Tony Villars facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Anthony Keith Villars | ||
| Date of birth | 24 January 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | Pontypool, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 9 September 2020 (aged 68) | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1971–1976 | Cardiff City | 73 | (4) |
| 1976–1977 | Newport County | 29 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 1974 | Wales | 3 | (0) |
|
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Anthony Keith Villars (born January 24, 1952 – died September 9, 2020) was a talented Welsh football player. He played for his country, Wales, and was known for his skills as a winger.
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Tony Villars' Football Journey
Tony Villars was born in Pontypool, Wales. He started his football journey in the youth team at Newport County. However, he left because the pay was very low.
He then joined a Welsh league team called Pontnewydd. After some great games, his whole team moved to Panteg. Tony was working as an apprentice electrician at the time.
Joining Cardiff City
In the summer of 1971, Cardiff City noticed Tony's talent. They offered him a professional contract. Tony quickly became an important player for Cardiff City.
He played his first game in November 1971 against Fulham. Even though Cardiff lost 4–3, Tony played very well. His teammate, Ian Gibson, said Tony had "speed, balance and control." He believed Tony would become a great player.
Playing for Wales
Tony Villars scored some important goals for Cardiff City. One goal in April 1974 helped Cardiff stay in Division Two.
During his time at Cardiff, Tony also played for the Wales national team. He earned all three of his international caps in 1974. He played in three matches during the 1974 British Home Championship. These games were against England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
His first game for Wales was against England. This made Tony the 500th player to ever play for Wales!
Moving to Newport County
After some injuries, Tony lost his regular spot in the Cardiff team. In June 1976, he moved to Newport County. There, he joined his old Cardiff manager, Jimmy Scoular.
However, Tony didn't play as well at Newport County as he had at Cardiff. After less than two years, he left the club. It's amazing that just two and a half years after playing for Wales, Tony left professional football when he was only 25 years old. He never returned to league football.
He later played for a team called Blaenavon Blues in the Welsh Football League before he retired from the sport.
Life After Football
After retiring from football, Tony Villars worked as a milkman for 17 years. Later, he became a delivery driver for DHL Express. Tony Villars passed away in September 2020.
