1975 promotion pictures.

[big 1st serve]

  Great Pics , remember getting on the pitch & taking a little bit of it home.

   & the other pics ,

   Ed Doolans escort estate, great paint job,

   Bristol Bloodhound, spent ages trying to make an Airfix model of one,

   Talbot Samba, so you had the other one,
 
    &  Gary Glitter !

[willywombat]

Another site I can't access in China but I remember the Sunderland game well. It was definitely 2-0 and I was a 12 year old in the Witton End with my dad in our usual spot, though there must have been 12-14 thousand Sunderland fans there. They were as good as gold - we stopped them getting promoted and although I went mental for each of our goals not a word or look was sent my way.

Oh for that optimism....

Pat, my brother and I left the Aston Tavern to walk to the ground as about 30 coachloads of Sunderland supporters were leaving the Serpentine car park. We were dressed from head to foot in claret & blue and walked in the middle of them down to the Witton Lane Holte End turnstile and didn't get so much as a dirty look. After the game while we were celebrating in the ground thousands of them were marched back up Witton Lane past the Holte End and were applauding us. Amazing sportsmanship under any circumstances but particularly so since we had cheered when the Norwich result was announced. Always had a soft spot for Mackems ever since

[Dave Summers]

Brilliant pictures.  I was there that day and stood on the Witton End with all of the Sunderland fans.  As people have said, there must have been 15k plus of them in the ground.     We couldn't stand in our normal place, just over half way up to the right of the goal as you look from the Holte End, so we ended up standing by the corner flag by the tunnel.   I believe that Ian Ross scored the pen we had that day and it was nice because, if I remember correctly, he was the only outfield player that hadn't scored in that season.   I think Brian got the other one rolling a shot into the corner of the goal at the Holte End?.  I reckon I must be in the picture as well, because I was by the tunnel on the pitch at the end.  Buggered if I can find myself though.

It's funny, but as I have become more and more disenchanted with modern day Football, I find myself looking back at these days and they are the happiest of my Villa supporting days.   I think a little bit of Villa Park died the day they demolished the old Witton End and replaced it with the crap that is still there now.   All it needed, in them days, was a roof to mirror the Holte and it would have been fine.  However, I suppose they got 30 odd more boxes in the ground and made more money from them than the ordinary folk on the Witton?.

Thanks for the memories anyway.

[Pat McMahon]

Another site I can't access in China but I remember the Sunderland game well. It was definitely 2-0 and I was a 12 year old in the Witton End with my dad in our usual spot, though there must have been 12-14 thousand Sunderland fans there. They were as good as gold - we stopped them getting promoted and although I went mental for each of our goals not a word or look was sent my way.

Oh for that optimism....

Pat, my brother and I left the Aston Tavern to walk to the ground as about 30 coachloads of Sunderland supporters were leaving the Serpentine car park. We were dressed from head to foot in claret & blue and walked in the middle of them down to the Witton Lane Holte End turnstile and didn't get so much as a dirty look. After the game while we were celebrating in the ground thousands of them were marched back up Witton Lane past the Holte End and were applauding us. Amazing sportsmanship under any circumstances but particularly so since we had cheered when the Norwich result was announced. Always had a soft spot for Mackems ever since

I know what you mean about the Mackems, Willywombat - always very decent and loyal supporters, and good value for a chat about the game in general.

Were you also at the Villa v Sunderland game on the opening day of the 1982-83 season? The youth team did a pre-match lap of the pitch with the European Cup and when they came to the Sunderland fans in the Witton End + Witton Lane stand to a man they stood up and applauded the Villa for our achievement. Very sporting of them.

[Chris Smith]

One of the very best days ever at Villa Park, brilliant support all round the game. Coming at the end of a great few days with away wins at Blackpool and Wednesday. Some mates from school were locked out and said there were thousands of Villa and Sunderland in the park trying to keep up with the game.

I got talking to a Mackem a few years ago and saying how great their support was and he reckons he's never seen anything as impressive as the Holte in full swing that day.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Fantastic season with great memories.
It was a very strong division with Man U there as well. I can remember going to watch mid week away wins at Millwall and Portsmouth. The big old terrace at Blackpool being turned into a mini Holte End, the pitch invasion at the end at Sheffield Wednesday, and of course 3rd place Norwich being blown away 4-1 at Carrow Road with Brian Little and Ray Graydon sitting it out in the stands.
Checked the records, we won the last 8 league games on the trot scoring 26 and conceding 3.
Plus we won the League Cup too. Again seeing off that mouthy wind up merchant John Bond after two great semi finals against Chester.

[Gazza1982]

Was the 1-4 game at Carrow Road a night game??, I was there,just cant remember ,I was sure Little scored a beaut after dribbling past 3/4 players and us taking thousands and thousands.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Was the 1-4 game at Carrow Road a night game??, I was there,just cant remember ,I was sure Little scored a beaut after dribbling past 3/4 players and us taking thousands and thousands.

 It was a night game. Brian Little scored quite a few goals dribbling past 3/4 players but not this one, as I said he was in the stands.

The game was played Wed 30th April . Cumbes Robson Aitken Ross Nicholl Gidman McDonald Pimblett Leonard Hamilton Carrodus.
The goals were shared by Leonard, Gidman, McDonald, and Carrodus. Crowd was 35,999.

[Gazza1982]

Wow, your Villa knowledge is awesome,maybe Little scored a great goal in the 5-3 loss at Norwich (?)....thanks.

[5ft811st2 Durham]

Clearly the main photo is after the Sunderland game which I was lucky enough to attend, but the action photos in the rest of the stream which the guy says are of the Sunderland match definitely aren't because not only is the crowd clearly way less than capacity but also Ray Graydon who is photographed actually missed the final games of that season which is why Brian Little was able to end up as our top league goalscorer.

My guess is the action photos are from Villa v York 14 December 1974.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Ray Graydon who is photographed actually missed the final games of that season which is why Brian Little was able to end up as our top league goalscorer.

Spot on.
 With 7 games remaining Graydon was well out in front on 19 league goals, he started the next 2 games being substituted ( injury?) and missed the remaining 5 and finished on that total of 19.
Brian Little was on 10 goals and scored another 10 in the next 6 games. He scored the second goal after an Ian Ross penalty in that 2-0 win over Sunderland to finish top scorer. 20 league goals, none from penalties,  in 33 appearances.

[Brend'Watkins]

Wow, your Villa knowledge is awesome,maybe Little scored a great goal in the 5-3 loss at Norwich (?)....thanks.

He did.

I was at that game.  It was a cracker, Little had one disallowed too.  Went to Gt Yarmouth afterwards, a very memorable day out.

[Chris Smith]

I'm 99.9% certain it was 2-0

WW, you'r right it was2-0. Also, Gazza1982, the 5-3 was a Saturday- the 3rd game back in Divsion 1 having lost 2-1 at home to Leeds and 2-0 away to Man City. We didn't win at all away that season.

Your memory is letting you down, we lost to Leeds then the first away game was at QPR on the Tuesday night  1-1 draw. First win was at home to Man City, after the Norwich game.

[Bernie]

I'm 99.9% certain it was 2-0

WW, you'r right it was2-0. Also, Gazza1982, the 5-3 was a Saturday- the 3rd game back in Divsion 1 having lost 2-1 at home to Leeds and 2-0 away to Man City. We didn't win at all away that season.

Your memory is letting you down, we lost to Leeds then the first away game was at QPR on the Tuesday night  1-1 draw. First win was at home to Man City, after the Norwich game.

I'm sure you're right Chris. Maybe I'm getting the Man City match mixed up with another season, I'm sure I remember going of there on a warm August evening to see a 2-0 defeat- probably a year or two later.
Off to take my tablets before I forget.

[bertlambshank]

Look at the picture of the 1940's expansion plans for Villa Park.Damn you Hitler!   http://www.flickr.com/photos/28812435@N04/4343005519/in/photostream/