HeroesAndVillans Posted July 25 Posted July 25 Who was everyone's Villa hero as a kid/growing up? Maybe not a hero but Benteke sticks out for me. Grealish in my late teens especially since we were always best mates on Football Manager!
VILLAMARV Posted July 25 Posted July 25 1 minute ago, HeroesAndVillans said: Who was everyone's Villa hero as a kid/growing up? Maybe not a hero but Benteke sticks out for me. Grealish in my late teens especially since we were always best mates on Football Manager! Tony Daley. He opened my primary school fete once back in the day and missed a penalty against me in the beat the goalie thing me and my mates did with a 5 a side goal on the school field. I wish I could claim to have saved it, but he put it wide to the right (my left). There were a few of us donning the gloves, he had one shot against each of us. I can still see it clear as day as if it was yesterday. I had many, many posters on my bedroom wall from the Big Ron/Taylor mkI eras from Shoot, Match and 90mins magazines. Lots of Dalian, Big Cyrille, Yorke - but Tony Daley was different gravy. I idolised him. 2 2
HeroesAndVillans Posted July 25 Author Posted July 25 1 minute ago, VILLAMARV said: Tony Daley. He opened my primary school fete once back in the day and missed a penalty against me in the beat the goalie thing me and my mates did with a 5 a side goal on the school field. I wish I could claim to have saved it, but he put it wide to the right (my left). There were a few of us donning the gloves, he had one shot against each of us. I can still see it clear as day as if it was yesterday. I had many, many posters on my bedroom wall from the Big Ron/Taylor mkI eras from Shoot, Match and 90mins magazines. Lots of Dalian, Big Cyrille, Yorke - but Tony Daley was different gravy. I idolised him. It's mad to me how much more "involved" clubs seemed to be with their supporters back in the day. It's very sweet. I wish it was something we could see more of these days. JG was a bit of an idol for me I guess, as I mentioned I would always buddy up to him on FM, had him as my avatar on Instagram and everything lol! Was gutted when he left, it was amazing to see a local lad become a world class footballer, even though I'm not from Brum myself I love the area and have visited many times. But yeah, it's always good to have that one player who you just love isn't it?
Captain_Townsend Posted July 25 Posted July 25 Paul McGrath, Andy Townsend, Steve Staunton and Mark Bosnich. 1
Pez1974 Posted July 25 Posted July 25 1 hour ago, HeroesAndVillans said: Who was everyone's Villa hero as a kid/growing up? Maybe not a hero but Benteke sticks out for me. Grealish in my late teens especially since we were always best mates on Football Manager! You are annoyingly young 1 3
HeroesAndVillans Posted July 25 Author Posted July 25 10 minutes ago, Pez1974 said: You are annoyingly young Sorry, trying my best to age up but it takes a while lol! 3
Pez1974 Posted July 25 Posted July 25 Just now, HeroesAndVillans said: Sorry, trying my best to age up but it takes a while lol! My daughter is 16 and her's is Ashley Young (mark 1) - she was at nursery with his kid, so her first kick about was with Ash. And you come here with your Benteke and Grealish. Bloody obscene! 1
HeroesAndVillans Posted July 25 Author Posted July 25 5 minutes ago, Pez1974 said: My daughter is 16 and her's is Ashley Young (mark 1) - she was at nursery with his kid, so her first kick about was with Ash. And you come here with your Benteke and Grealish. Bloody obscene! Right I'll try and do a bit better! Haha. Darren Bent was another player I really liked as a kid, unfortunately my earliest Villa memories and heroes are in the era immediately following the departure of O'Neill. There is another hero of mine but it's one of those where I can remember his face but not his name... If I do remember I'll be sure to post on this thread. Â 1
juteface Posted July 25 Posted July 25 God. Ireland in 90/94 combined with an amazing presence at Villa. Staunton, Houghton and Townsend. Yorke. Bosnich. Maybe not childhood but, Stan. Love him or hate him. Gabby. Milner gets a shout for just being a top class professional. So much respect for him. 1
Popular Post Mark Albrighton Posted July 25 VT Supporter Popular Post Posted July 25 Dean Saunders. He scored the goals. 5
S-Platt Posted July 25 VT Supporter Posted July 25 Platt for me hence the user name which was the headline in The Sun the day after the Everton 6-2 game. Before him Tony Morley.  Obviously God, Sid, Yorkie. Of the current crop Mings is the man hope he comes back to play again soon. 3
allani Posted July 25 Posted July 25 I think my first Villa hero is pretty obvious from my profile picture <--------- Gary Shaw - 165 appearances / 59 goals PFA Team of the Year 1980/81 (along with Swain and Evans) PFA Young Player of the Year 1981 Bravo Award (Most Outstanding Young Footballer in Europe) 1982 Career effectively ended at the age of 22 by a serious knee injury. I was about 9 or 10 and Shaw would have been 19 or 20. So there was something about him being a young player not THAT much older than me. Superb player. Should have been in England's 1982 World Cup squad for sure. I think he'd have gone on to be one of our best ever players (assuming Doug didn't sell him as part of his dismantling of the European Cup winning team) and an England legend. 3
I Make Pies Posted July 25 Posted July 25 Gareth Southgate. I'm not joking either. I was a ball playing defender so he is the one I identified with. Shame it ended like it did with him. 2
StewieGriffin Posted July 25 Posted July 25 (edited) Saunders was the first name I had printed on a shirt (although I hadn't asked for it, my parents surprised me with it). Yorke and Bosnich were my first proper ones. I was 13 I think when Yorke left (summer '98?), so childhood is on the way out then... 98-06 was scarce for heroes really. Always loved Hendrie and Taylor because they were living the childhood dream of playing for Villa, but not so sure I saw Tayls as a hero at the time (for shame, in retrospect). Absolutely love(d) Olof, but childhood was on the way out then. 2006 I was 21/22 and the childhood was over and we'd been shite for most of it Never mind, I thought the 2010's can't possibly be worse than that... (If you were a kid then, then you have my sympathy) Edited July 25 by StewieGriffin 1
Don_Simon Posted July 25 Posted July 25 I played centre half for my school and junior teams, God and Teale were my very first heroes. Mellberg later and, now, Tyrone. However, overall, it's Macca. Genius. 1
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