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Author Topic: Small Heath memories  (Read 13560 times)

Offline rim gk

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #60 on: November 06, 2017, 08:29:20 PM »
that seems exactly what was published in the meaning evil rim gk
that's where I got it from.

Offline castlefields_villan

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #61 on: December 07, 2017, 08:58:49 PM »
One thing that always surprises me is that I think we've only played them in the FA Cup twice and wasn't the last time about 1924?  Come on you stattos - help me out!

Every other big local derby, Merseyside, Manchester, North London, Glasgow and Edinburgh etc... sees their arch rivals drawn against each other now and then, and although we've played Wolves and the Baggies in the FA Cup a couple of times, but never played the rags in the 50 years I've been supporting The Villa - mind you is it just as well, just in case because of the unthinkable ???

Offline wittonwarrior

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #62 on: December 07, 2017, 09:12:07 PM »
You are not seriously suggesting that you want their number to come up more.  Be  grateful for small mercies.

Online LeeB

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #63 on: December 07, 2017, 09:18:29 PM »
You are not seriously suggesting that you want their number to come up more.  Be  grateful for small mercies.

Don't worry, they're doing their best to ensure we don't have to play them from next season.

Online usav

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #64 on: December 08, 2017, 07:54:27 PM »
One thing that always surprises me is that I think we've only played them in the FA Cup twice and wasn't the last time about 1924?  Come on you stattos - help me out!

One of us being knocked out in the 3rd round every year lowers the odds on that significantly.

Offline E I Adio

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #65 on: December 11, 2017, 11:01:10 PM »
When I was a teenager my best mate was a Blues fan, so we always went to a game every week, alternating between them and the Villa. I don't think that I've been to St. Andrews apart from the odd occasion over the years since the mid '60's when my mate suddenly discovered that his girlfriend was pregnant and "had to" get married rather swiftly and moved away. Maybe it's hard to believe these days, but what I do recall was the piss taking from the regular Blues fans because I was a Villa fan. The difference is that it was always in good humour and I never felt unsafe. It just seemed that we were all football fans who loved football wherever it was played. As others have said, the ground itself was pitiful, especially if it was raining and you were standing on a patch of terracing that was fairly empty, since you could be sure that it was one of several places where the roof had large holes in it.

Offline wittonwarrior

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #66 on: December 11, 2017, 11:20:47 PM »
The difference from then  and now  is that a lot of our bile was spared for Man  United.  We  were never bussom budies with Blues but it was somewhere to go for local fans if you didn't have the money to follow Villa away.

Offline dave shelley

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #67 on: December 12, 2017, 09:35:24 AM »
When I was a teenager my best mate was a Blues fan, so we always went to a game every week, alternating between them and the Villa. I don't think that I've been to St. Andrews apart from the odd occasion over the years since the mid '60's when my mate suddenly discovered that his girlfriend was pregnant and "had to" get married rather swiftly and moved away. Maybe it's hard to believe these days, but what I do recall was the piss taking from the regular Blues fans because I was a Villa fan. The difference is that it was always in good humour and I never felt unsafe. It just seemed that we were all football fans who loved football wherever it was played. As others have said, the ground itself was pitiful, especially if it was raining and you were standing on a patch of terracing that was fairly empty, since you could be sure that it was one of several places where the roof had large holes in it.

Pretty much how it was for me EIA.  Growing up in Sheldon there were a few Noses there.  I had one particular mate that was a Nose and I used to go a lot with him and you are right, it was perfectly safe.  The word banter has now achieved cliche status; but that's exactly what it was, banter and everyone there was there for the football.

My last visit to the sty was a third round FA Cup tie when they played non-league Wigan in 1978.  I'd got two tickets for their main stand for me and the old man but he wasn't feeling too well so football-hating Mrs S came with me.  My old man died a few days later.

Offline E I Adio

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #68 on: December 12, 2017, 02:57:53 PM »
When I was a teenager my best mate was a Blues fan, so we always went to a game every week, alternating between them and the Villa. I don't think that I've been to St. Andrews apart from the odd occasion over the years since the mid '60's when my mate suddenly discovered that his girlfriend was pregnant and "had to" get married rather swiftly and moved away. Maybe it's hard to believe these days, but what I do recall was the piss taking from the regular Blues fans because I was a Villa fan. The difference is that it was always in good humour and I never felt unsafe. It just seemed that we were all football fans who loved football wherever it was played. As others have said, the ground itself was pitiful, especially if it was raining and you were standing on a patch of terracing that was fairly empty, since you could be sure that it was one of several places where the roof had large holes in it.

Pretty much how it was for me EIA.  Growing up in Sheldon there were a few Noses there.  I had one particular mate that was a Nose and I used to go a lot with him and you are right, it was perfectly safe.  The word banter has now achieved cliche status; but that's exactly what it was, banter and everyone there was there for the football.

My last visit to the sty was a third round FA Cup tie when they played non-league Wigan in 1978.  I'd got two tickets for their main stand for me and the old man but he wasn't feeling too well so football-hating Mrs S came with me.  My old man died a few days later.

Thanks for that Dave, I have questioned myself from time to time, as to whether it really was like that, or did I have my rose tinted's on? It's reassuring that someone else can recall a similar experience. That being the case, I often wonder how, when and why we wound up hating each other instead of just enjoying the game.

Offline FranzBiberkopf

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #69 on: December 12, 2017, 03:36:21 PM »
I used to go down there with my Blue nose supporting mates on occasion when I couldn't make Villa away games. We're talking early 80s here. Primarily for the beer in the pub afterwards than the football on offer. But must admit, it was very much an 'undercover' operation as by the early 80s they most definitely hated us then.



Offline Pat McMahon

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #70 on: December 12, 2017, 06:49:01 PM »
I think it was in the late 70s it changed, by the time of their Apex mob, though it may have been slightly earlier.

Somebody on here once pointed out that in the 1975-76 season away game we had most (all?) of the Tilton and the Railway end was pretty mixed with no trouble during the game.

I recall a big mob of Blues coming down Trinity Rd towards the Holte after the March 1979 game - i think all the Villa had gone down Witton Lane towards the away end. That was the first time I saw them organised in a big mob at Villa Park

Online atomicjam

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #71 on: December 18, 2017, 12:50:01 PM »
Memories of being held in the Sty for a long time...

Behind the scenes on Birmingham derby day with football fans and police – video

https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2017/dec/18/football-fans-and-the-police-birmingham-city-aston-villa-video


Offline Walmley_Villa

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #72 on: December 18, 2017, 02:04:01 PM »
Memories of being held in the Sty for a long time...

Behind the scenes on Birmingham derby day with football fans and police – video

https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2017/dec/18/football-fans-and-the-police-birmingham-city-aston-villa-video



They really are the definition of arseholes

Offline Richard

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #73 on: December 20, 2017, 03:18:51 PM »
Similar to what Pat M says above I remember that 1979 game it was pouring down and afterwards they appeared at the top of the Aston Hall park slope and charged down towards the Holte.

Offline lennythekad

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Re: Small Heath memories
« Reply #74 on: December 20, 2017, 07:07:45 PM »
I remember it kicking off, half way up the Holte, on the right hand side, in the pre season friendly in August ‘71. I cant remember how many Small Heath there were.

 


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