Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: lennythekad on November 17, 2010, 09:27:55 PM
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Does anybody remember in the 70's at some away games, a mob from a rival team of Villa's opponents, would turn up looking for aggro with us or our opponents of the day?.
Some of the one's I can recall were,
Tranmere, Friday night, in 71/2, a mob of Liverpool patrolling the terraces looking for Villa fans to batter.
Bradford City in 71/2, there was a train strike, so no specials ran, cutting our numbers travelling. Just as we got of the Harpers coach, a mob of Leeds chased us down the road. Lot of fighting in the enclosure that day.
Huddersfield 72/3, the same mob of Leeds were siding with Villa that day.
Sunderland 72/3, About 20 Newcastle surrounding about four of us at the away end. They were looking for a scrap with the mackems and were ok with us initially, but turned nasty towards the end of the game, at which point we melted into the crowd!.
Oxford 72/3(?). We "took" their end at the Manor Ground, but a mob, I think were Arsenal, were with the Oxford lot and ran us out of their end onto the pitch. The game kicked off at 10 past three as a result.
Fulham 73/4, a Millwall fan had been stabbed the week before at VP, so a load of them were waiting in the park, behind the ground, to have a go at Villa fans on the way back to Putney Bridge
Hartlepool 74/5, night game in the League Cup. M'boro crew, claiming early doors "we'se with youse", but then turning on Villa fans towards the end.
Anybody got any others?
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Preston 1st game of the Third Division Championship season, Burnley fans on our side to have a pop at Preston fans. Oldham when we won 0-5, big battle in the Oldham end that was won by Man U fans. Port Vale on a wet Tuesday night 4-4, had a right set to with Stoke fans. I was at the Bradford and Fulham games you speak of and remember it well
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The Liverpool mob that jumped on me suddenly near the halfway line at Tranmere during the first half that Friday night back in 1971/72 were largely 12-year-olds. I was staggering about like the Hunchback of Notre Dame with about 8 of the little cretins on top of me trying to tug my 1961 home-knitted Villa scarf off my necks.
I saw Pongo himself behind the main stand before the match!
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Preston 1st game of the Third Division Championship season, Burnley fans on our side to have a pop at Preston fans. Oldham when we won 0-5, big battle in the Oldham end that was won by Man U fans. Port Vale on a wet Tuesday night 4-4, had a right set to with Stoke fans. I was at the Bradford and Fulham games you speak of and remember it well
Now I'm going to really picky so apologies, but........I've a feeling that the Preston game was the first one back in Div 2 at the start of 72/73, in fact I think Preston were promoted along with Fulham in our first, unsuccessful, season in the 3rd. The Oldham game was actually 0-6- I also remember it being a bit tasty on the terraces but not caring because of the score. I was at the Port Vale 4-4 game too (I think we threw away a 4-2 lead) but am almost certain it was a Saturday afternoon as i wasn't yet going to night matches.
If I'm wrong I'll be happy to be corrected. Well a bit happy maybe....
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You're correct on all three points Bernie. I didn't want to be the one to pick braders up!. I think us old un's can let the odd factual error go, whilst wallowing in nostalgia.
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Other " mobs " turning up ? Hahaha ! Imagine this scenario. Some of you may have been there too. Aston Villa v Bristol Rovers was the game and i think it was a Third Division saturday 3 oclock kick off. I had a paper round and a Holte End season ticket. At the time the Holte capacity was about 27,000 and crowds seemed, to my young eyes, to be flocking to Villa Park. I got to this game at about 1 oclock. I used to love watching the ground filling up. When i got in about 200 ish Rovers fans had taken the Holte. Gradually the Holte filled up and Villa fans inevitably got closer and closer to the gasheads. At ten to three i guess the Villa fans arriving from the pubs, and not wanting to share the Holte, took umbridge and chased them away down the long stairs at the back of the stand. They emerged in the corner of the Witton road by the old pylon and the programme shop with a baying mob of Villa close behind. Rovers ran to the Witton End and were never heard of again.
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That was pretty common back then, and often it was what social scientists would call highly ritualised. I used to always be in the ground by 1.30, if not earlier.
I remember quite a few games where the opposing fans would congregate at the bottom Holte and do what was known as the Millwall clap, and then advance up towards the back of the stand. They would usually be removed at some point.
A night cup game against Sperms when we played brilliantly but lost 4-1, was one exception. They had a portion of the Holte for the whole game, and the chant was "hiding behind the coppers".
Small Heath had half the Holte for one game as well: that was when there were coins flying around for the whole game and you could hear them pinging of the steel struts.
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Cardiff away 73ish, quite a few Bristol City with us
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Cardiff away 73ish, quite a few Bristol City with us
That would be the day when Billy Kellock came out after half-time winding the Villa fans up and a police inspector threatened to spray us with a fire hose when we jeered at him. All very edifying.
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Cardiff away 73ish, quite a few Bristol City with us
That would be the day when Billy Kellock came out after half-time winding the Villa fans up and a police inspector threatened to spray us with a fire hose when we jeered at him. All very edifying.
No recollection of that to be honest, I remember we won the game 2-0 and that there was a lot of trouble but not much else
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The other way around I remember going to Wolves to have a go at Man Utd (may have been a Cup game) after an incident at VP earlier in the season when the Villa chaplain was assaulted on Witton Lane (that was the tale anyway). It really is laughable now isn't it? I'm glad most of us grew up!
WW
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There was a game at Villa Park against Bristol (City) in the late 70's/early 80's where a load of noses turned up, due to their game being called off. They stood with the few Bristol fans that had traveled up in the North Stand. After making a bit of noise for half an hour, they all pissed off, leaving about 10 remaining fans in the enclosure.
It was rumoured years ago that Chelsea used to come up to the Sty to help them out when the Villa crossed the city.
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There was a game at Villa Park against Bristol (City) in the late 70's/early 80's where a load of noses turned up, due to their game being called off. They stood with the few Bristol fans that had traveled up in the North Stand. After making a bit of noise for half an hour, they all pissed off, leaving about 10 remaining fans in the enclosure.
It was rumoured years ago that Chelsea used to come up to the Sty to help them out when the Villa crossed the city.
I remember that Mark - there were always rumours that the Noses were turning up - usually rubbish of course. Remember at Od Trafford in the '77 replay replay when everyone was waiting for the Reds to arrive? Villa and Everton vs the Mancs - never occured of course, these things seldom did.
As for Chelsea - we do seem to have had some run-ins with them over the years. Their NF affiliations never helped in my eyes and I remember Villa and Wolves travelling together from Stourbridge to have a go at them in Digbeth when our matches were called off. That was politics not football though.
Should be fun if QPR get promoted as well...
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Chester at Sealand Rd in the League cup 74/75. Quite a few Everton and Liverpool with them
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I was standing on this dirt mound at the Shay in 1971 watching us lose to Halifax. I overheard this old guy in a cloth cap whisper to his mate that his first love was Rotherham.
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I remember that Mark - there were always rumours that the Noses were turning up - usually rubbish of course.
I remember they did turn up at an away match with Coventry, would have been mid to late eighties.
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I remember that Mark - there were always rumours that the Noses were turning up - usually rubbish of course.
I remember they did turn up at an away match with Coventry, would have been mid to late eighties.
I also remember getting off the train from Cov at New St in the late 80s with Blose waiting at the station.
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I remember that Mark - there were always rumours that the Noses were turning up - usually rubbish of course.
I remember they did turn up at an away match with Coventry, would have been mid to late eighties.
I also remember getting off the train from Cov at New St in the late 80s with Blose waiting at the station.
Yeah I remember that one, we were pushed out the back way of New Street and they were all by the theatre chucking stuff.
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I remember that Mark - there were always rumours that the Noses were turning up - usually rubbish of course.
I remember they did turn up at an away match with Coventry, would have been mid to late eighties.
I also remember getting off the train from Cov at New St in the late 80s with Blose waiting at the station.
That is the game i immediately thought of when i saw this thread.
We were playing away at Coventry, and Blose were there early and had been jumping any groups of Villa that got off the trains and had started the walk to the ground through that maze of subways, i think they fecked off before the real crowds turned up.
Also in the 80's, Blose used to do their regular cowardly trick of ambushing Villa supporters getting off coaches after away games, at the Rotunda, they would run out of the pub after the coach had pulled away to bully anyone getting off.
The anticipation of not knowing if you were getting your head kicked in, in your own city, after coming home from an away ground, ahh the memories!
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I remember the last game of the season can't remember the year when chelsea came on the pitch and then we came on aswell then they sort of charged us and they also broke the crossbar.
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Huddersfield 72/3, the same mob of Leeds were siding with Villa that day.
But the Leeds turned against us later on of course.
That Millwall mob at Fulham. I remember some Villa fans being told to start up a chant in the middle of that terrace. When Millwall went into them a load of Villa got stsuck in from all angles.
Manchester City at Bury away the week before the League Cup Final was a bad one. They chased us round the ground with some wielding bike chains. I had to duck under a Police horse to get away. As I did my first lap of the ground I was whacked by an old bag, wielding a newspaper, calling me a 'bloody hooligan'.
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Huddersfield 72/3, the same mob of Leeds were siding with Villa that day.
But the Leeds turned against us later on of course.
That Millwall mob at Fulham. I remember some Villa fans being told to start up a chant in the middle of that terrace. When Millwall went into them a load of Villa got stsuck in from all angles.
Manchester City at Bury away the week before the League Cup Final was a bad one. They chased us round the ground with some wielding bike chains. I had to duck under a Police horse to get away. As I did my first lap of the ground I was whacked by an old bag, wielding a newspaper, calling me a 'bloody hooligan'.
I think that was the time of which a certain H&V professional advisor said, "We sang 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough'. So they did. And they were."
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chelsea in the villa end early 80s at southampton, and liverpool in the villa end at wigan(fa cup), although they were soon dispatched.
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The Leeds mob that LTK referred to at Huddersfield were typical twats of the time. Siding with the Villa fans, with only the very gullible falling for it.
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A few Forest turned up at Notts County one year -oddly they stayed in the County end throughout
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I think this trouble is something that I don't miss about not being around in the sixties and seventies tbh.
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I think this trouble is something that I don't miss about not being around in the sixties and seventies tbh.
You don't miss it 'cos you weren't there?
I was and I do - or don't - I'm not sure now...
;-)
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A few Forest turned up at Notts County one year -oddly they stayed in the County end throughout
That was in 71/72 when we won Div 3. County were one of our main rivals at the top of the table but we won 3-0. Villa took thousands that day, we were in the side terrace- the County & Forest "mob" were behind the goal- must have only have been a few hundred of them at most.
I remember that the terracing was wooden and have only just now thought that it must have been a potential "Bradford City"as in fire risk.
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They should of brought back National Service. But, honestly, why do grown men want to start fights at a football match?
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A few Forest turned up at Notts County one year -oddly they stayed in the County end throughout
That was in 71/72 when we won Div 3. County were one of our main rivals at the top of the table but we won 3-0. Villa took thousands that day, we were in the side terrace- the County & Forest "mob" were behind the goal- must have only have been a few hundred of them at most.
I remember that the terracing was wooden and have only just now thought that it must have been a potential "Bradford City"as in fire risk.
Some reckon that there were 30000 of us at that game, but it was probably 10000/15000.
It was mental.
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I'd say 15000, comfortably Jon. Not bad out of 34208!
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I'd say 15000, comfortably Jon. Not bad out of 34208!
Ray Graydon running down the wing, joining in with our chants.
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I remember the last game of the season can't remember the year when chelsea came on the pitch and then we came on aswell then they sort of charged us and they also broke the crossbar.
You hooligan, Darren.
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A few Forest turned up at Notts County one year -oddly they stayed in the County end throughout
That was in 71/72 when we won Div 3. County were one of our main rivals at the top of the table but we won 3-0. Villa took thousands that day, we were in the side terrace- the County & Forest "mob" were behind the goal- must have only have been a few hundred of them at most.
I remember that the terracing was wooden and have only just now thought that it must have been a potential "Bradford City"as in fire risk.
Some reckon that there were 30000 of us at that game, but it was probably 10000/15000.
It was mental.
I'd say 15000, comfortably Jon. Not bad out of 34208!
Pack it in Bernie, DC5 and Lenny.
You're bringing tears to my eyes.
I was on that side with all the other 5 - 10,000 + Villa.
If only a quarter of them had one balloon each, thats more balloons than i can count.
Another fabulous away day.
Bring back the balloons and the fun.
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That game was years before the balloon craze kicked off
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That game was years before the balloon craze kicked off
Probably in the days of the inflated Durex though. Haven't seen one of those float past for years.
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That game was years before the balloon craze kicked off
Probably in the days of the inflated Durex though. Haven't seen one of those float past for years.
Probably be a glow in the dark, strawberry flavoured French tickler these days
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That game was years before the balloon craze kicked off
Probably in the days of the inflated Durex though. Haven't seen one of those float past for years.
There was one at Newcastle on Sunday.
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That game was years before the balloon craze kicked off
Probably in the days of the inflated Durex though. Haven't seen one of those float past for years.
There was one at Newcastle on Sunday.
That was Mike Ashley.
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I remember that Mark - there were always rumours that the Noses were turning up - usually rubbish of course.
I remember they did turn up at an away match with Coventry, would have been mid to late eighties.
I also remember getting off the train from Cov at New St in the late 80s with Blose waiting at the station.
Yeah I remember that one, we were pushed out the back way of New Street and they were all by the theatre chucking stuff.
I distinctly remember that, as well. It wasn't much fun.
I remember legging it through the Midland Red bus station, afterwards. That'll be in the direction "away from aggro", obv.
One other thing I remember that day was that, as the coppers were herding us back from the ground to the station, they were going absolutely fucking mental at anyone who so much as stepped off the pavement and onto the road.
At one point, we rounded a corner approaching the station, and there was some bloke minding his own business, nothing to do with us, walking along with a supermarket bag, having just done the shopping, his path merged into ours.
A copper started screaming at him "get on the fucking pavement", he started protesting he was nothing to do with us, the copper just screamed louder at him. I saw he was still being forced to walk with us as we entered the station and got herded directly onto a waiting train.
By the looks of it, he was getting an enforced trip to Birmingham New St.
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I can remember a Friday evening match against Middlesbrough (moved for the Motor Show) and I was surrounded by thousands of Boro nutcases*, really mental hard blokes and lasses, on the Holte End but I refused to budge and held my own against them all. It could have got proper naughty but they soon quietened down I can tell you although the fact they won probably took their minds off foolishly having a go.
*not actually thousands but my school friend Kev Ward and he had to keep his mouth shut or he wasn't getting a lift home.
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The mention of Middlesbrough reminds me of when they use to play at Ayresome Park .The two or three times i went there,hundreds of them were waiting at the station for us as we got off the train. No police to be seen anywhere and most of their mob seemed to be 6ft plus and skinheads A lot of us got a good kicking .Sunderland at Roker Park was another scary place ,always seemed to be lots of them in the away end asking anyone they thought was Villa the time Thank god they never asked me
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The mention of Middlesbrough reminds me of when they use to play at Ayresome Park .The two or three times i went there,hundreds of them were waiting at the station for us as we got off the train. No police to be seen anywhere and most of their mob seemed to be 6ft plus and skinheads A lot of us got a good kicking .
I went to a Villa match with a girl from school when I was 15, we were both attacked outside the ground and the police stood and watched and told us to get ourselves home, the walk to the railway station was yet another pleasant one. Middlesbrough was also a scary place to go to gigs, hate the place.
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The match at Ayresome Park on Valentines Day 1988 wasn't a lot of fun, to be honest. There seemed to be at most 300 of us there (it was a Sunday game, one of the rare live games you'd see on telly back then).
And we lost, too.
Middlesbrough was a horrible, horrible place back then. Prob still is. See also, Sunderland.
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The mention of Middlesbrough reminds me of when they use to play at Ayresome Park .The two or three times i went there,hundreds of them were waiting at the station for us as we got off the train. No police to be seen anywhere and most of their mob seemed to be 6ft plus and skinheads A lot of us got a good kicking.
I've mentioned this before but me a mate came off the train there and the old bill wanted to know if we were Villa. When we replied yes, they threw us into the back of a van. The police up there are like no where else in the country. They drove us to the ground, dropped us off in front of the away end and arranged to pick us up after the game and take us back to the station. I'm pretty sure it's the 88 game Paulie mentions. Jack Charlton was in a box above us doing the TV commentary.
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The mention of Middlesbrough reminds me of when they use to play at Ayresome Park .The two or three times i went there,hundreds of them were waiting at the station for us as we got off the train. No police to be seen anywhere and most of their mob seemed to be 6ft plus and skinheads A lot of us got a good kicking.
I've mentioned this before but me a mate came off the train there and the old bill wanted to know if we were Villa. When we replied yes, they threw us into the back of a van. The police up there are like no where else in the country. They drove us to the ground, dropped us off in front of the away end and arranged to pick us up after the game and take us back to the station. I'm pretty sure it's the 88 game Paulie mentions. Jack Charlton was in a box above us doing the TV commentary.
I remember that game as the only place I have been searched on entry and had them go through my box of matches, checking for bad things.
After the game, they held us in the sorted of walled off courtyard at the back of the stand and they started chucking all sorts of shit over the wall at us.
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Remember there were quite a few dutch in Rotterdam supporting us
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Another ground i hated going to, was Valley Parade Bradford. i remember the 3rd division game there when we won 1-0 with Charlie Aitken getting the goal if i remember correctly. I remember getting into the open away end of the ground around 2 o clock .There was a decent following of villa fans as always and there was a bit of banter between us and the Bradford fans at the other end of the ground
All of a sudden hundreds of their fans charged down the pitch and into our end and all hell was let loose. Most of us ran into the half way line stand and hid amongst the home fans for the rest of the afternoon. I remember standing just in front of the seated section,talking to Jake Findley and Bobby Macdonald who i knew fairly well .
Every thing was ok until we scored and some villa fans below us cheered when we scored .Oh my god,that did it, within a few minutes ,gangs of their fans invaded where we were, looking for us .One of their fans got stabbed and i can remember a few of our lads getting a good kicking .From then until the final whistle i spent the time watching who was next to me rather than the match
After the match there was a fair walk back to the coach and hundreds of their fans were awaiting us .I dont mind admitting i was terrified and did not fancy the walk back to the coach .To this day i dont know how i got back to the coach without getting a kicking
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Bolton away in approx 1972.
Mob off the Special got in early, in the open end.
Decided to cross the pitch to the Lever End, which was quite empty at the time.
When we got in there, a bloke told me that it was an unwise move.
Slowly, the open end filled with a mob of Bolton, all together by the side.
As soon as the gates opened, they were round attacking us. All hell let loose but I managed to jump over into a paddock. Had a couple of grim times there, one the week after one of their fans had murdered a Blackpool fan. They didn't like reminding about this but I was very fleet of foot in those days and they didn't find me hiding in the burger hut outside the ground.
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I remember that Mark - there were always rumours that the Noses were turning up - usually rubbish of course.
I remember they did turn up at an away match with Coventry, would have been mid to late eighties.
I also remember getting off the train from Cov at New St in the late 80s with Blose waiting at the station.
Yeah I remember that one, we were pushed out the back way of New Street and they were all by the theatre chucking stuff.
I was there. Ended up on the wrong end of a luggage carrying trolley that came through the train window.
Got the bastards back on the ramp by McDonalds though, a right brawl ensued, saying no more.
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I remember that game at Bolton DCF . It certainly turned out to be a unwise move to take their Lever End . I always remember a villa fan who i knew by the name of "Muffin " just standing there in the middle of their end without,it appeared,a care in the world.He was either hard or just drunk !
I heard a rumour that a lot of them fans who charged across the pitch that day,were United fans looking for revenge for one or two bloody battles that had taken place with Villa mobs on some of the services on the M6 AND M1
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I remember that game at Bolton DCF . It certainly turned out to be a unwise move to take their Lever End . I always remember a villa fan who i knew by the name of "Muffin " just standing there in the middle of their end without,it appeared,a care in the world.He was either hard or just drunk !
I heard a rumour that a lot of them fans who charged across the pitch that day,were United fans looking for revenge for one or two bloody battles that had taken place with Villa mobs on some of the services on the M6 AND M1
I remember Muffin. I think his real name was Brian Wall. Long hair and bearded. Used to go on the Travellers Club. I've got a picture of him in an old programme somewhere.
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I remember that game at Bolton DCF . It certainly turned out to be a unwise move to take their Lever End . I always remember a villa fan who i knew by the name of "Muffin " just standing there in the middle of their end without,it appeared,a care in the world.He was either hard or just drunk !
I heard a rumour that a lot of them fans who charged across the pitch that day,were United fans looking for revenge for one or two bloody battles that had taken place with Villa mobs on some of the services on the M6 AND M1
I remember Muffin. I think his real name was Brian Wall. Long hair and bearded. Used to go on the Travellers Club. I've got a picture of him in an old programme somewhere.
Here is the first:
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s532/villajk/6093ca4d8002555a2bd175cdee6d84f0_zps6c42a6f5.jpg)
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Here is the other one:
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s532/villajk/76d6f2f89d27fcd5972688e8915e03a7_zpsc591375b.jpg)
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The match at Ayresome Park on Valentines Day 1988 wasn't a lot of fun, to be honest. There seemed to be at most 300 of us there (it was a Sunday game, one of the rare live games you'd see on telly back then).
And we lost, too.
I was there!
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Not exactly a mob, but one of the first examples I remember of the terrace culture beginning to change was a few weeks prior to that Boro game. We were playing at Maine Road and about every other game in the north of England had been called off because of ice and snow. Wimbledon - lest we forget, playing in the division above us and destined to win the Cup at the end of the season - had their game at Everton called off quite late on, so their entire away following (two mini buses...) joined us in the Platt Lane supporting the Villa. Regardless of whatever was subsequently said about their club, and the fact that they had a hex sign over us for must of the early 90s, I always had a soft spot for them because of that.
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Thanks for the picture of "Muffin" DCF. Do you remember the likes of Slim ,Mousey and the one and only Bobby Packer ?
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Thanks for the picture of "Muffin" DCF. Do you remember the likes of Slim ,Mousey and the one and only Bobby Packer ?
I remember Mousey, although Rosco tells me that there were two Mouseys. The one that I am thinking of used to lead the Villa mob at away games. I can't remember the other two by name but am sure my memory could be jogged. DP is one Mousey.
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Yes i think we are on about the same Mousey DCF, He was always at the front of the mob at away games. At the Millwall away game where we drew 1-1 and Jimmy Cumbes was hit by a piece of coal he nearly got our coach smashed. We had parked in a side street just past the station and as the coach passed the station for home,he shouted out the window to their mob,who started legging it after the coach. I remember there were some traffic lights a few yards down the roadand they were on red and our coach driver went straight through them .He knew if he stopped he would jhave had his coach smashed up
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Didn't he end up throwing his lot in with the blues?
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Thank f*** we don't have to go there regularly now, Pooligan. The walk back to the station was horrendous and, even when you got there, it wasn't exactly a safe haven. The old trick they used to do, while the one or two coppers were attempting to keep order, was for one of them to walk past and do a cutthroat gesture. One of the coppers would take the bloke out, although he would be back inside in five minutes. This left fewer Police around, as they were engaged escorting people out, so the nutters could start attacking everyone. That away end at the Den had no effective segregation until toward the end of its days.
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Does anyone remember Brighton over Christmas 1981, when it was the only game on in the south of England and Portsmouth, Southampton, Palace, chelsea and probably Millwall all turned up?
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Not exactly a mob, but one of the first examples I remember of the terrace culture beginning to change was a few weeks prior to that Boro game. We were playing at Maine Road and about every other game in the north of England had been called off because of ice and snow. Wimbledon - lest we forget, playing in the division above us and destined to win the Cup at the end of the season - had their game at Everton called off quite late on, so their entire away following (two mini buses...) joined us in the Platt Lane supporting the Villa. Regardless of whatever was subsequently said about their club, and the fact that they had a hex sign over us for must of the early 90s, I always had a soft spot for them because of that.
I remember that one, it was the week before we played Liverpool in the Cup. We were unbeatable away from home at the time.
There was a bloke in the home end dressed as Father Christmas (even though it was January) and in those less enlightened times he attracted a chant of "Santa Claus is a homosexual" to which he responded with a "moony" (albeit I don't think a full one) if I remember correctly.
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Yes,i remember that game Dave, not a good place to be if you had a brummie accent. Was not to bad in the ground,but outside and the walk to the station was a bit scary .
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Yes,i remember that game Dave, not a good place to be if you had a brummie accent. Was not to bad in the ground,but outside and the walk to the station was a bit scary .
I wasn't old enough for the seventies aways but the eighties were as dangerous if not more so because there were so few of us. Places like West Ham and Chelsea were ironically safer because they couldn't be bothered with us than the Brighton, Southampton or Ipswich type of trips when the local kids would target us because they wouldn't dare mess with the big lads.
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Yes,i remember that game Dave, not a good place to be if you had a brummie accent. Was not to bad in the ground,but outside and the walk to the station was a bit scary .
I wasn't old enough for the seventies aways but the eighties were as dangerous if not more so because there were so few of us. Places like West Ham and Chelsea were ironically safer because they couldn't be bothered with us than the Brighton, Southampton or Ipswich type of trips when the local kids would target us because they wouldn't dare mess with the big lads.
That how I remember those times... West Ham, Chelsea and the like didn't bother but cup games at, say, Grimsby where proper silly.
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The eighties were dangerous Dave,but believe me the 70s were just as bad. Because we were seen as a big club and usually had a big following ,mobs use to turn up,knowing full well that there was bound to be some "aggro" to be had.I only missed one away match while we were in the third (Gillingham away ,night game) and some of the mobs were scary to say the least.
Bradford City,Bristol Rovers,Swansea,Tranmere,Plymouth,Wrexham ,Bournemouth ,Doncaster and Chesterfield are all games i can remember going to and feeling scared.Younger fans might laugh at the mention of Bournemouth and Plymouth ,but their fans sure gave as good as they got
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The eighties were dangerous Dave,but believe me the 70s were just as bad. Because we were seen as a big club and usually had a big following ,mobs use to turn up,knowing full well that there was bound to be some "aggro" to be had.I only missed one away match while we were in the third (Gillingham away ,night game) and some of the mobs were scary to say the least.
Bradford City,Bristol Rovers,Swansea,Tranmere,Plymouth,Wrexham ,Bournemouth ,Doncaster and Chesterfield are all games i can remember going to and feeling scared.Younger fans might laugh at the mention of Bournemouth and Plymouth ,but their fans sure gave as good as they got
I can well imagine, but it was strength in numbers. 5,000 of you and there's a good chance you can get away unscathed. 200 and it's a different story.
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I remember being at Coventry away, I think it was the Saturday after we won the league cup in '77.
My mate's dad took us and we didn't even try to get in the away end just went straight in to the Coventry end behind the goal. He then stayed at the back and left us to go down the front, I'd have been about 12. You'd never do it these days but we thought nothing of it. There was fighting throughout the game right by us and I saw one guy get taken out by the police 3 times. When we scored it seemed like half the ground celebrated, amazing number of Villa fans there.
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I remember in the early nineties my cousin's husband joining our away travelling group for a season or two. He was returning from a ten year exile from games. I think that may have been partly self imposed, partly imposed by my cousin and partly due to him being known to the police. He had calmed down from his younger days but was obsessed with how many Villa fans were in other parts of the ground. His catchphrase at pretty much every away game was "It's all Villa over there you know"!.
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Anyone remember Anderlecht away in the Euro Cup semi and a load of skins turning up in the Villa bar in Brussels?
Turned out they were Molenbeek Skins and if I remember what they said to me it went something like "We are Molenbeek and we join with you,yes, and fight the Anderlecht hooligans,yes,because we hate them ,yes"
Can't be sure,it was all a blur
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The eighties were dangerous Dave,but believe me the 70s were just as bad. Because we were seen as a big club and usually had a big following ,mobs use to turn up,knowing full well that there was bound to be some "aggro" to be had.I only missed one away match while we were in the third (Gillingham away ,night game) and some of the mobs were scary to say the least.
Bradford City,Bristol Rovers,Swansea,Tranmere,Plymouth,Wrexham ,Bournemouth ,Doncaster and Chesterfield are all games i can remember going to and feeling scared.Younger fans might laugh at the mention of Bournemouth and Plymouth ,but their fans sure gave as good as they got
I paid to go in the Bournemouth end but there were some vicious bastards waiting inside so had to jump over the turnstile and pay in at the other end. Port Vale was a grim place as well. Bristol Rovers came in the Holte End but were ejected not long after.
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I remember the two games you mention DCF . Bournemouth was a terrible day all round .There was a hell of a walk to the ground from the station,must have been at least two miles. Once there ,a large Bournemouth mob were waiting and it all went off in the park outside.The match itself was awful,we lost 3-0 .After the game, their mob was waiting for us at the station and it all went off again.
As for the Port Vale game, i forgot to mention them in my previous message. Some hard bastards there! I remember the 4-4 match at Vale Park.Never saw much trouble before or during the game ,but after the match there was plenty of trouble walking back to the station.
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At the Millwall away game where we drew 1-1 and Jimmy Cumbes was hit by a piece of coal
Brilliant line there, not much could show up the change in times better than that.
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I remember in the early nineties my cousin's husband joining our away travelling group for a season or two. He was returning from a ten year exile from games. I think that may have been partly self imposed, partly imposed by my cousin and partly due to him being known to the police. He had calmed down from his younger days but was obsessed with how many Villa fans were in other parts of the ground. His catchphrase at pretty much every away game was "It's all Villa over there you know"!.
Ginger Phil? who used to say "Villa everywhere" Thick Neck?
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Didn't he end up throwing his lot in with the blues?
That's correct mate. Big shock at the time, that was.
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I remember us being in the Oxford home end before the game in about 72/3. They sneaked in a few at a time, until they had enough to run us out of the end, onto the pitch, just as the teams were coming out. KO was delayed 10 mins until we went in the paddock or open end.
Ref, M'boro cops giving lifts to the station, Toon cops did the same in 75/6 ish, back to Manors station.
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A villa fan told me "Mousey" lived on Chelmsley Wood and as the place is full of noses ,it would be no surprise .
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At the Millwall away game where we drew 1-1 and Jimmy Cumbes was hit by a piece of coal
Brilliant line there, not much could show up the change in times better than that.
I think a goalkeeper playing at Millwall in the eighties was hit by a Filofax.
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A hand grenade was thrown on the pitch between Brentford and Millwall in the 60s.
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A hand grenade was thrown on the pitch between Brentford and Millwall in the 60s.
The good old days when stuff like that and unexploded German bombs were easy to get your hands on.
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At the Millwall away game where we drew 1-1 and Jimmy Cumbes was hit by a piece of coal
Brilliant line there, not much could show up the change in times better than that.
I think a goalkeeper playing at Millwall in the eighties was hit by a Filofax.
Rodney Marsh was taking a corner for QPR at The Den and a Millwall fan ran up to him and hit him with a biscuit tin
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At the Millwall away game where we drew 1-1 and Jimmy Cumbes was hit by a piece of coal
Brilliant line there, not much could show up the change in times better than that.
I think a goalkeeper playing at Millwall in the eighties was hit by a Filofax.
Rodney Marsh was taking a corner for QPR at The Den and a Millwall fan ran up to him and hit him with a biscuit tin
I'd like to hit him with a biscuit tin after his comments about us on Hawkesby and Jacobs the other week, the twat.
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I remember us being in the Oxford home end before the game in about 72/3. They sneaked in a few at a time, until they had enough to run us out of the end, onto the pitch, just as the teams were coming out. KO was delayed 10 mins until we went in the paddock or open end.
Ref, M'boro cops giving lifts to the station, Toon cops did the same in 75/6 ish, back to Manors station.
Wasn't that Oxford one in 1969?
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I didn't start going to always til 70/71 Jon. I'm pretty sure it was 72/3, if not then 73/4 for sure. There were plenty of Gooners in with them iirc. One of the longest walks from the station too.
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All way before my time, but this thread has been a great read. Thinking of my comments on another thread, what would you say was the worst/evilest sort of atmosphere you have seen at Villa Park and at an away game?
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All way before my time, but this thread has been a great read. Thinking of my comments on another thread, what would you say was the worst/evilest sort of atmosphere you have seen at Villa Park and at an away game?
I wasn't at the Rangers game but home was ****** night. Away, the League Cup semi at Everton in 1984 took some beating for all-round malevolence in the air.
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Rangers at home was by far the worst atmosphere i have ever experienced at Villa Park. I don't mind admitting i was truly scared that day .As for the away games,well i have been in quite a few scary moments over the years,but if i had to choose,i would go for Millwall away on our return to the old second division .As a group of us walked to the ground from our coach before the game,we came across a wall near to the railway station with "Villa if you come,you will die "daubed on it .Nearer the ground,we met a friend who told us the Villa fans who had come by train had been ambushed by the Millwall fans as they came out of the station .
The match was the longest 90 minutes i can remember. My friends and i spent most of the game watching who was near us rather than the match.Their mob,knew there was Villa fans in the ground as before the game .a small band of villa fans below us, had started to sing.Not a wise move, they got a good kicking .Their mob were not kids either,most of them looked in their 30s and 40s and evil
Yes ,Millwall away that day, has to be the worst atmosphere i have ever experienced
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I didn't even make it to the ground for the Rangers game but I could tell you about the atmosphere in the streets at the back of Aston Hall up the hill!
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The match at Ayresome Park on Valentines Day 1988 wasn't a lot of fun, to be honest. There seemed to be at most 300 of us there (it was a Sunday game, one of the rare live games you'd see on telly back then).
And we lost, too.
I was there!
And me, we've done this one a few times. 'Taylors Valentines Day Massacre'
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The SHA away game in 87, when we won with two Bruno goals, was a bit lively, we must have had half the crowd in our two small paddocks.
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All way before my time, but this thread has been a great read. Thinking of my comments on another thread, what would you say was the worst/evilest sort of atmosphere you have seen at Villa Park and at an away game?
Worst at Villa Park for me was Rangers. Various Millwall away trips were horrendous but the West Ham FA Cup 6th Round was very grim. Not quite so snidey as Millwall but very heavy in numbers and on your case inside and outside the ground. The turnstile operators were letting them jump over the turnstiles. Most were wearing green flight jackets so it was easy to spot them. The Millwall lot you could pick out, even if they were bedecked in claret and blue, the same as they could spot us. Outside the ground at Maine Road was evil at times, in those ginnels, with Police who didn't give a shit about your safety. Liverpool always has a nasty crew in the Annie Road end. This was in the days of the Stanley knives. I have stood in the Kop twice to dodge them, once when Steve McMahon got sent off for retaliating after Souness raked him with his studs. Another place was Portsmouth. One particular time was an FA Cup match. They were bastards. Stoke was another.
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I remember us being in the Oxford home end before the game in about 72/3. They sneaked in a few at a time, until they had enough to run us out of the end, onto the pitch, just as the teams were coming out. KO was delayed 10 mins until we went in the paddock or open end.
Ref, M'boro cops giving lifts to the station, Toon cops did the same in 75/6 ish, back to Manors station.
Wasn't that Oxford one in 1969?
November '72 I think; early in the month, there were fireworks (real, not metaphorical) flying about
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There was also the fans of other clubs that you met on your travels . Remember going to Bolton on one of the specials. It stopped at crewe for some reason and pulled up alongside a train full of West Ham..It then stopped at Wigan where they used to change the engine around and who happened to pull up..A train full of Millwall..Also remember stopping at a pub just outside Derby on our way back from Leeds when a load of Grimsby came charging in..Also bumping into a load of West Ham at a pub at London Bridge on our way back from Palace . Happy days ..!
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The SHA away game in 87, when we won with two Bruno goals, was a bit lively, we must have had half the crowd in our two small paddocks.
I was on the kop that day with my girlfriend from Carlisle...have to say that my celebrations of the thommo goals were somewhat muted!
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I remember us being in the Oxford home end before the game in about 72/3. They sneaked in a few at a time, until they had enough to run us out of the end, onto the pitch, just as the teams were coming out. KO was delayed 10 mins until we went in the paddock or open end.
Ref, M'boro cops giving lifts to the station, Toon cops did the same in 75/6 ish, back to Manors station.
Wasn't that Oxford one in 1969?
November '72 I think; early in the month, there were fireworks (real, not metaphorical) flying about
There was also some serious disorder there in either '68 or '69 when Villa had tried to take there end. I will find some cuttings on it later this week.
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I remember a hat-trick of games at St Andrews in the early eighties where it was moody to say the least. Boxing day 1982, the game the following season around March '84 and in between we played them in the Birmingham senior cup final. I think it was a week before the start of the season, both sides were at full strength and there was a relatively decent crowd. Decent in numbers, not decent when it came to attitude and intent.
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I remember us being in the Oxford home end before the game in about 72/3. They sneaked in a few at a time, until they had enough to run us out of the end, onto the pitch, just as the teams were coming out. KO was delayed 10 mins until we went in the paddock or open end.
Ref, M'boro cops giving lifts to the station, Toon cops did the same in 75/6 ish, back to Manors station.
Wasn't that Oxford one in 1969?
November '72 I think; early in the month, there were fireworks (real, not metaphorical) flying about
There was also some serious disorder there in either '68 or '69 when Villa had tried to take there end. I will find some cuttings on it later this week.
That rings a bell, Easter '69, we lost 1-0. My first away match other than SHA- I had my Villa bobble hat pinched!
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Here is the other one:
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s532/villajk/76d6f2f89d27fcd5972688e8915e03a7_zpsc591375b.jpg)
My dad has that programme, although I think it would have been from before he started going. The lady in the picture is from Middlesbrough and it was her birthday and I think all the Villa fans were buying her drinks all night.
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The SHA away game in 87, when we won with two Bruno goals, was a bit lively, we must have had half the crowd in our two small paddocks.
I was on the kop that day with my girlfriend from Carlisle...have to say that my celebrations of the thommo goals were somewhat muted!
I was 17 and I was only prepared to go as long as my Dad went with me. Seem to remember it being pretty tasty at the intersection between their stand and our section.
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Bernie,
You never told me you had a Bobble Hat !!!!!!!!!!
thank god they nicked it and did not replace it.
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I'd have to go for Rangers too re. home games. Got off the train at Aston, but we were too scared to leave the station, as there was a huge mob of 'em inside and outside the Swanpool Tavern, (as it was then). We crossed the tracks and went down the embankment and over the fence into Lovers Walk, feeling pleased with ourselves, only to come out by The Ads, where there was an even bigger mob of 'em drinking, in the car park. You could hear a pin drop as we tiptoed past on the other side of the road by the three storey flats, them staring at us, hoping somebody would make eye contact, signalling a charge over the road at us, which, fortunately didn't come.
I remember the coppers trying to get in amongst the Rangers fans at the back of the Holte during the game, only to be driven back by a huge salvo of bottles.
I'll stand being corrected, but I think there were half a dozen stabbings, and the victims were all Rangers fans.
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I'd have to go for Rangers too re. home games. Got off the train at Aston, but we were too scared to leave the station, as there was a huge mob of 'em inside and outside the Swanpool Tavern, (as it was then). We crossed the tracks and went down the embankment and over the fence into Lovers Walk, feeling pleased with ourselves, only to come out by The Ads, where there was an even bigger mob of 'em drinking, in the car park. You could hear a pin drop as we tiptoed past on the other side of the road by the three storey flats, them staring at us, hoping somebody would make eye contact, signalling a charge over the road at us, which, fortunately didn't come.
I remember the coppers trying to get in amongst the Rangers fans at the back of the Holte during the game, only to be driven back by a huge salvo of bottles.
I'll stand being corrected, but I think there were half a dozen stabbings, and the victims were all Rangers fans.
Bernie,
You never told me you had a Bobble Hat !!!!!!!!!!
thank god they nicked it and did not replace it.
Nothing wrong with bobble hats, they'll be back in fashion one day
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I'd have to go for Rangers too re. home games. Got off the train at Aston, but we were too scared to leave the station, as there was a huge mob of 'em inside and outside the Swanpool Tavern, (as it was then). We crossed the tracks and went down the embankment and over the fence into Lovers Walk, feeling pleased with ourselves, only to come out by The Ads, where there was an even bigger mob of 'em drinking, in the car park. You could hear a pin drop as we tiptoed past on the other side of the road by the three storey flats, them staring at us, hoping somebody would make eye contact, signalling a charge over the road at us, which, fortunately didn't come.
I remember the coppers trying to get in amongst the Rangers fans at the back of the Holte during the game, only to be driven back by a huge salvo of bottles.
I'll stand being corrected, but I think there were half a dozen stabbings, and the victims were all Rangers fans.
There were a load of them in the Aston Social before the game but they were not causing much grief at the time. The sound coming out of the Holte End as I walked past was that of bottles smashing and lots of angry shouting. That made my mind up. I went straight into the Enclosure, only to have to leg it when the game got abandoned. When I got into town, there were whisky bottles and the odd Rangers fan lying in the street by the Rotunda.
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The SHA away game in 87, when we won with two Bruno goals, was a bit lively, we must have had half the crowd in our two small paddocks.
I was on the kop that day with my girlfriend from Carlisle...have to say that my celebrations of the thommo goals were somewhat muted!
I was 17 and I was only prepared to go as long as my Dad went with me. Seem to remember it being pretty tasty at the intersection between their stand and our section.
I was 13 then and went with my big brother, it was a nasty atmosphere. The ball went through the hole in the net for their goal but, thankfully Thommo got a goal either side of that. I remember being in the Tilton and looking towards the Kop where most of them seemed more interested in us than the game. Afterwards, outside they were looking for anything not wearing blue, horrible lot,
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I'd have to go for Rangers too re. home games. Got off the train at Aston, but we were too scared to leave the station, as there was a huge mob of 'em inside and outside the Swanpool Tavern, (as it was then). We crossed the tracks and went down the embankment and over the fence into Lovers Walk, feeling pleased with ourselves, only to come out by The Ads, where there was an even bigger mob of 'em drinking, in the car park. You could hear a pin drop as we tiptoed past on the other side of the road by the three storey flats, them staring at us, hoping somebody would make eye contact, signalling a charge over the road at us, which, fortunately didn't come.
I remember the coppers trying to get in amongst the Rangers fans at the back of the Holte during the game, only to be driven back by a huge salvo of bottles.
I'll stand being corrected, but I think there were half a dozen stabbings, and the victims were all Rangers fans.
Rangers win this easily. I seriously thought i was going to die that day.
I'm sure there was a photo on the front page of The Argus that night, allegedly showing a Villa fan stabbing a Rangers fan, maybe at the Witton End ? I will have to get to the new Library and look at that nights Argus.
There were not any Villa fans on the Holte End. I will add my story of that day later.
Suffice to say that i hoped Rangers would go out of business in the last year or so.
I live in hope.
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After the rangers game a lot of them got picked off in town - some were still hanging around on the Monday i think.
They complained of having "stains" thrown at them I recall. Shame...
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b23, I remember that Argus pic too.
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Iirc there was a headline in the Mirror that Monday along the lines of "Villa's shame"after a Rangers fan was stabbed.
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I've mentioned it before, but I was 11 years old when my Dad took me to the Rangers game. Whereas I remember the undercurrent of the atmosphere the scariest thing for me that day was seeing my Dad in an angry rage, wanting to take on Rangers fans. My Dad comes from the East End of Glasgow and is a Celt, so you can imagine what he was like that day. Very scary.
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ATV Today: 11.10.1976: Football Hooligans - Aston Villa v Glasgow Rangers (http://www.macearchive.org/archive.html?Title=25663)
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Here is the other one:
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s532/villajk/76d6f2f89d27fcd5972688e8915e03a7_zpsc591375b.jpg)
I'm pretty sure it was Rochdale away, early 70's. I hitch-hiked with my mate "Bootsy" on the Friday night from Brum and got to the local railway station very early Saturday AM to await the Villa fans arriving on the train.
I seem to remember it was bloody freezing and we went inside a waiting room on the platform to try and keep warm and get some sleep. I awoke from my bench seat feeling warmer and looked up to see Muffin who had taken off his big RAF coat? to cover me up!.....I'm pretty sure it was Muffin and the memory and act of comradeship has always stayed with me.
Many thanks for showing the photo. It brought back some great memories of old friends and being on the road following our Villa.
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(https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/456x341q90/19/62ve.jpg)This was taken at Chelsea away 1967 mouse is far left Boot(rip) is far right do any over 60s know any one else
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(https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/456x341q90/19/62ve.jpg)This was taken at Chelsea away 1967 mouse is far left Boot(rip) is far right do any over 60s know any one else
Great old picture.
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Here is the other one:
(http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s532/villajk/76d6f2f89d27fcd5972688e8915e03a7_zpsc591375b.jpg)
I'm pretty sure it was Rochdale away, early 70's. I hitch-hiked with my mate "Bootsy" on the Friday night from Brum and got to the local railway station very early Saturday AM to await the Villa fans arriving on the train.
I seem to remember it was bloody freezing and we went inside a waiting room on the platform to try and keep warm and get some sleep. I awoke from my bench seat feeling warmer and looked up to see Muffin who had taken off his big RAF coat? to cover me up!.....I'm pretty sure it was Muffin and the memory and act of comradeship has always stayed with me.
Many thanks for showing the photo. It brought back some great memories of old friends and being on the road following our Villa.
You are welcome. There are some more pictures inside the programme with Muffin and his mates on it in a pub in Middlesbrough. Memories of a bygone age, so to speak.