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It's two decades ago now since John Gregory became Aston Villa manager.

Gregory contacted us to share this powerful memoir he wrote recalling his pride at getting the job, the rousing reception he received at Villa Park, THAT glorious victory over Liverpool and his excitement and regret at managing a certain Stanley Victor Collymore.

The Return

Wednesday 25th February 1998. On this day in 1998 I was as shocked and stunned as everybody else when I was introduced as the new manager of Aston Villa.

I had been first team coach to Brian Little at the Villa but in October 1996 I had left Brian and Allan Evans and a team riding high in the Premier League, in fourth place, to go and cut my teeth in management as the manager of League One club, Wycombe Wanderers.

Barely 16 months had past when Steve Stride, in his infinite wisdom, convinced Deadly Doug to go and ‘Get JG back’, not just as a member of the coaching staff.

No, this time to go back and sit him in the BIG CHAIR, as the manager of Aston Villa Football Club!

Winning the €100m first prize Euro Millions Lottery, scoring a FA Cup Final winning goal, just pipping Usain Bolt on the line to win the Men’s 100m Olympic gold, beating Roger Federer in the fifth set in the men’s Wimbledon tennis final...

None of those life changing moments can even come close to the elation and pride that I was now experiencing having just been installed as the new manager at Villa Park.

The Villa squad that I was returning to was the same as the one that I had left on that cold October 96 morning.

Yorkie (Dwight Yorke), Bozzie (Mark Bosnich), Gareth (Southgate), Stan Staunton, Ugo (Ehiogu), Tayls (Ian Taylor), Larry (Simon Grayson), Wrighty (Alan Wright), JJ (Julian Joachim) and Savo (Milosevic) and many others.

Also a few just starting to emerge like Darren Byfield, Darius Vassell, Henders (Lee Hendrie) and a quiet unassuming guy by the name of Gareth Barry who was about to explode onto the club and International scene and would in time, go on to make 365 appearances for Aston Villa and gain 53 Full England caps.

Villa had a group of players that should not be, under any circumstances, be worried about the threat of relegation.

The First Day

I sat down on Thursday morning, my first day in the job.

I had to pick the team to play on Saturday. Liverpool at home. Why Liverpool? Why couldn’t it be someone slightly easier?

I sat and looked at a list of my players….I read down the list.

I read out loud every single player. Bosnich, Oakes, Grayson, Nelson, Scimeca, Ehiogu, Southgate...

All of them, every single one, I knew them all.

I knew their habits, good and bad. I knew their strengths and weaknesses. knew their families. I knew where they lived and what cars they drove.

I also knew, more importantly, who would be up for it this coming Saturday against the mighty Reds from Anfield.

Villa were blessed with fighters. GRINDERS, as I liked to call them.

Players that gave blood, sweat and fears into the opposition. Players that would keep going and grind out results week after week after week after week.

They would never let each other down. NEVER. I had players in this club that would rather miss a finger than miss a game.

What had happened to these highly talented and success driven men?

‘Come on then JG. Pick a team to beat Liverpool at home in front of a packed house.’

The Star Striker

My attention turned back to my player’s list.

As I looked down that list, I had by now got to the strikers.

Milosevic, Joachim, Yorke, Byfield, Vassell.

It was then that I realised that there was actually one player that I didn’t know at all. He was the only player that had been added to the squad that I had left behind when I had vacated in October 96.

That player was Stanley Victor Collymore.

We trained that afternoon.

Stan scored with a header. One of the coaches came up and whispered in my ear “You’ve cracked it with Stan, that’s the first time he’s headed a ball for six months...”.

I smiled, but inwardly I knew that the coach had meant every single word.

Friday came. My second day.

We had lost five of our previous seven. We sat 15th in the Premier League. We were in a relegation dog-fight.

I picked my team. 3-4-3.

Three strikers. Joachim, Yorke and Stan. We’re going for it.

The Welcome

And on the third day came the resurrection.

My players left the dressing room and headed down the long flight of stairs to the pitch. A few minutes later I had to do the same.

The anticipation of stepping out into the sunny cauldron that was waiting for me in my first appearance as manager had my heart ticking a lot faster than normal.

I was convinced that the Villa faithful would welcome me with a half hearted response.

A polite round of applause maybe. A lot of boos even.

In a poll in the paper I wasn’t even mentioned in the 10 names that had a chance of the job. No, it’ll be loads of abuse. Steel yourself for it, JG.

I stepped from the darkness of that narrow tunnel into the brilliant sunshine of Villa Park at its finest.

The ground crammed full and awash with claret and blue and an explosion of noise and tension.

I started my walk from the tunnel and headed the fifty yards or so to my seat in the dugout. The Villa fans saw me. They started to cheer and applaud. It got louder and louder.

They started to stand up and shout my name. Wow, they like me! I wasn’t expecting this.

You will never be able to comprehend how I felt at that moment. The enormity of that welcome. The acceptance of the Villa faithful.

I might not of been their preferred choice but I am their manager now.

I was now ‘The Chosen One’ and they were giving me their 100 per cent support. That moment will stay with me for a lifetime.