bickster

By sherrifvilla Sherrifvilla leads us an another trip down memory lane Recently, there have been a few enjoyable 'trip-down-memory-lane' articles from some of VT community, such as Richard, Malc and Drat. On one of the threads, the Sheriff made a joke about them all being old and chuckled to himself at the PC. As he did this, his Dad walked in the room and asked what was funny. After the Sheriff explained, his Dad pointed out that he isn’t such a young man himself after all - and he did so with some delight! So, on the basis of (sadly) realising his Dad was correct - as well as a serious lack of Villa action - the Sheriff has decided to take his own trip down memory lane. So much so, that this is merely the first installment Back when I was a little kid, my parents split up. While it was horrible at the time, I’m glad they did, for two reasons. The first is they got back together a few years later, and are still together now. The second is – back in the day, I would spend the week with my mom and the weekends with my dad. It’s quite conceivable that I might not have gone to my first game in 1988 had they been together, for a variety of reasons. I even remember the date – 22nd October 1988. I remember the team (Spink, Price, Keown, Evans, Mountfield, Gray, Gage, Cowans, Platt, Daley, McInally) and us scoring two spectacular goals through Tony Daley and David Platt. Platt also had one disallowed. I remember Neville Southall making a couple of fantastic saves, and I can recall Kevin Gage getting kicked up in the air by Peter Reid. I don’t remember much else though, aside from being excited to see (my hero at the time) Alan McInally, and the ball nearly coming over to us in the lower Trinity, only for the bloke in the row in front to head it straight back – although that was pretty cool, in all fairness! I didn’t go to loads more games that season, and my memory is pretty hazy. I do recall us beating Spurs in the next game, and then seeing my first defeat when we lost 2-1 to Derby. Some bloke called Dean Saunders got their goals… After that game we moved to the North Stand, which helped me see the games better. The first game there was a 3-1 win against Norwich, and not long after I finally saw McInally get his first goal in a victory over Newcastle. Apart from these games though, I really do not remember a lot. I wasn’t allowed to go to night games for a while so I missed us beating Blues twice, and I also missed Davis Platt getting four (against Ipswich, I believe) and I sulked about it till I was eventually allowed to go to one. We lost to Southampton, and the first night game was a bit of an anti-climax! I remember a LOT about the season after though. My first season ticket, we signed Paul McGrath and Kent Nielsen in the summer, and we finished runners-up in the league. Sadly as McGrath and Nielsen came in, McInally went the other way to Bayern Munich in the same summer. I still believe to this day that we would have won the league had he stayed. Ian Olney was given the task of filling his boots, and did a decent enough job, to be fair. I seem to recall thinking he would have been a bit better if he had been quicker, but I was still a fan at the time. If I remember correctly we drew 1-1 with Liverpool on the opening day. But the first real big game I remember was beating Everton 6-2 on a Sunday afternoon, televised live game. We were a little late, and just about the first thing I saw was Sir Gordon Cowans smashing the ball in to put us 1-0 up. It was the first time I had really saw us hammer anyone, and I had the game taped in case it was any good… how lucky was that! I watched it over and over again in the next fortnight or so. Funnily enough the next home game we beat Coventry 4-1, and a few weeks later we beat Port Vale 6-0 in the FA Cup; this ‘hammering teams’ thing was getting old habit ;-) The point I really knew this was a bit of a special season was when we beat Wimbledon away 2-0, because we just didn’t beat them, much like Man City today. I also recall that Christmas period where we destroyed Manchester United (3-0), Arsenal (2-1) and Chelsea (3-0) – imagine a little run like that today! Ok maybe not so much destroyed Arsenal but we were still brilliant. In the last game of the 1980’s, we were victorious. David Platt scored a fantastic goal, and Derek Mountfield scored a header that wonderfully broke the Arsenal offside trap. To this day I can still recall the majestic sight of the George Graham backline all with their hand in the air, while Mountfield buried his header like a good ‘un. Early in 1990, I got to go to my first away game – against WBA in the FA Cup. Mountfield again got a goal, while Tony Daley finished things off nicely. That was also the only time, to my knowledge, that I have been seen on Match of the Day, as me & my Dad were caught on camera celebrating the Daley goal. When you’re a young lad, that type of stuff is just amazing! Now, for the reasons stated so far, I have a huge amount of affection for this season. However I do have bad memories too… After a 2-0 away win against Spurs, I remember picking up the paper a day or two after, with a headline something like, ‘We wont lose again this season’, and it was an interview with our very own Kevin Gage. Even as an 8 year-old boy, I knew this was bad! Ok, I am sure his comments were taken out of context, but… Next up, was Wimbledon. They beat us 3-0, and I remember in particular a John Fashanu penalty going in. Man, he hit them things so slow I am sure goalkeepers could have got back up and dived again! How very annoying. That was followed by a 2-0 defeat to Coventry at Highfield Road, which was the ‘Sunday Match Live’. Not long after a home defeat to Man City seemed to seal the deal, is how I remember it at the time. Still we wasn’t completely out of it, and another live game – away to Arsenal – give me renewed optimism. The winning goal came from Chris Price, who I always felt was pretty under-rated. If anything, he was a little ahead of his time, as he was a proper wing-back. Well, that is how my childhood memories are, anyway… Still, it was a great night with him finally bagging a goal, as he was always getting in the positions to get on the scoresheet. I remember dancing around the living room with my Nan at the end of the match… good times. Still, the night we lost it really was at Old Trafford. I believe Mark Robbins scored both goals in a 2-0 defeat. Me and my Dad were sat at the kitchen table with the radio on, and we were both pretty darn depressed. The season ended in a bang though. We drew 3-3 with Norwich on the final home game of the season, and the final away game we drew with Everton by the same scoreline. It was a top season all round really. I can actually remember where I was when Paul McGrath signed (I was in my Grandad Kimberley’s chair), which is my where-were-you-when-JFK-died moment! David Platt was absolutely amazing, and Gordon Cowans was fantastic too. Tony Cascarino signed towards the end of the season and never really was a success unfortunately, but overall that was a darn good side. After that, Graham Taylor went off to manage England, and Dr Jo Venglos come in. I think I have repressed a lot of memories from that season! Biggest memories are my first European game against Banik Ostrava (which was also the first game for my cousin Steven) and the following games against Inter Milan. The 2-0 home game was brilliant, obviously, and just as obvious is how horrible it was losing the away game 3-0! I also remember the 5-1 defeat at home to Man City. Strangely, I seem to remember us being much the better side in the first-half, as they had three shots – two went in, and one hit the post. David Platt also missed a one-on-one, which just never happened! The second half was a miserable experience though, and thankfully Dr Jo left that summer. When I started going down in 1988, I was a fan of Michael Jackson, UB40, some other poppy stuff… in 1991, I started to change my musical taste, after I heard ‘Give It Away’ by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. I started to get a lot more into guitar music, mainly from across the pond, and my life in many ways took a big turn, for the better. My life as a Villa fan also took a big turn for the better around the same time, as Big Ron Atkinson took over… To be continued!

Someone hasnt seen daylight for a few months methinks :roll:

Away tickets have to be charged at an eqivalent rate to home supporters The relevant home rate to the lower North stand is the lower holte - the price of the lower holte for that match is £32, no other offers withstanding And thats why they have been charged 32 quid for a ticket

Not at Celtic under Martin O'Neill he wasn't. nor at Welshburn either

By OutByEaster? Reserves vs Charlton : Match Report Aston Villa 3 - 1 Charlton Athletic A cold wet night at Villa Park saw a strong Villa line up overcome stubborn Charlton. Let’s start with some team news, and Villa brought eight players to the party with experience of the Premiership. Taylor, Laursen, Samuel, Ridgewell, Gardner, Osbourne, Angel and Berger were all making the step down and two of the other three had played league football while on loan. A strong line up, but a surprise at kick off as Villa lined up with a formation I’d not seen for a while: 3-4-1-2 was back (Or 5-3-2 if you prefer.) With O’Halloran, and Albrighton the wing backs, and Jlloyd Samuel playing in the middle of three centre backs! It rained at Villa Park, from the opening whistle to the last and as I believe Peter Kay puts it; it was that wet rain. It wasn’t easy to play football in, and Villa in the new formation began by proving that with some gusto. “Crash” Gardner setting about the Charlton midfield and winning a series of 50-50’s with some crunching tackles livened up a scrappy opening, but Villa struggled to settle down. Chances started to come though, and a pattern was formed where Berger would make it to the by-line, cut the ball back to one of our midfielders then watch as it sailed over the bar. O’Halloran missed a chance from the edge of the six yard box, and the keeper produced an excellent double save from Gardner and Williams. Another scramble left Charlton defender Mark Staunton winded, but didn’t stop him gently chesting the resulting corner into his own net from a foot out. Appalling defending, I think he’s ready for the first team. Villa continued to make chances, and Gardner was unlucky to have a couple of excellent headers blocked. We had to wait until 20 minutes into the second half to see the lead doubled, Berger once more working his way down to the by-line before cutting back to Juan Pablo Angel who’d clearly had enough of the whole “over the bar” malarkey and slotted the ball neatly into the back of the net. The visitors were nearly back in it when the ref gave a penalty for handball against Samuel. (I’m afraid I missed it.) And Josh Wright sent Taylor the wrong way. But Osbourne was getting stronger as the game wore on, his powerful run and shot was deflected to McGurk who’d come on for Angel and he directed a deft header just inside the post. Just time then for a late high vicious lunge on Williams in the corner by (I think) Josh Wright to liven up the last few minutes. Before the free kick had been taken Liam Ridgewell had gotten involved in a scuffle with one of theirs and took out his frustration a couple of minutes later with one of those towering headers with his boot raked down the back of the forward that he sometimes does. The overly fussy referee decided that was enough of that, and with another neat victory under their belts it was time for the team to get back in for a warm. Sunny Spain it wasn’t. We could have had more, while they didn’t really show anything. Some ratings: Taylor (6) had very little to do: caught a cross, punched a cross, and couldn’t stop the penalty. Shouted superbly again. In fact, his shouting became a focal point for the crowd. He shouted, “time” or “out”, we shouted “time” or “out”. He was louder. We laughed like naughty kids. Albrighton (6) struggled to make an impact from right wing back, his strength is as a crossing winger, and he struggled to marshal the whole of the right side. Worked his socks off though and always offered an outlet. Didn’t bring his shooting boots. O’Halloran (8.) the best game I’ve seen him have, wing back suits his powerful, athletic running style, took the game to the full back and was a constant threat going forward. He was solid in defence too. Still looks a little uncomfortable in possession from time to time, but he’s physically formidable. Martin Laursen (7) Not the serene and dominant Crazy Horse we’ve seen in the last two games, but kept Kevin Lisbie quiet all night, and looked both solid and fit. Jlloyd Samuel (8.) Looked very comfortable in the centre of a three man defence, played some nice balls, cleared up nicely and generally looked very composed. In the last three reserve games he’s featured at right back, left back and centre back and while I don’t think centre half is his future, I’m hoping there is a Villa future for Jlloyd. Liam Ridgewell (7) Aggressive display as ever from Ridgy, one or two good surges forward and an eagerness to create problems from set pieces. Put a free header from 5 yards out straight at the keeper late on and let his temper get the better of him at the end. Craig Gardner (8.) Left bruises all over the Charlton midfield, covered every blade of grass, won the ball well and moved it around sensibly. A very good all round midfield display, spoilt only slightly by the fact that with better finishing he might have had four goals. Isiah Osbourne (8.) Worked his socks off and got stronger as others tired. His runs through the Charlton midfield late on were an indicator of his strength. Looks awkward but by God he’s effective. Juan Pablo Angel (7) Worked hard, couldn’t really get the one touch stuff that he’s good at going in this weather with Williams. The ball only really fell to him once and he put it away. A decent display and a goal should give him something to smile about on tomorrow’s flight. Sam Williams (6) willing and with a huge heart, but up front with Angel and Berger his lack of quality showed. Seems a little slow, but has a great attitude. Patrik Berger (7) Like Laursen, good without being a different class, excellent use of the ball as ever and good running down the flanks meant that he was always a thorn in their side, and his work rate deserves a mention too. Subs Steiber, McGurk and Bellon: I’m lumping them together because they performed in much the same way. Neat, tidy footballers full of running with excellent control and good vision. McGurk took his goal nicely, Steiber looked creative and dangerous. These three will make next year’s reserves team worth watching. Special mention should go to the Charlton physio who covered every blade of grass. I don’t know if he had a pocket full of sweets, but his young charges seemed keen to have him on at every opportunity. In summary, A reasonable crowd saw a good performance on the night with plenty to enjoy, Villa Park remains a beautiful place when it’s empty and lit up, but there is I guess no substitute for the thrills of the first team and it seems strange to have visited it for the reserves with there having been no first team game for so long. Roll on the end of this break. After all, if I wanted to sit with a small crowd and watch football from a lower league, I’d be a Blues fan. Next reserves game is away at Arsenal on the 27th February (at Barnet) Next home reserve game is West Ham at Bescot stadium on the 6th March.

That article, is this the same David Sullivan who has wanted to sell the club for a few years now, he's even announced it a couple of times, once recently, yet he's prepared to splash the cash if they come up Even most noses aren't that unintelligent, they'll se through it straight away - its bollocks oh and as for the point of the thread, couldn't give a toss to be honest, they can come up if they want but this time, they'll be no match for us anyway They'll also find it harder to attract players second time around, even the "established stars" will be shy of joining them. Not the other way around as sullivan suggests

This is a very good point Kitey

Shame this doesnt apply for all managers though. One post into a front page article and you post an off topic remark! - can we talk about the Reading game and not open up old old arguments just for the sake of it please

I suspect shagging the family pet whilst someone tries to sell you double glazing qualifies. Ah I see, letting someone sell you double glazing - I agree that probably is a sin

What the f*** is a sin?

I think most straight blokes shag at least one hanging bird in their lives, to be honest, it's a bit of practise isn't it! :winkold: Ah yes we know that but I can think of a fair few blokes who in the look dept are strictly unibond league and they have got girlfriends / wives etc who are of a similar league standing, yet they are totally in love with each other. Now the point here is that, what or who you fancy can be conditioned by your own circumstances / experiences to a degree. Theres no way on earth that ugly people would fancy other ugly people if they weren't so ugly themselves surely? (I might have drunk a wee bit too much tramp juice at this point - apologies if I have :roll:)

How come ugly blokes can still get a shag from ugly women then? No-one in their right mind would fancy them but even the least attractive people get a shag now and again because they lower their standards

By OutByEaster? A Canadian journalist recently criticised Randy Lerner, claiming he’d alienated Villa fans. I think it’s fair to say that he’s learnt his lesson, and the reaction tells us something very interesting about Randy’s Villa. Villa fans have always had an unusual relationship with the press, and it seems that the recent arrival of Liverpool’s American owners has helped create something of an international incident. It all started when a journalist with the Montreal Gazette printed this about Messrs Gillett and Hicks: ”He also showed he could probably sell a few trainloads of ice to Winnipeg - but that is part of Gillett's charm. Whereas his fellow Americans Malcolm Glazer (at Manchester United) and Randy Lerner (Aston Villa) have alienated supporters of their teams by refusing to have anything to do with the media or the fans, Gillett revels in rubbing elbows with those who cover his teams and those who pay the bills by purchasing the tickets. "It's not that they're doing anything wrong," Gillett said of Glazer and Lerner, "it's just a difference of style.” Well, Villa fans weren’t going to stand for it. The very idea that Randy had left us “alienated” just wasn’t going to wash. Quickly the revolutionary front mobilised, and the e-mails started to make their way across the Atlantic. I include the following as a particularly erudite example; "Hope you don’t mind the mail, I appreciate you must get a lot in your in box, but I read your recent article regarding the purchase of Liverpool FC (English Soccer) by George Gillette, and you made one factual error of calamitous size. You referenced Malcolm Glazer, the recent purchaser of Manchester United, and Randy Lerner the new owner of Aston Villa FC. Frankly, I wouldn't speak for Manchester United fans, although yes, Glazer bought the club, then mortgaged it to the hilt, but the Aston Vila fans are in the midst of a frankly unprecedented love affair with Mr. Lerner. Indeed, at the present time he may be the most popular man in Birmingham. The club was going backwards, lacking in ambition, stale and locked in management paralysis with its previous owner, an 82 year old ex travel agent, who oversaw personally most aspects of the management of the club. Mr. Lerner bought a club, who mirrored the Cleveland Browns (His NFL Franchise) in having a rich history, fan base, and had frankly had done nothing much in over 20 years. Since that time, he has frankly put his money where his mouth is in spending on the training facilities in a way previously unimaginable to achieve the best for the future, has funded some key players, managed to acquire the most sought after coach available in England, achieved a deal with leading kit sponsors, and opened lines of communication to the fans at a base level that was unimaginable (that word again) under the previous regime. Other examples abound, and for research I recommend reading www.villatalk.com. Mr. Lerner treats fans with respect, and does much for the club, including a top-flight team of board members to steer the club on. All of the above is such a refreshing change from the previous regime, who were protested against frequently, and who would not even indulge in communication with the fans. So we now, in six months, have a club that the hottest young talent are looking to sign for, (and its not just about wages). A forward thinking board, including the mightily well respected General Krulak, average gate attendances increasing game on game and that’s only part of the story, which can be measured on the balance sheet. If I told you that there are 38k Brummies (the locals of Birmingham) who would willingly shake Mr Lerner’s hand and buy him a pint (an English term for a beer) despite his being $ 2.5 billion wealthier than they, that probably gets closer. So I hope you note that despite grievances at many other Premier League clubs about American owners,99% of Villa fans are frankly over the moon at Mr Lerner purchase, and the personal standards he brings to owning the club. Thank you. Julian” Indeed. Julian wasn’t alone, a great number of Villa fans sent e-mails to the journalist in question, and bless him he replied. However, by the sound of his replies I’m not sure he was too happy. ”look, we don't cover soccer. We were told yesterday that Lerner didn't talk to fans or the media - apparently only the second part of that is true. don't get your knickers in a twist.” No wonder, here’s his final reply to Julian, note the amount of correspondence he’s received: ” Gillett can come across as canned and prepared with media clips to talk about this and that... it was Gillett himself who left us with the impression Lerner wasn't liked. (Interesting poll note: I probably received at least 150 letters from Villa fans supporting Lerner – and not a single one from a Man U fan saying the same about Glazer. That's a pretty thorough dose of hate.) Over here we mostly hear about Man U and Chelsea, hence the ignorance about Villa. I will make it a point to catch up. Now I'm intrigued. Thanks for helping to straighten me out. todd That’s right folks, a hundred and fifty Villa fans incensed enough by a chance comment in the Montreal Gazette to complain to the journalist involved. It would appear that it’s not wise to try and get between our billionaire and us. Journalists eh ! I don’t think they’re doing anything wrong, I think it’s just a difference of styles. Take for example a recent visitor to the site, Hyder Jawad, Chief Sport’s writer for The Birmingham Post, and in my opinion a decent local journalist. Hyder has to fill the giant pages of Birmingham’s only broadsheet, five times a week. That’s dozens of articles, thousands of words every week. It can’t be easy to fill all that space, and it must be tempting to just start to make things up (Bill) ? That’s why the press, and especially the local press loved our old Chairman. Doug was not only Mr rent-a-quote, but he also created regular stories because let’s face it he wasn’t the most popular. As part of our battle with Doug, Villa fans learned to use the weapons of the modern media; web sites, fanzines, letters and e-mail campaigns were all born of our unhappiness. That’s a gift if you’ve got to fill the sports pages every day. So we found ourselves at odds with the press, we hated Doug, they loved him. Then Randy arrived. Randy doesn’t say much, he’d sooner we judged him on his actions. So we do, and by God he’s doing very well. I think it’s fair to say that I’ve not seen the Villa fans this happy with a Chairman since Fred Rinder was wandering the lower grounds. But good news is no news, and no quotes is very bad news indeed if you’ve a job to do and a family to feed. So once again we find ourselves at odds with the press. We finally get a Chairman we like, and they don’t like him. Would we have been better off with Gillett and Hicks? Time will tell, but the press would certainly have preferred it. Already these two seem to have shown their willingness to offer all the quotes that a man with a pen could want, and not only that, they’ve even had the decency to put their feet in their mouths enough to give them an angle. I know that Randy has a foot, and I know that he has a mouth, but as yet, I’ve seen nothing that suggests the two are likely to meet any time soon. In fact, by speaking rarely and well, Randy might just have found the perfect way to deal with the British press and their hunting pack. He spoke for the first time since the takeover this week, and the ferocious British press rolled over onto their collective backs to have their tummies rubbed. You won’t have picked up a paper in this country this week without having seen a good news story about the Villa. Would that it was always so. So we find ourselves where we’ve always been, slightly at odds with the local press, only we’ve switched ends at half time. This time though, there’s hope of a better relationship, success sells papers just as well as anger, and it looks like we might finally get some of the success this region has craved for so long. With the team we have in the boardroom at Villa Park at the moment, we might just be able to sell the great news coming out of Villa Park, and welcome the press in rather than letting them create stories out of our division. You see, it’s a difference of styles, and this Villa board seem to know just how to handle the media. …..but if not, members of the press should beware, the fans learned well during the Ellis wars, and we have teeth. If you don’t believe us, ask the Montreal Gazette, and never ever try to get between a Villa fan and his Chairman.

Souness going to Liverpool was great BFR - "Can we have David Burrows and how much?" Souness "No he's English but you can have Staunton instead" BFR - does a blingtastic five knuckle shufle

Can't decide whether I dislike Liverpool or Arsenal the least, the other two are a given for the top two spots

Oi bugger off back to Villa Ta;lk and start an argument in there But as it happens its the Bi thing that makes me think its not all nature

I think the answer is both to be honest, don't think its a simple either or. But the larger percentage probably is nature rather than nurture

I really cant see the point and it has nothing to do with sha Some European leagues have a winter break around this time of the year and it does them good, why cant we be the same

If these people exist they are an extreme minority :roll: Some of us older gits? Well being as I'm almost 42 and was brought up in Great Barr, the bit of Great Barr thats actually closer to the Hawthornes than Villa Park, I have to disagree. And having been living back there for the last six weeks, I still have to disagree

I bet it was Old Fart :-) Read page one of the thread you Scunthorpe-struck git. Who do Albion fans dislike most? Us or Wolves? I reckon it's us. No chance that has to be the Dingles

come on who clicked Warsaw?

Having been in Great Barr the last month or so and drinking in the closest pub in great barr to the Albion Ground I still find it hard to believe, true its full of Villa and Baggies fans (hardly a nose in sight) but I really haven't found this to be true

If these people exist they are an extreme minority :roll:

I think it proves what an idiot Houllier actually is tbh. He's managed him and still thinks he's a decent player, even though when he left Liverpool, most fans fell into one of two camps, the "thanks but you weren't very good" camp or the "Well he'd have been OK as a sixth striker but we're not that bothered either way" camp. He suffered from the same lackof form as he did at VP for large periods of his time at Liverpool and the fans criticisms were much the same as our own, Head down, cant look uo, falls over way too much (and his diving is usually REALLY obvious - he's not even that good at it) and his strike rate isn't that good. I agree with BOF Mourinho was just playing games

we all have plenty of shots we wouldnt show, even the pro's, no ones perfect not even me