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Nobody Remembers Second: Aston Villa 1989-1993
Nobody Remembers Aston Villa 1989-1993 charts a fascinating period in Villa's history and features exclusive interviews with many of the central characters.
There were two League Cup wins in the 1990s, but apart from that the huge Midlands club failed to match its former glories.
However, in the 1989/90 season, manager Graham Taylor and players such as Paul McGrath, Gordon Cowans and David Platt powered the side to the runners-up spot behind Liverpool, and for much of the season they were in title contention despite narrowly avoiding relegation the season before.
Three years later, new manager Ron Atkinson also led a title charge, with a vastly changed squad. That bid faltered at the finish, when Manchester United became the first champions of the newly formed English Premier League.
This book delves into the 1989 to 1993 period in unprecedented detail and gets the views of Atkinson, then club secretary Steven Stride and a host of key players.
There were two League Cup wins in the 1990s, but apart from that the huge Midlands club failed to match its former glories.
However, in the 1989/90 season, manager Graham Taylor and players such as Paul McGrath, Gordon Cowans and David Platt powered the side to the runners-up spot behind Liverpool, and for much of the season they were in title contention despite narrowly avoiding relegation the season before.
Three years later, new manager Ron Atkinson also led a title charge, with a vastly changed squad. That bid faltered at the finish, when Manchester United became the first champions of the newly formed English Premier League.
This book delves into the 1989 to 1993 period in unprecedented detail and gets the views of Atkinson, then club secretary Steven Stride and a host of key players.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 1, 2026
Nobody remembers second - except me, all Aston Villa fans of a certain vintage, and the author, who picks an incredible era to focus upon.
These two seasons have particular importance to me as a Villa fan. Growing up in Scotland in the early 1990s, the birth of the Premier League led to a boom of interest in the English top flight north of the border.
Where previous generations identified with Manchested United due to Matt Busby and Denis Law and Liverpool with Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Sounness, and Alan Hansen et al, my peers had more of a blank canvas from which to pick our 'English team'. Pals chose Manchester United, Tottenham, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United, Arsenal - I choose Aston Villa.
I would argue it was because of the unique name and the claret and blue colours, but I'm sure it didn't hurt that they were challenging for the title in 1992/93 - the season I began my interest.
As part of my new found obsession, I acquired a VHS video review of the 1989/90 First Division season with my pocket money. Coincidentally, this was another campaign in which the Villa challenged for the title. So, despite having taken place two to three years earlier, 10-year-old me would watch this video relentlessly and fell in love with David Platt, Gordon Cowans, Paul McGrath, Ian Ormondroyd et al.
So, to find a book all those years later written to not only explore but actually focus upon those seasons in particular was like my mind had manifsted the book I wanted. In reality it was just that Pitch Publishing had commissioned a book by a fan and author with the same sort of affinity with that time period as I had.
The subject matter meant I devoured this book in a week, which is unusual for me as I would usually take a month or two to find the time to read chapters at a time. The fact I was on holiday in Malta also meant I could dedicate the time to it, but the way it was written, the accuracy, attention to detail, understanding of the club, players, time period, and implications made it essential reading.
That's not to mention the excellent additions from those who were there in the way of quotes and interviews that provided fantastic insight into eras that were so long ago relatively speaking, and ultimately unsuccessful (the 1994 Coca Cola Cup aside) that they had never been explored in any depth.
As a journalist, Richard Sydenham had access to the key figures, asked the right questions and provides information I never had a clue about and was fascinated to learn, despite having read autobiographies by Doug Ellis, Paul McGrath, Dwight Yorke, Andy Gray etc.
This fantastic book rekindled my love for the period and has encouraged me to read Sydenham's other Villa books, the Full Morty and Ticket To The Moon.
These two seasons have particular importance to me as a Villa fan. Growing up in Scotland in the early 1990s, the birth of the Premier League led to a boom of interest in the English top flight north of the border.
Where previous generations identified with Manchested United due to Matt Busby and Denis Law and Liverpool with Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Sounness, and Alan Hansen et al, my peers had more of a blank canvas from which to pick our 'English team'. Pals chose Manchester United, Tottenham, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United, Arsenal - I choose Aston Villa.
I would argue it was because of the unique name and the claret and blue colours, but I'm sure it didn't hurt that they were challenging for the title in 1992/93 - the season I began my interest.
As part of my new found obsession, I acquired a VHS video review of the 1989/90 First Division season with my pocket money. Coincidentally, this was another campaign in which the Villa challenged for the title. So, despite having taken place two to three years earlier, 10-year-old me would watch this video relentlessly and fell in love with David Platt, Gordon Cowans, Paul McGrath, Ian Ormondroyd et al.
So, to find a book all those years later written to not only explore but actually focus upon those seasons in particular was like my mind had manifsted the book I wanted. In reality it was just that Pitch Publishing had commissioned a book by a fan and author with the same sort of affinity with that time period as I had.
The subject matter meant I devoured this book in a week, which is unusual for me as I would usually take a month or two to find the time to read chapters at a time. The fact I was on holiday in Malta also meant I could dedicate the time to it, but the way it was written, the accuracy, attention to detail, understanding of the club, players, time period, and implications made it essential reading.
That's not to mention the excellent additions from those who were there in the way of quotes and interviews that provided fantastic insight into eras that were so long ago relatively speaking, and ultimately unsuccessful (the 1994 Coca Cola Cup aside) that they had never been explored in any depth.
As a journalist, Richard Sydenham had access to the key figures, asked the right questions and provides information I never had a clue about and was fascinated to learn, despite having read autobiographies by Doug Ellis, Paul McGrath, Dwight Yorke, Andy Gray etc.
This fantastic book rekindled my love for the period and has encouraged me to read Sydenham's other Villa books, the Full Morty and Ticket To The Moon.
February 19, 2025
I like that this book was written - covering an era for a team that is probably little remembered other than by Villa fans, but which had some great personalities. It covers the Graham Taylor and Ron Atkinson eras, with the brief interlude under Jozef Venglos. Both Taylor and Atkinson achieved runners up finishes - they were definitely outsiders for the title even during the title challenge, but played fine football and this book is a nice tribute to a fun era.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews