Brailsey

What is your name?
Neil Brailsford

How old are you?
32

What is your gender?
Male

What do you do for a living?
General manager in a hotel in Swindon

What is your level of education?
Degree in Hospitality Management 2:1

Do you hold any religious beliefs?
Christian

Do you wish for your entry to be anonymous or under a pseudonym?
Pseudonym Brailsey

What Stand do you sit in?
Holte End

How long have you been going to Villa Park?
22 years

Can you describe some of your favourite goals?
Savo Milosovic at Wembley - a great strike and no-one could believe he had scored at Wembley

Dwight Yorke against Forest at Villa Park great run and fantastic finish

Dion Dublin overhead kick at Spurs

Can you tell us about your favourite players?
David Platt was my first hero I was in his fan club! A great player, we have never had anyone to replace him even after all these years. He was one of the first Villa players to play for England during my life time, I remember how proud I was when he made his debut v Italy and that goal against Holland

Dion Dublin always gave 100% and scored some great goals. I have had the pleasure of meting Dion several times and he is one of the nicest guys you are ever likely to meet. I think he would make a great manager - the fact he is still playing at 39 says a lot!

What are your favourite Villa-related moments?
Beating Milan 2-0 at Villa Park in 1990 they were the big force our Europe at that time. The atmosphere that night was electric. I was in line with Kent Neilson's shot when it flew in!

Beating Man Utd in the coca cola cup final of 1994 no-one gave us a chance we were awesome that day. This was my first major final so always special

Beating Leeds at Wembley in 1996 - even though were were confident of winning he performance was great. The Dwight Yorke song being sung by half of Wembley still gives me goose pimples!

What would be your best-ever eleven players (plus 5 subs) and why?

1. Nigel Spink - reliable - Englands No.1
2. Chris Price - his got no hair we don't care!
3. Steve Staunton - a great left foot
4. Shaun Teale - always gave 100% no nonsense
5. Paul McGrath - God can I say more!
6. Gordon Cowans - great passer who provide the passes
7. Tony Daley - electric pace made Villa park shake when he set off on a run
8. David Platt - simply superb a Villa great
9. Dion Dublin - great target man
10. Dwight Yorke - a natural goalscorer
11. Ashley Young - great young talent pace to burn

Subs
13. Mark Bosnich - great keeper and character
14. Andy Townsend - great captain and leader
15. Dalian Atkinson - pace and power to change a game
16. Dean Saunders - great goal scorer good super sub
17. Olof Melberg - good honest professional 100% villa

Why are you a Villa fan?
Family tradition. My Grandad supported them, his Uncle was Harry Cooch who was a Villa Goalkeeper in the early 1900's and then the trainer in the 1930's. My Dad followed them to so it was a natural thing to follow the Villa. My sisters used to go in the 1970's and take a colouring book to keep them amused!

Can you tell us about some important moments in your Villa supporting life and where they were?
First game in 1985 against Sheffield Wednesday at Villa Park it got me hooked for life. Getting relegated in 1987 - loads of stick at school really made me even more loyal to follow the team. Being at Wembley in 2000 for the Cup Final with my late father a real honour to share such a special moment with my Dad The Sheffield United match in May 2007 - the first game I had watched after scattering my Dad's ashes in front of the Holte - great game great atmosphere he would have been proud!

What incidents have you been present at (on/off field)?
The Arsenal game when the RAF parachuted into the stadium dressed at father christmas and hit the roof - I will always remember the gasps of disbelief and my Dad saying ' I don't think that was planned!'

I was a shareholder and attended an AGM meeting in 1996 when Doug Ellis was given a very tough time and nearly crumbled.

Can you tell us any interesting/little known fact about yourself in connection with Aston Villa?
My great great uncle -Harry Cooch was a goalkeeper for Aston Villa in the early 1900 and then was trainer in the 1930's. My Dad has spend hours doing research into all the games he played so we have a massive folder full of information.

What has been your worst ever Villa-related moment?
The 2000 FA Cup Final - it was so special to be at the last final at the 'old Wembley' with my Dad. But on the field the players just did not play anywhere near the level they could - the train journey back everyone just sat in silence!

Why do you continue to support the club?
Simple. I am Villa till I die! It is never dull following the Villa this season for example I would have settle for mid table however the results and performances have been so great we were dreaming of Europe then in typical Villa fashion they drop back - it is like being on a big dipper!

What changes would you make to any aspect of Aston Villa in order to improve the experience?
I think Randy Lerner has made some great changes - The Holte Pub, keeping prices low etc. To be fair to Ellis I do feel he kept the club in good shape and we would be in the same shape as Leeds if he had not been as tight! The future now seems very bright I like the way Lerner has got the fans on board. Keep the prices low and the gates high!

Is there a defining moment in your life as a Villa fan?
Scattering my Dad's ashes in front of the Holte End - The Brailsford family will always have a presence at the ground and I hope I will rest next to him when my time comes

What memorable moments can you tell us about?
The Coca Cola cup finals of 1994 and 1996 my first real silverwear during my lifetime as a Villa fan made me feel very proud and gave me the bragging rights for a few weeks!

Are there any family influences?
Loads - following Villa has always been in the family and I will ensure that continues. If it was not for my Dad a generation of Villa fans would have been lost it is my responsibility to ensure this continues

Where did you grow up/do you live and has that influenced you?
Southam in Warwickshire - the majority of my mates followed Coventry City so when they won the cup in 87 when I was at school I got a lot of stick!

What have been the influence of clubs/fans (if any) in those areas?
Not too much because Coventry was the nearest big club so we were out of the catchment area

How and why did you come to support Aston Villa?
Family tradition. My first Villa game was in 1985 and have continued from there. I intend to take my daughters when they are old enough to continue that tradition.

What is your first memory of the club?
Winning the European Cup in 1982. It was on my birthday. I was only 7 but remember my Dad being over the moon!

What would you do to improve the overall Villa Park experience? Continue to keep prices low to keep the attendances high - also keep away fans from behind the goal and change the North Stand for another Holte End sized stand

Do you have a Villa-related claim to fame?
I have worked in hotels all my life and have had the honour of looking after Villa twice a real boyhood dream achieved and enabled me to get loads of things signed that now have pride of place on my wall at home!

In 1990 my dad was mayor of Southam. As part of a challenge the local scout group cooked my Mum and Dad a meal in the Villa Park changing rooms with Kent Nielson and Ian Ormondroyd - we sneaked a look around the ground and stood on the pitch which we got told off for!

I know Dion Dublin well. I first meet him at a hotel when he wanted to have a room away from the rest of the lads so he could play his music without disturbing them! A total gentleman a real credit to football

How do you see the club progressing?
Future is bright with Randy Lerner - but we need to keep Martin O'Neill and give him time to build a squad of players to compete with the big boys. We must continue to 'blood' youngsters as they are our future.

How long have you supported Aston Villa?
All my life but 'actively' for 22 years!

Do you ‘follow’ any other clubs?
Have moved around the country and spend 4 years in Norwich so always look for their results also helped by the fact Dion Dublin still plays for them.

What teams in other sports do you support?
Leeds Rhinos in rugby league. Spend 4 years in Leeds and could not believe what a friendly atmosphere it was at games not even an away end!

What hobbies and interests do you have outside of supporting Aston Villa?
Running. I did the London Marathon in 2007 3 hours 59 minutes. Spending time with my family. I have a two year old daughter and 13 week old daughter. Spending time with them and my wife is great fun

Do you go Home, Away, both or are you an armchair/pub supporter? Why?
With hotel work it makes going to games quite difficult with the unsociable hours so I tend to only get to about 3 games a season at the moment. When living at home I had a season ticket for 5 seasons and used to go every week - I do miss it!

Is there an established family history following the Villa and what does the future hold?
Yes there is a family history as my Dad sadly passed away in 2006. It is my responsibility to keep it going and I will! My nephew Tom will continue the tradition as will my daughters who I will take when they are old enough. My dad also took my good mate Iain so he will also continue the Southam Villa fans

What Villa-related pictures have meaning for you?
The picture I took of the spot in front of the Holte end where my Dads ashes were scattered

The picture of my Mum and Dad having lunch with Kent Nielson and Ian Ormondroyd in the changing rooms in 1990

Have you ever been ‘inside’ the ground and if so, what impressed you the most?
Yes, the size of the changing rooms and tunnel area.

What are your views on the past, present and future of Aston Villa?
Past some great moments
Present Martin O'Neill doing a great job but we must keep him and back him
Future - with Randy Lerner and Martin O'Neill we may have the team to start challenging the big boys

Do you possess any memorabilia that is particularly special to you and could you explain its meaning?
Picture on cloth of my great great Uncle Harry Cooch with the team of 1930/31
Signed shirt from Dion Dublin he gave me for my 30th birthday
Framed 2000 Fa Cup final ticket
Signed Villa shirts which I got when the team stayed at my hotel

Do you have any special emotional attachment to a part of the club?
We have a family stone outside the Trinity Road Stand that means a lot following my Dad's death
The Holte End where my Dad's ashes have been scattered

What are the views of your friends and family to your supporting Aston Villa?
The results have a massive impact on how good the weekend is going to be! When I was very young I put a sign on the tree outside our house to sell my Villa shirt after a defeat!

Has supporting Aston Villa affected your lifestyle? If so, how?
Massively - our weekends revolved around games. Christmas always took in the Boxing Day game and we all went so no visitors on Boxing Day!

Have you ever supported/followed another club? If so, what made you change your allegiance?
No - never.

Do you feel that away games are for the fan or the family?
For the fan - some of the costs these days mean families could not afford to go even if they wanted to!

What changes have you seen that are for the better/worse (prices, atmosphere, obscenities, TV, fans etc)?
Prefer the fact Villa fans are now behind the North Stand. Must keep the prices low to encourage people to go

If you use a pseudonym on the internet, what is the meaning/reason behind the name choice?
Brailsey - my family called me this as it is short for Brailsford my surname

Do you have anything else to add?
Thank-you for the opportunity of giving my comments - my dad would be very proud if I was lucky enough to be part of the book.

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