Sid Cowans leaves Villa

[olaftab]

Gordon thank you and my best wishes for the future.

[john2710]

Some wonderful memories of watching Sid play, I've never seen any other footballer slide tackle & ping a pass in the next movement, the way he used to. The finest midfielder to play for us over the 40 years I've been watching. One of the few genuine legends.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

One of the few who truly deserve the title of professional footballer. My memory is not as good as it used to be but I can never remember Sid bad mouthing any club, colleague or rival, feigning injury, moaning about managers or his treatment by whichever club he represented. He kept himself fit, never partied late or was involved in any lurid headline. Even now he is showing more dignity and respect than the bunch of wasters who have dragged the club downwards. As a player, for me, he had no equal as a midfielder, with the ability to strike the ball with either foot, tackle and recover and never attempt to get an opposing player booked or sent off. His deadball technique was superb and his vision was without comparison- Platt was asked what ambition he had and his reply sums up the majesty of Gordon 'Sid' Cowans. 'My ambition is to make a run that Gordon Cowans doesn't spot'.

Good Luck Sid

This...Absolutely

Correct.

A true Villa great - in my time and that of Aston Villa Football Club.


All the very best Sid.

[Dave Wall]

Good luck Sid in the future a true Villa great   

[Legion]

Gordon Cowans is one of my all-time Villa heroes. Great player and a true gentleman. Lovely to talk to at the Old Stars fixtures. Got a great pic of him with me. As an aside Ben Petty has also been released from the coaching staff. He has moved on to Leicester City.

[Lizz]

Only just catching up on this. Have a long and happy retirement.

[Legion]

I see, Gabby stays and Sid is shown the door??

It's hardly comparable is it?

Not in the slightest.

[waynejames]

My first memory of sid was in the late 70's against West Ham when he put a penalty past Phil Parkes. I was a little boy then and i remember him sending me the wrong way never mind the keeper with that little body shimmy before planting the ball in the bottom corner in front of the Holte.
I've met sid twice, once at vp for a reunion of the 82 squad and more recently at Barwell FC where i had the honour of playing in the same side as a guest with the likes of Morley, Bremner Gibson, Spink and of course Sid in a legends game.
In the changing rooms before the game i was next to Sid by chance and just spoke briefly with him, he was wetting his boots in the toilets at the time. It was one of those moments where it was just better to say little and just watch, after all this was my hero and i was about to play a game with him!
As for the game, i was crap but at least i exchanged a couple of passes with the great man!
That will be with me forever...
Utv sid

[Risso]

I always wondered why he never (apparently) fancied making the step up and having a go as a manager.  Happy doing what he was doing I suppose is the obvious answer, but one of our greatest players as a successful Villa manager would have been nice.

[curiousorange]

I got an autograph from Sid at an Old Stars game in Streetly. In my time I've met loads of famous people - mostly musicians admittedly - but that was the only time I couldn't utter a word for excitement.

[PeterWithesShin]

I got an autograph from Sid at an Old Stars game in Streetly. In my time I've met loads of famous people - mostly musicians admittedly - but that was the only time I couldn't utter a word for excitement.

I was, and still am, like it for the 80-82 side. I've dealt with loads of authors, actors etc with no problems but it comes to them and i'm useless. Used to see loads of them when selling on Witton Lane, never said a word. I'd just stare and probably look like a nutter. I remember Colin Gibson walking past one day and as usual I just stared trying to think of anything to say other than "fuck me it's Gibbo!" and he stared back and sped up until he was safely in the North Stand car park.

Some months ago saw Gary Shaw at the local Tesco, again I had to resist saying some crap like "it's Gary fucking Shaw!"

[Risso]

I got an autograph from Sid at an Old Stars game in Streetly. In my time I've met loads of famous people - mostly musicians admittedly - but that was the only time I couldn't utter a word for excitement.

I was, and still am, like it for the 80-82 side. I've dealt with loads of authors, actors etc with no problems but it comes to them and i'm useless. Used to see loads of them when selling on Witton Lane, never said a word. I'd just stare and probably look like a nutter. I remember Colin Gibson walking past one day and as usual I just stared trying to think of anything to say other than "fuck me it's Gibbo!" and he stared back and sped up until he was safely in the North Stand car park.

Some months ago saw Gary Shaw at the local Tesco, again I had to resist saying some crap like "it's Gary fucking Shaw!"

I was sat a few rows away from Gary Shaw at the 96 League Cup final. 

[Damo70]

I got an autograph from Sid at an Old Stars game in Streetly. In my time I've met loads of famous people - mostly musicians admittedly - but that was the only time I couldn't utter a word for excitement.

My cousin trained his daughter in banking. I met him in the Aston Tavern on a Halloween night party a couple of years back. I bought a strip of raffle tickets and one of them was the number ten. I didn't give a monkeys about winning the raffle I just wanted him to sign the back of my number 10 ticket, which he did. He seemed quite a softly spoken and humble guy. I think he had had a few drinks but given how much I was drinking at that time I am the last person to to judge. I think the only other time I have been in total awe of a Villa player was Paul McGrath at Dwight Yorke's 21st birthday party at Villa Park in 1992. He lived next door to my female cousin in Shustoke/Coleshill (Dwight not Paul) so I went as her 'plus one' as her boyfriend lived up North at the time and didn't want to go. Mark Bosnich was a nice guy to chat to but Kevin Richardson didn't impress me as he was rude and arrogant to the bar staff.

[Damo70]

I got an autograph from Sid at an Old Stars game in Streetly. In my time I've met loads of famous people - mostly musicians admittedly - but that was the only time I couldn't utter a word for excitement.

I was, and still am, like it for the 80-82 side. I've dealt with loads of authors, actors etc with no problems but it comes to them and i'm useless. Used to see loads of them when selling on Witton Lane, never said a word. I'd just stare and probably look like a nutter. I remember Colin Gibson walking past one day and as usual I just stared trying to think of anything to say other than "fuck me it's Gibbo!" and he stared back and sped up until he was safely in the North Stand car park.

Some months ago saw Gary Shaw at the local Tesco, again I had to resist saying some crap like "it's Gary fucking Shaw!"

I was sat a few rows away from Gary Shaw at the 96 League Cup final.

Gary Shaw was friends with my next door neighbours who, along with his dad and younger brother took me to Villa games in the late seventies and eighties. I met him at my neighbours 21st in the January of the title winning season. I'm pretty sure we won 2-1 away to Coventry and he may have scored. He was introduced to me (I was ten at the time) and asked me to look after his jacket while he danced. I thought that was a nice touch as he must have known how much that meant to a ten year old Villa fan. Afterwards he shook my hand, thanked me and said we were friends for life. He lied, I have never had a phone call, birthday card or Christmas card from him. But to be fair he made a ten year old lad feel ten feet tall for one night.

[The Left Side]

I think we all tried to be him in the school playground... trying those long passes that only he could look so easy.