Impressive Villa Park parade of vanquished generals As the marching season is on us again at Villa Park, it's timely to welcome a book that sheds fresh light on the relationships that Doug Ellis had enjoyed - or endured - with his nine managers as chairman since 1982. Dave Woodhall, an integral part of the excellent monthly fanzine Heroes and Villains has analysed every Villa manager from the first, Jimmy McMullan, in 1934 to David O'Leary 69 years later. He has interviewed most of the survivors, with the reclusive Ron Saunders sadly missing, and there are some fascinating vignettes about Ellis, many of which are new to this venerable observer of the Villa Park landscape. There's Graham Taylor taking on Ellis in his first board meeting, telling him to sack him if he didn't like him. Taylor kept a resignation letter - unsigned - in his desk throughout his first period as Villa manager. Brian Little tells why he eventually resigned - he just got fed up - and admits that he likes Ellis. Ron Atkinson wryly points out that the week before he was sacked, the chairman had described him as one of the top three managers in the country and that he'd just been offered an extended contract. John Gregory, who spent £71 million in his three years as manager, also brought in £50 million by selling players - but the defining moment in his relationship with Gregory appeared to be when he failed to land the Brazilian Juninho. Gregory believed that showed a lack of ambition from the board and, from then on, he would be thwarted in his ambition to land the title. But the most graphic reminder of how little things change at Villa Park comes in the Saunders chapter. When he came to the club in 1974, he quickly made up his mind about Ellis. Ellis had been chairman in Saunders' first year and, for the rest of the decade, power struggles went on with Saunders determined to minimise Ellis' influence. Dennis Mortimer, who became such an influential Villa captain, recalls in the book: "On the day I signed he told me to beware of Ellis. Ron Saunders wanted Ellis out and everything worked out very well for him." Ellis didn't become chairman again until after Saunders resigned sensationally in 1982, a few months after he'd won the title. Perhaps that's why you never see many reminders at Villa Park of the great success in 1981-82 when the championship was followed by the European Cup. They happened before Ellis took over again. Perhaps that's why there isn't a Ron Saunders Stand but there is one named after the chairman. Perhaps that's why Saunders, the greatest manager Villa had, adorns the front cover of this engrossing book. (McMullan to O'Leary - Claret and Blue Managers: by Dave Woodhall, Heroes Publishing, £8.99) | 
