Quote from: TopDeck113 on September 27, 2019, 08:20:17 PMQuote from: GXVilla on September 27, 2019, 11:07:26 AM Nadir must have been mid 80's as you can't really count the pre-division 3 days. My guess would be a few trips to Newcastle.I was at St James's in the 86/87 relegation season and it was bloody freezing! I've just found this on YouTube and there was more there than I remember (I think I can spot my brother when we equalize, but not me or my mate - and we were were standing together.) At the end, we were kept in for ages and then asked how we were getting home. A number of us said by train and we were given a lift back to Newcastle Central Station in the back of a police transit. That sounds spookily similar to a trip there at the end of the 1976/77 season when it felt like there were maybe a few dozen, if even that, of Villa fans there, and a handful of us were given a lift back to the station in the back of a police van. In contrast it was warm May day, and from memory we lost, 2-1(?).
Quote from: GXVilla on September 27, 2019, 11:07:26 AM Nadir must have been mid 80's as you can't really count the pre-division 3 days. My guess would be a few trips to Newcastle.I was at St James's in the 86/87 relegation season and it was bloody freezing! I've just found this on YouTube and there was more there than I remember (I think I can spot my brother when we equalize, but not me or my mate - and we were were standing together.) At the end, we were kept in for ages and then asked how we were getting home. A number of us said by train and we were given a lift back to Newcastle Central Station in the back of a police transit.
Nadir must have been mid 80's as you can't really count the pre-division 3 days. My guess would be a few trips to Newcastle.
Did we ever have to play at Luton during their away fans ban ?
I went to Luton when the away fans ban was in force (1992?). There seemed to be a few of us dotted around the ground that day.
One that sticks in my mind was Boro away in the Simod Cup of Zenith Data Systems Cup (I forget which) under SGT. It was the second leg of the semi final which we lost. From memory, there wasn't many of us there at all.
There was a bit in the programme on Saturday that our record low following is one! Plymouth away in December 1960, in a 4th round replay of the League Cup!
Quote from: TheTimVilla on September 30, 2019, 10:49:11 AMThere was a bit in the programme on Saturday that our record low following is one! Plymouth away in December 1960, in a 4th round replay of the League Cup!How can they be so sure ?1) Nearly all games then were cash at the gate with no away section turnstiles or segregation.2) Were the other 11,005 people in the ground really all Plymouth or neutrals ?3) The game finished 0-0. How can they be sure more away fans went to the second replay a few weeks later ? Maybe it was the same person but this time he got a friend to come along as well ?
Quote from: Bernie on September 28, 2019, 08:01:29 PMQuote from: TopDeck113 on September 27, 2019, 08:20:17 PMQuote from: GXVilla on September 27, 2019, 11:07:26 AM Nadir must have been mid 80's as you can't really count the pre-division 3 days. My guess would be a few trips to Newcastle.I was at St James's in the 86/87 relegation season and it was bloody freezing! I've just found this on YouTube and there was more there than I remember (I think I can spot my brother when we equalize, but not me or my mate - and we were were standing together.) At the end, we were kept in for ages and then asked how we were getting home. A number of us said by train and we were given a lift back to Newcastle Central Station in the back of a police transit. That sounds spookily similar to a trip there at the end of the 1976/77 season when it felt like there were maybe a few dozen, if even that, of Villa fans there, and a handful of us were given a lift back to the station in the back of a police van. In contrast it was warm May day, and from memory we lost, 2-1(?).It wasn't just us. I remember us relegating Newcastle at a midweek home game around 1978-79. We won 2-0 IIRC.They had a transit van of fans come down for the game and the following day the Evening Mail ran a story on how the dozen or so blokes had their petrol money covered by their players as a gesture of thanks.When the Trinity enclosure became seating around 1972 my dad switched us to the Witton end, to the left of the goal. Many teams brought very small turnouts. With no roof, you usually couldn't hear them either, even stood in the same end. The only time we would switch to the Holte was for Blues and Man U. Liverpool never filled the Witton End - I was there for the 1975-76 0-0 and the 1976-77 5-1 and i reckon the Witton End was probably 50% Villa
I wonder how many fans we took to Reykjavik, Berlin and Kiev, the last of which was moved to Simferopol in the Crimea.
As others have said, plenty of small followings around 1984.Percy and Dave W probably remember details/matches.