Lambert, Bruce & that Dean Smith rumour – Radio legend Rego lifts lid on Aston Villa memories

The voice of Villa – BBC WM’s Mark Regan – has hung up his microphone after almost two decades covering Aston Villa.

The 55-year-old reported on his final game at Villa Park over the weekend during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton.

Mark, from Redditch, started his radio career covering Martin O’Neill’s tenure at Leicester City for the now-defunct Leicester Sound in 1996.

Successful stints reporting on Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United followed as well as covering Liverpool and Everton while working alongside greats such as the late Ray Clemence, Mickey Thomas, Alan Kennedy and Graeme Sharp.

A move back to home to the Midlands then sufficed following the birth of his first and only daughter and, after initially standing in for friend Tom Ross on BRMB, covered Villa permanently for BBC WM since the David O’Leary era from 2003 onwards.

Lambert, Bruce & that Dean Smith rumour – Radio legend Rego lifts lid on Aston Villa memories

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“It’s been one hell of a journey,” explained Mark, who’s more commonly known as ‘Rego’ amongst die-hard WM listeners.

“It’s hard to list all of the standout memories to tell you the truth. One that’s just jumped out is being at St James’ Park for the scrap between Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer. It was such a surprise and a shock to see that just unfold right in front of your eyes.

“Today’s what’s known as ‘Hutton Day’ as well after his worldie goal against Blues two years back and, with it, that famous ‘He’s halfway to Moseley’ quote I became somewhat synonymous for.

“The local derbies are always great to report on, the atmosphere of the Villa-Blues games are something else. What else? The 5-5 with Nottingham Forest a couple of years ago was bonkers – and so too was the 7-2 this season with Liverpool. Can you imagine if supporters were in that day? It’d have been off-the-scale, similar to that astonishing, electric night with Everton last season. Villa only won 2-0, don’t forget!”

Mark has worked with 12 different Villa managers from John Gregory during his early days filling in on BRMB to Dean Smith and credits O’Neill and Steve Bruce as two men who were always up front, patient and honest during chats at Bodymoor Heath and post-match whether Villa won, drew or lost.

One boss who he had a memorable falling out with, though, was Paul Lambert after Villa’s FA Cup third-round defeat to Sheffield United back in January 2014.

“It was after Villa had lost to Sheffield United and Paul, for me, took something I said on the radio out of context,” explained Mark. “I was banned from Bodymoor Heath for a bit but we had a frank and open chat and patched things up.

“I’ve said this many times but I sort of felt sorry for Lambert as the plug was pulled in terms of money and Randy Lerner stopped investing and, if you do that in the Premier League, you’re going to get found out. It’s a shame how it ended but he did a pretty admirable job considering the hand he was dealt with.”

Mark, a firm favourite on Paul Franks’ Football Phone-in show over the years, has travelled far and wide covering Villa and was in Moscow for the “unravelling of the O’Neill era” when news filtered through at the airport prior to kick-off that the Villa chief was fielding a second-rate side with academy players for the last-32 Europa League clash in February 2009.

Fast-forward to the current era and ‘Rego’ remembers a particular rumour that swirled out of control just prior to lockdown commencing down at Southampton back in late February.

Villa had just lost 2-0 in what was a horror showing at St Mary’s and, moments after the final whistle, a random – and completely fabricated – rumour began to circulate on Twitter suggesting Smith and his assistant John Terry had to be separated after a heated exchange. Rego’s name was associated as being the source from an anonymous Villa supporter account which left Rego completely dumbfounded to say the least.

“My goodness, I remember that, how bizarre,” Mark commented. “It was just a lie which is a danger with Twitter and social media nowadays as everything is taken at face value without any questions.

“I interviewed Dean afterwards and everything was fine. It’s always tetchy interviewing managers after a defeat but, like I say, it was fine and I went back upstairs to jump back in on the phone-in and my phone was going berserk. I had Radio 5 live wanting to chat about a brawl with Smith and Terry and I had the Villa communications director send me a screen-grab of what I’d apparently said.

“It was all just rubbish. You have that self-doubt, though, and I thought did I mention that? But, anyway, it turned out to be someone playing up. I know Dean was asked about it in his press conference which was out of order and I text him afterwards to tell him sorry he had to deal with all of that nonsense and he was great and said it was fine.”

Mark, meanwhile, reported on his last match at Villa on Saturday and was given a classy ‘Good luck, Rego’ message by Villa who put a nice photo of him and his colleague, pal  and former Villa striker Gary Thompson on the big screens.

“I’m going to miss it all, of course I am,” added Mark, looking back. “I was lucky to be involved in such an entertaining profession. I pretty much went to Wembley every year with Villa as well and covering the FA Cup final with Arsenal will always stick out simply because being at a Wembley FA Cup final is every kid’s dream.

“I’ll miss the buzz of the match day, for sure, but what will I miss most? It’ll be the camaraderie in the press room before games, sitting with the likes of Tom and Thommo and the reporters and having that banter. I’ll miss the food as well at football, that was a treat.”