Aston Villa Cult Heroes. A Fine Bunch Of Fives

Mark Richards says: One of my favourite H&V features is the fives that are usually on the inside back cover (I`m old fashioned in thinking that there`s still a paper copy of every edition somewhere). I`ve written my own list of fives, but they`re a bit more Villa-inspired than the usual obscure eighties bands and Albanian bank holidays that get put out. (Used with permission)

A Bunch Of Aston Villa Fives – I Wish I’d Been…
A Bunch Of Fives: Heroes Of Aston Villa

Cult heroes:

Eamonn Deacy. As the story goes, what he kicked stayed kicked. Everything about Eamonn`s career was the stuff of fairy tales, from writing for a trial through the league champions` medal and playing in the Maracana. Even going home when he thought the time was right was just perfect. There are modern Villa supporters who`ve never heard of him, and it`s their loss.

Paul Birch. Ninety minutes of non-stop battling. When Millwall supporters respect you, you know you`ve got something to be proud of. Lothar Mattheus has probably blotted him out of his memory, Paul Gascoigne very likely still has nightmares. Wet Wednesday nights in Barnsley were made for players like Birchy and if we had a few like him now we wouldn`t be playing anywhere near Barnsley.

Ian Taylor. Another one that you don`t have to say a word about. He was you and me on the pitch, and not only did he live our dream but he also went one further. Watching one cup final from the stand then the next time your team play in one you score. You can`t even dare to dream about something like that.

Shaun Teale. There should always be room in football for players who kick things. Whether it`s the ball or the opponent doesn`t really matter; as long as they kick something they`re happy. It helps when they belt a penalty like the ball`s a picture of the bloke their wife ran off with. And it definitely helps when they look the most centre-half looking man who ever lived.

Alan Hutton. What can you say about a player who gets bought by the most unpopular manager ever, does absolutely nothing for years, the next manager sends him out to train with a road map round his neck then he outlasts both of them and when the team is at the lowest ebb it could possibly be at, he gets recalled and wins over the supporters by sheer effort and kicking the other team?



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Who are your cult heroes?