Ever been to a non villa game at small heath?

[E I Adio]

Every fortnight, but not since the end of the 60's when my bluenose best mate got married and moved away. In fairness he used to stand on the Holte with me for every home game at Villa Park. Good banter but never any aggravation, even in Small Heath, maybe because we both had such shit teams in those days, so losing was not an alien concept to either of us.

Last time I visited Small Heath was to watch a youth cup game against Spurs. A kid called Graeme Souness was playing in the Spurs youth team.

I remember saying to my mate what a dirty bastard he was.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

Went loads of times as a kid as my best mate was a Nose and his dad offered to take me to some games if Villa weren't playing. Bloody depressing football on the whole.

I was at the game Vs Leeds in 85 that was interupted by a mass riot, and someone was killed that day.

Haven't been to a non Villa game there for many years now though. I wouldn't want to anyway, plus I know too many of their faces so it would be too uncomfortable.

[curiousorange]

The only time I've been was in the season before their promotion to the PL the first time (so that's got to be 2002). My dad used to work for a company called Coffee Maid who had a box there and I had to wear a suit to get access to their 'executive facilities'. All the chaps their started going on about how they used to support the Villa but Blues was cheaper so they swapped (glad to be rid of 'em if that was the reason).

They played Grimsby and won 4-0. You couldn't see shit from their boxes because they were so low down behind their fans so I followed the game on SSN which they had on a crappy portable left on the desk, and we sat on bar stools.

The Queen Mum died the same day. I was more upset by the fact Blues were about to be promoted.

[Rotterdam]

v Stevenage in the cup about 12 years ago. I was following the 'nage.

[London Villan]

A fair few times there and even a couple of aways, due to having a load of Bluenose mates.

Best one was seeing them relegated (I forget which time). I was in a box taking pictures of the few that were there! Very amusing.

[cheltenhamlion]

I was in the away end when Cheltenham Town went there in the FA Cup and were very unfortunate to lose about 20 years ago.

[D.boy]

As mentioned elsewhere, in the early eighties my dad worked on the turnstiles at the sty and Villa Park. I watched a seasons worth of free games at the sty and had a season ticket at Villa.
The place was a dump.
In the early 90's I went to see Northampton V Noses as a couple of workmates were going and as I had nothing else to do I tagged along. Stood amongst the unwashed was not a pleasurable experience and I had to control myself not to cheer when Northampton scored twice. The final score was 2-2. My bloody mates kept threatening to grass me up as a Villa fan.

[BC54 VFC]

Yes, 31 Dec 77, Blues 4 Chelsea 5, 19,876

Was working for Lloyds Bank International at the time and went with one of my bosses who was a Chelsea fan from Southend. We sat on the side with the Blues fans and thoroughly enjoyed the game / result!

[Goldie.7]

No never!

My mate and my boss are big bluenoses if they ever asked me would i like to come along because someone has let them down and there's a ticket going spare?

Even if i had nothing to do i would politely go tell them to fcuk off. If my wba/wolves supporting friends ever ask me the same and i was free i would consider it!

It's sha i bet they would say the same to me aswell. My boss was a complete tool to me when we won 0-1 i won't be running my mouth come monday if we............ but?

I honestly can't see us winning sorry.

[willywombat]

Loads of times in the early 70's as most of my school mates were noses and I couldnt afford many away games. Went once in about 2000 with a mate to see them play Middlesbrough as Andy Townsend was playing for them, I think he may have scored in a 1-1 draw. Dirty, smelly hovel it is

[Willie Anderson]

My first game I went to was a cup final at St Andrews (the name escapes me, Midland/Birmingham Combination Cup?) it would have been around May 1967. We sat in the main stand, it was Birmingham City Police vs somebody else all I can remember was thinking "what a shithole"(or words to that effect I was only 8) I attended my first Villa game the next season & the rest is history.

As an aside, in 1975 for being a bit nawty I was sent to an Attendance Centre for 20 weeks. this was in Cherrywood Road. This was for 2 hours 14.00-16.00 every Saturday afternoon.

We played murder ball for an hour( basically the white kids vs the black kids kicking shit out of each other) then an hour of workshop(making kung fu stars & other implements of mass destruction).

Anyhow every other week the Blues were at home & me & me mate would go watch the second half at St Andrews (QPR was one game I remember).


As going to the Attendance Centre was aimed at keeping us out of bother at Football games it wasn't very successful ;-)

[Dublin Villa]

Went to the Birmingham v Cheltenham in the cup mentioned earlier , In the Tilton that day don't  remember the score but remember plenty of Villa songs being sung and plenty of Zulus waiting outside! . Also remember going to match against Cardiff in about 86 and Bournemouth in the cup with a decent Bluenose from school, just remembered how empty the Kop was compared to the Holte and felt very paranoid.
 
Being at st Andrews always felt like cheating

[andyaston]

A few times, mainly in the early 90s with my Blues supporting mate if I couldnt go to away games.

Remember once Villa were away to Coventry in Savo's first season but I went to the Sty where they were playing Oldham. I went in the away end with a non supporting friend and after a while during the inivitable 0-0 draw we started singing Villa songs which the Oldham fans glady joined in.

It was class there were only a few hundred away fans but they still outsang that lot in the kop. To top it off Villa won 3-0 at Highfield Road.

[peter w]

No, never. I can't even watch them on the telly. Sky or 30 seconds on MOTD. They make me feel sick.

[Mac]

Once when I was about 17/18.

It was against Wolves, or Albion.  Can't remember which.  I think it was close to Christmas/New Year and I went with a Wolves supporting mate and a Albion supporting mate that bit I'm certain. Don't remember anything else about it at all.

EDIT: Clearly I know less than I thought.  No Christmas fixture in the time period.