A number of years ago, it caught my attention that the fortunes of Aston Villa seemed to strangely follow my own topsy-turvy life and fortune - or lack of it!
I was born in 1944, just before Villa won the wartime League Cup! After that, 1957 was the first year of any issue of importance directly related to me (other than Villa winning the F. A. cup!), followed by 1961. In 1967 (relegation from Div 1!) I got married. That marriage had more downs than ups, and ended in...1975 (promotion to Div 1!).
1975-1979 were upward years for me and Villa, including a move to London and then a business startup in 1979, followed by marriage (again) in 1980 just in time for the League Championship! ... though it had started promisingly, that marriage crashed by 1984, in line with the demise of Villa towards relegation. Having survived a really difficult personal and business period during 1985 to 1989, fortunes again started improving, including marriage #3 (1989)! Villa started picking up about that time.
The 1990s until 1998 were reasonably good, but not without business problems. My business ceased in 1998. Between 1999 and 2005, matters were very (and below) average. Like Villa!
From early 2006 to early 2010 I was involved closely with matters Villa, and it was the time of the Randy Lerner's takeover and after. All seemed to be on the up, particularly when I joined full-time in 2008. Alas, I was removed from my post in January 2010, and though Villa had a fairly bright finish to the season, the aftermath has (as in my case) seen a downturn. C'est la vie.
And what did I discover that links me so closely to Villa? I was born on 18th April. Villa Park was opened on 17th April. The ARIES astrological sign is what links us!
Coincidence? Of course! But what was also remarkable was that the feller who assisted me in my work at Villa Park was born on 16th April. What a couple of book-ends (to Villa Park) we were!
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I was born in 1944, just before Villa won the wartime League Cup! After that, 1957 was the first year of any issue of importance directly related to me (other than Villa winning the F. A. cup!), followed by 1961. In 1967 (relegation from Div 1!) I got married. That marriage had more downs than ups, and ended in...1975 (promotion to Div 1!).
1975-1979 were upward years for me and Villa, including a move to London and then a business startup in 1979, followed by marriage (again) in 1980 just in time for the League Championship! ... though it had started promisingly, that marriage crashed by 1984, in line with the demise of Villa towards relegation. Having survived a really difficult personal and business period during 1985 to 1989, fortunes again started improving, including marriage #3 (1989)! Villa started picking up about that time.
The 1990s until 1998 were reasonably good, but not without business problems. My business ceased in 1998. Between 1999 and 2005, matters were very (and below) average. Like Villa!
From early 2006 to early 2010 I was involved closely with matters Villa, and it was the time of the Randy Lerner's takeover and after. All seemed to be on the up, particularly when I joined full-time in 2008. Alas, I was removed from my post in January 2010, and though Villa had a fairly bright finish to the season, the aftermath has (as in my case) seen a downturn. C'est la vie.
And what did I discover that links me so closely to Villa? I was born on 18th April. Villa Park was opened on 17th April. The ARIES astrological sign is what links us!
Coincidence? Of course! But what was also remarkable was that the feller who assisted me in my work at Villa Park was born on 16th April. What a couple of book-ends (to Villa Park) we were!
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