Charlie Aitken RIP

[nick harper]

Very sad. A permanent fixture at number 3 for many years. Will his appearance record ever be beaten? I suspect not. Deserves to stay in our record books.

[dave shelley]

On the train back to London after the match and just heard this news, RIP.

Am I right in in thinking that Aitken’s Villa debut was also Johnny Dixon’s final game for us?

Indeed it was.  Clichéd I know, but it does really seem like yesterday to fans of my generation.

[danno]

He seemed to be liked and admired by all.  Sad news, one of the greats has left us.

What a career - all time appearance record for us, then popping over to New York for a swan song with Pele and co.

From first division to third, then all the way back up again.
(Would never happen now sadly.)

I never saw him play but “legend” can surely be used in this instance.

[frank]

Definitely a legend. RIP Charlie

[HK Villan]

Oh no… a true Villa legend if ever there was one.  I saw him play twice at the end of his career.  Always held him in the highest esteem - a great ambassador for the club.  Rest in Peace.

[Nev]

I count myself as young so never saw him play but if anyone embodied Aston Villa in my early days it was Charlie. Always around, afforded respect by those who know better than me, a big Doug acolyte but with a heart firmly in the right place.

There are few left now, from an age that can only invoke huge respect.

RIP

[Villan For Life]

RIP Charlie, I never saw you play but my dad made sure that I knew all about you and you were a Villa legend. Holte Ender in the Sky

[Legion]

A lovely man. I met him a few times. He was my team's manager when I took part in a Football Aid event at VP. A true gentleman. A real Villa legend.

[dave shelley]

I count myself as young so never saw him play but if anyone embodied Aston Villa in my early days it was Charlie. Always around, afforded respect by those who know better than me, a big Doug acolyte but with a heart firmly in the right place.

There are few left now, from an age that can only invoke huge respect.

RIP

I can only think that the feelings Charlie had for Ellis may have stemmed from the time Ellis and Pat Mathews walked into the club.  Charlie would have seen a dying club and recognised those two as saviours of sorts.  It would be hard to break that mindset knowing what an absolute crock of shit Villa were at that time. 

[Legion]

https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2023/october/29/tribute-to-charlie-aitken/

[dave.woodhall]

The players of that time held Ellis in high regard because he did a good job then. A lot of supporters felt the same way.

[Exeter 77]

Charlie left Villa at the of the season before the first one remember but I've always been aware of his significance to the club. The only player to make the trip down to Division 3 and back to Division 1 via two League Cup Finals. Nobody has played as many games for Villa and probably never will. A true club legend in the true sense.

[Morleys left boot]

Sad news indeed first saw him play under the AV flood lights when I first fell in love with the club what a legend
RIP Charlie

[garyellis]

I started going to Villa Park in the late 60’s when we were generally on the slide.
The dark days of relegation to division three and then the journey back.
Charlie Aitken for me is and always will be a true club legend.
His loyalty and service to the club over this period was a part of our identity as a big club that was on a journey back from the abyss.
RIP Charle true club legend.

[itmustbe_it is!]

Played in the first ever game my Dad took me to, Arsenal in 1975.

Shook his hand when we met him after blagging tickets in the directors box away at Blackburn in the 90s.

A proper club legend and his record is most unlikely ever to be broken.

RIP Charlie.