Former Manager Remembers: Brian Little

[davieG]

When Club Historian John Hutchinson spoke to Brian Little about his time at Filbert Street, the former Leicester City manager recalled the three seasons when he took the Foxes from the brink of the old Third Division into the Premier League.

 

More here - https://www.lcfc.com/news/2644809/former-manager-remembers-brian-little

[RoboFox]

Never quite forgiven Villa for taking him away from us. I liked him a lot as an adolescent and couldn't make sense of why he'd want to go there.

 

It's not like he's one of their all-time greats or anything.

 

It was compounded by his replacement being McGhee (the bloke after wasn't too shabby, mind)

 

From what I've heard he speaks very fondly of City and his time here, and always comes across as a very softly spoken and pleasant man.

 

By the end of the 90s it seemed like top flight football had left him behind... Always found it curious how he just seemed to vanish into obscurity.

 

Edited 15 June 2022 by RoboFox

[CrazyKopCorner]

Brian really did start the wave. 

 

It was a back handed compliment when he came back that he got such a hard time. 

 

I've never known such a malevolent atmosphere at Filbert Street. 

 

It must have been extremely uncomfortable for him and I think he was let down by the board at the time. 

 

If they'd have come clean and said it was his whole hearted ambition to manager Villa I think a lot of fans would have understood. 

 

He always speaks fondly of us and he'll know now how well liked here he really was - It was tough for us as we'd been crap for years and he gave us hope. 

 

[davieG]

1 hour ago, RoboFox said:

Never quite forgiven Villa for taking him away from us. I liked him a lot as an adolescent and couldn't make sense of why he'd want to go there.

 

It's not like he's one of their all-time greats or anything.

 

It was compounded by his replacement being McGhee (the bloke after wasn't too shabby, mind)

 

From what I've heard he speaks very fondly of City and his time here, and always comes across as a very softly spoken and pleasant man.

 

By the end of the 90s it seemed like top flight football had left him behind... Always found it curious how he just seemed to vanish into obscurity.

 

But he was and still is.

 

To put it simply, Brian Little is a legend at Aston Villa.

To put it simply, Brian Little is a legend at Aston Villa. Joining as an apprentice in 1969, he went on to make over 250 appearances for the club before his career was cut short due to injury at the age of just 25. He worked in the club shop, sold lottery tickets on the club's behalf, became youth team coach and finally became first-team boss in 1994. He's still the last manager to win silverware at Villa Park and even today, works as an advisor to the board.

 

 

- https://footballpink.net/9909/

[Raj]

Brian Little DID in fact start the wave.

Ask @UpTheLeagueFox

[RoboFox]

16 minutes ago, davieG said:

But he was and still is.

 

To put it simply, Brian Little is a legend at Aston Villa.

To put it simply, Brian Little is a legend at Aston Villa. Joining as an apprentice in 1969, he went on to make over 250 appearances for the club before his career was cut short due to injury at the age of just 25. He worked in the club shop, sold lottery tickets on the club's behalf, became youth team coach and finally became first-team boss in 1994. He's still the last manager to win silverware at Villa Park and even today, works as an advisor to the board.

 

 

- https://footballpink.net/9909/

 

Sorry, Davie. I forgot to add a .

 

Sarcasm doesn't translate well online. 

[Sir Shep]

Brian Little was brilliant, after years in the doldrums he came in and we started to become a good side. OK it never quite worked in our first EPL season and he buggered off to Villa but he will always be one of my faves. 

[Guest Bob Hazels shorts]

Little, followed by MON and Pearson have made the biggest positive impacts on the club in my time.

 

Birch walked out with him at the Villa game when he was met with a torrent of hatred, although harsh was understandable

 

I spoke to Birch at half time, he said that BL was shocked by the 'reception' but BL told him that he didn't regret the move but should have done it differently.

 

It was the lying that hurt but I also remember MON saying the only way he'll leave Leicester is if we sack him!!

 

 

 

[MPH]

One of my favorite managers. Soured it for me when he left of course but he was Villa through and through. It’s amazing to know his career practically nose dived after leaving us but he really transformed our fortunes. 
 

can’t  knock him really.

[Sampson]

31 minutes ago, MPH said:

One of my favorite managers. Soured it for me when he left of course but he was Villa through and through. It’s amazing to know his career practically nose dived after leaving us but he really transformed our fortunes. 
 

can’t  knock him really.

I seem to remember his first season or two at Villa being successful before his career nosedived. 

[Blue ROI]

Understandable him wanting to leave for Villa given what he had done there before but it did leave a bitter taste at the time. After the start we made it was like leaving a sinking ship.

 

It was a shame it didn't work out for him after really and his management record went into freefall. A surprising amount of resignations from him too.

 

It looked curtains for a while after he left but we went from strength to strength under MON so win win for us.

[coolhandfox]

My first full season going down was under Little, very fond memories! 

[An Away Move]

I went to that play-off final v Blackburn. Wasn't it a dubious penalty? How gutting that was. I also believe we very nearly got an equaliser, which I couldn't quite believe stayed out.

 

The Swindon game was unreal, though I didn't go to that. Another dodgy penalty! 

 

Joachim was so exciting. It felt like he could do anything, like having a young Ronaldo on your team! 

[Heskey2011]

On 15/06/2022 at 15:34, RoboFox said:

Never quite forgiven Villa for taking him away from us. I liked him a lot as an adolescent and couldn't make sense of why he'd want to go there.

 

It's not like he's one of their all-time greats or anything.

 

It was compounded by his replacement being McGhee (the bloke after wasn't too shabby, mind)

 

From what I've heard he speaks very fondly of City and his time here, and always comes across as a very softly spoken and pleasant man.

 

By the end of the 90s it seemed like top flight football had left him behind... Always found it curious how he just seemed to vanish into obscurity.

 

Did he take Draper, Joachim and Greyson with him to villa? That's how I remember it probably inaccurate🙌 but he did rob some players as he went I'm sure.

[Guest Electric Yetis]

4 minutes ago, Heskey2011 said:

Did he take Draper, Joachim and Greyson with him to villa? That's how I remember it probably inaccurate🙌 but he did rob some players as he went I'm sure.

Don't forget Franz Carr. Although we did get Parker from them so that's a positive.

[whitwickfox]

On 15/06/2022 at 16:54, CrazyKopCorner said:

Brian really did start the wave. 

 

It was a back handed compliment when he came back that he got such a hard time. 

 

I've never known such a malevolent atmosphere at Filbert Street. 

 

It must have been extremely uncomfortable for him and I think he was let down by the board at the time. 

 

If they'd have come clean and said it was his whole hearted ambition to manager Villa I think a lot of fans would have understood. 

 

He always speaks fondly of us and he'll know now how well liked here he really was - It was tough for us as we'd been crap for years and he gave us hope. 

 

didnt the fans all have pictures of Judas. heard Brian was in tears

[MPH]

On 15/06/2022 at 11:54, CrazyKopCorner said:

Brian really did start the wave. 

 

It was a back handed compliment when he came back that he got such a hard time. 

 

I've never known such a malevolent atmosphere at Filbert Street. 

 

It must have been extremely uncomfortable for him and I think he was let down by the board at the time. 

 

If they'd have come clean and said it was his whole hearted ambition to manager Villa I think a lot of fans would have understood. 

 

He always speaks fondly of us and he'll know now how well liked here he really was - It was tough for us as we'd been crap for years and he gave us hope. 

 

 

That was actually the name of his book

 

” the crest of a wave”

[Plastik Man]

2 hours ago, MPH said:

 

That was actually the name of his book

 

” the crest of a wave”

No, it literally was Starting a Wave 

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Starting-Wave-Brian-Little/dp/0950441112

[iancognito]

3 hours ago, whitwickfox said:

didnt the fans all have pictures of Judas. heard Brian was in tears

People are idiots.

 

For years we'd moaned about the board pocketing cash from player sales, even to the extent of the Where's The Money Gone Fanzine that John Regan ran regularly libelling Martin George & co on it's cover & Gary Lineker's mocked up picture selling "Smokey Board & Bullshit" flavour crisps. Then - mysteriously - the Merc gets hold of Little's letter to George expressing his intent to speak to Villa and the fans turned as if Little was the villain. After everything Little did getting us into the play-offs 3 years running on worse than a shoestring budget and the chairman send a private letter to the press to get the fans off his back about lack of investment. There was no need for it, Villa had been after him for 2 years and he was an ex-player, it was obvious he'd go. His 3rd season we even had to fit one of those poly tunnels into the Carling Stand because of the morons spitting at him and his staff. We'd had 3 great years at the right end of the table for a change and any one of his sides could have gone up, he was treated disgustingly.

 

Most of the original O'Neill team was a nucleus of Little's players, no other manager in the league could have got a side featuring Coatsworth, Carey & Willis promoted.

 

On 15/06/2022 at 18:31, Sampson said:

I seem to remember his first season or two at Villa being successful before his career nosedived. 

Worth noting it was his Villa side that beat United 3-1 in the "you'll win nothing with kids" match, good to see he's still involved in some capacity.

[sm1]

For those of us that lived through the Pleat years, Little was a godsend. I used to meet him in the Filbert St carpark most days as I cut through it to go to college. Very polite man. I left for Uni so didn't come to many games before he left, so didn't realise he was given such a hard time. I hope he knows that there are a lot of City fans that still really appreciate him. Who can forget the "silence of the rams" game.

Edited 16 June 2022 by sm1

[Gazza M]

The club could have vanished to lower league obscurity if Brian didn't come in and stamp is mark. Very quickly stopped the rot. I will always remember the Cambridge play off semi final as a 9 year old in the East Stand at Filbo. What an amazing night. 

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

I met Brian on the train in Birmingham about 5-6 years ago. Lovely bloke and happy to chat when I said I was an LCFC fan.

 

His side was the first I remember really. Looking back he clearly squeezed the most out of a very functional group of players, and as many have pointed out he began the clubs upward trajectory.

[Kinowe Soorie]

Was it him that signed Nicky Mohan and Brian Carey?

[Sampson]

9 hours ago, iancognito said:

 

Worth noting it was his Villa side that beat United 3-1 in the "you'll win nothing with kids" match, good to see he's still involved in some capacity.

He also won them the League Cup in 1996, which was their last major trophy and a 4th and 5th place PL finish. Although he came in when they’d come runners-up in the league a couple of times in the preceding years, I still think he had quite a successful time as Villa manager.
 

Certainly no Villa manager since has won a trophy or finished as high as 4th or 5th in the PL.

 

Obviously he’s still a Villa legend as a player but my impression was his managerial stint is still looked at quite fondly there.

It seemed to be after that last season at Villa where they struggled and he resigned to let John Gregory take over where his managerial career went into freefall.

Just looked it up and Little is still only 68, which is younger than I thought considering I’d not heard of him in management for 20 years. He’s younger than Martin O’Neill which surprised me.

Edited 17 June 2022 by Sampson

[Wolfox]

1 hour ago, Kinowe Soorie said:

Was it him that signed Nicky Mohan and Brian Carey?

Yep….  We regularly spent £250k on bang average centre halves back then…. Most of them were absolute toss

 

I liked Brian…. His brother was a manager too (York?)