David White appreciation thread

[Stiff Little Wingers]

Was there. Whitey was unplayable that day.

I lived in Birmingham at the time so easy to get pissed beforehand and easy journey home! Whitey and City fans were great that day

 

[jaiguruKun]

DW was doing a charity thing in Piccadilly Gardens with Bryan Robson a few days after the game against Derby when Quinn went in nets and saved a penalty. I congratulated him on his goal (can’t remember if he scored both) and got him to sign a copy of the MEN with a picture of him scoring. Not proud to say I thought he was arrogant and like a lot of City players at the time didn’t seem interested in the fans, I threw the MEN copy in the bin as I walked back to work. A few days later I was at Villa Park when he scored four so maybe he deserved to be arrogant.

Was probably just shyness on his part. I remember going up to him whilst pissed in town in the mid to late noughties, he could easily have ignored my ramblings but he was very friendly and receptive towards me.

A top blue and bloke in my eyes and a better player than many gave him credit for. He obviously went through a lot and it clearly affected him. He seemed to lose a bit of interest towards the end of his time with us and never fulfilled his potential which was a great shame.

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

I remember writing on Twitter at the time when David White brought out his autobiography that, in all my 40-odd years watching City, I'd never seen a player with such a chasm between his best performances and his worst, and that in detailing the abuse he suffered as a while the book finally explained why. That got me a like from the man himself, and I still think it's true.

At his very best, he was unplayable, with even the best defences of the era failing to cope with him. At his worst, you'd barely have known he was on the pitch. But the former days significantly outnumbered the latter - in the three top-flight seasons from 1990/1 to 1992/3, he scored 57 goals in all competitions, which was a hell of a record when you consider that he frequently started on the wing rather than as a central striker.

I watched him even before he made the senior side, in the 1985/6 FA Youth Cup winning team, who were all round about the same age as I was, and then in the reserve side featuring many of the same players that won the Central League a year or two later. I recall a 5-2 win against a Liverpool second-string with several well-known players on show, and White absolutely ran them ragged.

So lots of fond memories of the man. And, yes, I do also think that a lot of fans underrated him and continue to do so.

Good post. I too saw him for that great youth team. He was so exciting to watch and was incredibly fast - it's hard to describe really but a little like watching a pass played into 30 yards of space and Usain Bolt running vs a teletubby.
He wasn't a terribly skilful player like Sane or Mahrez but had a brilliant ability with his pace to get to the byline and get his crosses in. KDB threading the ball into space for Whitey getting to the byline for a near post Aguero finish is the stuff of dreams.
Good finisher and scored plenty of goals as a forward. So sad about his abuse

 

[PaleBlue]

A big favourite of mine, class player. Spoke to him years later when we took the OOH calls for his skip business.

 

[Uncle Wally One Ball]

He's been for his Sunday dinner and a few beers at the Big fella's house. Calling @Bigg Bigg Blue

 

[LongsightM13]

Winner v Arsenal, scoring for his sixth game in a row

 

[dobingsdobber]

Watched that in the Bondi Beach Hotel in Sydney at 2am. Arrived at the pub around 7pm and was pissed by midnight!

Took 5 hours to get pissed? Letting the side down there mate.

 

[Zabbasbeard]

I was standing on the Holte End when he got 4, after Cowans had threatened to ruin us for 20 minutes.

The Villa fans were grudgingly admiring.

I was on the Holte that night too with a couple of Villa mates. Oh what night. Or should I say what a White!

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

David White was great, but was such a confidence player.
At his best he was quality, high quality, like Villa away.

I know we slag off the media today but they were just as bad back then.
Before he made his England debut against Spain (I think) White said he didn't want to be a one cap wonder.
One journalist sarcastically wrote in his match report: "David White said he didn't want to be a one cap wonder. Don't worry David you weren't."
Absolute shithousery from a washed up journo playing to the scum and dipper masses.

 

[Legal Alien]

I loved Whitey, he was so fast and his crossing was usually great and of course he could score.

But as some have said, people liked to moan about him when things didn't come off.

I remember during the 'massacre' his cross for Oldfield's first was met with moans in the Kippax until it got to Oldfield and he banged it in. It was the same for the 5th goal, when Bishop played the ball to Whitey, there were cries of "now control that White" until his first time cross was met by Hinchcliffe :-)

He was brilliant in the Villa game and i was really surprised he didn't get picked more for England because they wete shite at 5he time. It really was their loss!