Another quiz on upcoming opponents, I’ll post the answers on here tomorrow.
60s. Working with the GPO in London, this winger at a part time club wrote to some northern giants asking for a trial. A good performance in a Cup Final ensured that he would get his wish and he spent a couple of years with a club that were enjoying tremendous success, even by their standards, at the time – our man saw little first team action though and was freed after playing just three times. Villa stepped in at this time to sign him and although things didn’t start well for him at his new club, he went on to win a Championship and appear at Wembley for them. He stayed at Villa Park for six years, but didn’t see too much first team football towards the end and left to play in a country where he still lives to this day having worked in the “aluminum” industry once his playing days were over, but who is he?
70s. This happened twice in City games as far as I can remember, once on an afternoon that those who were there will never forget in October 1970 and once in a visit to Ninian Park by Villa almost two years later – what was the event and can you name the three individuals involved?
80s. Another player to identify from a set of clues.
“Not sure if he is a tea drinker, but he should be with a birthplace like his! This strong midfielder started off with the side he had supported as a boy and was a regular with these reds for the best seasons in their history. These were undoubtedly the best years of his career as, blighted by injuries, he was never able to establish himself at his next three sides. Villa were the first of these, but they were on a slide he was unable to arrest and he returned closer to home to play for a team considered to be arch rivals of his first club, before moving to a “posh” club which enjoys one or two priviledges because of it’s location. It was only when he joined some black and white Pars that he tasted regular first team football again as he celebrated a promotion. Since retiring, he has tried his hand at management, notably in two spells with some north eastern stripes, and enjoyed some modest success.
90s. The player on the right of this picture started his career with Villa and has a more famous brother, but he enjoyed a long career spent mainly in the midfield of lower division sides. He left Villa after never getting a first team chance, but, after an Impish start on loan, he played played plenty of times for three clubs that all played in variations of your “normal” blue and white shirts. He also featured briefly on loan for half a building society, before finishing his league days off close to the M6, but who is he?
00s. Who played for Villa against us in this decade and was a scorer at Cardiff City Stadium this season?
10s. Name this member of a City squad to have played Villa during this decade?
Answers.
60s. Pat McMahon was playing for Kilsyth Rangers when he wrote to Celtic for a trial and signed for them in 1967 before joining a Villa team on its way to relegation from the old Second Division. However, he was a regular in the side that went straight back up as Third Division Champions the following year and also played in the League Cup Final as Villa were beaten by Spurs – he left the club in 1975 and teamed up with Portland Timbers, one of three American teams he played for.
70s. Frank Parsons saved a penalty from Middlesbrough’s John Hickton in October 1971 in an amazing 4-3 defeat for City at Ninian Park and the repeated the achievement against Villa when he denied future City man Willie Anderson – once again though City ended up losing, this time by 2-0.
80s. Darjeeling born Neale Cooper, who played for Aberdeen, Villa, Rangers, Reading and Dunfermline, before becoming player manager at Ross County – he has also managed Hartlepool (twice), Gillingham and Peterhead.
90s. Aaron Lescott, who played for Lincoln, Sheffield Wednesday, Stockport, Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham and Walsall after being released by Villa as a youngster.
00s. Craig Gardner scored for Birmingham recently in their 3-2 defeat here,
10s. Ben Wilson.
There are certain mysteries which baffle humanity. For example: What is the meaning of life? Who is Sylvia? How long is a piece of string? How do you solve a problem like Maria? Why does Mr Warnock continue to pick Zohore?
For well over a year I have been expressing my doubts about dear Kenneth, and out of a sense of fair play I watched him closely last night in an effort to see what others, including Mr Warnock, actually see in him. There was one encouraging moment when he slid through an excellently weighted pass for Mendez-Laing to run on to and almost score, but little else worthy of praise. In fact, rather late in the game he was in position to score but managed to miss the ball through clumsiness, followed by an innocuous toe poke with his left foot which came to nothing. In addition there was also an occasion when the ball crossed into the area and all our much vaunted striker had to do was make headed contact with it. Predictably, he failed so to do. Possibly he may have closed his eyes. When he was finally replaced by Madine, the substitute had neither time nor opportunity to shine. Let’s hope he has a full 90 minutes in our subsequent games!
In respect of Gary Madine, I meant to say in my comments on the penalty miss against Wolves that he was a regular penalty kingpin with Bolton and would have scored with ease had he been still with them. It’s no wonder the Bolton fans used to chant “Gary Madine, goal machine.” Perhaps he’ll now have opportunities with Cardiff to win back that title. I really hope so.