On sale now.
An A to Z of Aston Villa
Formed in 1874, Aston Villa are the fifth most decorated club in English football history. As well as 20 major domestic honours, including seven league championships, Villa are one of just five British clubs to have won the European Cup.
This they achieved in 1982 under manager Tony Barton when Peter Withe scored the only goal of the game to defeat Bayern Munich. They followed this a year later with the European Super Cup, which was won with a two-leg victory over Spanish giants Barcelona.
Currently flying high under manager Dean Smith the team is captained by attacking midfielder Jack Grealish who is the subject of a G2 biography 'Super Jack', also by Simon Goodyear, which is released in the Autumn of 2021.
Over the years the club has featured many of the country’s leading players including Gareth Barry, Dwight Yorke and England manager Gareth Southgate.
In this illustrated A to Z gift book, super-fan Simon Goodyear looks at the major events in the club’s history, the greatest matches, famous fans and the legendary players.
It’s not hard to see why Prince William and Prime Minister David Cameron are both lifelong fans!
Published by G2 Books - https://g2rights.co.uk/
The only book about Britain's first £100m footballer is out
'Super Jack' - The Jack Grealish Story
Jack Grealish has the world at his feet, but it hasn’t been all plain sailing for the 26-year-old super-talented midfielder.
He has come a long way since his loan spell with lowly Notts County in 2013 as a skinny 18-year-old. After making his Villa debut in the 2014/2015 season, Jack came to life in the FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool and helped his side progress to the final. However, Villa were relegated from the Premier League in the following season.
Playing under the radar in the Championship for three seasons, Jack found his talents were mainly hidden from wider world although the Villa faithful all knew he was a 24-carot diamond in the making. Becoming captain in March 2019 was the making of him as Jack led Villa to a record 10 straight wins and the club back into the Premier League.
Suddenly, the world had woken up to the talented ‘Super Jack’ and he became the most talked about footballer in Europe. England beckoned and he made his debut in September 2020. Almost a year later, he was playing a part in England’s route to the Euro 2020 Final and is now one of the first names on the team sheet for the World Cup 2022 qualifiers.
On 6th August 2021, Jack became the most expensive footballer in Britain, signing for Premier League Champions, Manchester City for a staggering £100m, ending a 19-year career at his boyhood club, Aston Villa. He can look forward to big domestic and European games, and possibly becoming a World Cup winner!
Published by G2 Books - https://g2rights.co.uk/
Brian Little: A Little is Enough
About the book
Foreword by Gareth Southgate,
England National Coach
Brian Little spent all of his playing career at Aston Villa, having moved from County Durham at the age of 15 to join the club as an apprentice.
As a player, Brian was comfortable on the ball and ahead of his time - a silky smooth player who had a few tricks in him. Although not a prolific goalscorer, he’d be classed as a ‘number 10’ in the modern game and played most of his career behind the main striker; Brian was very much a luxury player, but no doubt oozed ‘class’.
He helped Villa gain promotion to the First Division in the 1974 – 1975 season and was part of the 1975 and 1977 League Cup winning sides, scoring two goals in the second replay against Everton in 1977. Brian made his only appearance for England, as a substitute against Wales in 1975.
Brian’s playing career was tragically cut short in 1980 at the age of 26 due to a knee injury, so he missed out on Villa’s most triumphant years, when they won the League Championship (1981), the European Cup (1982) and the European Super Cup (1983). However, Brian remained on the payroll until 1984 as the youth team coach, until Tony Barton was sacked.
After two years out of the game, Brian took up the caretaker manager role at Wolves, but that only lasted less than two months. Spells at Middlesbrough, Darlington and Leicester City were much more successful. Brian’s most successful managerial role came when he took charge back at Villa Park, winning the League Cup in 1996 and had back-to-back top-six finishes in the Premier League.
Managerial stints at Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Hull City, Tranmere Rovers, Wrexham, Gainsbrough Trinity and Jersey followed during the period from 1999 until 2014 with some successes.
In 2007, Brian was named as one of the 12 founder members of the Aston Villa Hall of Fame. Since May 2016, Brian has been in an advisory role at Aston Villa.
Click on the image to buy the ebook and soft back book.
Peter Withe: All for the Love of the Game
About the book
Foreword by Ray Clemence
Former Tottenham, Liverpool and & England goalkeeper
The well-travelled striker saw action in South Africa and the United States before heading back to England to achieve considerable domestic success and pick up international honours. At 6’2” and strong on the ball, Withe cut an imposing figure up front and his ability to shield the ball proved an asset to those who played alongside him.
Having signed for Nottingham Forest in 1976, he won the Football League and Football League Cup with them before moving to Newcastle and then Aston Villa. The £500,000 transfer fee that took him to Villa Park in 1980 was a club record but it proved well justified as he helped them win the League title and more famously, scoring the winning goal in the 1982 European Cup Final.
He was just shy of his 30th birthday when he received his first England cap, playing in the 1-0 friendly defeat to Brazil at Wembley in August 1981. He went on to make a further ten appearances for the Three Lions and was part of Ron Greenwood’s World Cup squad in ’82, although he did not play. Peter claimed a total of eleven caps for England, scoring one goal in the 1984 Euro Qualifier win over Hungary at Wembley.
He finished his career with Huddersfield Town in 1990 and had very successful stints as an international Manager with Thailand and Indonesia.
Click on the image to buy the ebook and soft back book.
