Willie Anderson

[olaftab]

Willie and Chico I just couldn't decide between them so both posters were up on the wall.

[Oscar Arce]

Glad you all enjoyed it, and Willie looks fantastic and in fine form!
An old fashioned winger was Willie, he used to take the ball up to an opponent slowly, then a swivel of the hips and he was away, sending in a cross for Andy Lochead.
As many have said, he's a Liverpool fan who found himself as George Best's 'understudy' before arriving at Villa Park. Remember his penalties? He always had a good record with them, and usually weighed in with 10-12 goals a season. I remember when he asked for a transfer when we were relegated to the third division and he nearly moved, but ended the season with a Cup final appearance at Wembley and was one of our best players in the promotion year, ending with 15 goals.
He was transferred to Cardiff and had his second spell in the NASL after that, staying in the States for good.
I met his son David last year at Villa Park, he brought along Willie's League Cup Final shirt and tracksuit, complete with original grass stains!
I hope I can look half as good as Willie when I get to his age!
Here's another feature on Willie when he mentions another Villa NASL pioneer, Brian Godfrey:

[Oscar Arce]

Bernie and Castlefields:
The song I remember for Willie was: Give it to Willie, give it to Willie, Anderson...Anderson to the tune below (you'll recognise it) !

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Great memories Oscar.
Willie was with us when I was aged 13 - 19; an impressionable age for me and very mixed times for The Villa...although our times in Div 3 were some of the best in my years following us. Willie was our version of George Best and a similarly gifted player and I know we all loved him over those years.
Great to see him looking and sounding so well.
A definite Villa hero for me and fully deserving of the various songs we had for him.

[castlefields_villan]

Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.

I was thinking when Willie Anderson cropped up on here - he was the first regular penalty taker I remember - and yes he had a good strike rate (I couldn't remember how many, so thanks for saying) - but yes it was always in the top left corner.

[Oscar Arce]

Two games spring to mind for me were:
The pre season 'friendly' against Blues, we won 2-1 and Willie scored both goals, the first when he hit a dipping shot from the edge of the area and 'I'd run a mile and a bit to rub your face in the ****' crossed for Bob Latchford to eaqualise before Anderson scored in the second half from Keir Bradley's cross in front of the Holte.
We were crowned 'Kings of Birmingham' and we were the underdogs that day, Small Heath being in the higher division, happy days for a 15 year old kid from Billesley.
The other game was a League Cup First round second replay against Wrexham at the Hawthorns, Villa played in thier new yellow kit and I remember Willie ripping their full back to shreds, being fouled and scoring from the penalty, crossing for two of the goals and Villa winning 4-3!
Willie was brilliant in both games, our very own Georgie Best!
I have a clipping from the match report of that game and Vic Crowe said of Willie's performance after the new no-tackle from behind law 'This makes Anderson unstoppable now".

[Oscar Arce]

Plus, how could I forget these two great games, Willie prominent in both. Happy Days.

[castlefields_villan]

I missed the "friendly" in 1971 against the rags due to being on holiday - Although I do remember we cut short the holiday so we could get back for the first league game of the new season, at home to Plymouth, which if I remember correctly was a 3-1 win, with Willie Anderson scoring the third from a penalty at the Holte End.

I also was at that 4-3 second replay at the Hawthorns and remember the new yellow kit - Our keeper that night was Geoff/Jeff Crudgington.

A few years ago a friend of Mrs Castlefields introduced us to her "new chap" and he said he was a Wrexham supporter and amazingly one of the first things he said to me was he remembered that match  (and who was in goal for us !!)

[Pat McMahon]

Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.

I remember my first ever away game at Walsall around new year's day 1971, fresh off beating the mighty Man U in the league cup semi final and we were trounced 3-0. Willie Anderson missed a penalty and it must have been wide of the goal by 5 yards.

When I think of him I go back to my first visits to Villa Park in the Trinity Road enclosure and Willie running down the left wing towards the Holte. Such was the camber on the pitch there were times I couldn't see the ball.

I also recall that in the Man U semi final programme there was a photo of Willie Anderson with a few players, including George Best, from his days there. Sadly all my old stuff was thrown out over several moves by my mom when I lived in France.

[castlefields_villan]

Although I lived in Great Barr, I went to secondary school at Blue Coat, Walsall and was the only Villa supporter in my class - a lot of the lads there supported "Manchester United AND Walsall"

Did I get some stick when I went back for the 1971 Spring Term.

[dave shelley]

Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.

I remember my first ever away game at Walsall around new year's day 1971, fresh off beating the mighty Man U in the league cup semi final and we were trounced 3-0. Willie Anderson missed a penalty and it must have been wide of the goal by 5 yards.

When I think of him I go back to my first visits to Villa Park in the Trinity Road enclosure and Willie running down the left wing towards the Holte. Such was the camber on the pitch there were times I couldn't see the ball.

I also recall that in the Man U semi final programme there was a photo of Willie Anderson with a few players, including George Best, from his days there. Sadly all my old stuff was thrown out over several moves by my mom when I lived in France.

Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.

I remember my first ever away game at Walsall around new year's day 1971, fresh off beating the mighty Man U in the league cup semi final and we were trounced 3-0. Willie Anderson missed a penalty and it must have been wide of the goal by 5 yards.

When I think of him I go back to my first visits to Villa Park in the Trinity Road enclosure and Willie running down the left wing towards the Holte. Such was the camber on the pitch there were times I couldn't see the ball.

I also recall that in the Man U semi final programme there was a photo of Willie Anderson with a few players, including George Best, from his days there. Sadly all my old stuff was thrown out over several moves by my mom when I lived in France.

Willie Anderson was our penalty taker for some time - always put the ball top left corner (from his viewpoint) and scored twelve on the run.
(I did the same during my career at Mercian Secondary, Tamworth)
Then he changed to bottom left and I think it was saved.
Some of you on here have great specific memories of games, opposition, players etc. I don't I'm afraid, and can recall nothing more than the above.
I do remember him falling over the advertising hoardings once...one of our fellow posters used the reference as his location iirc.

I remember my first ever away game at Walsall around new year's day 1971, fresh off beating the mighty Man U in the league cup semi final and we were trounced 3-0. Willie Anderson missed a penalty and it must have been wide of the goal by 5 yards.

When I think of him I go back to my first visits to Villa Park in the Trinity Road enclosure and Willie running down the left wing towards the Holte. Such was the camber on the pitch there were times I couldn't see the ball.

I also recall that in the Man U semi final programme there was a photo of Willie Anderson with a few players, including George Best, from his days there. Sadly all my old stuff was thrown out over several moves by my mom when I lived in France.

oo

I remember that penalty too Pat.  I also remember being packed in like sardines as well.  I can't remember if the match was all-ticket, I think it was but can't recall how I got my ticket, I was a season ticket holder at the time soot was probably through that.  I couldn't believe how we lost that match, I though we were nailed on to win.

[castlefields_villan]

I didn't actually go to the game - but I remember a pal of mine who did and apparently at 3-0 down, when the Villa supporters refused to give the ball back  the ref said "if you  help me, I'll help you" and a few minutes later awarded us that penalty.  Obviously with Willie Anderson's success rate - he probably hadn't allowed for him ballooning it yards wide and over !

[BC54 VFC]

As soon as I saw the comments of FMWMU I thought of Willie's penalty miss away at Walsall and Pat and Dave have beaten me to it with their comments. It was 2nd Jan, 1971 and only the third away game that my dad took me to, and the first that we stood on the terraces. We were in amongst the 'lads', or the 'steamers' as I think they were called in those days, and it was quite a 'tasty' atmosphere for a 12 year old! I also remember the incident referred to by 'castlefields' when the Villa fans kept the ball (just in front of where we were standing). I think you are generous  , Pat, when you say the penalty was 5 yards wide, probably that far high and wide (of the right-hand angle as I recall). Isn't it funny how you remember everything about a game nearly 45 years ago but nothing about any home games over the past couple of years, apart from a certain cup game in early March?

Interested, castlefields, in your earlier comments on Jimmy Greaves.

I love these threads that reminisce.   

[Flamingo Lane]

I was at the 4-3 game v Wrexham at the Hawthorns, a fantastic night.

Willie Anderson was very much a favourite of the fans.

[Louzie0]

Loved watching Willie Anderson. He was so exciting.
I really enjoyed this film. Thanks.

(I was quite little at the time!)