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Obituary Thread

Oldsmobile-88

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In RaWZ we trust....Amen.
The most memorable player in the final was Nigel Spink. Subbing off the keeper right at the start ended Villa's chances, or so it seemed.

(Nothing else was memorable, TBH).
One of the games I remember on that run was the Semi Final second leg away at Anderlecht.
A fair bit of trouble in the crowd which was the norm back then,but what sticks in my mind was a Villa fan( I think he was a squaddie) getting onto the pitch & laying down in the penalty area.
It had potential serious ramifications because the Belgian club lobbied EUFA to have the game nullified & Villa expelled from the competition(as crazy as that sounds)
They probably would have succeeded if it were not for the efforts of I think former Sports Minister Dennis Howells.
 

grecIAN Harris

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We always hear loads about the great Celtic, Man U, Liverpool and Forrest sides winning the European Cup in the 60s, 70s and 80s but for some reason hardly anything about Villa. I don't think I've ever seen a clip of that side on TV. I couldn't name a single player.
I could name a few. Jimmy Rimmer started in goal but only lasted about 5-10 minutes before being replaced by Nigel Spunk who had the game of his life. Denis Mortimer at the back, Sid Cowans in the middle. Tony Morley ripping up the left wing, I think Ken McNaughton played behind him at left back. Gary Shaw and Peter Withe up front. Morley and Shaw were destined to be the next big things out of Villa Park but injuries did for both of them. Tony Barton was the manager for the final as Saunders had controversially resigned halfway through the season. I want to say he left to go to Birmingham City but I'm not sure if that's my memory playing tricks on me.
 
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Avening Posse

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That was a great Villa team. In those days Liverpool (and for a few years Forest) ruled the roost and it was very difficult to knock Liverpool off the top. From memory Saunders fell out with deadly Doug and walked, and although Villa picked up the European cup a year later they faded back to being a mid table top flight team within a couple of years. You can of course never say, but if Saunders had stayed Villa might have been a top side for many years after.
 

Oldsmobile-88

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A short montage of film about Ron Saunders time at Villa.
 

Grecian2K

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Virgin Trains.
The final service (the 23.59 "Cash carrier" to Necker Island) departed not before time.
As I'm sure other Grecians venturing to away-day Oop Norf their opportunist and exploitative "walk-on" prices will NOT be missed.
 

Stelios

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A short montage of film about Ron Saunders time at Villa.
Cheerful fella wasn't he? 😬

Player: "Gaffer, my house has burnt down and I've lost everything"

Saunders: "I don't pay you for that"
 

Oldsmobile-88

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In RaWZ we trust....Amen.
From memory Saunders fell out with deadly Doug and walked, and although Villa picked up the European cup a year later they faded back to being a mid table top flight team within a couple of years. You can of course never say, but if Saunders had stayed Villa might have been a top side for many years after.
Deadly Doug was not at the helm when Villa won the League Title & European Cup(which was why he never acknowledged those feats)
The Bendalls(Father & Son) were running Villa at that time & who Saunders fell out with.
 

Avening Posse

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Deadly Doug was not at the helm when Villa won the League Title & European Cup(which was why he never acknowledged those feats)
The Bendalls(Father & Son) were running Villa at that time & who Saunders fell out with.
Thanks Olds, I recall the fallout but cannot remember the Bendalls, so assumed wrongly it was Doug
 

Grecian2K

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That was Ron Atkinson on that occasion Hants.
Ron Saunders was manager when Villa played at SJP in the League Cup in 1977.

A tough old school manager of that era who guided Aston Villa to a unlikely League Title in 1981.
His team( he left mid season the next year after a row with the chairman) won the European Cup the next season.
I was intrigued to read in his obituary that the reason given for his fall out with the chairman and subsequent flounce was the club's insistence that he moved from his previous rolling contract to a fixed one.

Remind you of anyone?
 

Colesman Ballz

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I was intrigued to read in his obituary that the reason given for his fall out with the chairman and subsequent flounce was the club's insistence that he moved from his previous rolling contract to a fixed one.

Remind you of anyone?
Was there nothing that man did that was original ? Lol !
 
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