Fond Memories of Games We Have Lost

[Damo70]

One of my favourite away trips was to Notts County in the nineties, terrible match, 0-0, summed up by Richardson and Staunton doing a free kick routine that involved them both running over the ball and leaving it to nobody. It absolutely lashed it down, it was freezing, there was a small turnout of Villa fans and we spent a lot of the time not actually watching the match but we had such a laugh. Also got hopelessly lost after the match but it's one of my fondest memories of watching Villa.

That Notts County game was the coldest I have ever been at a game, along with with a ZDS cup game against Forest at Villa Park one December (a Friday night just before Christmas I think). The wettest I have ever been at a game was at Huddersfield around the start of the season in 1987.

[WarszaVillan]

QF of the European Cup against Juventus. I was gutted, but it was a great game and atmosphere and was able to see the likes of Platini, Boniek and Zoff

[Damo70]

QF of the European Cup against Juventus. I was gutted, but it was a great game and atmosphere and was able to see the likes of Platini, Boniek and Zoff

I couldn't believe how many Juve fans were there. Legend has it that every Italian restaurant in England was closed that night. My abiding memory is of Rossi's early goal and the whole of the Witton Lane stand celebrating.

Also, if I remember right as well as Platini and Boniek who had both got to the World Cup semi finals with France and Poland a few months before they had Zoff, Gentile, Cabrini, Scirea, Tardelli and Rossi from the winning Italian team and Bettaga who had loads of Italy caps but I think missed out on that final.

[Godfrey Brian]

We lost 1-2 to Leeds at home in our first game back in Division One in 1975. I'd never seen us in the top league before, my formative years being spent witnessing our descent and return from Division 3. I can still remember my disbelief at seeing Villa amongst the Div One fixtures.Leeds were a good side then but we held our own heralding a great few years. Think one of theirs was a penalty. Looking back it was great to see Charlie Aitken in the team having stuck with us through the tough times.

[Nev]

One of my favourite away trips was to Notts County in the nineties, terrible match, 0-0, summed up by Richardson and Staunton doing a free kick routine that involved them both running over the ball and leaving it to nobody. It absolutely lashed it down, it was freezing, there was a small turnout of Villa fans and we spent a lot of the time not actually watching the match but we had such a laugh. Also got hopelessly lost after the match but it's one of my fondest memories of watching Villa.

That Notts County game was the coldest I have ever been at a game, along with with a ZDS cup game against Forest at Villa Park one December (a Friday night just before Christmas I think). The wettest I have ever been at a game was at Huddersfield around the start of the season in 1987.

Yep, Meadow Lane that night remains the coldest I've ever been at a game. Wasn't that the night your cousin turned up in shirt sleeves and was let into the seats from the open terrace in a desperate but rather fruitless attempt to get warm?

[Rudy65]

We lost 1-2 to Leeds at home in our first game back in Division One in 1975. I'd never seen us in the top league before, my formative years being spent witnessing our descent and return from Division 3. I can still remember my disbelief at seeing Villa amongst the Div One fixtures.Leeds were a good side then but we held our own heralding a great few years. Think one of theirs was a penalty. Looking back it was great to see Charlie Aitken in the team having stuck with us through the tough times.

And we even scored first

[Rudy65]

Villa 2 Liverpool 4 in 1982 - 3 down in no time, back to 2-3 at half time, battered their goal in the 2nd half before a late Ian Rush goal ended our comeback - but a great game from what I recall.

We technically beat Athletico Madrid on the night (2-1) but lost on away goals in 1998 - but what an occasion.

The 4 two defeat against Liverpool in 98 was a cracking game as well. Fowler hat trick and Stan sent off

[TopDeck113]

I'm also going to say the European Cup home leg against Juventus.  There are many layers to my memories of that match and what it means, some of which I've mentioned before.  However, in purely footballing terms, the fact that for a fifteen minute spell leading up to Sid's equalizer my club as Champions of Europe bossed a team comprising half the previous summer's World Cup winning team - plus in Platini arguably the best European player of his generation - remains a summit I doubt I will ever see us stand on again.     

[Damo70]

One of my favourite away trips was to Notts County in the nineties, terrible match, 0-0, summed up by Richardson and Staunton doing a free kick routine that involved them both running over the ball and leaving it to nobody. It absolutely lashed it down, it was freezing, there was a small turnout of Villa fans and we spent a lot of the time not actually watching the match but we had such a laugh. Also got hopelessly lost after the match but it's one of my fondest memories of watching Villa.

That Notts County game was the coldest I have ever been at a game, along with with a ZDS cup game against Forest at Villa Park one December (a Friday night just before Christmas I think). The wettest I have ever been at a game was at Huddersfield around the start of the season in 1987.

Yep, Meadow Lane that night remains the coldest I've ever been at a game. Wasn't that the night your cousin turned up in shirt sleeves and was let into the seats from the open terrace in a desperate but rather fruitless attempt to get warm?

I was a bit slow on the uptake reading your post. I was going to say I have never attended a game with any of my cousins but then it clicked that you were talking about the fascinating character who is married to my cousin. I can't claim to remember that incident at all but firstly I trust your memory and secondly it very much sounds like something he would do.

I used to love it when, during the period of several months he decided to join us on away trips he would disappear to the toilet and come back with his 'war stories' about all the aggro he had witnessed in the five minutes he had been gone for. Usually with the line "It's going off everywhere" when the rest of us had neither seen nor sensed any trouble whatsoever.

[SoccerHQ]

Villa 2 Liverpool 4 in 1982 - 3 down in no time, back to 2-3 at half time, battered their goal in the 2nd half before a late Ian Rush goal ended our comeback - but a great game from what I recall.

We technically beat Athletico Madrid on the night (2-1) but lost on away goals in 1998 - but what an occasion.

We had a similar match at home to Liverpool in the late 90s. Were top of the league at the time. Fowler scored a hat-trick, Dion got two and should've got his own treble but had a penalty saved by David James and Collymore got sent off for trying to snap in half Steve Harkness.

[ADVILLAFAN]

European game against Celta Vigo played at the Hawthorns was a good laugh. Referee didn’t seem to know any of the rules and even blew up for full time with 85 minutes played.

[The Left Side]

European game against Celta Vigo played at the Hawthorns was a good laugh. Referee didn’t seem to know any of the rules and even blew up for full time with 85 minutes played.

Never seen that game, is it on youtube?

[ADVILLAFAN]

God knows, have a feeling that Benni McCarthy scored for them.

Players kept being sent off seemingly at random, often when they were the ones that were fouled.

[Pat McMahon]

I hated it at the time, but being one of the few (5,595) at Selhurst Park on Easter Monday 1987 when Charlton beat us 3-0 and as good as relegated us has in hindsight become my badge of honour/I was there game .

Jesus, the crowd was that low? I was there too and thar was the worst I had ever seen us play given how shit our opponents were. Wigan 0-3 at home in 2012 was eerily similar.

[Dave P]

Liverpool in the cup in 2002.

Just before xmas and didn't kick off until 9pm due to huge queues for ticket collection. It was a really good game aswell, think we lost 3-4 after extra time.

It didn’t go to extra time but it finished that late, it just seemed like it did!