The only way that works though is if less Wolves fans turned up to watch them play us than did to watch them play Boro which is highly unlikely.
Quote from: PeterWithesShin on October 23, 2019, 01:34:39 PMThe only way that works though is if less Wolves fans turned up to watch them play us than did to watch them play Boro which is highly unlikely.Or it could be that the official attendance announced was a load of bollocks, as often happened in those days, allegedly, as a tax fiddle.Out of interest, when did you stop being able to just turn up on the day and expect to get in, when did all ticket matches start?
Those games at Notts County in 1972 and at Blackpool and Sheffield Wednesday in 1975 sit comfortably in my top 10 Villa games, so I have done a bit of research.The official attendance (gate) at Notts County was 34,208. This was for a game between two teams at the top of the table. County's attendances for their two home league games before the Villa game were 12,351 and 12,375. For their next home league game after Villa, a local derby v Chesterfield, the gate was 14,701. From this think it would be fairly safe to say that the Villa support would have numbered reasonably close to 20,000 (I suspect the gates were locked at this game, denying access to casual latecomers who wouldn't have expected away fans in such numbers).For Sheffield Wednesday on 23 April 1975, a midweek game, Wednesday had been relegated several weeks before this game, they had had a truly woeful season and their home league attendances prior to the Villa game had been 7,444, 7,483, 8,505, 8,171 and 8,492. The gate against Villa was 23,605. From this I think it would be reasonable to conclude that there were around 15,000 Villa at that game.I haven't done the Blackpool research yet.
Boxing Day games and local derbies were always thus. I was at the Albion game on Boxing Day 1973, and I can assure you there weren't 32,000 Villa there, just as I'm sure there won't have been 18,000 Villa at Swansea on Boxing Day 1971. For the Notts County and Sheffield Wednesday games though, I think the pattern of home attendances around the time of those games, plus the circumstances outlined in my post, would present a pretty accurate indication of how many we'd have taken to those two games.
Quote from: sid1964 on October 23, 2019, 08:26:06 AMBlues away boxing day 82, and Wolves away the year we won the league! obviously Highbury was the ultimate away following for me.Boxing Day 1982 was a toxic atmosphere. We were behind the goal opposite the railway end. Noel Blake got loads of "Villa reject" chants and stick from the Villa fans and then scored and gave us the V sign. There was a big picture of him doing it in the Evening Mail the next day alongside the headline 'Rejects Revenge". Jimmy Rimmer was dropped and never played for us again after that game. I think Blake got the first goal and Handysides got the third but for the life of me I can't recall who their other goalscorer was that day.
Blues away boxing day 82, and Wolves away the year we won the league! obviously Highbury was the ultimate away following for me.
There weren't far off 20k at the Hawthorns that day as we had all of the Smethwick end and a big contingent in the seats.Plenty of Wolves in the South Bank so probably a few less than 15k there.Villa were a big draw in those days so home crowds were swelled as well as the huge Villa followings.Notts Co away still one of my favourite away days.Our support was huge, and very loud that day. Coventry away in 1977 we massively outnumbered the home support. We were everywhere in the ground. Same story for Hillsborough 75.Some of the followings at the Blues, particularly our relegation year 1970, and 1975-76 were enormous but they shouldn't count.In terms of numbers divided by miles travelled then Rotterdam and Highbury must win!Fantastic memories.
Quote from: Damo70 on October 23, 2019, 04:56:04 PMQuote from: sid1964 on October 23, 2019, 08:26:06 AMBlues away boxing day 82, and Wolves away the year we won the league! obviously Highbury was the ultimate away following for me.Boxing Day 1982 was a toxic atmosphere. We were behind the goal opposite the railway end. Noel Blake got loads of "Villa reject" chants and stick from the Villa fans and then scored and gave us the V sign. There was a big picture of him doing it in the Evening Mail the next day alongside the headline 'Rejects Revenge". Jimmy Rimmer was dropped and never played for us again after that game. I think Blake got the first goal and Handysides got the third but for the life of me I can't recall who their other goalscorer was that day. Mick Ferguson.
I was one of the million at Highbury and Rotterdam. The Highbury game was my greatest experience of following the Villa...ever! Just beats Rotterdam. It was a day when I'm sure I experienced most human emotions all rolled up together in the space of an hour and a half. I never, ever thought I would see my beloved Villa win the first division title and just ten years earlier we'd been in the third division. A tremendous, wonderful day. The joy of being with tens of thousands of Villa fans both at Highbury and on foreign shores at Rotterdam has never been surpassed.