2011-12 versus 1990-91, 1994-95, 2002-03 and 2005-06

[Rip Van We Go Again]

but for me the most worrying season (before this one) has been 2003 when we couldn't buy a goal before Allback scored a few vital goals.

Weimann seems to be the 2012 remix of Allback.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I remember being well and truly gutted when BFR got the sack, Still one of my favorite managers, liked in his autobiography when he said that Ellis knew the stand was called the doug ellis stand because he was behind it

[Risso]

There was a school of thought that said that Fashanu was only signed so he could be closer to Central TV and his Gladiators commitments.

The writing was on the wall for Atkinson after we'd won the League Cup.  We hardly won a game for the rest of the season, and started the next in really bad form.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I remember being well and truly gutted when BFR got the sack, Still one of my favorite managers, liked in his autobiography when he said that Ellis knew the stand was called the doug ellis stand because he was behind it

There was a myth flying around (that I wish was true) about a board meeting, Ellis says
'Next point of business, the naming of the new stand...... i'll just pop outside for a bit.'

[Fuse]

This season seems an awful lot like the 02-03 season where there was an acceptance that we were in decline having had  period from 1995-2001 if consistently looking like we could avhieve things. DOug had pulled the purse strings on JG and SGT had come in and in fairness produced results like the two against SH that season.

The Marcus Alback winner agsinst Sunderland was a massive goal for us and I only hope we get a similar massive goal from soemone tomorrow night to finally nail us as being safe.

Common theme though was the apathy and generla acceptnace of us being also rans which for a proud club like ours is very hard to take as a supporter

[not3bad]

This season seems an awful lot like the 02-03 season where there was an acceptance that we were in decline having had  period from 1995-2001 if consistently looking like we could avhieve things. DOug had pulled the purse strings on JG and SGT had come in and in fairness produced results like the two against SH that season.

The Marcus Alback winner agsinst Sunderland was a massive goal for us and I only hope we get a similar massive goal from soemone tomorrow night to finally nail us as being safe.

Common theme though was the apathy and generla acceptnace of us being also rans which for a proud club like ours is very hard to take as a supporter

If we are safe, I wonder if Mcleish will address the crowd after the Spurs match.

[cheltenhamlion]

If we are safe by the Spurs game I think he might cop for a shitstorm from the home support.

[Walmley_Villa]

As it happened we only stayed ahead of Boro who went down because we got a dying seconds equaliser against them at Villa Park. If that hadn't gone in our memories of Sir Graham, and the history of our club, could have been very different.

Stuart Gray?

[not3bad]

If we are safe by the Spurs game I think he might cop for a shitstorm from the home support.

I remember empty season ticket books being thrown at David O'Leary.  Considering what we're hearing about people not renewing they might as well lob their season cards.

[Legion]

Big Fat Ron spent more time in the TV studio than at Villa Park or Bodymoor Heath toward the end of his reign, I seem to remember he was commentating on a Tuesday night midweek cup game & was fired the following morning.

I remember him going to commentate on the 94 World Cup, and us thinking "who's he going to buy us who he scouts out there?".

John Fashanu

Not to mention only adding Nil Lamptey and Phil King.

That Summer of poor transfers did for him in the end.

Phil King was ace:

"You beauty!"

[Pat McMahon]

As it happened we only stayed ahead of Boro who went down because we got a dying seconds equaliser against them at Villa Park. If that hadn't gone in our memories of Sir Graham, and the history of our club, could have been very different.

Stuart Gray?

Walmley, I think you are right that it was Stuart Gray scrambling one in at the Holte in the dying seconds of the game. I had travelled back from Paris overnight for this one (night train then National Express from Victoria ) and was out on my feet after a couple of beers. A few days later we lost 2-1 at home to Southampton and I honestly thought we were doomed.

As Richard E says above, sir GT's time here could have been cut short at the end of that season.

For me 2002-03 was the biggest disappointment of the above because we had had a few decent seasons on the trot, and suddenly we were very, very average (at best). It hurt to see Graham Taylor past his best and being abused by Villa fans, and Blues also finished above us in their first season back - I think I read that year they had only finished above us 16 times in their history, but not too sure of that fact.

2005-6 probably generated the most apathy at the club, but even this could not match the misery of 1986-7, which was too shit to be true. To this day I have annual Easter Monday nightmares about getting thrashed 3-0 by an an utterly shit Charlton at the dung heap that is Selhurst Park.

[Steve67]

This is a worse Villa team than any of those named above.  I think most of us had faith in GT, even though it went sour (at least we did when he was appointed). DOL was poor but not as bad at the current incumbent.  BFR, never a dull moment, whereas now, just dull.

[Fergal]

I also think the consequences of getting relegated are far worse now than 20 years ago.

[garyshawsknee]

I remember in the summer of 90,and we didn't buy a single player,though we bought Stas later on,and this was after the 89/90 season,which was a great team effort,but it would be hard for a lot of those players to recapture that form again.

  If we would have added to the squad,we may have had another chance of being near the top,in the end,Platt pretty much kept us up single handed.

[Phil from the upper holte]

If we are safe by the Spurs game I think he might cop for a shitstorm from the home support.

I remember empty season ticket books being thrown at David O'Leary.  Considering what we're hearing about people not renewing they might as well lob their season cards.

Sir Graham got boo'd god knows what would happen to mcleish