JPAngel Posted July 26 VT Supporter Share Posted July 26 3 minutes ago, The_Steve said: I feel so bad for JPA after what Duran’s pulled. That video from him was special and you could hear and see how much playing for us meant to him. Too true. I don't think Duran was/is mature enough to have taken that message on board to really understand the significance of that moment. I'd rather have JPA at his age as a backup to Ollie at this point. He looks in phenomenal shape still! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrchnry Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 My first Villa hero was Platt. My first game aged 6 against Forest. We won 2-1 with Platt getting the winner. Can't stand the bloke now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CVByrne Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 16 hours 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! Paul McGrath, nobody even close. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QldVilla Posted July 26 VT Supporter Share Posted July 26 Mortimer always Mortimer. Pretty sure it was the 1977 season. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilS Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 Tony Morley and Sid Cowans when I first started going to matches as a young lad, then David Platt and Cowans again during my early teenage years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsworthvilla Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 Savo Milosesvic. My first game was his first game for the club ... a friendly against Partizan Belgrade which was organised as part of his transfer from them. I was about 7 years old and fell in love with Villa as soon as I walked up the steps and saw the pitch. Savo was my hero and I was gutted when he left. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeroesAndVillans Posted July 26 Author VT Supporter Share Posted July 26 Weird thinking that the kids growing up now have Emi, Watkins etc to idolise and get inspired by... How lucky! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villaajax Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 Juan Pablo Angel! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villan95 Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 Angel and then Gabby 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 As a young lad, Colin Withers, Willie Anderson and Bruce Rioch: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpTheVilla26 Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 When I was a kid, it was Yorke. My all time hero is Angel. I grew my hair out and got a hairband like he had. I was dating, who is now my wife, at the time. I was 22 or 23. I'll never forget the look on her face when she saw the hairband Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turnbull Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 My first Villa hero was Charlie Aitken. Back in 69/70, when Villa had sold their Trinity Road training ground to King Edward's Grammar in Aston, for a while the players trained on Cooksey Lane playing fields in Kingstanding. I went to Kingsland Primary which was around the corner and occasionally we'd play football the same time as the Villa were there. Most of the kids, inc me, were more bothered about the players than our own game and if a stray ball headed over our way, there'd be a race to kick it back to whichever player was coming over to retrieve it. I remember the smile on Bruce Rioch's face once when he saw all the lads in a foot race to beat him to the ball. Good times. Yes, Charlie was my first hero, but there others, such as Bruce, Brian Tiler and of course Fred. My biggest and lasting Villa hero though has to be Brian Little. Just a fantastic player, the best to wear the shirt, IMO. UTFV 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VILLAMARV Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 1 hour ago, HeroesAndVillans said: Weird thinking that the kids growing up now have Emi, Watkins etc to idolise and get inspired by... How lucky! Just on this, after the Lille game MrsVM was very confused when one of her colleagues had sent her a picture message on her phone of their son with his Villa goalie top on and some gloves doing the sshh thing - but with no explanation as to why, when she gave a puzzled response her work friend replied with Marv will get it! It was great and exactly this, it's great that the kids have some good times, memories and players to fall in love with the club. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VILLAMARV Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 18 hours ago, HeroesAndVillans said: 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. I think our games teacher (in Brownhills if anyone was wondering) had some connections to the club or the players in the mid 80's - we also had Allan Evans turn up to open the fete once. I assume they just pocketed a few quid in appearance money and went on their merry way. Those two rocking up at our school is definitely a big part of why I chose the Villa and it chose me. But even a European Cup winner like Evans couldn't hold a candle to Tony Daley for me. I know we often see social media posts of them visiting kids in hospital and that sort of thing but I hope they still do this sort of thing. The knock on effect of creating fans for life is too good an opportunity to miss imo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsworthvilla Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 22 hours ago, HeroesAndVillans said: 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. I have an picture (somewhere) of me holding the League Cup from 1996 standing next to the Club Secretary at the time, I think it was Steve Stride or something like that. They brought the League Cup into my Primary School (in Handsworth so not too far from the ground) and all the kids got to have pics with it. I hope they still do stuff like that ... in fact I'd be very surprised if they didn't. I'm sure the club has a whole community outreach team / programme which will look at this type of stuff. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 4 hours ago, John said: As a young lad, Colin Withers, Willie Anderson and Bruce Rioch: Good choices. It's a pity Peter Broadbent was passed it when he came to villa. One of the greats of the game. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 Mark Bosnich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 13 minutes ago, PaulC said: Good choices. It's a pity Peter Broadbent was passed it when he came to villa. One of the greats of the game. Another three (Curtis, Gibson & Andy) who joined us late in their careers, back then Paul. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delboy54 Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 I am not a child now (66 years old!), but I would like to add Tyrone Mings to my list, for everything he has done for us and his part in taking us from where we were, to where we are now. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 8 hours ago, The_Steve said: Juan Pablo. Always. Strange , I always thought his name was Juan Pablo. Angel. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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