SECOND CITY DERBY PIPS THE REST FOR FEROCITY
I WAS fortunate to play in a number of big derbies, from Merseyside to north London and the South Coast, but none of those felt as intense as the Birmingham derby. Unless you have sampled Birmingham versus Aston Villa, you might struggle to understand what I mean. I was at Aston Villa in my early 20s from 2002 to 2004. It’s not that it is the most prestigious fixture in the land but the intensity is like nothing I have ever experienced. If you made a mistake, it felt like your own fans wanted to lynch you — never mind the opposition! The first one I was involved in, Dion Dublin, who was at Villa with me, got sent off for butting Birmingham’s Robbie Savage. Something mad always happens, from Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman letting a throw-in roll in to the net under his feet to fans running on the pitch and insulting the players. It took a horrible turn last week. I was appalled to see what happened to Jack Grealish. Normally when a fan gets on to the pitch, there is some humour — streaking used to be the thing to do — but for a player to be punched was disgraceful. Of course, this was an isolated incident, and I wouldn’t say I am going to bed now worrying about what will happen in the future, but football is a global product and we cannot afford for these incidents to ruin the image of our game. Clubs and authorities have to find the right answer but, in the match itself, Grealish came up with the best answer of all. He reminded me of Lee Hendrie, in that he was someone always involved in big moments. To score the winning goal after what he went through has made him an Aston Villa legend.