It’s col8’s turn to answer the Vital Villa 2017 interviews…
How to submit your own interview: Click Here
It`s time for Col8 to join in the summer 2017 interviews:
1) When did you become a Villa fan and why?
I was born in Rodway Street Hockley Birmingham 19 as it was in the day, I had an older brother (4 years) used to go to the Villa and one day Mom and Dad got him to take me.
It was different back in them days, the Holte End was packed like sardines, standing against red crash barriers but when Villa scored it was just a sea of movement.
Fortunately my brother used to sit me on top of the barrier and advised me “If we score just fall back and I`ll catch you” It worked, as a nipper it was just brilliant.
2) What is your favourite Villa moment of all time/most treasured memory?
Taking my son to Villa Park for the first time, we live in a small Devon Town the total population of 6000ish, watching his face when I lifted him up to look around at 36,000 people all in one place.
3) If you could bring back a former Villa player into this team (at his peak) who would it be and why?
Simple one this, Denis Mortimer, remembering him picking up the ball and heading towards the opponents half of the pitch whilst also seeing the whole stand rising to their feet like a Mexican wave as he went down the pitch. OK he looked like a hippy but brought so much to the team. If you Imagine in today`s terms he was our Gerrard or Lampard always felt something was going to happen when he set off on his run.
4) Steve Bruce? Your opinion please?
Honestly the bloke deserves a medal for coming to Villa Park , I`m nearly 60 and even in the days of the Third Division I have never ever seen a Villa team with less going for it.
They say when you hit the bottom the only way is up, well when Reme Garde left I thought we had hit the absolute bottom. Roberto DM proved that the bottom was a little way further down. Bruce bless him joined with the first task to keep Villa in the Championship, gutted for him that the new year returned so little as I believe Bruce himself could see us in the play-offs.
His signings in the transfer window did not achieve the hopes and desires for the amount of cash spent. But he will take Villa up next season, his record of promotions from the Championship is great, promotions with both Hull City and Blues on a shoestring budget has to be admired.
5) Best and worst moments of last season?
Worst was without doubt the Christmas and New Year games, new players in and the worst run you could Imagine, getting smashed by Barnsley at home 3-1
Best moment has to be a home win towards the end of the season 1-0 against Blues everytime.
6) Your opinion of Doctor Tony Xia and our CEO Keith Wyness?
Doctor Tony Xia is backing the manager and has done since he arrived I do wish he would lay off the Twitter so much but hey ho we live in a Twitter World.
Keith Wyness seems a decent bloke but even he needs to consider what is a good Tweet and a worse “Re-Tweet”
7) What do you think we need most in the transfer window?
Quality, every great team has a spine, starting at the back with a solid keeper, couple of centre backs who know where the other one is, Billy big testicles in midfield to harass the opposition and have the ability to take the game by the scruff of the neck and drag the rest of the team along with him (personally I hated Michael Ballack at Chelsea but he single handed destroyed us every time we played them) and finally a striker who can touch the ball twice in the game for 2 goals. The rest follows.
8) Which player should Villa get rid of this summer?
Ross McCormack the player refused to turn up for training when the team is going through its worst run of form in recent history, the whole “Gates Fiasco” made my beloved Aston Villa look a complete joke, ridiculed in the press.
Contracted to the club until 2020 on what £30,000 a week
. Do me a favour son, this was the worst I have ever seen at Villa Park. Even Paul McGrath and Jim Walker used to polish off a bottle of scotch or two before a game but he got on the pitch and gave his all for the Lions. McCormak showed a complete lack of respect for the club and its supporters.
9) Favourite and least favourite current player?
See above for worst and thank God for Kodja, if only for the spark of hope he gave us last season, but I also think had he not got Injured end of last season he would have been gone by now.
10) Who was your first footballing hero and who are your favourite all time player/s?
First was Ray Graydon, just a great player on the wing, another who in his day would skin defenders for a pastime. Favourite all time Charlie Aitken, he may not have been the greatest defender of his generation but he was the fastest and the a club man through. His career at Aston Villa was all the things modern players these days lack, loyalty to the club, giving 100% every single time he walked onto the Villa pitch and also a respect for the fans. Players like him were approachable for an autograph.
11) What do you expect us to do/finish this season coming?
Automatic promotion, I honestly think Steve Bruce with the addition of a few decent players will have a squad capable of going a season without the two barren patched we endured last season.
12) You can ask yourself any question you want to about Villa and what is your answer?
Question: Why Oh Why Oh Why the Villa. Answer: Because it is the team of my birth, not the team that`s currently flavour of the month or like Chelsea won a few cups and the league a few times recently.
You are born into Aston Villa and that`s why my son and grandsons are Aston Villa. To hear my 5 year old grandson say to one of the other kids in a Chelsea shirt “Were Aston Villa” was a moment to treasure and I must get them up to Villa Park early next season to make their confirmation.
Just to change the theme slightly, a snap shot of you outside of football, answer or ignore at your leisure:
a) Which celebrity/s would you most like to meet and why? Tony Visconti would be a big one for me, his mastery of all things musical is simply magical.
b) Age 59 and a third
c) Location: Dartmouth South Devon, those on Facebook search for: dartmouthphotographs and then compare it to Kingstanding
d) Favourite alcoholic drink: Cider on Ice Ice Baby
e) Favourite non-alcoholic drink: Tea (the Irish in me)
f) Favourite Film: I did like all the Hunger Games and Passenger
g) Favourite TV Show: Have I got News for You
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h) Music?: All sorts from Classical, Rock n Pop but always come back to Bowie when I need a decent session.
i) Best ever moment in your life: My son handing me my grandson 2 hours old wearing his Aston Villa colours with Aiden8 on the back when I see the photos I still feel it
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j) Ambitions: It`s simple for me, to see the Aston Villa captain hold aloft the FA Cup, not happened in my lifetime but I live in hope and would die a happy man.
k) Wise words: It is only when a mosquito lands on your testicles that you realize there is always a way to solve problems without using violence…
How to submit your own interview: Click Here
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