1982 Civic Reception

[PeterWithesShin]

click me

[nigel]

Ahh, remember it well. Got some photos of the day somewhere.

[WarszaVillan]

Was a great day. Funny to see the fans singing Nigel Spinks and not Spink and the fans singing 'Walk on'. At that time it was more than a Liverpool song but was like the anthem of the champions.

[castlefields_villan]

A tremendous afternoon, I seem to remember Peter Withe taking over the show and introducing the players - I also remember him rolling his trouser leg up and saying "and this is the shin".

[Big Dick Edwards]

Can anyone confirm how soon after 26th May this civic reception was held? I missed it and I'm sure it was because I was still on my way home from Rotterdam!

[FrankyH]

I think it was pretty quick, went to the League Champions reception , but didn't go to this one as I think we had not long got back from Rotterdam.Flight back to Luton airport , so anyone on the boat would have been even later.

[Big Dick Edwards]

I think it was pretty quick, went to the League Champions reception , but didn't go to this one as I think we had not long got back from Rotterdam.Flight back to Luton airport , so anyone on the boat would have been even later.

That explains it - I went by coach and ferry! Cheers mate.

[wittonwarrior]

Think all the Ferry crew missed the parade.  This  remains the biggest Villa  Occasion that I have missed (the Civic 82) in my lifetime.

Unfortunately it is common place to hold parades immediately when teams arrive home, little thought has ever been given to the travelling fans, no matter what the team.

I am still smiling as was at OT, Highbury and Rotterdam (probably our biggest three games since the mid 70's when I became an avid  fan.  Love the Villa.

[castlefields_villan]

I seem to remember it being on the Friday afternoon after the match.  I went by train and boat (and coach on the continent) and I was back in time for the reception at the town hall.

[Pat McMahon]

I seem to remember it being on the Friday afternoon after the match.  I went by train and boat (and coach on the continent) and I was back in time for the reception at the town hall.

It was definitely the Friday.

I have mentioned before but I was at university in Sheffield and had an exam the day of the final. I managed to cajole them to letting me sit it on the Friday morning so did Rotterdam on the official coaches, leaving the stadium an hour after the final whistle and getting into Brum on the Thursday morning. I caught a train up to Sheffield and had the exam on the Friday morning, before doing an evening return on the train on the Friday night for the town hall shenanigans. I think I was dead all weekend after that.

[Bernie]

I seem to remember it being on the Friday afternoon after the match.  I went by train and boat (and coach on the continent) and I was back in time for the reception at the town hall.

Sounds about right, my travel sounds about the same as yours and I was definitely at the reception. I had a feeling I went straight to the reception from arriving back at New St, but could easily be wrong about that.

[castlefields_villan]

I seem to remember it being on the Friday afternoon after the match.  I went by train and boat (and coach on the continent) and I was back in time for the reception at the town hall.

Sounds about right, my travel sounds about the same as yours and I was definitely at the reception. I had a feeling I went straight to the reception from arriving back at New St, but could easily be wrong about that.

I got back to New Street Station around 4pm on the Thursday I seem to remember, our coach from the stadium, got to Dunkerque around 3.00am - 4.00am and we had just missed the last ferry of the night.  (There wasn't another until something like 8.00am so we dossed down in the ferry complex).  I remember being woken around 7.00am by an angry voice on the tanoi clearly unhappy at seeing all these football fans sprawled across the concourse - but bare in mind we'd had no sleep for two nights as we were way too excited to sleep on the train heading overnight on the Tuesday to Holland.

I'd actually arranged to pick up a new car on my return, so I went to where I'd parked my old one, dropped one of the lads off I'd gone with at his flat and made my way to pick up my new car - goodness only knows how I made it back to Great Barr that afternoon.

I'll never forget my mum waiting for me and both of us were close to tears when I walked in the door (after proudly locking up the new car she'd help me choose the weekend before).  There on the settee was a copy of the Mail (Villa - Kings of Europe and a picture of Dennis holding the trophy) and clearly remember emotionally saying "last night was an occasion I will NEVER EVER forget."

The FA Cup Final replay between Spurs & QPR was that evening, and I was falling asleep watching it.  I'd only booked the Wednesday and Thursday off work and so should've been in on the Friday and yet I'm not sure if I went or not - but I clearly remember being at the celebration around 5pm ? at the Town Hall and Peter Withe, quite rightly stealing the show.  "This is the shin"

[Godfrey Brian]

It definitely took place in the early evening of the Friday following the final. My itinerary was Wednesday Rotterdam, Thursday -back home by coach, quick wash and out to a mates stag do, Friday morning crawled back home, another quick freshen up and back to work and straight on to the civic reception. Following 34 years -trying to convince myself that the first of those days actually happened!

[castlefields_villan]

Yes, it was a lot to take in at the time and perhaps it's only a lot later that you appreciate the magnitude of the achievement.

It still never ceases me as was the case with winning the league a year earlier that I was convinced the next few years would be littered with major success again.