Long before Marcelo Bielsa’s binoculars became a thing at Elland Road, Leeds were already experimenting with espionage to get the lowdown on their rivals. Only, ahead of the League Cup final on March 24 1996 – a full quarter of a century ago today – their cloak and dagger ploy spectacularly backfired.
Brian Little’s first team coach John Gregory said “I remember we went to the training pitches at the hotel and we had an eight-a-side match. One of the goalkeepers had a bit a knock so Jim Paul went in goal. Big fat Jim, our kitman, who was about 20 stone. Paul McGrath didn’t want to train because Paul was God and he wouldn’t train if there was any running involved. I think Jim Walker the physio even played. We ended up having this game and it was just a mess about. We played for about 40 minutes. It was real good fun. Everyone had a good laugh and scored some goals. We got a bit of a sweat on, went back and had a shower, a game of snooker, a bit of lunch and that was it, end of. That was training for the day.”
Unbeknownst to Villa’s squad at the time they were under surveillance and 25 years on Gregory can’t suppress his giggles as he imagines the dossier that dropped on the desk of Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson. Even when they did find out they were being watched they shrugged it off with a smile and Gregory has since joked with the mystery Leeds staff member about his ridiculous spying mission.John Gregory said “We were being watched,. You know how Bielsa went and spied on the opposition? Well Howard had actually got somebody to come and watch us training. He had to report back to Howard what we had for lunch and breakfast and who was playing snooker. He followed us to training on the Thursday morning and had to go back and tell Howard that the kitman played in goal, the physio played on the left wing and Paul McGrath just sat on the side eating an apple and an orange! We obviously played the final and won 3-0 and it could have been six. We played exceptionally well that day and the team were brilliant.”
Little, himself, chuckles at the memory. Still boasting the proud distinction of being the last manager to win a trophy for Villa, the claret and blue legend had no doubts Villa would win the game. His confidence paid off when goals from Savo Milosevic, Ian Taylor and Dwight Yorke sealed a comprehensive victory over their Premier League peers in front of a Wembley crowd of 77,056..
Brian Little said “I could just tell we were ready for it. There were little rumours about Leeds sending someone to watch us but we just laughed about it. That was our mentality in those days, we just got on with it. We were ready to play anybody anywhere at any time. We were happy to do that because we were flying and were going along on a crest of a wave. We were as good as most other teams and were comfortable in our own skins.”
It’s Little wonder Leeds weren’t prepared for a Villa side who finished fourth in the top flight table and made it to the FA Cup semi final that season (losing that last four tie to Liverpool at Old Trafford the weekend after the League Cup final). Instead of the rag-bag bunch Gregory describes during that relaxed kick about at their training base, Villa fielded a top class team created in the image of the club’s greatest ever side. Mark Bosnich in goal, Gareth Southgate, Paul McGrath and Ugo Ehiogu at the back, wingbacks Gary Charles and Alan Wright, and a midfield trio of Ian Taylor, Mark Draper and captain Andy Townsend behind the strike duo of Savo Milosevic and Dwight Yorke. Michael Oakes, Steve Staunton and Tommy Johnson were the unused substitutes.
