| Donate |
|
|
 |
|
 |
| Links |
|
|
|
|
|
| Users Online |
 Welcome Guest
Join Us!
 
Register! It's free and you can post to the site
 Create an account | | | |  Login:
|
| | | | |  Admin |  limpid | |
| | | |  Moderators |  LancsVillan | | | BOF | | | bickster | | | blandy | | | NurembergVillan | | | PauloBarnesi | | | OutByEaster? | | | TrentVilla | |
| | | | | Members: |  New Today: | 56 | | New Yesterday: | 61 | | Total: | 41101 | | Last: | | helly |
| | | |  Online |  Members: | 368 |  Guests: | 910 |  Total: | 1278 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Menu |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted by: Peter_B
on Tuesday, December 10, 2002 - 06:52 AM
The last article in our series sees Paul Muscat putting the case for the last Villa player to score 20 twenty league goals in a season - the one and only, truly great Peter Withe.
It's my turn today and I'm making the case for the one and only Peter Withe. Let's start off with a brief Villa fact file: Born in Liverpool, August 30, 1951; Bought in May 1980 from then 2nd Division Newcastle United for a then club record fee of 500,000 pounds Sterling; Total appearances for Villa 232 Goals 90 (Lg 182/74;FA Cp 9/2; FLg Cup 19/5; Europe 22/9); Apart from playing 11 times for England (scoring once against Hungary at the tender age of 32), he was also the first English Villa player in a World Cup finals squad (Spain 82) and was, of course, the scorer of Aston Villa's winning goal against Bayern Munich in the European Cup Final in Rotterdam in 1982.
As 'the last piece of the jigsaw', Peter Withe's part in Aston Villa's first league title in 71 years was immense. It was his presence that in one season directly led to an average First Division side becoming championship material. He was the central figure of strength and authority for whom Ron Saunders had long been looking to complement the visionary passing of Cowans, the tricky wing-play of Morley, and the cunning touches of Shaw. Actually, legend has it that Saunders was at first reluctant to bid for Withe. Saunders knew that the centre forward he was after would be the pivotal figure in his improving team and, naturally enough, had initial fears. After all, With was already 29 at the time! But you know what? In two decades as a manager, Saunders was never better rewarded. Withe had rejected Leeds, his beloved Everton, and four unnamed clubs (two from London and two foreign ones) to join Villa, swayed in no small part by what Saunders had to say. Both men saw some of themselves in each other: tireless enthusiasm for the game and an iron will to win.
Withe was a sight to see: a scrubland of beard on his lower face, straight-backed, rangy and an addictive talker on the field. He was his own man: determined, helpful and a slave of his word. The big Liverpudlian was neither the classiest nor the most skilful of players, as he himself will attest. He was a specialist player, and asking him to do other than lead the line with bravery, strength and determination was rather like requesting a bulldog to run in a greyhound race! What Peter Withe did well he perfected, because he was an orchestrator rather than a soloist.
Just as the 1977 League Cup is remembered for Brian Little's sparkling contribution and the European Cup in 1982 for Dennis Mortimer's, so the First Division title in the 1980-81 season brought all of Peter Withe's special qualities to the forefront. Saunders knew just how to use him: Cowans-to-Shaw-to-Withe for a knockdown was as common at Villa Park as the grass
itself; Cowans-to-Shaw-to-Morley for a cross to With in the penalty area just as much so. As Withe said time and time again, that 1980-81 side had a strong backbone, with Rimmer in goal, Evans and McNaught as central defenders, Cowans and Mortimer in centre midfield, and himself up front. Of the 6, five were ever-present, Withe himself missing 6 matches in 3 of
which Villa suffered defeats.
I always have fond memories of this little episode from that Championship season: the players were bemoaning the fact that Middlesbrough were their bogey team. "Funny", said Withe, "in all my career I've never been on the losing side against Boro. Guess it's just one of those things." Villa could have scored at least 10 that day but settled for 3! Said the big
fella: "In one 25-minute spell, they couldn't get the ball out of their own half. I hit both posts and the bar!" Afterwards, the Villa players congratulated Withe on keeping his unbeaten record intact, and he never bothered telling them that it was all a white lie since it helped raise their game when it mattered.
Finally, here's what the Scouser had to say about his time at Villa: "Five years I was to stay, my longest time anywhere. That makes them a special club for me. I was 33 and I wanted to remain with Villa but it had to be on financially acceptable terms. They never were, so I took a free transfer and moved to Sheffield United. But it was the biggest wrench of my football career. I have some fond memories of Villa, none better."
Peter Withe - my hero - I salute and thank you!
Paul Muscat
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
