Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: PeterWithesShin on August 29, 2016, 06:17:05 PM
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/EnglishPride2004/00_zpsgnhvyqaj.jpg)
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Any idea when that picture is from PWS? I would guess at late 1980s but can't be sure.
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That's how the ground looked when I first went. Which was 1982.
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Oh the memories
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I can't see if there are any fences. If not, that would date it post-1989. If the Witton End is seated that makes it after summer 1990.
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Looks as though Witton End is complete as shown by those 3 big speakers hanging off from the front edge of roof.
By the way it was possible with that low Witton Lane stand to get in to the loft of the terraced house in Witton Lane remove couple of roof tiles stick your head out and see about 1/3 width but full length of the pitch to the far side. My best mate and I did that regularly for the love of our lives!
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The Trinity had plastic seats installed at the start of 1992? Looks like the fences at the front of the North Stand have been taken down so it's probably 1989-90, the pitch looks fairly worn too so maybe later in the season.
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They appear to be restoring the spire of Holy Trinity which I think was done in 1990.
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Fantastic picture. Villa Park as it was for my debut,very happy days.
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why did they put a random number of dark blue seats in the witton lane ?
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The blue seats was the singing section.
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It was the official standing section.
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I actually wrote that but autocorrect wrote "singing" which was funnier so I let it go.
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I can't see if there are any fences. If not, that would date it post-1989. If the Witton End is seated that makes it after summer 1990.
It looks like there are fences, I can just make out gates, but I notice the larger scoreboard at the Holte/Trinity corner. What year did that go up?
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I think it was during Graham Taylor's first spell as manager that the dugouts were changed from the lower flat roof ones to the ones with a perspex roof.
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Villa Park as it looked best - at least for me anyway.
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Ten to five on Cup Semi final day and that view would come up on Grandstand while Barry Davies told us what happened in the game.
And my chest would swell with pride at one of the great vistas of British football.
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They appear to be restoring the spire of Holy Trinity which I think was done in 1990.
I think that's the other floodlight?
Holte End looks magnificent.
Chris, the groundsman's assistant bought the yellow pick up in October 1989, but it failed its MOT for rust in the sills in the following February...
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I own a painting of this complete with a match taking place on the pitch - circa 1990 ish. The signatures of the squad at the time are all at the bottom so amongst them we've got David Platt, Paul McGrath, Gordon Cowans and Kent Nielsen.
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Loved it I still miss it like that.
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All I can add is that the car is a Daytona Yellow P100 Ford Cortina Pick - Up, probably 10 years old at the time of the photo.
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Loved it I still miss it like that.
Fully agree Darren, I know times move on and change has to happen, but when it was like this the old place was more unique and individual than it is now - although, having said that - there's still no other football ground in the world that's anything like it.
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I own a painting of this complete with a match taking place on the pitch - circa 1990 ish. The signatures of the squad at the time are all at the bottom so amongst them we've got David Platt, Paul McGrath, Gordon Cowans and Kent Nielsen.
I've got that on my wall in the hall. Sheff Weds, 1989, I think?
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I think it was during Graham Taylor's first spell as manager that the dugouts were changed from the lower flat roof ones to the ones with a perspex roof.
I thought it was for Dr Jo.
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I own a painting of this complete with a match taking place on the pitch - circa 1990 ish. The signatures of the squad at the time are all at the bottom so amongst them we've got David Platt, Paul McGrath, Gordon Cowans and Kent Nielsen.
I've got that on my wall in the hall. Sheff Weds, 1989, I think?
yeh, 89-90 season. I seem to recall getting it in the Venglos campaign. I'm pretty sure they did a later updated version in about 1995 showing the same view but with the Doug Ellis and new Holte End on it instead and the players in the Muller kit.
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A full Holte End in those days was awesome. So many happy memories.
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A full Holte End in those days was awesome. So many happy memories.
Yeah agree, the atmosphere up the Holte, on its day, can't be beaten
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The old flat-roofed dugout was still there in October 1990 because Trappatoni cut his head on it during the Inter game - I seem to recall it like that anyway.
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The old flat-roofed dugout was still there in October 1990 because Trappatoni cut his head on it during the Inter game - I seem to recall it like that anyway.
Negative. see 55 seconds in (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzxxMkoIzUI)
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why did they put a random number of dark blue seats in the witton lane ?
They are about where there used to be a tunnel, must have used non-matching seats when they filled it in.
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Thank you Mike. What I took to be scaffolding on the spire of Holy Trinity is of course the 'V' shape of the floodlights.
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That picture makes me firm.
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Thank you Mike. What I took to be scaffolding on the spire of Holy Trinity is of course the 'V' shape of the floodlights.
It seems to be some time in 1990-91 then.
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Can't be. The Holte End roof had been extended in the summer of 1990 and the Trinity Road roof was reprofiled.
For me, Villa Park attained perfection in 1994. The last season of the Holte and the Witton finally going double decker. It had always been a decent ground up to that point, but the old Witton looked out of place. Like a third division stand. Used to cut of the view of the pitch from a big chunk of the Holte End on the right too, which was a pisser.
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Can't be. The Holte End roof had been extended in the summer of 1990 and the Trinity Road roof was reprofiled.
For me, Villa Park attained perfection in 1994. The last season of the Holte and the Witton finally going double decker. It had always been a decent ground up to that point, but the old Witton looked out of place. Like a third division stand. Used to cut of the view of the pitch from a big chunk of the Holte End on the right too, which was a pisser.
Of course, my mistake. I agree with the best of Villa Park as well - the old Witton was symbolic of the time when it was built; we were skint and it had to be done quickly & cheaply.
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The reasons for demolishing the old Holte were sound enough - giving a stand that age the type of facilities customers expect nowadays would have been next to impossible. With the roof extension, there would have been four pillars blocking the view. Bad enough when your're standing, and have the option to move around. Even worse in a fixed location.
And yet. And yet.
Our recent visit to Hillsborough shows the old and the new can co-exist alongside each other.
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I grew up with the old Holte, without the dividing fence, the Witton Lane, the Witton End and the old Trinity Road of course.
The Holte; would have loved to have had a single seated stand. However, it was never to be and the new stand is still terrific. The Witton Lane replacement stand apart from the name is also appropriate, although the seats to be much tighter together than in other parts of the ground.
The new Witton End stand - although most people disagree I still think is a good stand and not many clubs have a better "second end".
As for the Trinity Road, the stand is excellent, the issue is not the stand but the facade outside that was demolished.
Overall I think we are lucky with Villa Park. My grumble is about the pubs around the ground, the closed facilities and the fact that one way or another all appear to charge for the pleasure of entering their holes.
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The reasons for demolishing the old Holte were sound enough - giving a stand that age the type of facilities customers expect nowadays would have been next to impossible. With the roof extension, there would have been four pillars blocking the view. Bad enough when your're standing, and have the option to move around. Even worse in a fixed location.
And yet. And yet.
Our recent visit to Hillsborough shows the old and the new can co-exist alongside each other.
The back of the old Holte was too far away from the pitch for Premier League regulations.
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(https://gotnotgot.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/rubbish-c.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/EnglishPride2004/villa-park-old_zps0rwdvmhy.jpg)
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/EnglishPride2004/263112_10150299039157658_5707585_n-2_zpskbkarywi.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/EnglishPride2004/269724_10150299047347658_8149390_n_zpssexqtm1x.jpg)
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CBDjoC4WoAA5ixr.jpg)
(http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/view-of-the-witton-lane-end-and-the-new-vshaped-floodlights-at-villa-picture-id509200624)
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PWS if you have any more ...get em posted!!!
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PWS Brilliant images, thank you, much appreciated
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They are pictures I found online that I don't remember seeing very often, if at all, before so thought i'd post them. For anyone interested, the top picture in the first post is Leicester and the second post are both Chelsea. No idea about the others.
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(http://i63.tinypic.com/oqj3mg.jpg)
(http://www.footballgroundguide.com/old-grounds-and-stands/villa_park_old_holte_end.jpg)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CepJn9YXIAE55V8.jpg)
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(http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/05/18/article-1184238-008C449600000258-614_468x313.jpg)
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(http://streaming.syncrocloud.com/astonvillafc/item_sc50b6208219664_50b620892737b.png?time=1473363607484)
(http://streaming.syncrocloud.com/astonvillafc/item_sc50b3cd210b76f_astonvillafc50b3cd24e8752.jpg?time=1473363669452)
(http://streaming.syncrocloud.com/astonvillafc/item_sc50b533a6559b1_50b533a93b956.png?time=1473363766980)
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(http://www.astonvillapictures.co.uk/p/551/villa-park-1971-72-8186429.jpg)
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2620/3711045398_dd0296ef24.jpg)
(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b4/d9/bf/b4d9bfeaf1cf2c0ea0d76a5fb1bf9458.jpg)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CRRpcdHUkAAZGHQ.jpg)
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We really did have a couple of the best stands in football.
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How about a short vid of the Holte rocking in colour as a nightcap, its a quiet night tonight.
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You have an audience of at least one.
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Impossible to watch that without a smile.
Bring back the good times, RDM!
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As a southerner that video makes me proud to be an adopted Brummie.
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The reasons for demolishing the old Holte were sound enough - giving a stand that age the type of facilities customers expect nowadays would have been next to impossible. With the roof extension, there would have been four pillars blocking the view. Bad enough when your're standing, and have the option to move around. Even worse in a fixed location.
And yet. And yet.
Our recent visit to Hillsborough shows the old and the new can co-exist alongside each other.
The back of the old Holte was too far away from the pitch for Premier League regulations.
How the heck then do Newcastle keep the away fans up in the clouds and get away with it then. Not a great deal of difference between the Hillsborough Kop and the old Holte.
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The reasons for demolishing the old Holte were sound enough - giving a stand that age the type of facilities customers expect nowadays would have been next to impossible. With the roof extension, there would have been four pillars blocking the view. Bad enough when your're standing, and have the option to move around. Even worse in a fixed location.
And yet. And yet.
Our recent visit to Hillsborough shows the old and the new can co-exist alongside each other.
The back of the old Holte was too far away from the pitch for Premier League regulations.
How the heck then do Newcastle keep the away fans up in the clouds and get away with it then. Not a great deal of difference between the Hillsborough Kop and the old Holte.
Presumably because the angle is a lot steeper.
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To me the Sheffield Kop is just a bigger version of the old Witton End. I got told that the back was cut when they eventually put a roof on it.`
As for the Holte today, I don't like the way they have cut the corner off from Witton Lane - would always get my fish/Chips from across the road and queue at K entrance. I used to stand towards the side on the next tier up - just back from where the loons used to congregate in the late 70's/early 80's. Gave for a quick getaway for the London train at 17:48 and if the game was really shit then the 17:18.
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Our spot was right by the roof support pillar on the Trinity Road side of the Holte before it's roof extension. We'd frequently end up a distance from it depending how the match went and how lively it got . I was really pleased to be able to take my, then, small sons to stand near there (on milk crates) for the old Holte's last game.
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Ten to five on Cup Semi final day and that view would come up on Grandstand while Barry Davies told us what happened in the game.
And my chest would swell with pride at one of the great vistas of British football.
I remember exactly that, and him calling it a "great cathedral of football".
I loved that. Not a theatre, fortress or cauldron. A cathedral.
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Ten to five on Cup Semi final day and that view would come up on Grandstand while Barry Davies told us what happened in the game.
And my chest would swell with pride at one of the great vistas of British football.
I remember exactly that, and him calling it a "great cathedral of football".
I loved that. Not a theatre, fortress or cauldron. A cathedral.
Whatever happens on the pitch, nobody will ever take away the fact that we have had and still have the most unique individual football ground in the world IMO.
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(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/4f/fa/dc/4ffadc32c95993dc723aac4b819bb5ef.jpg)
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To me the Sheffield Kop is just a bigger version of the old Witton End. I got told that the back was cut when they eventually put a roof on it.`
They actually did the opposite and extended the Kop when the roof was added. It was rare for this to be done at the time, the original had a peak towards the right hand side as you look from the pitch and they squared it off to accommodate the roof.
I sound like I know what I'm talking about but this information was gleaned from one of Simon Inglis' excellent books on British football grounds.
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(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/4f/fa/dc/4ffadc32c95993dc723aac4b819bb5ef.jpg)
from the crowd could well have been West Ham in the cup - the same day, same time as Birmingham played Leeds.
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1902
(http://thumb.ibb.co/crO0iv/Villa_Park_1902.png) (http://ibb.co/crO0iv)
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1903
(http://thumb.ibb.co/gjU6Ov/Villa_Park_1903.png) (http://ibb.co/gjU6Ov)
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1904
(http://thumb.ibb.co/ips4Aa/Villa_Park_1904a.png) (http://ibb.co/ips4Aa)
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Some more of 1904
(http://thumb.ibb.co/mB6Liv/Villa_Park_1904b.png) (http://ibb.co/mB6Liv)
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Cheers Morris. I reckon Refs'd get a lot more respect these days if they dressed as smartly as the one in the Wolves game ;)
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Fascinating pictures Morris, never seen any of those before.
I wouldn't have fancied getting through that crowd to the refreshment shed for my Bovril though.
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Good to see from those early pictures, that we were going after the advertising buck in the way back when. I bet that would have caught Doug's eye, while he was perfecting his Penny Farthing kick technique.
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Some great old pics there thanks.
There were 120 facts about Villa Park in yesterday's programme celebrating its 120th anniversary that jogged the memory a bit - although wrong in stating that the Tranmere semi was the first penalty shoot out there. It was Colchester as far as I recall, for the first team anyway.
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Some great old pics there thanks.
There were 120 facts about Villa Park in yesterday's programme celebrating its 120th anniversary that jogged the memory a bit - although wrong in stating that the Tranmere semi was the first penalty shoot out there. It was Colchester as far as I recall, for the first team anyway.
Agreed - after a 2-0 away win in the first leg it should have been a stroll but we approached it too confidently and ended up shitting kittens.
IIRC the "winning " penalty for us was hoofed 20 yards into the Holte by Colchester keeper Mike Walker, later manager of Norwich and Everton.
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Couple of photos I haven't seen before:
1966:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/aston-villa-villa-park-bw-1960s-legendary-football-grounds.html (https://fineartamerica.com/featured/aston-villa-villa-park-bw-1960s-legendary-football-grounds.html)
1969:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/aston-villa-villa-park-holte-end-1-august-1969-legendary-football-grounds.html (https://fineartamerica.com/featured/aston-villa-villa-park-holte-end-1-august-1969-legendary-football-grounds.html)
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Couple of photos I haven't seen before:
1966:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/aston-villa-villa-park-bw-1960s-legendary-football-grounds.html (https://fineartamerica.com/featured/aston-villa-villa-park-bw-1960s-legendary-football-grounds.html)
1969:
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/aston-villa-villa-park-holte-end-1-august-1969-legendary-football-grounds.html (https://fineartamerica.com/featured/aston-villa-villa-park-holte-end-1-august-1969-legendary-football-grounds.html)
The 66 photo was obviously to do with the improvements to the ground for the world cup.
the 69 photo caption is wrong it is the Witton End which is featured.
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the 69 photo caption is wrong it is the Witton End which is featured.
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It is a fine picture of the Witton End though- it features that paneled 'football' of a refreshment stand at it's peak that was of the time and ,I think, eventually set alight by Leeds fans.
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According to that fineartamerica site you can have those pictures of the old Witton End put on duvet covers for £76 and pillow cases for £21.
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(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a7/5a/ef/a75aef6b31827a629d3f4e3c7bffae18.jpg)
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(http://thumb.ibb.co/ejjx0m/08dddaed8704ae202e0fa34015a5a5ba.jpg) (http://ibb.co/ejjx0m)
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(http://thumb.ibb.co/geqt6R/old_ground.jpg) (http://ibb.co/geqt6R)
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(http://thumb.ibb.co/nFMY6R/Villa_Park_2.jpg) (http://imgbb.com/)
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Please sir, can I have more?
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(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/97/dc/a7/97dca7e5f626d19734ebb0bd4ff8065c--football-team-retro-football.jpg)
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(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/97/dc/a7/97dca7e5f626d19734ebb0bd4ff8065c--football-team-retro-football.jpg)
Arrrrgh! John Inglis!
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(http://thumb.ibb.co/kLDwBR/Aston_Villa_Football_Ground.jpg) (http://ibb.co/kLDwBR)
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(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/97/dc/a7/97dca7e5f626d19734ebb0bd4ff8065c--football-team-retro-football.jpg)
Arrrrgh! John Inglis!
This was the season I left home for London, prior to that I had seen just about every home game since 1960. Know all those players apart from John Inglis, never heard of him, who was he?
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(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/97/dc/a7/97dca7e5f626d19734ebb0bd4ff8065c--football-team-retro-football.jpg)
Arrrrgh! John Inglis!
This was the season I left home for London, prior to that I had seen just about every home game since 1960. Know all those players apart from John Inglis, never heard of him, who was he?
Oh gosh I remember that team.
Apart from...
Edit: Fashion Note: edgy sporting of leg warmers by Tommy Cummings 20 years before Olivia Newton John
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(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/97/dc/a7/97dca7e5f626d19734ebb0bd4ff8065c--football-team-retro-football.jpg)
Arrrrgh! John Inglis!
This was the season I left home for London, prior to that I had seen just about every home game since 1960. Know all those players apart from John Inglis, never heard of him, who was he?
The worst player to ever pull on a Villa shirt and play in the first team. IMO obviously.
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(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/97/dc/a7/97dca7e5f626d19734ebb0bd4ff8065c--football-team-retro-football.jpg)
Arrrrgh! John Inglis!
This was the season I left home for London, prior to that I had seen just about every home game since 1960. Know all those players apart from John Inglis, never heard of him, who was he?
The worst player to ever pull on a Villa shirt and play in the first team. IMO obviously.
J(https://i.pinimg.com/474x/97/dc/a7/97dca7e5f626d19734ebb0bd4ff8065c--football-team-retro-football.jpg)
Arrrrgh! John Inglis!
This was the season I left home for London, prior to that I had seen just about every home game since 1960. Know all those players apart from John Inglis, never heard of him, who was he?
The worst player to ever pull on a Villa shirt and play in the first team. IMO obviously.
Just looked him up, he only played 2 games for us both in the 1967/68 season so I don't feel so bad about never having heard of him. Usually I can recall players from that era better than those from the last few seasons.
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(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bwwxZJXTFIw/WJBLv82t4jI/AAAAAAAAW1I/EfhFRFiHdAICIgoHrjbkzbmVZZSOifYQQCLcB/s1600/AV.jpg)
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(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ER-TLRSXUAE9oSD.jpg)
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In the early years of the 17th Century Sir Thomas Holte, a wealthy landowner, built a large stately home set atop of a sandstone ridge, two miles north of Birmingham Town. In the old dialect it was called Eastun (East Town, later Aston) Hall. It overlooked a shallow valley of open fields and woods complete with Old River Tame (as it's called on the 1888 map) meandering slowly northwards. In 1837 the Grand Junction Railway engineered a railway line loosely following the line of the river which lead from Birmingham to the North West. Witton railway station was thoughtfully provided next to the Hall. Sadly, at about this time, Aston Hall had deteriorated to the point that a windfall was needed to carry out substantial repairs. Finance for this was achieved by selling off a 31 acre parcel of land, (The Aston Lower Grounds) roughly triangular in shape, to a Bank. The land comprised the Hall’s vegetable and herb gardens, orchards and a large artificial fish pond.
The bank eventually leased the land to an entrepreneur, one H G Quilter. He was a bit of a visionary for his ideas were years ahead of their time. With this parcel of land he created perhaps the world’s first theme park, a hundred years before Disney, Alton Towers, etc. In 1875 he built a roller skating rink 300 feet long by 80 feet wide with a smooth asphalt floor. Alongside this, in 1879 he built a huge aquarium, 400 feet long and 60 to 80 feet wide with tanks containing fish, seals, octopus and other exotic species from around the world. The tanks required 300,000 gallons of water to be filled. On the first floor of this attraction an Art Gallery was provided. Many other attractions were built. At the southern shore of the pond a polar bear house was established and presumably appropriately populated. Around the grounds more attractions were built including a bandstand, tearooms, a rifle range, a bowling green and more menageries housing a wide range of exotic animals. At its peak the venue attracted over 280,000 visitors a year. Admittance to the grounds cost 3d and to the Aquarium 6d. The famous Victorian cricketer Dr W G Grace to play several test matches on the sports ground against an Australian eleven. FA cup semi finals were played here, and here the world’s first cycling record was set – some hero (Mr M Albin) rode around the track accruing 13 miles 600 yards in one hour on a penny farthing! Athletics also featured regularly on the red cindered track surrounding the sports field.
November 1887 witnessed arguably the pinnacle of the Lower Ground's events. Over 200 red Indians (mostly of the Sioux tribe), Mexicans, Cowboys and Rodeo Riders performed a series of Wild West shows lead by William “Buffalo Bill” Cody and Annie “Get your Gun” Oakley. Buffalo, prairie elk, horses and steer featured together with the real “Deadwood” stagecoach (shipped from the USA complete with bullet holes) performing circuits and rides around the racing track surrounding the sports field. Annie Oakley performed a sharpshooting routine and two Indians got arrested for drunkenness in one of the local pubs.
Following the death of Mr Quilter in 1893 fortunes changed. Railways made travelling cheaper and people were much attracted to sea-side venues which could provide similar attractions in a more exiting and exotic setting. Quilter’s death ensured that no one took up the challenges presented by the new century and its time was over.
In 1874 a new sports club had been founded by the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel Cricket Club in Birmingham whose members yearned for some sporting activity in the winter. The first sporting event played by the new club was a rugby match against Aston Brook St Mary's Rugby Club, followed the next week by a football match. It was decided that football was the way forward. The team prospered and took on the lease of grounds at Wellington Road, Perry Barr. The club's management instigated the football league and of course the renamed Aston Villa was a founding member. By the end of the century they had won three FA cup finals and 5 league finals. This success enabled the club to buy its own ground and as the site of Mr Quilters enterprise was available it was purchased outright in 1897, the year the club won both the FA Cup and the League.
For reasons not clear Aston Villa declined to use the existing sports ground and chose instead to set out their new pitch on top of the recently drained and filled lake where it has remained ever since. The old Aquarium Building was for may years Villa's offices, gym and snooker room until its demise in the 1980’s.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/aston-lower-grounds.15945/page-2
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Looking at the Witton Lane Stand picture from 1993 I can't believe how small and, dare I say, tinpot it looked. How come it took so long to expand/redevelop it? Was it simply a case of Doug being cheap?
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This is an explanation for many things in this period...
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Looking at the Witton Lane Stand picture from 1993 I can't believe how small and, dare I say, tinpot it looked. How come it took so long to expand/redevelop it? Was it simply a case of Doug being cheap?
I know who Doug Ellis was but who was Witton Lane ?
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Looking at the Witton Lane Stand picture from 1993 I can't believe how small and, dare I say, tinpot it looked. How come it took so long to expand/redevelop it? Was it simply a case of Doug being cheap?
I know who Doug Ellis was but who was Witton Lane ?
Definitely not one of my ancestors!
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Moved.
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Some wonderful memories - thank you to all who have posted.
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(https://i.ibb.co/RzTfb8s/vp.jpg)
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Beautiful picture above.
Checking, the floodlights came in 1958 and the Holte roof in 1962.
Are we able to pin the date down more ?
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That is a brilliant photo.
The Holte doesn’t feel right without a roof but in that picture the trees and Aston Hall in the rain create an atmospheric backdrop.
Weirdly the Witton Lane stand looks better than the fairly crap stand that replaced it for the 1966 World Cup.
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Someone reckons it's 25th August 1958 v Portsmouth, first floodlit game at VP.
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According to wikipedia (sourcing Simon Inglis) our first floodlit game was in a friendly against Hearts 19/11/58.
(https://i.ibb.co/s3v4CPb/Villa-v-Hearts-1.jpg) (https://ibb.co/s3v4CPb)
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Fantastic atmospheric picture, just wonderful, thanks
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This is before that friendly and was a floodlight game afaik
(https://yourfootballprogramme.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Villa-v-GAIS.jpg)
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I've been scanning some photos to file and came across these that I took from when the old Trinity was being demolished and one a bit later as the new one was being built.
(https://i.ibb.co/kM6Cnvx/H0002.jpg) (https://ibb.co/kM6Cnvx)
(https://i.ibb.co/16mztn5/H0003.jpg) (https://ibb.co/16mztn5)
(https://i.ibb.co/zZpN9WQ/H0004.jpg) (https://ibb.co/zZpN9WQ)
(https://i.ibb.co/Wzj50Hk/H0005.jpg) (https://ibb.co/Wzj50Hk)
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Thanks for posting, Papa.