Stan Petrov: Gold Standard

When I was a kid, one of the things that got me interested in football was all the lovely football paraphernalia that you used to to get from the likes of newspapers, packets of tea and of course petrol stations.

I loved my Daily Mirror Goal Action Replay flick books, my Mobil map of the football grounds with club badges to collect and stick on, the collectable cards in PG Tips and I used to love the old football coins you could get...and of course the infamous Panini sticker albums.

We've sort of done the "vintage cigarette card" thing to death this season (and we will do next) so when I was trying to come with suitable graphics to liven up our somewhat predictable villamad.co.uk awards article, it was the old football coins that I revisited to draw inspiration.

Now, I did knock these up fairly quickly, so, pleased as I was with the positive feedback, it came as no massive surprise that some trolls decided they were about as lifelike as the waxworks at Great Yarmouth (at least we know where the trolls were before the Norwich game).

However, even some of the positive feedback was tinged with criticism. "Where was the coin of Stan Petrov?" was the cry. Why no award for our popular and outgoing captain?

It's a good point. We shouldn't have left Stan out!

So, just in time for Petrov Day, I've knocked up a Petrov coin design...and with no expense spared (or spent, I just fiddled with the hue and saturation), it's a gold one!

So here it is:

Stilyian Petrov becomes the first player in our Gold Standard Hall of Fame Gallery, a truly inspirational captain who has won as many plaudits for his conduct and demeanour off the pitch as he has done for his industrious performances on it.

To say that Stan will be missed is an understatement, but as so many former players have discovered in the past, once you're Villa, you're Villa for life and I'm positive we'll still see plenty of Mister Petrov in the future.

Good luck Stan, you'll always be loved at Villa Park