I WAS asked by Aston Villa official news & record editor Rob Bishop to reminisce about my greatest ever Villa player.
So with Rob's kind permission, here's my piece about 'Getting Chatty with Platty' from Saturday's programme from the Albion game.

IT hardly ranks alongside the elephant taking an impromptu toilet break at BBC Television Centre in the list of Blue Peter's all-time greatest moments.

But to this day, I still cherish a vivid memory from the cult children's show much more fondly than that classic clip of a pachyderm doing a poo.

It remains one of the proudest moments of my life that, 21 years ago, between Newsround and Neighbours, a picture I painstakingly painted of Platt was shown on Blue Peter.

Reporter: "Gabby, you must be euphoric?"

Agbonlahor: "Nah, I'm English."

What proportion of that exchange is the truth and how much is myth has been lost in the mists of time since the Brummie striker's brilliant opening day hat-trick against Manchester City in August 2009.

But when it comes to embellishments, Agbonlahor is the master of improvement and enhancement given the extra qualities which now adorn his game.

Villa's current longest serving player headed his 51st Premier League goal to rescue a point for Villa at Everton last weekend.

If it seems a long time since he was scoring his first of that tally on his top flight debut at Goodison Park, it's not. It was only in March 2006, five-and-a-half years ago.

In that time, the raw Erdington teenager has become a claret and blue stalwart and tomorrow, against Newcastle, he is poised to make his 200th start for the club.

Yet, despite being just nine short of Dwight Yorke's Premier League scoring record of 60 goals, the 24-year-old remains something of an unsung hero.

By MAT KENDRICK

LET'S hope Jean Makoun is not remembered for being a jumper.

Currently, the most notable contributions the Cameroon midfielder has made to Aston Villa Football Club is the snazzy sweater he sported at his unveiling and the late leap which got him sent off at Blackpool.

But surely Makoun has much more to offer in the remaining three years of his contract before he jumps ship from Villa Park?

He certainly won't be pushed.

By Mat Kendrick, Aston Villa correspondent

SOMEWHERE on Stewart Downing's mantelpiece is a metal pin in a glass jar.

Villa fans understandably fuming from Downing's impending departure to Liverpool could be excused for thinking it's a Frankenstein-style bolt from the winger's neck, given the general claret and blue consensus that the club created a monster.

In actual fact the steel pin is the one which bonded his fractured foot with sufficient success he passed a medical on crutches at Villa exactly two years ago on Saturday.

Downing kept it as a souvenir of the faith Villa showed in signing him for a then joint club record £12 million fee from relegated Middlesbrough despite his serious injury woes.

"It was quite a long pin to be fair," Downing told me back in October 2009.

"Am I keeping the pin? Yeah, but I have had to have it sterilised.

"I am keeping it. It just looks like a nail you would bang into a door."

He might as well bang it into the Anfield dressing room wall to hang his new Reds shirt, although Villa fans would gladly string him up on it given half a chance.

It's not so much the leaving for bigger and better things, although quitting for another club without European football next season is a slight on the claret and blues.

It's more the leading on and letting down; the tacit refusal to acknowledge and repay the privilege Randy Lerner gave him by subsidising his half a season on a treatment table without kicking a ball.

It's that Downing was happy to take Villa's money when few other top clubs would have touched him, but that any loyalty was conspicuous by its absence as soon as the first head-turning sniff of an offer materialised.

Then there was the shoddy way his departure was engineered.

IN this recession it was easier for Villa fans to amend an old banner to mark Gerard Houllier's discharge from the coronary ward at the Queen Elizabeth rather than make a new one.

IT's only fitting that ahead of this Royal occasion we should remember Aston Villa's most famous fan from the Palace.

No, not the horse-faced groom and heir to the throne, Prince William, jolly good chap though he undoubtedly is.

I'm talking about a brolly good chap. A claret and blue supporter who would rather prevent it raining on us, than reign over us.

When I say Palace, I actually mean Selhurst Park, because this Villa fan's moment of fame came against tenants Wimbledon (remember them?) rather than the Eagles back in 1992-93.

Mention the name Martin Pritchard and hardly anyone will remember him, say his alias 'Rainman' and there may be a few nods of recognition.

But if I point out that he was the fella who ran onto the pitch and sheltered Villa's Dalian Atkinson and Dean Saunders with an umbrella as the strike duo celebrated the former's wonder goal in a thrilling 3-2 victory then most Villa fans will recall him with fondness.

Anyway, thanks to the Birmingham Mail, Simon Goodyear, the author of the soon to be completed book 'Memories Made in Aston' has been in contact with Martin to reminisce about his moment in the sun...erm rain.

MICHAEL Bradley reminds me of the Boo Radley character in Harper Lee's classic novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.

To the unitiated, allow me to explain...

Because of past misdeameaours, including a teenage prank and attacking his father with a pair of scissors, Boo Radley, a fascinating character in the sub-plot to the compelling main story, is locked away out of sight.

The more reclusive he becomes the greater the legend grows of how bad he actually is.

Now Boo Bradley, as we shall name Aston Villa's American midfielder, certainly resembles a moody teenager, if not a prankster, around Bodymoor.

And anybody who has seen Bob Bradley's bald barnet would think Michael had attacked his dad (and national team coach) with scissors.

But never mind that. I'm referring more to Boo Bradley's past deeds in a Villa shirt, ie his dodgy debut at Blackpool and struggling start at Man City, both of which have prompted the perception of him as a flop.

And, of course, his subsequent lack of match action - and omission from matchday squads recently - which has only served to add to the legend of a lacklustre loanee.

ANYONE who has ever met Jonathan Hogg will know that the modest midfielder is not one to blow his own trumpet.

But the same thing cannot be said about his dad, who is happy to blow somebody else's bugle.

Stay with it, it will all become clear...

Hogg senior popped down from the family's native Middlesbrough to see the Villa youngster in action for loan club Portsmouth at Doncaster the weekend before last.

And not even a red card for the tough-tackling Teessider could stop his old man from throughly enjoying the experience at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Rather than tapping up his son for some complimentary tickets in a cushy box or players' lounge area, Hogg decided to watch the match with the away supporters.

But not just any supporters, Mr Hogg was sat next to the fella renowned as Mr Portsmouth, John Westwood.

Dear John, life goes on, by the time you write this note you'll be gone.

I couldn't let John Carew depart Villa Park after four eventful years without writing him a fond farewell.....

Dear John,

I've been speaking to a fair few Villa fans and the general consensus is thanks for the memories.

I took a small straw poll on Twitter and it seems you have made a lasting impression on many of the claret and blue brigade.

Off the top of my head the highlights seem to be the hat-tricks against Newcastle in the Prem in February 2008, and at Reading in the FA Cup quarter-final last season. Then of course there was the day you bullied Blues and helped yourself to a brace in the 5-1 in April 2008.

If that wasn't enough, you hoisted the ball boy off his feet in celebration and were then pictured driving away from the ground, grinning from ear to ear and gesturing the scoreline with your fingers.

My personal matchday highlight was the way you almost speared a young fan in the Holte by kicking the corner flag in an over-exuberant celebration after grabbing the winner against Stoke.

Even then you came out of it as the good guy, by giving the lad your shirt and a playful pat on the head/ruffle of the hair by way of an apology.

That was typical of you. From the moment you arrived from Lyon in a swap deal with Milan Baros in January 2007 you always knew how to play up to your adoring public.
An excitable clenched fist towards the crowd, a friendly wave, a kiss of the badge.

When it came to PR you were the Max Clifford of Villa Park. (Although, occasionally saluting the supporters chanting your signature tune, when you should have been chasing the ball did divide opinion!).

Not that I am trying to do you a disservice in terms of contribution on the pitch.

IT'S only a slight change, and it's not going to guarantee that Aston Villa's players will start spilling more blood, sweat and tears for the claret and blue cause.......(Well it might, fast forward to last sentence)

But here's an update from Villa's Bodymoor Heath headquarters which you won't find leaked by an agent of a disillusioned player.

No, it's not as juicy as a star having a training ground bust-up with a manager/coach/cone etc but it does give a little insight into efforts going on to improve the mood behind the scenes.