this is the type of car

No, this was Erdington/Pype Hayes, off Chester Road. They couldn't have been there for that long, but at the time it was like having royalty down the road. It was probably around '77-78. I remember John Gidman used to visit quite a lot. And yes, that's the car. Compared to all the Vauxhall Vivas and Austin 1100s down our road, it was like a spaceship.

[JG]

Ha ha, don't worry, JG, I'll get over it one of these days. There were a lot of Villa-mad kids down our road, as you'd imagine, so I think they handed out their fair share of autographs while they were there. I definitely caught him at the wrong time. But the whole thing demonstrates just how far removed today's footballers are from ordinary fans.

You lived on Gleneagles Drive, then? I am a little bit older and lived round the corner, opposite Alex Cropley. Kids were constantly bugging Andy. He had an Old English Sheepdog called Ben, and the local kids (me included) used to frequently bug him by offering to take Ben for a walk. I have to say my experience was that Andy was very tolerant of the attention that he attracted. He even took me and my sister down to Bodymoor for training session one time (in the white RS2000), and donated some old boots for a school raffle after I'd bugged him yet again.

Many years later, I saw Andy at a restaurant in Birmingham and I was surprised that he actually remembered me from about 20 years earlier.

Pretty sure this is the type of car

No, this was Erdington/Pype Hayes, off Chester Road. They couldn't have been there for that long, but at the time it was like having royalty down the road. It was probably around '77-78. I remember John Gidman used to visit quite a lot. And yes, that's the car. Compared to all the Vauxhall Vivas and Austin 1100s down our road, it was like a spaceship.

Dad did live on Gleneagles, but I'm not sure what year he moved there. He & Giddy were thick as thieves & they're still great mates to this day.

[DeKuip]

JG - I'm mid 50s, have missed very few home games since 1968 and can say without any shadow of a doubt your old man is for me the best and most exciting centre-forward we've had in that time. He also played in what many, including myself, think was our best team and our most exciting season at Villa Park in 1976/77... the facts alone don't do it justice but younger readers should take these in and just try and imagine how incredible it was to watch us play at home that season:

P28 W23 D4 L1 F75 (seventy-five!) A21 

The Villa Park season started with a 4-0 win over West Ham (Gray 2) and ended with a 4-0 battering of the Baggies (Gray 3). We finished fourth but hammered eventual champions Liverpool 5-1 (Gray 2) and 3rd placed Ipswich 5-2 (Gray 3). Won the League Cup and lost away to Man U in the qtr final of the FA Cup at the end of week in which we'd played both the League Cup final and replay with extra-time.

We quite rightly still welcome back and see members of the championship and European Cup squads to Villa Park as heroes and legends - but that 76/77 team was also packed with players who should also be treated as all-time legends for what they gave us that season. Gordon Cowans and Dennis Mortimer spanned both teams and Brian Little is rightly still revered but I'm thinking of men like John Burridge, John Gidman, Chris Nicholl, Leighton Phillips, John Deehan, Frank Carrodus, Ray Graydon and of course Andy Gray. Sadly John Robson and Gordon Smith are no longer with us.
In two seasons time we should be celebrating the anniversary of that campaign and getting all of the above back together and out there on the pitch for the recognition they deserve.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I'm pretty sure your Dad lived off Heathcroft Road when he first arrived at the Villa. I think the Graydons lived in Rowallan Rd and your Dad lived In Essex Road.
I remember seeing him having a quite pint in the Fox & Dog or getting a take away from The Four Seasons on Lichfield Road.

As an aside, anybody used the Four Seasons Chinese recently ? I've been having the same meal (special curry/boiled rice) from there for nearly 40 years ( looks like the same fish in the tank and the same TV behind the counter too!).
Last two times I've been it was closed. No notices on the window or anything. I love their curries, Star Anise round the corner isn't a patch on their food.

[john e]

JG - I'm mid 50s, have missed very few home games since 1968 and can say without any shadow of a doubt your old man is for me the best and most exciting centre-forward we've had in that time. He also played in what many, including myself, think was our best team and our most exciting season at Villa Park in 1976/77... the facts alone don't do it justice but younger readers should take these in and just try and imagine how incredible it was to watch us play at home that season:

P28 W23 D4 L1 F75 (seventy-five!) A21 

The Villa Park season started with a 4-0 win over West Ham (Gray 2) and ended with a 4-0 battering of the Baggies (Gray 3). We finished fourth but hammered eventual champions Liverpool 5-1 (Gray 2) and 3rd placed Ipswich 5-2 (Gray 3). Won the League Cup and lost away to Man U in the qtr final of the FA Cup at the end of week in which we'd played both the League Cup final and replay with extra-time.

We quite rightly still welcome back and see members of the championship and European Cup squads to Villa Park as heroes and legends - but that 76/77 team was also packed with players who should also be treated as all-time legends for what they gave us that season. Gordon Cowans and Dennis Mortimer spanned both teams and Brian Little is rightly still revered but I'm thinking of men like John Burridge, John Gidman, Chris Nicholl, Leighton Phillips, John Deehan, Frank Carrodus, Ray Graydon and of course Andy Gray. Sadly John Robson and Gordon Smith are no longer with us.
In two seasons time we should be celebrating the anniversary of that campaign and getting all of the above back together and out there on the pitch for the recognition they deserve.

agree with every word you say, they were a bit special
and Frank Carrodus is still my all time favourite player, he wasn't the best and was often the team scapegoat, but I loved him,he would  run all day long and some skills too

he scored Liverpools own goal in 77 that was refered to earlier

I remember one particular game at VP when he had been getting a load of stick, and he suddenly went on a mazy run beating what seemed to be 5 or 6 players and just as he broke free into the box he stood on the ball and fell over, the whole ground just fell about laughing, but everyone loved his heart

this has turned into a great thread

[Chris Jameson]

A mate of mine used to live either next door or very close to Andy Gray, they lived just on a bend on a country lane. He doesn't have any interest in football but told me the story of his mum stood just before the bend to stop any traffic approaching and warn any approaching traffic that they were in the process of loading a piano into the back of a van parked just beyond the bend. The only car to come along was Andy and he mistook Mrs Gilks gesture to stop as a friendly neighbour waving and waved back, seconds later there was a screeching of brakes and a car almost ending up in a field. No idea what happened to the piano.

[144 Hard Boiled Eggs]

JG - I'm mid 50s, have missed very few home games since 1968 and can say without any shadow of a doubt your old man is for me the best and most exciting centre-forward we've had in that time. He also played in what many, including myself, think was our best team and our most exciting season at Villa Park in 1976/77... the facts alone don't do it justice but younger readers should take these in and just try and imagine how incredible it was to watch us play at home that season:

P28 W23 D4 L1 F75 (seventy-five!) A21 

The Villa Park season started with a 4-0 win over West Ham (Gray 2) and ended with a 4-0 battering of the Baggies (Gray 3). We finished fourth but hammered eventual champions Liverpool 5-1 (Gray 2) and 3rd placed Ipswich 5-2 (Gray 3). Won the League Cup and lost away to Man U in the qtr final of the FA Cup at the end of week in which we'd played both the League Cup final and replay with extra-time.

We quite rightly still welcome back and see members of the championship and European Cup squads to Villa Park as heroes and legends - but that 76/77 team was also packed with players who should also be treated as all-time legends for what they gave us that season. Gordon Cowans and Dennis Mortimer spanned both teams and Brian Little is rightly still revered but I'm thinking of men like John Burridge, John Gidman, Chris Nicholl, Leighton Phillips, John Deehan, Frank Carrodus, Ray Graydon and of course Andy Gray. Sadly John Robson and Gordon Smith are no longer with us.
In two seasons time we should be celebrating the anniversary of that campaign and getting all of the above back together and out there on the pitch for the recognition they deserve.

I totallly agree.
Regarding Frank Carrodus, I'm sure I remember him running the outer circle route for a charity event during his time with us - something I don't think you'd see a top flight player do nowadays.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

JG - I'm mid 50s, have missed very few home games since 1968 and can say without any shadow of a doubt your old man is for me the best and most exciting centre-forward we've had in that time. He also played in what many, including myself, think was our best team and our most exciting season at Villa Park in 1976/77... the facts alone don't do it justice but younger readers should take these in and just try and imagine how incredible it was to watch us play at home that season:

P28 W23 D4 L1 F75 (seventy-five!) A21 

The Villa Park season started with a 4-0 win over West Ham (Gray 2) and ended with a 4-0 battering of the Baggies (Gray 3). We finished fourth but hammered eventual champions Liverpool 5-1 (Gray 2) and 3rd placed Ipswich 5-2 (Gray 3). Won the League Cup and lost away to Man U in the qtr final of the FA Cup at the end of week in which we'd played both the League Cup final and replay with extra-time.

We quite rightly still welcome back and see members of the championship and European Cup squads to Villa Park as heroes and legends - but that 76/77 team was also packed with players who should also be treated as all-time legends for what they gave us that season. Gordon Cowans and Dennis Mortimer spanned both teams and Brian Little is rightly still revered but I'm thinking of men like John Burridge, John Gidman, Chris Nicholl, Leighton Phillips, John Deehan, Frank Carrodus, Ray Graydon and of course Andy Gray. Sadly John Robson and Gordon Smith are no longer with us.
In two seasons time we should be celebrating the anniversary of that campaign and getting all of the above back together and out there on the pitch for the recognition they deserve.

Great post and very true. I'm younger than you, DeKuip but I still remember AG's debut against Man Utd. Apart from the goal which was a cracker, it was my first time in the Lower Trinity, probably due to my father's hatred of Man Utd fans behavior the previous season in the Witton End, where they were spitting etc on innocent Villa fans. At half time there was a Man Utd fan mouthing off whilst he pissed up against the wall rather than the urinals, much to the disgust of my father who leaned into to him, pushing him against the wall, making the Utd fan piss all down his trousers. Revenge is a dish best served warm and wet.

Of course we all remember the brilliant, brave headers of AG and his Holte End salute but the one goal that really sticks out because it was so unAG was the rocket he smashed in from outside the box against Crystal Palace at Highfield Road in a cup replay. AG had his own column in Shoot which had his autograph at the end. He'd be shocked and probably alarmed at how well I and few mates could copy it, such was our devotion.

I'm struggling to think of a Villa player over the last 40 years more worshipped by the Holte than AG. He had the songs, was loved by all and I can still see the back page of the Evening Mail when AG declared he wanted to leave. Permed hair, training top and ball under his arm, jumping with excitement to be leaving. Heartbreaking stuff. It's good to hear he still holds the Villa fondly in his heart, the days he spent with us between 75 and 79 were undoubtedly the best times I recall watching the Villa.

[Dr Butler]

6th November 1976....

just for all us old Villa romantics.....

UTV
The Doc

[JG]

6th November 1976....

just for all us old Villa romantics.....

UTV
The Doc

That's brilliant. I've seen it a million times before, but I still love watching it. Hard to describe the emotions I feel watching my Dad scoring for the club I love, into a packed Holte End and the fans going wild. You can tell how much he loved scoring. He was 20 years old, a few weeks short of his 21st and not too long before he met my Mum in Flints in Mere Green. Love the huge collar in the interview at the end too!

[Pat McMahon]

and Frank Carrodus is still my all time favourite player, he wasn't the best and was often the team scapegoat, but I loved him,he would  run all day long and some skills too

he scored Liverpools own goal in 77 that was refered to earlier

I remember one particular game at VP when he had been getting a load of stick, and he suddenly went on a mazy run beating what seemed to be 5 or 6 players and just as he broke free into the box he stood on the ball and fell over, the whole ground just fell about laughing, but everyone loved his heart

this has turned into a great thread

John e  - I was at that game, a 1-1 home draw v Southampton with Chris Nichol returning to Villa Park for the first time and scoring their equaliser.

It was most unlike Carrodus, an amazing run with trickery and skill, but a ballsed up ending. The Argus commented on it the following week (Dennis Shaw / Ian Johnson?) in one of their features, bigging up Frank as an unsung hero and saying how that run would have been given far more coverage if it were one of our glamour players.

[LeeS]

6th November 1976....

just for all us old Villa romantics.....

UTV
The Doc

That's brilliant. I've seen it a million times before, but I still love watching it. Hard to describe the emotions I feel watching my Dad scoring for the club I love, into a packed Holte End and the fans going wild. You can tell how much he loved scoring. He was 20 years old, a few weeks short of his 21st and not too long before he met my Mum in Flints in Mere Green. Love the huge collar in the interview at the end too!

That game happened 3 days after I was born. Brilliant. Thanks for posting, DB.

[dave shelley]

Sorry about this being on the wrong thread but, as we're discussing old songs, do any of you old  'un's remember this?

He's up, he's down,
He's in the Rose and Crown,
Barry Hole, Barry Hole.

This was after he got fined by the club for being out drinking when he shouldn't have.  Someone else was to but for the life of me I can't remember who.  Dick Edwards???

Dave, was it Ferguson?

That  was running through my mind Pat as I was typing.  It would make sense as they were team mates at Blackburn.

[dave shelley]

JG. Years ago a relative of mine was involved in a serious motorbike accident when he was a youngster and was in a coma for weeks. He is a big big Villa fan like everybody in our family and your Dad was his hero. A request was made to the club and Andy had no hesitation in visiting Good Hope hospital.
No, there wasn't any big dramatic soap opera style waking up when he heard his voice but your Dad spent time there and made the effort.
Don't see a lot of him but I bump into sometimes. He did wake up later and  recovered. He is now married with a couple of kids. He still goes down the Villa and is still a big big fan.
He wouldn't have heard a single word your Dad said to him that day but I would imagine your Dad is still his hero.

ALITA, I think you're wrong when you say your friend wouldn't have heard anything Andy Gray said to him.  It is said that when a person is dying, hearing is the last of the senses to go.  The same can be said of coma victims, they may or may not recall what was said but, it is believed that they hear it.  So ALITA, you and your friend can take solace that the words expressed by Andy Gray was a contributory factor in the healing process.  And you JG, have another reason to be proud of your old man.

[Chico Hamilton III]

hi JG. There's no doubt a few h and v posters on here who still harbour grievances about your dad's failure to attend the opening of a certain Asda superstore. Any chance you could get an explanation for his no-show and ask him to post an apology pls? 😄

That was me, ASDA, Brierley Hill, 1977 ( could have been '78). waited for hours with my sister and hundreds of other Villa fans in all my Villa gear for him to officially open the new ASDA but he never turned up. Nearly 40 years on and the pain is still raw - he was my absolute hero at the time.  I know there are others on here who were there as well. Mac, for one.   

My sister confronted him about his no-show a few years ago