Sidelines: Old Boys reunion for Foxes and Villans

THE EX-FILES

A by-product of Martin O'Neill's success as Leicester manager has been a toning down of the "Judas" chants which greeted Brian Little after he allegedly betrayed them for Aston Villa. But with so many of Little's old staff also becoming Villans, today's meeting offers abundant targets for any Foxes fan still nursing a grievance.

Villa's line-up is likely to contain three players Little went back for - Mark Draper, Simon Grayson and Julian Joachim - as well as Gary Charles, who was with Leicester on loan. And the home bench will be groaning with one-time Filbert Street stalwarts like assistant manager Allan Evans (who captained both clubs) and coaches Kevin MacDonald and Tony McAndrew.

Garry Parker and Graham Fenton will be back on their old stamping ground with the visitors. Others with a Villa background whose careers led them to Leicester during the Nineties include Kevin Poole, Ian Ormondroyd, Paul Kerr, Mark Blake and Gavin Ward. Little also signed Franz Carr for both clubs, though the winger made scant impact with either.

Colin Gibson, a champion with Villa in 1981, later joined Leicester, while Steve Sims, now part of O'Neill's backroom team, made the opposite journey. Two great warrior centre-forwards, Derek Dougan and Andy Lochhead, also list both on their CVs. "The Doog" is better known but Lochhead left fonder memories, especially at Villa, whose rise from the old Third Division in 1972 he spearheaded with elegant support from ex-Leicester schemer Davie Gibson.