Ron Saunders former manager of Oxford, Norwich, Villa, WBA, and others has died aged 87. He took Norwich to promotion and Villa to be league champions and a couple of League Cups in the 70s/80s. He was a fitness fanatic and his pre-season training was legendary. Some players were said to be physically afraid of him as a disciplinarian and maybe a throwback to the earlier days of managers but I think he would have made Fergie look like a Boy Scout. Saunders was old school about directors. He resigned from Villa when they were in the quarter finals of the European Cup on principle over his contract. Villa went on the win the cup without him.

Understandable many people do not remember this man as one of the great managers of the C20th. But he was very influential as this quote from today’s Times shows.

Perhaps his complex character was best summed up by Chris Nicholl, one of his former captains. “He was the best manager I ever played under,” he said. “He taught me so much about the game — but he could be a bas tard.”

Some good memories of him on Beeb legend Pat Murphy's twitter (that unfortunately I can't access at the moment!) over the weekend