“I cannot really believe it.

“The thought that we'll be back at Old Trafford next season makes me very happy.

"We nearly blew It, didn't we? Then this happens.

“ I wonder how they're feeling at Middlesbrough and Bradford. Terrible, I bet.

"The pressure wasn't on us so much, here. We knew we were in the play-offs at least."

Bernie Gallacher.


“For me this is a bigger occasion than the European Cup final.

“I wasn't quite one of the team then. just a lad called up for the second match of his life to win a medal’.

“This one is very different. I'm one of the old hands now, an ever-present.

“Success like this shows you football is full of surprises and in the end we got what we deserved.

"The manager has done brilliantly.

“We all know Villa could have gone straight out the bottom."

Nigel Spink.


“The boss has already made it clear he is going to have to buy during the summer.

“He's right about that.

"It was a difficult game out there. He told us it would be a scramble as soon as we saw the bumpy pitch in this wind.

"We were not really aware of the other scores, except that as we went out at half-time he told us that at of the moment we were in the promotion place.

“We followed our supporters' cheers but we couldn't tell which match it was about.

“This has been a hard, hard season. much more difficult than winning the European Cup and on a par with the championship.

“Think of it over a season four goals are the only difference.”

Allan Evans.


"I told you we were the best team In the league.

"We should have won the title but it doesn't matter now. We're there."

Andy Gray.


"We just had to keep going without a real idea of what the position was."

David Platt.


"In my opinion, if we are going to compete with Liverpool and Manchester United next season for a top spot, I have got to be found £2million now.”

“I think I am going to need all of my three-year contract to make them a top club.

“But if we are going to get back into Europe we have got to decide how big we want this club to become.'

"I have been told there is money available.

"But I have obviously got to go out and buy better quality players if we are going to progress. Better players than we have here now.

'We are light years away from what I want the team to be - a really good all-round squad of top-liners.

“At the end of my three years I want to be able to turn round and say 'Look, there's your squad’.

"There will have been no point in my coming to Aston Villa unless there is going to be a big push or else I might as well have stayed at Watford."

Graham Taylor.


“Money will be made available to strengthen the side. But don't ask me how much."

Herbert Ellis.