Friday 23th Feb 2010

THE VENUE FOR THE CARLING CUP FINAL PRE PARTY AT WEMBLEY HAS NOW CHANGED THE NAME "SILVERSPOONS" TO "CLUB 2000"...SORRY FOR ANY CONFUSION!!!...SPREAD THE WORD!!!..LET PEOPLE KNOW ITS THE SAME PLACE JUST THE NAME OF THE VENUE THAT HAS CHANGED!!

Danny Brown AVFC






Please contact 07538 900 634 for ticketing information.

Friday May 8th 2009

Aston Amateur Boxing Club 100 Years Boxing Dinner Show

Aston / Aston Villa Amateur Boxing Club, which has been going the distance for more than 100 years and produced scores of talented young fighters over the years, celebrated its centenary with a glittering bash.

To ensure their anniversary celebrations was a knock-out success, Aston Boxing Club tracked down their former fighters to reunite them on their extra-special night.



Aston / Aston Villa ABC used to meet and train at the Holte Hotel in the shadow of Villa Park with boxers of every age, coming together to participate in their favourite sport.

Over the years the boxing club moved to another base in Aston and the Holte Hotel fell into disrepair – until Villa’s new owner Randy Lerner came along to restore the listed building to its former glory with the help of a £4 million facelift.



The dinner was hosted by Professor Carl Chinn, who is an expert on the club’s long history.



After a three-course meal guests were treated to an evening of boxing bouts, featuring some of the best young amateur talent in the region.

Danny Brown AVFC

April 2009 - 100th Anniversary of the Aston Amateur Boxing Club


Aston Amateur Boxing Club 100th Anniversary Dinner, tickets now on sale. Friday 8th May, Holte Suite, Villa Park.

Here's a date to stick in the diary – More details to follow soon.

On Friday 8 May 2009, we're organising a night to mark the 100th anniversary of the Aston Amateur Boxing Club. This dinner and boxing evening will be held at The Holte Suite, Villa Park, Birmingham.

Profit raised from the evening will be split equally between Birmingham Children's Hospital's Red Balloon "Kidney Kids" appeal and the fund to restore the Owen Moran portrait that used to hang in the Holte Hotel, next to Villa Park. Aston-born Owen Moran, known as the "Fearless" was a world bantamweight champion and is widely recognised as one of the finest fighters ever produced in Britain. We hope to return the painting to its former glory and bring its attention to a wider audience.


Aston-born - Owen "Fearless" Moran

If you know of any old "faces" from the Club, let them and us know - we'd love to dedicate the evening to all those who have passed through the Club during its history.

It promises to be a cracking evening. Ticket details to follow in the New Year. Watch this space....

...and starting spreading the word!

Danny Brown AVFC

January 2009 - And if you know the History - Christian Origins of Aston Villa Football Club

Many people are quite surprised to learn that 40% of the clubs currently in the English Premier League can trace their origin directly to a church.

One of those clubs is Aston Villa but, alas, the landmark church that gave birth to the most successful of our Midland Premier League Club was demolished quite recently.

The church stood in Lozells Road and was originally known as Aston Villa Wesleyan Church, it opened in 1865. It was a Methodist Church until 1962. The church took its name from a large mansion, “Aston Villa”, that graced the junction of Heathfield Road and Lozells Road. The imposing house was such a significant landmark that the immediate area, which at the time was part of Aston, became known as Villa Cross.

You could say it was blind fate that I attended the church myself as a child, my children were christened there, my father remarried there and my family still worship there to this day. I wasn’t aware of its significance until years later, and my thirst for knowledge of Aston Villa F.C. took a hold of me and I became well aware of where I lived and the part this old church played in the glorious history of Aston Villa Football Club.


The original building before it was demolished

In the early days of the church over 300 young people attended the Sunday school. Classes were made up according to age and gender. The order boys were placed in the “Young Men’s Bible Class” and some of the members of the class of 1872 formed a cricket team and played under the name of “The Aston Villa (Wesleyan) Cricket Club”.

But permission to use the name of the church in such an unusual way had to be obtained from the local Methodist circuit. This was granted after great support from the minister.

Four members of the cricket team, all good friends, were walking down Heathfield Road one Saturday afternoon in the autumn of 1874 when they happened to come across a game of football being played on some waste ground. They were enthralled by what they saw because there weren’t many opportunities in Birmingham at that time to watch a game of football as there were relatively few teams.

Believing that playing football was the ideal way of ensuring that member of the cricket team remained fit during winter the four men decided to start up a football team and immediately set about forming a committee.

The game they had watched had been played under a crude set of Rugby rules and as they thought that too dangerous they decided to follow the rules of the less harmful Association code which many clubs, spread far and wide over the whole country, had opted for.

The new club would be called “The Aston Villa (Wesleyan) Football Club”. Once again permission to call the club by that name had to be obtained from the same Methodist circuit and as before they received excellent support.

The Four founder members of Aston Villa Football Club included Walter Price, Villa’s first captain, and William Scattergood the club’s first goalkeeper. Just two matches were played in the club’s inaugural season but in the following season, 1875-76, they had fifteen fixtures including a match against Walsall Albion which they won 6-0

Aston Villa was the club’s home base. The club was making good progress.

Then, at the start of the 1876-77 Season, George Ramsay, a Scotsman and a brilliant footballer, joined the club and its fortunes were to take a major upturn. Villa’s performances improved dramatically and Ramsay was made captain. Home matches were now being played on a pitch in Wellington Road, Perry Barr and the club was able to introduce an admission charge.

In 1877, the club appointed the Reverend Charles Beecroft, a Methodist minister, as its first president and in the same year William McGregor, a Scotsman who was to change the whole course of football history, became a member of the club’s committee. He and George Ramsay were great friends and it had been George who persuaded his fellow Scotsman to become associated with the club.

McGregor was a visionary and an excellent leader of men. He helped make Villa the most successful and prestigious club in the country.

There is still a visible reminder of his influence as it was his suggestion that the Scottish national symbol of a lion rampant was adopted as the club’s badge.

The partnership of McGregor and Ramsay ensured success.

A 22-0 win against Small Heath (the forerunners of Birmingham City) gives some indication of their strength towards the end of the 1870’s.

At the time, however, all the fixtures were “friendly” matches unless they were cup ties. No league of any kind existed. Ramsay was forced to retire from playing in 1880 through injury but he would go on to serve the club for the rest of his life as committee member, then as secretary and finally as vice-President.

In the 1882-83 season the club reached the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time and then a year later, in a series of prestigious friendlies, they took on and defeated some of the most famous teams in the land. They had become a force to be reckoned with and in 1885, when professionalism was legalized, the club seized the opportunity to abandon their amateur status.

Two years later they won the FA Cup. They beat Glasgow Rangers in the semi-final (it was the last time Scottish teams entered the competition) and went on to defeat West Bromwich Albion 2-0 in the final. Aston Villa had become the “champion of the United Kingdom”. It gave William McGregor the platform he needed to spearhead a reform that would solve the most pressing problem in football as he saw it. As a representative of the premier club in the country, he now had the authority and credibility to proceed.

McGregor had realized that spectators had lost the appetite for friendies. Good organization was lacking and at times there were chaotic situations.

There was an alarming dip in attendances and for Aston Villa this was an intolerable state of affairs. After a meeting with Joe Tillotson, a friend of his, the idea for a football league came into being.

In 1888 the football League was born with Aston Villa being a founder member along with West Bromwich Albion, Wolverhampton Wanders and nine other clubs.

Six of the founder members are currently playing in the Premier League. The first ever Football League matches kicked off on Saturday 8th September, 1888.

During McGregor’s six years reign as the league’s president he was still active in the club’s history from 1894 to 1900. They won the league five times and FA Cup double was won. The club moved to its present ground in 1897.

McGregor died in 1911 aged 65. He was a committed Christian and was widely respected for his honesty and integrity. The Reverend W.G. Percival, a pastor at Wheeler Street congregational Church where McGregor worshipped for over 40 years, said at McGregor’s funeral service that the best thing about him “was not so much the genial, kindly, honest sportsman, but it was the Christian behind it all”. He described him as “ a man of absolutely unblemished personal character.”

Nothing is really known of how much involvement Aston Villa FC had with the Aston Villa chapel during the momentous years but although “Wesleyan” was dropped from its title, the name “Aston Villa” continued in use. This suggests that there was no formal break with the chapel until 1896 when the club became a limited company. But it would appear that even after 1896 the relationship between club and chapel remained friendly. At the seventieth anniversary service of the chapel in May 1935 the club was very well represented. Sadly when Methodist worship at the chapel ceased in 1962 any remaining links would have been finally severed.

The church was taken over by the New Testament Church of God (Baptist Church) whose main membership had originated from the Caribbean. The church was demolished last year for preparation for a completely new church premises. Time moves on but nothing can erase the fact that Aston Villa FC owes its existence to this old church and four young men.

Danny Brown AVFC

January 2009

Whilst most Villa fans were at home watching the Dancing on Ice Christmas special and enjoying their Christmas night turkey sandwiches, I was contacted by journalist Bruno Lesprit who asked me to do an interview for the French daily evening paper “Le Monde”. This was after all, the eve of our big Boxing Day clash with Arsenal!

The main questions were about, the end of my involvement in football hooliganism, the evolution of Aston Villa Football Club and the specification surrounding the Villa squad, as we have so many English players, unlike most of the big clubs including Arsenal and Chelsea.

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger took time out of his busy schedule to gob off and say that Villa are not good enough to win the Barclays Premier title. Fortunately Wengers critical comment doesn’t carry much weight these days. Although I said to Bruno Lesprit that Martin O’Neill never actually said we are aiming to win the league title, but as with all Premier clubs, you aim for the top and villa are no exception.

Wenger should concentrate on his own side - because everyone seems to be taking points off the Arsenal this season, so in a nutshell, top, second, third or forth, as long as we finish above Arsenal, we will be satisfied!!

Journalist Bruno Lesprit, article which appeared in the French daily news paper “Le Monde” on December 26th 2008.The literal translation from France to English below.

Danny Brown AVFC


Boxing Day 26th 2008 - Aston Villa, English football
Literal Translation French to English by Lee Baker and Darren Rigby

The football world rests for holidays, with the traditional exception of the English clubs, which compete for two days of the Premier League, from the 26th-30th December. It’s towards Birmingham we turn; Aston Villa F.C. play the spoilsport by unsettling the domination of the Northern and London top four teams (Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal).

Villa are currently third (Manchester United are 4th with two games in hand) and the Claret and Blue are going through a decisive period. They were to play Arsenal (5th) on Friday before travelling to the season's surprise team Hull on Sunday.

At Hull, Villa should take note that they have gained more away wins this season than at home. And the most spectacular took place on November 15th at the Emirates Stadium, where they dominated Arsenal to win by two goals to nil.

Between the London club and that of the Midlands, the opposition on the ground is coupled with two policies of nationalities as far apart as possible. At the instigation of their French manager, Arsène Wenger, Arsenal represents the archetype of the English team without English players, or if very few. In the opposite corner, Aston Villa represents one reaction to the consequences of the Bosman issue: 60% of the players are English, a record in the Premier League. The team line up includes not less than seven, by outstripping and exceeding the recommended "6-5" of UEFA, which is six national players and five foreigners.

This situation makes for the pride of the supporters at Villa Park, not for the “quotas” themselves, but for their consequences. Danny Brown, alias Black Danny, reformed football hooligan and co-author of Villains: the Inside Story of Aston Villa Hooligan Gangs (Milo Books). “I’m a life long Aston Villa supporter; Villa favours the long term development of home grown British players to those short term international mercenaries gained by the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and co.”

“They often say that the lack of English players in the Premier League have contributed to the lack of skills of the national side. O’Neill stays true to his convictions and favours the long term development of home grown British players. Since our birth in 1876, Aston Villa currently hold the record for the most capped British players, which include Andy Gray, Dennis Mortimer and David Platt. Among those England Internationals of recent times Ashley Young, James Milner and Gabriel Agbonlahor challenge the likes of Nicolas Anelka in the classification of the top players in English football today”.

“Manager Martin O' Neill was himself a top player at Nottingham Forest and ex-captain of Northern Ireland. In view of the top stars and million pound substitutes available on the benches today of Chelsea head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and his predecessor Jose Mourinho, while some will squander millions away, O’Neill’s antics are modest but wise.”

“Having won silverware with Leicester and Glasgow Celtic, O' Neill arrived at Villa in 2006, the year when the club was taken over by the American businessman Randy Lerner. Stability reigned and O’Neill showed his ambition to restore Villa’s past glory. It seems accessible, why not try? It is our dream.”

The single star on Villa’s club badge with the motto "Prepared" demonstrates their past achievements. With Manchester United, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa are in effect one of only four English clubs to have won the European Cup. It was in 1982, one year after winning the English First Division Football League. Danny Brown, “Aston Villa has a prestige of history and the biggest fan base in the Midlands. The City of Birmingham tries unsuccessfully to be the second city of the United Kingdom, but the mass media prefers the Northern capital of Manchester.”

Villa is found today in the media spotlight but it is not sure that this British peculiarity makes Martin O’Neill happy. Aware that with less than thirty players his squad does not have such strength in depth as of his rivals, he rues the absence of a winter break.

Bruno Lesprit

December 2008 MALT AND COKE MEMORIES
by Colin Blaney

Former criminal and now author - Colin Blaney.

My name is Colin Blaney, and I`m a big Manchester United fan, I’m better known as the author who in 2004 wrote the best selling book “Grafters“, which pens my exploits as a former criminal, doing a range of things from flogging boot legging t-shirts at rock gigs in France, to snatching Jewels in Germany. I’ve since put my criminal past behind me.

After meeting Villa legend Danny Brown and in respect of the death of my good friend, and of your great club, Aston Villa , I would like to pay tribute to a lad who was simply known as “COKE“.
My journey began in the summer of 1975 while I was working at Butlins in Bognar Regies, this was without doubt my big break into the Grafting game, Being a Manchester United fan and working at Butlins seemed to put me face to face with the likes of all my biggest enemies across the Football scene e.g. Brummies, Scousers, Geordies Yorkies, Sweatys and Cockneys, (mainly Spurs.) You ask any one who was there, it was bang on! !

The craic was spectacular, having party after party both in the chalets and on the beach, we had bucket loads of wine and weed burning throughout the day and well into the night, sex was on tap, and on par with the swingers scene of today. You put some of the biggest time bombs from the football terraces into a melting pot and you’ve got a winner, even the Security Guards whose job it was to control us, were attending the parties and buying the hash.


Coke at the back with Silk Villa Scarf, Malt in the middle with ginger hair

This was the year I met the great Villa fan “Coke” (RIP) and his side kick “Malt” who got the name because of his love of malt whisky. They say the Birmingham accent is lacklustre and boring (Bollocks) these pair could drink anyone under the table and were as sharp as tacks and well adequate with their names “Malt and Coke” to upstage any party. Old Coke would tell us stories of the battles and conquests he`d had around the country with his firm the Steamers, stories that would have us hanging on his every word!.

Coke always had the last word, the fact that villa dropped through the divisions gave him the opportunity to have battled with most of the top firms of that era, which seemed like a mammoth task to us. I sensed a few lads were green with envy of Cokes conquests but I kind of sense that Villa were sleeping giants on and off the field at that time through being in the lower divisions.
I worked with Coke and Malt for another year at Butlins, but never got to see them again until I was released from borstal in 1977.

Villa where now flying high and were back where they belonged in the top flight of English football. Villa v United games were always a close encounter in those days, with Villa usually winning at home. We hit Villa Park with the Red Army, and completely took over the Witton Arms pub. We always had the numbers and took full advantage of our mass following and filled the Witton Road end of the ground. At half time we sneaked into one of the VIP lounges and tried to screw the bars tills, we turned off all the lights and just caused mayhem, Manchester style! funny thing was, all the money went up in the air when the lights came back on Benny from Crossroads was standing there, his minders jumped on us and beat the living day lights out of us!

After our dice with death we somehow escaped without any desire to watch the second half!
Back at New Street Station we had a drink in the bar while trying to get ourselves together, we'd been split up and ran ragged all over Birmingham. Rabbi from Salford was fuming, cursing and shouting that we had lost the match 2-1, Coco a mixed race lad from the bullring flats in Moss-Side was debating on how we lost the match, lost the loot AND got wacked!!.

This young Villa lad walked into the bar and without any provocation Rabbi went up to him and slapped him across his face and nicked his Villa cap. With his face turning purple the lad ran off with his face in his hands.

Now, unbeknown to us, that young Villa lad had older brothers and company in Villas main pub in the city centre, I knew something was wrong when a firm appeared from nowhere, behold ,the inter-city jibbers (Red Army) were well and truly trapped, Villa were coming in.!! Rabbi picks up two bottles we all followed suit and prepared for the onslaught! The young Villa lad who was on the receiving end of the slap pointed at Rabbi and said “that’s the dickhead who hit me” We where absolutely shitting our pants, with nowhere to run, this was going to be our very own Burlington Arcade Massacre 2!

To my disbelief, Coke walked through, and Rabbi gets a lovely crack on the jawbone and falls to the ground like a Mexican road sweeper.

Coke shouts out “The rest of you are F---ing lucky I know the bullocks you call Colin Blaney. To the relief of both me and the rest of the United lads , we had been spared!

Coke was never a bully, he saved our asses. I personally realized that day that contrary to popular belief you can’t always depend on the numbers game.

For the next few years, through into the 80’s ,me and Coco, (who later became part of the firm “Men in Black”) would always make a weekend of it when united played in Birmingham, and we would go out on the lash with our mates Coke, Malt and Co, so over the years I’ve had some really good nights out in Birmingham.

AstonVilla are a big club and have a big fan base, so it is only fitting that they are now challenging the likes of United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea for the top honours.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all you Villa fans for your kind hospitality over the years, you know who you are, so THANKYOU!!

Also full respect goes to Coke (RIP) not only for saving our bacon on New Street Station, but also for the memories, you will be sadly missed my friend.!

Colin Blaney

UEFA Cup

Hamburg v Aston Villa
Wednesday 17th December 2008
AOL Arena, Hamburg, Germany

Travel to Germany to see Villa's final away game against Hamburg who like Villa are past winners of the European Cup. Enjoy a night out in this infamous city and a evening at the game.

Note: This trip will operate from East Midlands Airport as Birmingham is closed at night for runway repairs at this time.

1 Night Trip from East Midlands
16th Dec - Fly direct from East Midlands to Hamburg departing at 08:00 arriving at 10:15 transfers take you to your city centre hotel. Enjoy the pre Christmas atmosphere and a good night out in this fantastic city with its wide range of nightlife. The following day spend the morning at leisure, in the late afternoon transfers will take you to the stadium for the game and after the game back to the airport for the return flight landing back at East Midlands at around 00:15.

Price - 2/3* £ 279 - 4* £ 299

Price includes return flights, 1 nights hotel accommodation based on 2 sharing a twin room, transfers and all airports taxes and charges.
Match tickets are not included and should be obtained from the club.

To book ring 0207 976 5600

mike@sportops.com
Sport Options is a subsidiary of Flight Options Ltd; a fully bonded tour operator and we hold ATOL licence No 4233 for your complete security.Terms & Conditions | Copyright©2007 Sportoptions.com Site produced and hosted by ProWeb Group

They say it’s a funny old game, I have been fortunate enough to mix and socialise with some of our older players and whilst I suppose I am biased but we are blessed with having some proper decent old players.

Lads you would go out with for a drink and certainly no big time Charlies. I have detailed a few things that you may not know about some of the players.

Jimmy Rimmer
Jimmy came over recently last year for the 82 celebrations from Canada and probably aged a lot more than the rest and lived a fairly eventful life after football. Made a few quid lost a few quid was heavily involved in a chain of sports shops but got involved with the worst addiction ever known to man ‘other women’ and lost the lot . Jimmy lives in Canada and only last year had a heart attack he was actually very near to deaths door but thankfully survived.

On the weekend of celebrations all the Villa 82 squad were put up in the Marriot Hotel for the weekend and as you can imagine large consumptions of alcohol were drunk unless you were Alan Evans or Dennis Mortimer who are still tee total. Jimmy had had a few beers on the Saturday night and went for a walk down broad street in the early hours of the morning. Jimmy must have looked easy pickings to the two lads who thought they could mug him, thing is Jimmy was the street brawler in the team and those instincts never leave you.

They tried to rob him only to end up both on their backside. He did lose some blood mainly due to the heart attack he suffered and the contraption he has to wear, but he kept his wallet safe just like he used to keep his goal safe. Jimmy sent those lads home shell shocked, black and blue as he clumped them with his shovel size hands.

Colin Gibson
I was told by our flying winger Tony Morley, a funny story surrounding Colin Gibson pre match ritual. Apparently Gibbo would always stretch out infront of the other players bending down showing his pert backside in full view with just his jock strap protecting his wedding tackle. The rest of the players had had enough as Gibbo who was again posing and admiring himself.

Brendan Ormsby saw his opportunity, he picked up a handful of ralgex and went wallop!!! straight up Gibbo's jacksy and all over his manhood. As the bell went for the players to run out onto the pitch poor old Gibbo didn’t have any time to wash it off. They reckon he has never ran that fast down the wing as he was burning like merry hell.

Pat Heard

Pat Heard is one of those players in a pub quiz question, " who was on the subs bench in the 1982 EUROPEAN CUP FINAL". People forget but never the less he has a European Cup Medal that a lot of players haven’t got. One very odd fact about Pat is that he is a magician now you have heard of players going onto run pubs or train horses but magician?

I know he also does the commentary on the local radio for our games but never had him down as a budding Paul Daniels but whatever pays the bills I suppose.

Danny Brown AVFC

Signing with 'Villains' author Danny Brown
Danny Brown

Villains: The Inside Story of Aston Villa's Hooligan Gangs

WATERSTONE'S WALSALL
Saturday, 5 April 2008, 11:00AM - 2:00PM

Meet one of the authors of the bestselling book 'Villains' which reveals the inside story of Aston Villa's hooligan gangs. Danny will be signing copies of the new paperback edition in store - don't be late!

For Further details: 01922 610922

Danny Brown AVFC

Remembrance Sunday 11/11/2007 a day to remember!

Small Heath Alliance 1 Aston Villa FC 2

The Second City’s 105th derby was won by Aston Villa, so that made it three premiership wins on the trot, normal service has been resumed, but more about the actual match a little later.

The C-Crew and Steamers had decided ages ago not to bother going to the game, for a start, nobody wanted to hand over £45 to the Blues for a match day ticket, and secondly, as I have said before, we are all long into retirement and at our age would prefer to be all together watching the game with a few beers (did I say a few) with good company and in decent surroundings, rather than plotting a row on our mobiles all day long.

There was really only one place to watch the match, back at our spiritual patch in Aston. About a hundred and fifty of us had bought tickets for the Holte Hotel Pub, which is next door to Villa Park, and along with a hundred or so others, we watched the game there, on a 6ft screen.
Some of us wanted to do our own Remembrance Day tribute, we had a wreath delivered to the venue and we used the board from the book launch, which displays the names of Villa lads who are sadly no longer with us, we call them our “Holte Enders in the Sky”.

Just before midday we all gathered in the gardens where prior to our minute silence, a roll call was made of all our departed “match day boys”. Since that list was made, (a year ago), we have also lost, Andy Kitson and Coke.

It was really quite emotional as these lads were personal friends or brothers to some of the lads who were there, like Heaffy and Eddie Norton, so it was quite a touching tribute.
When the minute silence was over, Joycie was on cue to do a rendition of “Holte Enders in the Sky”.

For those who haven’t been in the Holte Hotel yet, it’s well worth a visit. Its been rebuilt and refurbished to a very high standard, for me, its a very nostalgic place because I use to box there for Aston Villa ABC, and it would be fair to say I’ve had some right old lively tear ups boxing there over the years in the claret and blue colours.

Randy Lerner has spent £4million bringing the old place back to its glorious past and has given us an excellent venue steeped in history, Its just a shame that more Villa fans can’t get in without an invitation on match days.

We were on the first floor in three different rooms, the atmosphere was electric, lots of nervous lads going through their own derby day rituals and drinking pint after pint, trying to rid themselves of derby day fever!

I’ve been told that £4500 went over the bar on draft beer alone, Christ knows what the bottle sales were!!!! As I looked around nervously, it was nice to see, enjoying his beer, the old Villa legend of derby day wins, Tony Morley.

The game itself started with us on the back foot with Blues going at us. I suppose it was always going to happen with agent Liam Ridgewell, that he would be involved in some of the defining moments of the game as he has always been a one big mistake a game type of player. Yes he is an honest pro and decent for them, but was never really good enough to be a Villa player. I suppose you could liken him to Noel Blake back in the 80’s, the last central defender to move between the clubs.

When Petrov dispossessed their supposed latest messiah, Kapo and crossed the ball in the box, agent Ridgewell couldn’t help himself and stuck his knee out, scoring his eighth goal for Villa. We were 1 nil up and about £500s worth of beer went all over the floor, and probably triple that in Villa Park as in various places they had over 1500 Villa fans watching the match.

You could hear the Villa fans on the TV, singing “There’s only one agent Ridgewell”, football can be cruel sometimes. Goals, well that’s the third or fourth own goal of his career so he is a bit of a specialist at that. We were now in full control and both Carew and Gabby should have done better with their chances and put the game beyond doubt, even through we still went in happy at half time, one nil up!.

Some Villa fans think we are superior as both a team and as a club and we should be beating the likes of our neighbours easily, but having watched Villa over the years playing these lot it never works out that way. Some very good Villa sides have been turned over by some pretty average Blues sides, who in all fairness are always fired up for their cup final. Lets be honest its not as if they are likely to play much bigger games then the Birmingham derby if their past history is anything to go by.

In the first half they had two reasonable shouts for penalties turned down, but by the law of averages it will get evened out over the season, so stop bleating Steve Bruce & get over it!
In the second half it was more open and they were definitely putting us under pressure. The substitutions bought them back into the game when Forsell peeled off from our central defenders and scored a bullet header in the 67th minute, being honest I would have settled for a draw. I said to the lads we need to close the game down.

It was end to end football with Reo Coker missing a glorious chance, when Barry set him up with a lovely cushioned header which he volleyed over and then Carson made a decent save.
Ridgewell nearly scored at the right end only for Gabby to stick a foot out and clear it off the line, Jesus it was close!!

Moore, who had come on for a lethargic Carew fed the ball out to Young who crossed a sweet ball into the box where Gabby beat agent Ridgewell to it and glanced the ball into the net, Goooooooooooal Gabby Gabby Gabby Agbonlahor!!!

We all went mental jumping on each other celebrating as both Gabby and our Ashley were engulfed with joy. We had scored on 87 minutes, It was proper payback time for the Stern John equaliser in 2004, only this was the winning goal and far sweeter.
Villa played the game out and closed it down with over four minutes of injury time, remaining and some intelligent play by our forwards kept the ball in their half.

When the ref blew the whistle it was a party all round with singing dancing and Clarkie giving numerous renditions of “Do you believe in the Villa”.
Analysing the game, were not firing on all cylinders and still haven’t hit the heights of the Chelsea game, but we are picking up points and we are a difficult side to play against. I thought Laursen and Barry were immense and Petrov had a better game but there is no doubt we have the quality in players like Young and Agbonlahor, It was fitting a local lad, Gabriel Agbonlahor a Brummie from my old manor Erdington scored the winner.

Martin O’Neill needs to sign a right back and we need a right midfielder, none of the people we have tried there are really suited to that role although I am being told we have a very useful player we signed in August the African Zidane apparently, Mustoupha Salifoe!
Our party wasn’t ready to finish so we all headed down to the Aston Social where the numbers had swelled to around 700 with a few that had been to the match coming back there.
Now I don’t know how much gets exaggerated but there were enough stories coming back about Blues lads throwing bricks / coins / bottles of ketchup at Villa scarfers penned in by the old bill and I know for a fact that some Villa females got caught up in ambushes because we took a call at the Aston Social, Yam Yam and some of the lads had to go and rescue them in a car.

There were Villa fans getting ambushed going back to their cars and people having to take refuge in take aways and even an old people’s home. The new kids on the block these days from the Villa our Youth firm took it to Blues on their own manor and 100 or so walked into Digbeth getting a result of sorts at the Kerryman pub, good luck to them but if the reports and the amount of stuff posted on Youtube are anything to go by both lots of lads are going to need it.
It’s a mugs game for us old enough to know better but try telling that to a 19 year old kid out to make his way in life they won’t listen, I didn’t at their age so what can I say now.

The Police are not idiots and if any of their own get hurt and by all accounts, 20 did. There will be a concerted effort to get those involved and I honestly think that they will try and close the new breed of football thugs down, before they have even properly started. It’s mad how it’s all changed, some of the things some firms claim as a result for just showing and half the time a punch isn’t even thrown, you can get sent down for almost nothing these days. It’s a hell of a risk and having done bird it isn’t the best of place to be in, whilst not trying to sound like an old fart, in our day everything was done differently, with a bit more respect towards scarfers and the Police.

I spoke with PC Hemmings in the Aston Social about today’s events. He mentioned the Villains book, so it was an ideal opportunity to ask him honestly what he thought of it. He said “I am about half way through it and yes its good and pretty accurate but where is the stuff about Queens Road Police” , I replied its in there you just haven’t got to it yet. Think he wanted me to say the book says the best firm in Birmingham is the West Midlands Police well it probably is now!

Whilst the claret and blue were celebrating in the ground and three quarters of the pubs in Brum, I understand our players were sampling the delights of a derby win and one young Scottish lad Shaun Maloney experienced a Brum derby for the first time. My source told me Maloney thought it was a little bit hair rising, and that’s from someone who has played in Rangers / Celtic games. I honestly don’t think there is a derby game quite like it and as Brittle said in the book it’s never lost its intensity, whenever it’s played or whatever the kick off time.

The Villa players, along with the fans were kept in and they could hear the fans celebrating and the commotion going on from the young hoodies throwing bricks / coins etc, but whilst all the other players were being a little sensible my source told me Mellberg apparently just walked out the ground to buy a hamburger from one of the fast food stalls, saying that he is one big lump and he don’t scare easily.

I don’t think Mellberg ever got over the blues fan on the pitch with Enkleman and secretly probably wishes, it was him he confronted instead of our flapping goalkeeper at the time.
Gareth Barry also showed what a class act he is by ignoring the batteries and other various missiles aimed in his direction when he was taking corner kicks, he was the best player on the pitch by a country mile.

All over Birmingham and the Midlands the Villa fans celebrated, it was a bit of payback for the four defeats we have tasted in the previous premiership encounters, but it seems that even the old Blues players who make rash predictions in newspapers are still bitter they couldn’t cut it at Villa, decided to attack a Villa lad later on that night. The same kid, a scarfer, was in the Holte pub earlier, must make that old Blues player proud when he knows the kid was in there with his wife and young daughter, some things never change eh! Just hope agent Ridgewell doesn’t turn out the same way!

I ended the day in the Yenton with my son and daughter-in-law, I felt glad that from those first premiership games where Blues had the upper hand, they had now witnessed Villa back on top and where we belong, like I said, normal service has well and truly been resumed !

Danny Brown

October 6th 2007 – Villa Park – Aston Villa 1 West Ham 0

Today is the day I’ve been looking forward to for months, because today is the day that I’m meeting up with my old rival – Cass Pennant.

Anyone who was associated with or was involved in football violence over the last 30 years would know who Cass Pennant is, and therefore would have experienced him and his firm “The ICF” Cass, who is no longer involved in any form of football violence is a respected author and publisher, and following the success of his best selling autobiography “Cass”, he is now involved in the project “Cass the movie”.

The movie will tell the incredible true story of an orphaned Jamaican baby who was adopted by an elderly white couple and brought up in an all white area of London, to how he became one of the most feared and respected men in Britain.

I was thrilled to be offered a part in the movie, playing a convicted prisoner in the scrubs. From what I’ve seen of the cast, there is a list of stars ranging from “The Football Factory” to “EastEnders” appearing in the film and even a few of my old sparring partners from yesteryear. (Watch this space for Photo’s)

One of my mates has a corporate facility at Villa Park and in fairness to him he has never forgotten his roots and invites as many Villa old lads as he does customers on match days into his box, he invited me and Cass for today’s game. Unfortunately Cass rang about a week before today’s game to say that he couldn’t make it due to work commitments, but, he would be sending on the sub! F***ing hell!!! Can you imagine the shock waves of delight when I realized who Cass was sending as his replacement for the day,” the Godfather of West Ham football hooligan’s, the legendary Bill Gardner”.

Bill, has been around for a long time and is now retired from football hooligan activity. Bill goes far back to the days of the Mile End boys and is renowned for his one liner whilst steaming into his rivals - “Good afternoon gentlemen, the name is Bill Gardener”. That introduction itself was often enough to provoke sheer terror into his opponents. To this day, Bill is still a terrace legend at Upton park.

Match Day

I’d arranged to meet Bill and his son outside Villa Park, the main Trinity road stand at 12 noon. Even through I was 20mins late I have a philosophy that when you meet your guests for the first time you keep them waiting for a while. Those 20 intended minutes gave Bill and his son the chance to have a look around Birmingham’s first Cathedral, Villa Park and when I did finally turn up they had a good insight of our proud history and bright future.

I approached the Trinity road stand, and spotted Bill from the distance, he had his back to me, but I could see he was smarty dressed in a suit, looking like “Tony Soprano”. I tapped him on his shoulder and as he turned round to shake my hand, I said, “Mr Gardner, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen your back in 30 years of confrontation”. The Ice had been broken (And not my hand)

Bill had an equally warm welcome from the box holder and the rest of the lads. We were drinking a few beers and reminiscing about the good old days. Bill pointed out to us where his firm had entered the Holte End back in the 70’s. I asked Bill about the infamous 1980 FA Cup game at Upton Park. He confirmed the story of him being the steward who let the West Ham firm into the Villa end of the ground.

Unbeknown to us there was a group of my mate’s customers who happened to be West Ham fans in the box with us who knew who Bill was but at the time nothing was mentioned about his past, he was introduced to them as Bill the West Ham fan, we talked about football and how West Ham stole our club colours nothing else. However Bill was spotted by other West Ham fans at half time and even recognized by our very own Dennis Mortimer and it was probably a little embarrassing for Bill having to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans.

First class hospitality was the order throughout the day with ex Villa player Charlie Aitken presenting Bill with a framed picture which read “Good afternoon Mr Gardner, the name is Danny Brown welcome to the home of the real claret and blue” with a caricature of me holding the Villains book. Bill had remarked on the day how much he admired Villa Park and our football legend Dennis Mortimer as a player. What really impress me about Bill was his understanding and knowledge of the game, it’s second to none.

My mate's customers definitely knew who Bill and I was but didn't say anything on the day but on the Monday morning emailed him asking how he got Villa and West Ham’s top men in his box on Saturday. Dead pan as you like he said we worked in his finance department me covering customers in the Midlands and Bill in the South of England, who he was having problems with getting payments from. They replied thinking what he was saying was true “do you have many problems now getting paid”, he replied “not since Danny and Bill went to see them”.

At some point this story is going to do the rounds, but whilst it’s very funny myself and Bill Gardner are not working in any Finance Department for a very well known Birmingham company, and despite my mate’s mischievous sense of humor I have told him politely that the only figures me and Bill are doing are the sales of our books.

All in all first class company, top class hospitality, and three points

Danny Brown

September 23rd 2007 -Villa Park- Aston Villa 2 Everton 0





VILLA CHEW TOFFEES

After meeting Andy Nicholls my general opinion on him changed, I have a lot of time for the kid and no matter what anyone says about him I know he is a bit of a scally, but also a decent lad with a razor sharp sense of humour. The coward who was trying to bash, or should I say lacking the courage to try and bash Nicholls is now well and truly out of favour with the rest of our lads. Nicholls can look after himself and you can see where he gets the nickname from Man United “SOME FRONT NICHOLLS” .The odds would have been heavily stacked up against him, but he came up as a friend and that will do for me.

Back to the prawn sandwiches, Andy Nicholls as been banned from Goodison Park for life, he takes up every opportunity to watch his beloved team Everton at away games. He is not involved in the scene anymore, just a fan not a hooligan now. The host of the day is a very good friend of Nicholls and through Nicholls had used his notoriety well and even brought a couple of Everton football legends with him, two players who also played for Villa, Dave Hickson in the 60’s and the more well known to us Derek Mountfield from the 90’s.

As we tucked into Villa Parks finest food and great beers, the West Midlands Police top brass popped into the box and requested that the staff take mine and Nicholls’s beer away until half time. My contacts at Villa Park told me the “Old Bill” had zoomed into our box from the police control room and were concerned about me and Nicholls. What did they think we were going to do, kill each other with friendship!!!

At half time and with the beer flowing again Nicholls recalled a very recent story, about an Evertonian guy in his late seventies who had passed away. This guy hero had been Dave Hickson. Fair play to Nicholls he arranged for Dave Hickson to attend the funeral, the family were made up that he had come and they asked Dave if he would sign the condolence card. Nicholls sense of humour took over, with Dave getting on in years and a little unsteady on his feet so probably not enjoying the best of health, asked Nicholls what he should write? Nicholls replied, “PUT ON IT, SEE YOU SOON DAVE” The rest of the lads were struggling to hold the chuckles, but Dave didn’t notice, he was busy getting stuck into the buffet and having seen him eat I can understand!!

The Box Holder managed to get a few Villa Old Boys into the box to meet us, Dennis Mortimer and Tony Morley who ribbed Nicholls and the other Everton lads about them supporting the blue side and Dennis being Liverpool. Tony evened it out though admitting as a kid he was an Everton fan.

It was interesting talking to Derek Mountfield and him having played in a very good Everton side, that should have won the European Cup, but for English Clubs being banned from Europe. He still says the best player that he ever played with was Paul McGrath by a country mile, not a surprise to us Villa fans, something I think the Everton lads weren’t expecting Mountfield to say. But that wasn’t the only thing they weren’t expecting, a 2 -0 win for the Villa with goals from Carew and an excellently taken goal from Gabby.

I’m looking forward to seeing Nicholls and co again in April for the return, hopefully with the same result, that will do us very nicely.

Aston Villa: Carson, Mellberg, Laursen, Knight, Bouma, Agbonlahor, Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Moore (80 Harewood), Carew (53 Gardner).

Booked: Agbonlahor
Goals: Carew 14, Agbonlahor 60

Everton: Wessels, Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Baines, Pienaar, Jagielka, Neville, Osman, Anichebe (69 Yakubu), Johnson (69 McFadden).

Att: 38,235
Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)

Match Day-Memory Lane Photo’s

Andy Nicholls with two of Aston Villa's all time greats, Tony Morley and Dennis Mortimer	Two of my life long friends Jackie and Scouse Martin
Martin Swift and son,'' born in Liverpool Villa by choice''	Former Villa and Everton player Derek Mountfield
Derek Mountfield 1988-91 App 90 Goals 9	Andy Nicholls entertaining us with his wide eyes stories.

Danny’s Comments:

Great Story Martin, I could write two books full of funny story’s base on our antics over the years. Thanks for popping up to the boxes after the match on Sunday. Didn't think Andy Nicholls or Derek Mountfield could work out how come you where part of the C-Crew and from Liverpool. Just goes to show Villa every f------ were! Will keep in touch mate.
Danny Brown AVFC

September 2nd 2007-Villa Park-Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 0





A debut goal from Aston Villa fan Zat Knight and a late Gabriel Agbonlahor strike saw Aston Villa shatter Chelsea's seven-month unbeaten record in the Barclays Premier League.

Knight climbed above Didier Drogba to head in a Gareth Barry corner in the second minute of the second half.

Chelsea threw everything at Villa in the final half hour but came up against a determined Villa backline.

Salomon Kalou dragged a shot wide before Villa broke and Agbonlahor stabbed in Ashley Young's driven cross.

Aston Villa v T Mobile	Game on!	Lifelong Villa fans Jarvo & Del
The man with the whistle for the day, Premiership referee Dermot Gallagher	The unforgettable moment Villa fans line up with some of the European Cup team at Villa Park

Del even had the cheek to shout ‘Gibbo can you f---- see it’ as he made his run into the box. To be fair who could miss Del with that frame, Del ballooned the chance miles over. Del in his younger days had a trial at Wolves but a certain George Berry put paid to any chance of Del making it as a pro, in a bone crunching tackle. Del settled for local fame playing for the Bromford Arms. The game ended 3-2, for the Villa side.

All in all it was a good afternoon with everyone ending up in the McGregor suite for refreshments and a big thank you to T Mobile for inviting all the lads in and looking after us. Mark Walters got stick off the lads for his burberry coat he wore at the Villa awards night, the lads questioned if Walters had been hanging around with Blues fans with that taste in clothes.

For us Villa fans it as been a hell of a week it’s bought back so many great memories but Jarvo bought back memories of the 1970’s terrace song aka Crossroads soap that we used to sing to either opposing supporters or players injured. Jarvo ended up in hospital the day after when he fainted at home having suffered a back injury at the game and yes he did ‘go home like Sandy Richardson’.

Great day especially for Del and Jarvo!

Danny Brown

Former Aston Villa player Darius Vassell

The point had been made recently that all Villa-Man City games of the last two seasons had been played under the cover of darkness.

After his transfer to Man City, little did we know that Count Vassell would come back to haunt Villa time and time again and sink his teeth into his former club, and there’s no doubt that Darius Vassell was looking to repeat his actions of the last few seasons on Villa again.

Manchester City 0 Aston Villa 2

Villa took advantage of a lacklustre Manchester City side with goals from John Carew and Shaun Maloney to record a 2-0 win leaving Villa unbeaten in seven games.

Alex Williams, former Man City goalkeeper. Alex is the only person I've ever met with bigger hands than myself.	Clive Studart, Man City fan and Childhood friend is presented with a framed shirt.	Eddie Norton 30 years of Villa friendship
Gavin McCann said he looks forward to reading the book	Stuart Pearce warned us that Vassell would be firing on all cylinders as he bid to continue his remarkable goal-scoring record against the Villa.	Mark Halsey, referee of the day awarded City a first half penalty.

Players who have served both Man City and Aston Villa

Darius Vassell
Martin O’Neill
David James
Earl Barrett
Steve McMahon
Mark Lillis
Robert Hopkins
Ken McNaught
Bobby McDonald
John Deehan
Adrian Heath
John Burridge
Peter Schmeichel
John Gidman
Frank Carrodus

May I take this opportunity on behalf of myself and the lads, in thanking Mike, Suzanne, Colin Bell and Nedun Onuoha for their kind hospitality at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Danny Brown

Just over 12 months ago one of our finest lads, Steve Norton, passed away and ironically his last Villa game was Blackburn away. That day Steve went to the game with his brother Eddie, on a coach from Kingstanding along with a lot of Villa Youth.

Shortly after Steve’s funeral we had two local derbies in quick succession, West Brom and Blues, both at home. The lads commissioned a giant banner in honour of Steve with the words ‘Holte Enders in the Sky’, and the Norton name which was done in the old Norton motorcycle motif underneath. The websites at the time were full of glowing tributes for Steve, and even Blues lads joined in to pay their respects. One of his mates who was an old Zulu had had the words ‘colours don’t matter’ tattooed on his arm in the colours of Villa / Blues, such was the respect for Steve Norton.

A funeral that attracted over 500 mourners, where all the firms that had ever represented Villa over the last 30 odd years came together, it was obvious that Steve would never be forgotten by his fellow Villa lads.

Whoever came up with the idea of Blackburn away as a Steve Norton tribute day, I am not sure but, what I was certain of was that it would be well attended.

In total seven coaches were organised on his behalf, four from the Cabin pub in the City Centre, two from the Armada pub at Spaghetti, and one from the Royal pub in Sutton. The Armada coaches were full of old C Crew and Villa Youth lads with the Cabin ones more Steamers.
I couldn’t make the day because of work commitments but have asked one of my friends Mr G Bojangles to give his account of the day’s events.

The day went as follows:
Our coach was from the Royal Hotel in Sutton Coldfield. It had a lot of the lads from the Bromford on it plus the likes of Del, Ade, Heaffy, Jarvo, and Fordy.
The first problem was the coach driver couldn’t get the coach into the car park, so he parked right outside the ‘nick’. We ended up having to leg it up the road to get on, and as usual, because of the odd straggler, we were late getting off but got away around 10-ish.
The journey was fairly uneventful until about 15 miles outside of Blackburn. We noticed one of the coaches from the Cabin had broken down, and lads were waiting in the sunshine on the embankment for another coach. There was nothing for it but to pull over and get as many as we could on. We managed to give a lift to about 20 of them whilst the others waited for a replacement coach.

We spoke with Joycie on the Armada coaches, and they were running about twenty minutes behind us, but Joycie relayed the plan, and that was for all to meet at the big pub outside the Blackburn away end, the Fernhurst.

When we landed there at about quarter past 12, the car park was already full of Villa, and the bar downstairs was crammed with more Villa trying to get a drink.
Our coach had got the banner on it, and we unfurled it for when Eddie Norton got to the pub, so he could see it in its true splendour and let him know the lads were thinking of him and Steve.
Eddie’s coaches arrived, and they took the top floor of the pub. One of Steve’s mates had 250 Villa badges made with the words ‘STEVE NORTON REMEMBERED’ on them, and everyone proudly displayed the badge for all to see.

The lads on the Armada coach all donated £10 each to Steve’s wife Sue, and like last year when over a thousand pounds was raised, it was another occasion where it showed how we pull together for one of our own.
Everyone seemed to be taking advantage of the weather, and the fact they were selling beer on the massive car park. Some lazy twat decided to use the portaloo as opposed to going to the pub loo,….well with three hundred lads on the lash it was obvious there was going to be a bit of mischief.

He ended up going to the loo and they only went and tipped it over. There was piss all over him, and all over the car park! Christ knows what he smelt like and I’m glad I wasn’t standing next to him at the game.

Blackburn is one of those away games where it’s more about proper ‘old skool’ lads being out, rather than the premiership jolly jester hat brigade, (probably because you can get the allocation and you don’t have to have twenty away card stamps, or a collection of Villa badges). With over 4000 making the trip, the day was always going to be a good crack.
Inside the ground the lads were having a good attempt at drinking Blackburn Rovers dry, and all the old songs were coming out.
Funny when you think about it, that fact that we aren’t much better than last season, with only one away win in the league, and yet every game, we sell our away allocation. The new owners and O’Neil have generated a feel good factor around the place, which we haven’t seen since Big Ron’s days really.

The banner was unfurled and went back and forth around the lower tier, and it was more like a cup tie atmosphere than a mid table dogfight!
We started off well but found ourselves one down to a dodgy penalty, but the fans stuck with the team and we clawed our way back into it, through the old maestro Patrick Berger.
When Barry missed the penalty I had the ‘here we go again’ feeling, but when Gabby scored a goal that Micheal Owen would have been proud of, it seemed to be our day. Maybe old Stevie had something to do with it, and it was nice to win on his day!

The win was greeted like a cup win with the players throwing their shirts into the crowd at the end, and it was hugs all around as we made our way back to the coaches.
How times do change! The old bill made sure that the coaches got away, and wouldn’t let you hang around waiting for stragglers. Unfortunately, four of ours decided to be clever and go for a pint and missed the coach. (They are from Tamworth so that explains it I suppose). All in all though, a great day and good turnout for the ONE STEVIE NORTON!

Danny Brown.

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19th September 2006 - The Book Launch They Could'nt Stop

We finally managed to get the event on after six hard months of planning. The day was always billed as just a party for all the Villa lads and their loved ones to launch the book Villains despite what the police think. It was never going to be anything other than a party and a celebration due the fact that we had pulled it off.

I knew Pete The Greek was a legend, but hey what a legend - there's so many stories about him, what a character !! I didn't realise there was so much about him.

Only downside was that I would have liked to have seen more pictures - but I certainly ain't slagging the book.

Great interesting read, showing the reason why they turned to be the people that they are now - in particularly Danny.

Pauline Foster: Thank you for some great entertainment at the launch party. you are truly a star Danny (you've brought people together that only a few could imagine. as you know its not just about the dough, again i will re-emphasise, i am extremely proud of you.

The book is now out in the public domain and the early feedback has been very positive. It’s interesting to hear so many differing opinions on what people consider their favourite part of the book.

Danny Brown.