In-depth, meticulously researched tale of Ron Saunders, one of Aston Villa’s greatest managers – a man whose tough-guy reputation has overshadowed his achievements. A must-read for Villa fans and any lover of football nostalgia.
By lifelong Aston Villa supporter Graham Denton, a former children's poet turned non-fiction sports book writer who was twice shortlisted for the CLPE Poetry Award (CLiPPA).
Ron Saunders is the one manager in over a century to guide Villa to English football's summit. This is an exhaustive account of how he did it. Read and discover how he:
- Took the Midlanders to promotion from the old Division Two in his very first season
- Created and dismantled arguably the most exciting Villa side of modern times – one that inflicted Liverpool’s heaviest defeat of the entire 1970s
- Achieved two League Cup triumphs in three years, including a three-game final with Everton that will remain the longest in history
- Battled with ‘Deadly’ Doug Ellis – and won!
- Fell out with and ultimately sold fans’ favourite Andy Gray and replaced him with a journeyman striker in Peter Withe, before steering the club to its first league title in 71 years
The book also explores the mystery of his sudden resignation, with Villa on the brink of European Cup glory, joining their bitterest rivals only nine days later. The Odd Man Out has a strong nostalgic appeal for a generation of fans who experienced the Saunders years, and will help younger fans to better understand the club’s history.
As well as moonlighting as a successful children's poet and anthologist, Graham Denton is an author whose writing on football has appeared in various publications from his primary school's annual booklet to The Guardian. He first saw Aston Villa play in April 1973, in the old Football League Division Two. Less than a decade later they were champions of Europe. The story of what happened in between he has waited over 35 years to tell.
