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Author Topic: What makes a "club legend"?  (Read 5220 times)

Offline BC Villain

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What makes a "club legend"?
« on: August 07, 2021, 10:47:02 AM »
Given all the talk about whether he who shall not be named is a Villa legend, what constitutes a club legend as opposed to a cult hero?


Offline Lastfootstamper

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2021, 11:17:31 AM »
You have to win something, or at the very least lead an heroic charge towards an ultimate defeat at the hands of clearly superior opposition, and have something about you that marks you out from the ordinary. Length of service or proximity of birth only add to it after status has been bestowed.

Offline TopDeck113

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2021, 11:23:33 AM »
I don't think there is one set of criteria. However - and perhaps what you allude to in the question - is the the fact that the very term "legend" has become debased through it being conferred on to anyone who manages 100 appearances, a couple of stand out performances and contributes to a decent cup run.

The other thing is, rather like lists of greatest ever songs, films etc voted by the public, there is always a bias towards more recent players.

I'd quite like it if the club marked the 150th anniversary with the unveiling of a Hall of Fame with, say, twenty five initially inductees from all points of the club's history.  Induction would be a carefully  considered process and not based on, for example, having a penchant for only scoring against the Blues during the 2010s whilst everything else you did was half-arsed.

Online dave.woodhall

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2021, 11:27:35 AM »
The benchmark seems to be Ian Taylor. i'd say cult hero definitely, but not a legend. Legends are what people talk about two generations after they retire.

Offline BC Villain

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2021, 11:31:36 AM »
I don't think there is one set of criteria. However - and perhaps what you allude to in the question - is the the fact that the very term "legend" has become debased through it being conferred on to anyone who manages 100 appearances, a couple of stand out performances and contributes to a decent cup run.

The other thing is, rather like lists of greatest ever songs, films etc voted by the public, there is always a bias towards more recent players.

I'd quite like it if the club marked the 150th anniversary with the unveiling of a Hall of Fame with, say, twenty five initially inductees from all points of the club's history.  Induction would be a carefully  considered process and not based on, for example, having a penchant for only scoring against the Blues during the 2010s whilst everything else you did was half-arsed.

I agree.  Martin Laursen is a great example.  Fabulous player who was very unlucky with injuries.  But we effectively had one season out of him with less than 100 appearances over 5-6 years.  I'd consider him a Villa hero, but not a legend.

Offline PaulWinch again

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2021, 11:31:44 AM »
Yep a legend, for me, has to be instrumental in material success for the club.

Offline BC Villain

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2021, 11:33:04 AM »
The benchmark seems to be Ian Taylor. i'd say cult hero definitely, but not a legend. Legends are what people talk about two generations after they retire.

Would you consider Charlie Aitken a Villa legend? 

Offline charlatan

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2021, 11:37:47 AM »
No idea. Trying listing who you think qualifies as a legend and work out if there are commmon characteristics.

Two generations after they retire implies for most of us that we haven't experienced a legend, so maybe that's why it is pretty intangible. Conversely by that standard I'd be pretty happy to live long enough to discover that one of our current crop qualified!

Online dave.woodhall

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2021, 11:39:43 AM »
The benchmark seems to be Ian Taylor. i'd say cult hero definitely, but not a legend. Legends are what people talk about two generations after they retire.

Would you consider Charlie Aitken a Villa legend? 

Absolutely. Record appearances, success, never asked for a transfer and could have played at a much higher level.

Offline Lastfootstamper

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2021, 11:43:30 AM »
And he won stuff.

Offline TopDeck113

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2021, 11:46:42 AM »
The benchmark seems to be Ian Taylor. i'd say cult hero definitely, but not a legend. Legends are what people talk about two generations after they retire.

Would you consider Charlie Aitken a Villa legend? 

I remember having this debate with a mate's dad years ago. He reckoned that based on appearances alone, Aitken was an absolute, bone fida legend. My take was that the vast majority of those appearances were during the most catastrophic decline in the club's history and therefore there was nothing legendary about it. 

Now I'm probably more of my mate's dad's mindset!

Online Exeter 77

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #11 on: August 07, 2021, 11:48:21 AM »
In the modern era I think Brian Little could be the benchmark. Won trophies as a player, another as manager and contributed to the re-build after relegation at board level.

Offline Lastfootstamper

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #12 on: August 07, 2021, 11:49:36 AM »
Re Aitken, a lot of his appearances were in the climb back up, too.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2021, 11:51:26 AM by Lastfootstamper »

Offline Lastfootstamper

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #13 on: August 07, 2021, 11:58:39 AM »
In the modern era I think Brian Little could be the benchmark. Won trophies as a player, another as manager and contributed to the re-build after relegation at board level.


Modern era! I have a little thing I do myself when trying to put the passage of time into perspective, I try to picture a similar gap again back from there. So, Now >> Brian Little's last game as a player >> WW2 still to kick off.

Online Exeter 77

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Re: What makes a "club legend"?
« Reply #14 on: August 07, 2021, 12:07:43 PM »
In the modern era I think Brian Little could be the benchmark. Won trophies as a player, another as manager and contributed to the re-build after relegation at board level.


Modern era! I have a little thing I do myself when trying to put the passage of time into perspective, I try to picture a similar gap again back from there. So, Now >> Brian Little's last game as a player >> WW2 still to kick off.
Sorry. I didn't want to include the period up to to the First World War as there are plenty of candidates from then. I was thinking from the 1957 FA Cup Final onwards.

 


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