“At that point, that was the only way they wanted to resolve the matter. In the days that followed, I never stopped praying that it would go away and that he would realize what a great club he had joined. But by then, Everton was making inroads, and much to everyone’s shame, we finally sold him to Goodison, albeit with some reluctance and for pennies on the exchange.
“When the media surrounded me about the whole, sorry, situation, I had no choice but to blame Mrs. Unsworth. I apologize, but I still believe his wife had too much influence.”
What Gregory revealed to the media
“It’s obvious that David’s girlfriend is the one wearing the pants in their home. She flatly refused to relocate to the Midlands. When I was a player, the phrase “pack the china, love, I’m going to a new club somewhere else in the country” would often be used.
“You had to go where the money and the work were, so it was a case of the family pulling together. However, it appears that all of that has been forgotten. David drove home to Merseyside last Friday after his first training session with us, reportedly taking three and a half hours.
The poor boy was definitely under the assumption that Birmingham was someplace on the outskirts of Bolton, so it must have made him think! David found his food in the trash can—or maybe in the cat—when he finally got home.
Gregory went on, “It’s a bunch of cobblers for David to say he didn’t know Everton had bid.” He’s uttering complete nonsense. Everton was always a factor, and we would have happily granted David’s request for an extra day to think over his choice.
David was clearly overjoyed at the press conference held to announce his signing. “I can’t believe I’ve come to such a good club,” he would frequently tell me.
“In today’s football world, it takes a lot to surprise someone like me, but I have to admit, I’m still a little shocked by the incredible turn of events,” Gregory stated. “But given the situation, I couldn’t afford to hold onto David, as I don’t want a player unless they have all of their hearts in Aston Villa.”
What followed
Unsworth eventually finalized his transfer to Everton, but not before encountering a small hiccup with the transfer fee—Villa insisted on receiving the entire sum instead of paying it over time in installments. Merchandising manager John Greenfield expressed regret to the several dozen fans who bought squad jerseys with Unsworth’s name, saying, “I’m sorry for supporters who have bought these shirts in good faith,” and gave Villa a complete refund.
After establishing a title threat in the first half of the 1998–1999 season, Villa finished sixth in the Premier League, while Unsworth’s regular team, Everton, finished 14th. That was the start of the unforgiving claret and blue faithful’s cries of ‘Does your missus know you’re here?’ everytime Unsworth saw Villa.
Regarding that problematic left defensive position, it was occupied by a young man named Barry, who turned out to be prepared for it after all!
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