February 2010 Archives

REMARKABLY, it's 16 years since I last went to White Hart Lane before Saturday - in Villa's march to the 1994 League Cup final.

And that's almost half my age. No really, despite my haggered appearance on my byline picture I'm only in my early 30s.

Anyway, because my return to Spurs was such a long time coming, here's a few thoughts from Saturday's game.

SO, not so much as a Wayne Routledge then...

Once again the January transfer window creaked shut at Villa Park with a sense of anti-climax. But is anyone surprised?

I'm not.

The manager openly admitted that funds were not being made available last month and his body language when asked 'Why not?' was that of a man anxious to quickly change the subject.

The answer to 'Why not?' is probably the fact that chairman/owner Randy Lerner has already coughed up more than £140million of his own cash, according to figures published last week - and wants to see a tangible return on his significant investment (in terms of trophies. Or top four. Or both) before he digs deep once more.

HAD to laugh at a Robbie Keane interview on the radio this morning.

"It's no secret that I've always been a Celtic fan" which was interspersed with a clip of one of his previous transfers "It's no secret that I've always been a Liverpool fan".

Now where have we heard that before?

I wonder...

Here's an excerpt from an interview I did with a certain young midfielder in April 2007.

"I signed for Villa when I was 15 and since then these have been the best days of my life.

"I'm a Villa fan. I've come through the ranks and nothing can be better. "I used to be on the Holte End. I was there when we beat Tranmere in the League Cup semi-final.

"I was at the game when Mark Bosnich saved the penalty and we all ran on to the pitch so it's just come from that.

"When I was watching Villa as a kid there were people like Garry Parker, Dalian Atkinson and Paul McGrath.

"They were all brilliant players. I used to sing their names and now I look at the crowd and they're chanting my name so it's great."

And here's the interview he gave with my colleague Colin Tattum last week.

"Having played for the Villa everyone thinks I'm a Villa fan but I'm a Bluenose,''

''I have been all my life. I was a mascot at John Frain's testimonial. "But I don't have to prove anything to anyone. People who know me, my close friends and family, they all know I'm a Blues fan. "As they say: 'once a blue, always a blue'."

"I said to the gaffer that if I'm moving, I want to go to Blues. Even if there were other teams interested.

"People say when you become a footballer it's a dream come true but when you sign for the club you support, what more can you ask for? You just pinch yourself,'' he said.

"I just can't wait to put that blue and white shirt on, score some goals and help Birmingham City pick up points."

Hmmmmmmm