Royal Antwerp 4-1 Aston Villa - September 17th 1975

[Villafirst]

I went to our first game in Europe all those years ago as a young teenager. The first 27 minutes Villa were doing well, then we were blitzed by 4 goals in the space of 14 minutes! 4-0 down at Half-time with the tie effectively over. Ray Graydon scored with an angled drive in the Second half as a consolation. A chap called Karl Kodat was our nemesis in that First half with a hat-trick.
All the Villa fans there were stunned that night. We lost the 2nd leg 0-1 with Kodat scoring again. Nonetheless a great experience for us fans who attended our first foray into Europe.
Anyone else on here who went?

[West Derby Villan]

Yeah I went, my overriding memory of the match was when we all screamed at Jim Cumbes to get back on his line when they had a free kick.....he didn't....they scored. After the match we met up with other Villa fans in a bar, where the locals bought us drinks all night. Finally I went walkabout to clear my head and stumbled into another bar which was being used by all the players. Absolute dream come true drinking and singing with Giddy!

[Villafirst]

Yes, I remember that positional error by Cumbes! We could all forsee the inevitable!

[Pat McMahon]

Didn't Louis Van Gaal play for Antwerp that night?

I have a vague recollection of the police or ferry company sending a letter to the Villa after the game complimenting the club on the behaviour of the 1500 or so fans that went over - this at a time when English fans often played up in Europe

[Villafirst]

Didn't Louis Van Gaal play for Antwerp that night?

I have a vague recollection of the police or ferry company sending a letter to the Villa after the game complimenting the club on the behaviour of the 1500 or so fans that went over - this at a time when English fans often played up in Europe

Yes, you're correct Van Gaal lined up for them that night.
I still have the match programme somewhere in my loft -  I think this is quite rare and sought after?

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Went to this with my Mom & Dad and Ray Graydons neighbour on the Dover-Ostend ferry. I would have been 18 and had passed my test so did all the driving ( a nice big Ford Granada) so the old man could kip in the back. Pre M25 days so it would have been straight through the middle of London with the scarves out the window the whole way.
I thought we had a few more than 1500 there, maybe twice that number but we can have a tendency to exaggerate this things.
I've got 3/4 copies of the programme. A large red and white cover on cheap paper with something resembling an owl on the front.
It was a shame that our first ever European adventure was effectively over after 45 minutes, but things did get a bit better over the next 7 years or so.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

[pooligan]

I went to that match .What a nightmare Not only was we thrashed but on the way back to the railway station after the game ,a group of us were attacked by a couple of car loads of youths.Feared the worst but was lucky i just had my scarf nicked ,a couple of guys were stabbed .I decided  that night never to wear any Villa gear to a away match ever again

[Flamingo Lane]

Didn't Louis Van Gaal play for Antwerp that night?

I have a vague recollection of the police or ferry company sending a letter to the Villa after the game complimenting the club on the behaviour of the 1500 or so fans that went over - this at a time when English fans often played up in Europe

Yes, correct on both counts.  The letter to the Villa from the police or ferry company was published in a match day programme.

As for the tie itself, I went to the home game (0-1 I think) and we were never really in it.  I do remember going out in the first round being a major disappointment at the time - and not what we expected.

[wittonwarrior]

its so easy its so easy to win the UEFA cup - really!

I was a year or two too young to travel.  Was the youngest on the trips to Turkey and Poland though in 77.

[Pat McMahon]

its so easy its so easy to win the UEFA cup - really!

I was a year or two too young to travel.  Was the youngest on the trips to Turkey and Poland though in 77.

A former poster on here called Sunny Villa from Sutton I think posted once about the trip to Fenerbahce. He travelled independently and ran out of cash and it took him 6 weeks to get home. I’d love to hear the full story to that one.

[steamer]

I could write a chapter on the away game, but have to protect some who are still living.
Ditto the Turkey game

[villa `cross the mersey]

I was there ! We we marched through the City centre at rush hour  bringing the place to a standstill - the locals feared the worst but our lads behaved . The comments from the ferry company and locals in Dover were featured in the Daily Mirror letters page - I've still got the cutting of it.
We were very naive on our first European trip and  many  of us thought we would cakewalk the second leg at Villa Park

[wittonwarrior]

Seeing your mates in the suite after games they need locking up for their own protection even that ching one. See a lot of them made Germany at the weekend

[West Derby Villan]

We stayed in Ostend drinking the night before only to be woke early the next morning by Villa chants coming from the street outside, probably not polite but as we had an early train to catch, a welcome alarm call. It was quite comforting as well because, up to the moment, we hadn't met any other Villans. Confidence was restored as we met other Antwerp-bound at the station.