Every week Lawrence Gray-Hodson, a man who made his name in the upper reaches of Division 2 in the 1970s and 80s as well as being a former Scotland and England international, writes a column exclusively for Three and in.
This week it’s memories of Aston Villa and a look at their future
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I find it hard to look at Aston Villa and not think about what might have been. In late 1981, as I was ploughing a furrow in Division 2, I got a phone call. ‘Hello’ said the voice on the other end of the line, ‘this is Ron Saunders’.
‘Yeah right, Grimes’, I said, thinking it was my best pal Ashley on a wind-up. I advised him where he could go and how he could get there in a manner which would make Bernard Manning blush. Footballers are a foul-mouthed lot when they suspect they’re being pranked. Amazingly Ron Saunders understood and accepted my red-faced apology when I realised it was really him.
He told me he wanted me to sign for Villa. He needed cover for Denis Mortimer as they tried to make their way back up the first division and challenged in Europe. He was realistic and told me I wouldn’t play as often as I might want, but for me it was like Paul Gascoigne, a no-brainer. A club with the pedigree and quality of Villa looking to sign me?! It was fantastic. I remember getting off the phone and telling the wife. She was ecstatic and I think had it all gone well then she wouldn’t have run off with Alan Devonshire a couple of years later.
Saunders wanted me at Villa. Then in January he fell out with Doug Ellis. Some say it was about control of the team. He confided in me that he’d tried to insist Peter Withe shave his beard but Withe was an Ellis favourite and that brought about his resignation. His assistant, Tony Barton, too over and he never rated me. I rang him to see if there was still a chance of the deal being done. I’ll never forget his reply. “You’ve got as much chance of playing for Villa as I do of getting a handjob from Joanna Lumley”. I can still hear his laughter as he hung up. It stings.
So I think about what might have been and I maintain a soft spot for Villa despite missing out on being part of that glorious team that went on to lift the European cup. I see what’s going on now at the club, the resignation of Martin O’Neill and I see a club in a state of crisis. I was never fond of O’Neill. He was a man who played for Northern Ireland yet considered himself Irish. Didn’t he realise that Britain owned his country? I find that kind of anti-nationalism quite reprehensible.
Brown has never let his deafness get in the way of his career
David O’Leary was a real Irishman at least but no kind of a football manager. His time at Leeds was a fluke, like when you let Football Manager auto-pick your team and play through the games without making changes … every so often you’re going to go on a decent run of results.
One thing you can always say about Villa is that they give good English managers a chance. Look at the cream of the crop that have graced the club. Brian Little, John Gregory (a much underrated tactician and it was only his addiction to high cost transfer shopping cost him in the end), Graham Taylor and Big Ron himself. Quality managers, quality men, one and all.
So it’s with dismay that I read about the foreign managers being linked with the job. Sven Goran Eriksson. I think not. Ronald Koeman. No self-respecting Villa fan could ever accept him after his foul on Platty and the free kick he scored to put Graham Taylor’s England out of the World Cup qualifying.
And now the favourite is Gerard Houllier? Do me a favour. How can anyone even listen to this man after he tried to tell us Robbie Fowler was ‘chewing the cud’ and not honking up a great big line of the gicker when celebrating that goal? A man who made Liverpool so bad the hapless Rafa Benitez appeared to be a brilliant manager for years afterwards. It’s disgraceful, especially when there are good young English managers around who could do the job just as well.
My personal choice would be Phil Brown. He’ll have learned from his mistakes at Hull. Can anyone realistically see him growing a beard as bad as that again? Of course not. And if there’s any singing to be done he’ll do in the comfort of his own home or at his local karaoke night, not on the pitch. Phil Brown is a modern, forward thinking English manager who we have to ensure gets every chance in the game. Remember, Alf Ramsey went from managing Ipswich to winning the World Cup for England.
When Capello’s time comes we need an Englishman to take over and steady the ship. I can see Phil Brown bringing European Cup, or Champions League if you want to be a pedantophile about it, back to Villa Park. He could even win them the league. And then he could move to the biggest job in English football and show the world that an English manager can win the top prizes. I think we’d all agree it’d be the best trip we’d ever been on if he did that.
I hope Villa take a risk. Randy Lerner made his billions selling a credit card company. There are some things money can’t buy and that’s English spirit. Phil Brown has got that in spades.
The closest Gerard Houllier comes is when he has a glass of Pimms.
Your not a Villa fan – Brown is shocking give me Houllier any day
Hahahaha, hang on…..hahhahahahaha! Phil Brown!
Lawrence gray-hodson hang your head in shame. You cannot be a villa fan if you think phil brown is the man to take over at villa. Id rather take my chances on southgate or we will be seeing the likes of ashbee, boeteng and hesselink at a top club.
Rob, I’m not a Villa fan but anyone who wants Gerard Houllier needs their head examined if you ask me. Phil Thompson once told me that Houllier insists on playing music by The Carpenters in the dressing room. Hardly inspiring and the reason he froze Jari Litmaenen out was because he dared to throw on a bit of Finnish death metal before a big game.
Tom, what are you trying to say?
Pat – Southgate, sure. I could go for that. He’s a good, young, English. Not as tanned as Phil Brown but we’ve long passed the time when a manager’s ability was tied in with his swarthiness.
no way is phil brown good enough for our big club i admit i like him but he needs a few more mid table clubs under his belt before even thinking about applying. houllier for me also
I want Brown and Houllier to team up and go and manage someone very far away from B6. And with any luck take Curbishley with them as chief scout. Whilst packing they can employ Sven as their driver too
darren – Villa should take the chance on Brown now before it’s too late. Fergie can’t continue at United forever.
AJ – who would you choose? You strike me as a Frank Rijkaard man.
with no one out there who is not currently in employment these people are the best on offer and we need someone in now !!!utv
WTF, is this a joke??? Brown couldn’t manage his way out of a paperbag. what has he won in comparison to Houllier or Erkisson, there’s giving people a chance but you have to earn it and Brown hasn’t earned anything yet!!
loz as i said i like him , and he kind of gave it away on match of the day sunday night he”s def interested.half time teamtalk on the pitch etc.still think randy is after a big name to steer the ship.utv
Great piece, and hysterical replies as usual!
And they say that it’s only Yanks that don’t understand the Great British ironical/sarcastic sense of humour!
think we shld go all out and get 1 of 2 managers
1, david moyes
2, martin jol
they will cost randy some money to buy out of contracts and sure wld come to our big club.
but think due to availability and costs houllier will be the one announced monday.utv
I have to say I admired the half-time teamtalk on the pitch. It’s what makes me convinced Brown is a real winner. Some say he lost the dressing room after that. How could he?
It was on the pitch!
that was classic mate i really enjoyed watching that.just shows how crap he thought hull were in the 1st half and gave them a roasting and embarresed them infront of the fans.
Lawrence….I do apologise, I began to read the article not believing you were about to suggest Phil Brown for manager..but then to my shock, you did suggest it! So this was then followed by 2 minutes of laughter.
Phil Brown has proved nothing in England except the ability to embarass and make his Hull players look small in front of thousands by telling them off on the pitch at half time like school boys.
Dont get me wrong, I understand the situation, and I dont think any of names that have been put around by the media are good enough to manage at villa…but it appears this is the situation we find ourselves in, thanks to Martin (spit my dummy out, Ive spent £120m in 4 years and want more!) O’Neill, leaving 5 days before the new season..
Fellow Villa fans, you’re embarrassing yourselves by thinking this is genuine!
Of course this is a joke!
Tom – I would think after a weaselly non-patriot like O’Neill you’d be glad to have a man of Phil Brown’s calibre and integrity on board.
Danny – I’m deadly serious.
Calibre and integrity?? Be right back whilst I change my pants having wet myself!
Oh dear had a bit to much to drink have we
I think Lawrence has…
You guys! You can’t drink and blog. It’s not like driving. I’ll certainly have a few at the golf club tonight though.
Lawrence,
I’ll have you know that O’Neill is not the only man from the 6 counties of Northern Ireland to consider himself Irish. Learn a bit of history mate and you’ll find out that there are 32 counties in Ireland and the 6 in Northern Ireland are very much part of that. Just because you invaded our country, raped our women and threw us off our land puts you right up there with Mugabe, but it’s all still Ireland!!!!!
Far be it for me to teach you history, Gallie, but there’s Northern Ireland and the Republic of Eire. O’Neill is a Queen’s subject from the north yet aligns himself with the likes of Bertie Haughey in the south. Duplicitous in the extreme if you ask me.
“I hope Villa take a risk.”
So do I, and it is about time we look abroad for some talent.
Right comment, wrong context I feel!
Duplicitious? Now you really are winding me up. Well both myself, Mr. O’Neill and many, many others will just have to agree to disagree with you.
Awfully writeen article, complete with narrow-minded racism (don’t bring sectarianism into the MON debate please).
The reality is Houllier will be our Technical Director and MacDonald will be the manager of our first team… it’s a great choice in my opinion and forward-thinking.
You really are a bitter old man aren’t you?
Life would be very boring if we agreed on everything!
I’d rather take a punt on Faith Brown. Last I heard, Phil was setting up a tanning shop with Lee Hendrie.
Lee Hendrie, now there’s a player of real quality that Villa could do with these days.
lee hendrie , dont rate him , never had no thanx mate
“He was a man who played for Northern Ireland yet considered himself Irish. Didn’t he realise that Britain owned his country? I find that kind of anti-nationalism quite reprehensible.”
Fuck you arsewipe. Give Ireland back to the Irish!
“I was never fond of O’Neill. He was a man who played for Northern Ireland yet considered himself Irish. Didn’t he realise that Britain owned his country?”
Owned? OWNED? Would this be the same England that OWNED India, Australia..et al. For owned please read; ‘Army of occupation’
Really surprised at threeand in printing such bigoted crap.
Plug pulled.
why do we have to give a chance on people who have achieved nothing in the game brown and co,we are a big club so why not go for a top guy with a proven track record and has won a thing or to in the game! mr Houlier Tick’s all the Boxes,my only doute’s are his age
Ahahhaaaaaa… Good joke! Trying to say phil brown is a great manager snd is better than houiller? Have you ever been to a football match?
Houllier spat at my mam he did. You should have me as manager.
Having read this, it’s my guess that Larry likes a bit of Brown himself….
Give me a chance! FFS.
Remember how my Hull team had beaten The Gunners!!!!!!
William Gallas was intimidated by Daniel Cousin, courtesy of my brilliant tactical plan. Although in truth Gallas is s***.
I am the Mourinho of England…. Hahahahahaha………….