Tottenham manager Ossie Ardiles was set to renew old acquaintances with Aston Villa boss Ron Atkinson. He remembered the time when he was the manager at Villa’s arch-rivals West Bromwich Albion but Atkison was the friend and mentor for the young manager at the time.
Ossie Ardiles said “I owe Ron for all the help he gave me when I was a manager at West Bromwich Albion. He gave me so much good advice and he was a very good friend. I did not know many people in the midlands and there were some lonely times, but Ron would often invite me to his house for a glass of champagne and to listen to his frank Sinatra music.”