Former Manager Remembers: Brian Little

[DoveValleyFox]

I absolutely think of Little as a legend.  He pulled us back from the brink and gave us an awful lot to cheer. He could have moved away as early as 1992 and we'd have taken a real hit.

 

I was as upset as most people when he left and even felt animosity for a while but underneath it all I understood his decision. All of the play off semi finals under Little and the silence of the rams remain solid highlights of my life as a Leicester City fan. 

[Mickyblueeyes]

Always have fond memories of Brian Little. The move to Villa upset me but it didnt anger me as much - perhaps because I was younger and thought at the time Villa were this huge club. 

 

He did a very good job here. The season we won the playoffs. Palace and Forest had PL ready players. Guys like Collymore, Chettle, Woan, Solako, Armstrong, Martyn etc. Derby were spending for fun and had (on paper) a very good team. Even Tranmere had a legend of the game in John Aldridge who was scoring goals so freely he was still capable of playing in the Prem. 

 

He did a very good job for us and perhaps if he didnt leave we may have stayed up or got closer to staying up then we did. 

 

He went on to Villa and had them finishing fourth in his first two season. Its such a shame how his career nosedived after those seasons. 

[thursday_next]

I used to like the way he said 'football matches' as often as possible for those who weren't actually sure what sport they were following. That shows class  

[volpeazzurro]

One of my all time favourite managers too. Made the absolute best of what was available to him and got his players playing to their strengths. He was a realist with ambition. Like someone had mentioned, at the time he left, had there been a bit more honesty and openness regarding his ambitions at Villa, I think many would have reluctantly understood. Nevertheless, he was very good for us and continued to be a very good manager afterwards. 

[Rob Clarke]

I have nothing but praise for Brian Little. He gave the players and fans belief again after so many lean years and, under his tenure, the atmosphere at Filbert Street was electric on several occasions, especially at night matches. He did not deserve the disgraceful abuse he received from some sections of so called fans. Remember he was the first ever City manager to win at Wembley.

[CrazyKopCorner]

3 hours ago, thursday_next said:

I used to like the way he said 'football matches' as often as possible for those who weren't actually sure what sport they were following. That shows class  

He used to say part and parcel a lot in a clipped north east accent. 

 

He always seemed such a level headed guy and I warmed to him immensely and he was a breath of fresh air after some of the crap of the 80's i.e Pleat and Bryan Hamilton 

[dayday]

Great manager, them night games against Cambridge and Notts County live long in the memory 

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

On 17/06/2022 at 13:10, thursday_next said:

I used to like the way he said 'football matches' as often as possible for those who weren't actually sure what sport they were following. That shows class  

I will always remember several years later as a pundit for Radio 5 live he said “in all fairness” so many times it’s like he had a wager on how many times he could say it. 

[pkonline]

He's on the Quickly Kevin podcast this month, and comes across as such a thoroughly nice man, and spoke well of City 👍🏾

[Guest David Oldfields Gate]

Him joining was a massive turning point in the clubs history.

 

[Paninistickers]

I met his ex Mrs once at an engagement party (or similar) in Quorn. They'd split up by then. She didnt appear well and liked a tipple, bless her. 

[worthosoriginals]

15 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

I met his ex Mrs once at an engagement party (or similar) in Quorn. They'd split up by then. She didnt appear well and liked a tipple, bless her. 

What position did she play though? 

[CrazyKopCorner]

8 hours ago, David Oldfields Gate said:

Him joining was a massive turning point in the clubs history.

 

Yes I think an historian in a hundred years time will highlight that Brian effectively changed the direction of the club and did indeed start the wave. 

 

He's still one of my very favourite managers (I've supported us for nearly 50 years now so I've seen a few) who I have immense respect and fondness for 

[blueharmie]

Leaves a sour taste in the mouth that villa move.

 

But looking back I get it.

[Trav Le Bleu]

13 hours ago, worthosoriginals said:

What position did she play though? 

Missionary  

[Trav Le Bleu]

38 minutes ago, blueharmie said:

Leaves a sour taste in the mouth that villa move.

 

But looking back I get it.

It wasn't the move. I would've accepted that. It's the fact he said he wasn't leaving less than 24 hours earlier.

[Foxmeister]

On 15/06/2022 at 17:20, RoboFox said:

 

Sorry, Davie. I forgot to add a .

 

Sarcasm doesn't translate well online. 

Emojis are mainly for the identification of sarcasm.

[Foxmeister]

His time at the club was an era all of its own, the Wembley trips of course but also the emergence of Joachim, the Blue Army chant, torn up Sporting Greens filling the air, Rooster's goal at Blackburn (the surreal experience of celebrating a goal a full 5 seconds before it was scored), the last 3 years of standing at Filbert and Street and 100s of other memories.

 

I regret getting involved in the vitriol when he returned, as another poster said, it was very much a compliment well disguised.

[ceredigion]

I saw almost every home game of Brian Little's reign and a lot of away matches too, including all 3 play-off finals. In my opinion he is one of the best managers we have ever had, certainly in the top 5. When he took over the club was at rock bottom and had just had its worst season ever, only avoiding relegation to the 3rd division by the narrowest of margins on the last day. The transformation under him was immediate and dramatic and we had 3 tremendously exciting seasons between 1991 and 1994, culminating in the brilliant day when we beat Derby and won at Wembley for the 1st time. 

 

Some people might say that he should have got the club promoted sooner but in each season there were big clubs in the 2nd Division who had much more money behind them. The likes of Blackburn, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Derby, Forest, Crystal Palace, Wolves were all in the mix at various times. Losing to Swindon was a big disappointment but what a match that was.

 

The real hallmark of his teams during that period was their ability to score vital last minute/injury time winners and equalisers. It is quite remarkable how often that happened during those 3 promotion campaigns and shows what a great never say die attitude he had instilled in the team., 

And he did it all on a Poundland budget with players like Gary Coatsworth, Jimmy Willis and Ian Ormondroyd, who all became heroes after starting out as villains.

 

Would we have stayed up in the 1994/5 season if he hadn't left for Villa? Impossible to say but I think we'd have made a better fist of it than we did under Mark McGhee, who took us down with a whimper. Ludicrously, at that time McGhee was being talked of as the natural successor to Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. Ferguson stayed on for another 20 years while McGhee failed everywhere he went.

 

I didn't boo Brian when he came back with Villa a few weeks later and I was very sad that so many supporters did. But hopefully that's water under the bridge now and he can be seen as a truly transformative manager whose time at the club will be fondly remembered by all those who experienced it.

[Paninistickers]

The most hostile atmosphere I'd ever experienced at filbert street. Those under 40 now would barely believe we could produce such an atmosphere. Though we've always done toxicity quite well TBF. 

 

I remember a punter in the old family enclosure terrace dumped a load of 'judas' printed a4s all over his bench as he took his place. Perfectly timed. 

 

Not only that, I think we won that day! 

 

Still hate of course is very closely related to love. And that's what it was. I'm glad time mellowed is both, Brian and City fans. 

[Dr The Singh]

His nephew Stuart went on to have a great acting career.

[ithuriel]

Still have his book but yeah, he got some hate when he left since he was taking a break from football then suddenly turned up at Villa.

 

He turned the club around, McGhee brought in some quality before also  doing a runner and then of course Martin would arrive.

[Foxmeister]

13 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

The most hostile atmosphere I'd ever experienced at filbert street. Those under 40 now would barely believe we could produce such an atmosphere. Though we've always done toxicity quite well TBF. 

 

I remember a punter in the old family enclosure terrace dumped a load of 'judas' printed a4s all over his bench as he took his place. Perfectly timed. 

 

Not only that, I think we won that day! 

 

Still hate of course is very closely related to love. And that's what it was. I'm glad time mellowed is both, Brian and City fans. 

1-1 draw I think

[cropstonfox]

7 minutes ago, Dr The Singh said:

His nephew Stuart went on to have a great acting career.

Yes giving it Large! 

[CrazyKopCorner]

55 minutes ago, Paninistickers said:

The most hostile atmosphere I'd ever experienced at filbert street. Those under 40 now would barely believe we could produce such an atmosphere. Though we've always done toxicity quite well TBF. 

 

I remember a punter in the old family enclosure terrace dumped a load of 'judas' printed a4s all over his bench as he took his place. Perfectly timed. 

 

Not only that, I think we won that day! 

 

Still hate of course is very closely related to love. And that's what it was. I'm glad time mellowed is both, Brian and City fans. 

It was truelly malevolent that day but showed deep down how respected he was. It was just sad he wasn’t straight in that his first true love was Villa and a lot of us would have got it. He’d have been royally booed but the vitriol he got that day will live long in the memory. I gave him absolute pelters from crazy kop corner but I can’t say I enjoyed it as he’d done such a wonderful job and I had a huge soft spot for him 

Edited 16 December 2023 by CrazyKopCorner