TONY BARTON

1936-1993

On Friday 20th August I got home from work to be told that a former Villa player had died. Being in a rush I switched on teletext, and there was no mention so I thought it couldn't have been anyone well-known. Hurrying back out of the house I heard that it was Tony Barton who had died earlier that day, and all thoughts of an enjoyable evening were forgotten.

I don't know why his early death upset me. I couldn't claim to have known him, I'd only met him a couple of times. Sure, he seemed a genuinely nice man, but there are a lot of them about, and after all, football is only a game. Later, I realised what it was that had caused me to react in such a way.

Aston Villa form a large part of my life, as they do with many other people. Naturally, we want the team to do well, but of almost equal importance, we want them to appear to the outside world as a perfect example of the way in which football clubs should be run. Villa's treatment of Tony Barton began as shameful and turned into a disgrace. It is too late now to rectify the matter and whatever Villa may do in the future, critics will be able to point to our treatment of Tony Barton and we will be unable to reply. The club's failings damn us all by implication.

Barton's death was a surprise, but not a shock. He had suffered from ill-health for some time and although he had appeared fit and well at the European Champions anniversary dinner in April 1982, he underwent serious heart surgery a few months later, which left him unable to work. The financial problems brought about by the collapse of his employers, multiple sclerosis charity ARMS would not have helped.

It was all a long way off the day when Tony Barton became an Aston Villa immortal. The background to Barton's finest hour is well documented, but the full extent of his influence on that team may never be known. When speaking to him during what may have been the last interview he gave, he told me of several players who he had scouted for Villa, but asked for their names not to be published as he was not working for the club at the time. Suffice to say that they formed the heart of both of Ron Saunders' great teams.

Defending the championship is reckoned to be harder than winning it, and with hindsight it can be seen that during 1981-82 Villa had more than just die opposition on the pitch preventing them from doing themselves justice. Indeed Ron Saunders, it appears, was beginning to want the same control over other club matters that he deserved with the team and things cane to a head in February 1982. It is often overlooked just how perilous the position was at this point, with relegation still a possibility, but Barton steered the team to mid-table safety and the greatest prize in football. Much as I retain an enormous respect for Ron Saunders, I still don't think we could have done it without a change of manager.

Barton's style of management was ideally suited by the way in which the Bendall's ran the Villa, yet things changed with the arrival of Ellis. Those associated with the club during the glory years were being gradually removed and Barton found himself sacked by a man who "would not tolerate anything but success". Six seasons and three managers were needed to get the club back to the position Barton left it in.

That was the end of Tony Barton in big-time football, yet he kept involved in the game. He became manager of Northampton Town, where he suffered his first heart attack. As assistant to Chris Nicholl at Southampton he was instrumental in keeping them in the first division. Falling out with Nicholl over playing styles Barton moved to Portsmouth, where he helped them to avoid relegation only to be let down by chairman Jim Gregory. Finally he joined the ARMS charity, but was left out of pocket when it collapsed last year.

As we said at the time, Barton had every cause to be bitter, but was not. He seemed an ordinary sort of man, possibly even bewildered at what he had achieved and the affection in which he was held. Despite many setbacks he bore no malice, and considered himself lucky to have been involved for all of his life in something which he so obviously enjoyed. Remember, since he left Villa the club had suffered several crises, and I am sure that at times they were an easy target for an ex-manager with an axe to grind. Yet Barton remained silent even though, had he chose, he could have made some damning attacks on the man who had treated him so badly.

Tony Barton was treated shamefully by football, and by Villa in particular. A testimonial was proposed, yet there was no room in the club's calendar for such a game. In the last twelve months Aston Villa sides have played friendlies in Italy, Eire, Northern Ireland, Mauritius, Japan and all over England yet could not find time to help one of their own. The only aid given to Tony Barton was a benefit lunch organised by the Shareholders Association. Even after his death it was noticeable that the only club official to pay public tribute to him was Steve Stride. The silence from other quarters was deafening.

Now Barton has gone, everyone agrees that something should be done to help his dependants. It has also been suggested that some memorial should be created, possibly the new stand should be named after him. Maybe, but there is a far simpler way. Get hold of a football reference book, turn to the pages covering the European Cup and read the results for 1981-82. That is Tony Barton's memorial, and it will last forever.

Dave Woodhall