Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: Dave Javu on March 14, 2012, 12:26:14 PM
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I'd always thought that Villa's (note: NOT Billy Graham's) highest attendance for a game was v Derby 76,588 in the FA Cup 6th round, 2 March 1946.
My Dad today shattered my view of world history, by casually stating that there were comfortably more people present for the War Cup Final (North) second leg against Blackpool in 1944 (which we won 4-2 and 5-4 on aggregate) than for the Derby game.
Wikipedia says that the attendance was 38540, which I think is an error The later "North v South Final" at Stamford Bridge v Charlton (1-1 - cup was "shared") is also listed as having exactly the same attendance - 38540. Another source (which I annoying can't find now) said 58000.
My Dad said that it is reckoned there were around 84000 at the Blackpool game, with many having gotten in without paying. It was slightly before my Dad's time (he was seven) so he himself wasn't there but he says his brother (now dead) went and he still knows someone who was at the game and both told him their experiences of the incredible crush.
The other thing is, like the first Wembley Cup Final, assuming many got in by means other than via the turnstiles, who can really say what the attendace really was, and being a war game, would it really count as an official match (because of guest players and the like) in any case?
Apologies for not putting this in the "Memories" section, but logically, not many people below the age of 80 will remember this at all. It's more of a history/heritage question and (I think) deserves a wider input.
Has anyone got any more info?
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54,824.
I find it hard to believe that another 25K got in without paying, and if they had i'm sure it would have been mentioned in one of the many Villa history books.
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Just think of all the H&Vs that could have been sold in them days.
A 1940s version of Mr Woodhall could have created a Murdoch like media empire by now on the back of those sales.
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Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.
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Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.
Great day but the crowd was massive. 2-0 wasn't it?
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The Derby attendance would have had a fair few who got in without paying too.
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54,824 for the Blackpool second leg, according to "unfairly sacked by Villa" archivist, John Lerwill.
http://www.lerwill-life.org.uk/astonvilla/a_villa_war_final.htm
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Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.
Great day but the crowd was massive. 2-0 wasn't it?
It was. Pitch invasion at the end. "Were going up" (Dave ismay song?). Steve Hunt played I seem to remember, but a bit fuzzy with the memories..
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Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.
Great day but the crowd was massive. 2-0 wasn't it?
Been in Villa Park for many sold out games but that day the crowd was unbelievable. I'd be very surprised if the crowd was "only" 58,000. It was 2-0. And didn't they have to beat us and Norwich lose for them to get promoted along with us and Manure?
Also it's the only time I can remember away fans being 'invited' in for a pre match pint in the Aston Tavern.
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Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.
Great day but the crowd was massive. 2-0 wasn't it?
Been in Villa Park for many sold out games but that day the crowd was unbelievable. I'd be very surprised if the crowd was "only" 58,000. It was 2-0. And didn't they have to beat us and Norwich lose for them to get promoted along with us and Manure?
Also it's the only time I can remember away fans being 'invited' in for a pre match pint in the Aston Tavern.
I was up the Holte and, literally, couldn't move. I was pressed up against this woman, I'm just glad it was a good game otherwise my mind might have wandered onto other schoolboy stuff. Blokes were just getting their dicks out and pi**ing where they stood.
Didn't only 2 go up then?
I think had we lost to Sunderland we'd have had to beat Norwich in a 'Winner takes all' game at their place. As it happens we stuffed them 4-0
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I think had we lost to Sunderland we'd have had to beat Norwich in a 'Winner takes all' game at their place. As it happens we stuffed them 4-0.
I think the Villa team had a few injuries going into the Norwich game as well. After the match, Eric Houghton told the Norwich directors that Villa would be "bringing our first team next year."
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Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.
Great day but the crowd was massive. 2-0 wasn't it?
Remember it well; 2-0; Sunderland needed to win to join us in promotion. We'd been in the Holte since around 1315 and it was hot, noisy, packed and rocking!
Brian Little and Ian Ross (I think) scored, the second from the penalty spot.
Following the pitch invasion at the end, I had a piece of VP turf for about 2 years in my bedroom .. until me mam turfed it out (so to speak) - she had no sense of occasion.
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The Sunderland promotion game gave me a claim to fame. Like EffDee I was in the ground by 1 o'clock and watched the game stood in the gangway as getting on the actual terrace was impossible. We all went on the pitch at the end and the team appeared in the old Director's Box in the Trinity. Shortly after we won the 1st Division, a book came out called "Ron Saunders Aston Villa Scrapbook" which had a photo of the crowd on the pitch. After much searching with a magnifying glass I eventually found me and my mates in the photo. I've still got the book. No publicity or autographs please !!
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I think the attendance was 58,000.
The game was too close to call until Gidman came on for Hunt. Giddy played wide on the right as John Robson was right back. Bobby McDonald made both of Villa's goals.
Thousands of fans were on the pitch at the end.
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Wasn't that the era when 'if you hung up 11 claret and blue jerseys to dry, 40,000 villa fans would turn up to watch'? I've heard that said a few times but can never remember what era it refers to. I first heard it when I was about 11 on an Irish tv tribute to Paul McGrath.
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'if you hung up 11 claret and blue jerseys to dry, 40,000 villa fans would turn up to watch'
Tommy Docherty, 1968?
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Wasn't that the era when 'if you hung up 11 claret and blue jerseys to dry, 40,000 villa fans would turn up to watch'? I've heard that said a few times but can never remember what era it refers to. I first heard it when I was about 11 on an Irish tv tribute to Paul McGrath.
Apparently it was Tommy Docherty in '69 who said that famous quote.
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Wasn't that the era when 'if you hung up 11 claret and blue jerseys to dry, 40,000 villa fans would turn up to watch'? I've heard that said a few times but can never remember what era it refers to. I first heard it when I was about 11 on an Irish tv tribute to Paul McGrath.
Apparently it was Tommy Docherty in '69 who said that famous quote.
Could have been '68 as Chico says though
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From what I can gather the record gate for a League Game at Villa Park was 69,492 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers, 27 December 1949 ..............................Godzvilla!
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I remember a Sunderland game that unbelievable packed, don't know the year , I remember people even on the bottom of the floodlights . I use to take my beer crate then.
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Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.
Great day but the crowd was massive. 2-0 wasn't it?
You could fit lots of us skinny teenagers in the holte in those days. Sir Brian scored a fantastic goal - flicked it up over his head and left the defender for dead.
Sadly today I would need at least 2 teenager's spaces!
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'if you hung up 11 claret and blue jerseys to dry, 40,000 villa fans would turn up to watch'
Not if they had Macron written on them.
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I was down the front of the Holte for the Sunderland game, fantastic day. Another vision I have is of people being passed down to the pitch above head height that had fainted etc. A kind of crowd surfing I guess you might call it.
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It certainly felt like a very very big crowd against Sunderland but who's to say if it was more than the official 58,000. It was three promoted in them days so Sunderland could (would?) have gone up with us had they won. And the last game against Norwich was, I think 4-1, not 4-0.
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I think had we lost to Sunderland we'd have had to beat Norwich in a 'Winner takes all' game at their place. As it happens we stuffed them 4-0.
I think the Villa team had a few injuries going into the Norwich game as well. After the match, Eric Houghton told the Norwich directors that Villa would be "bringing our first team next year."
And we played them second game of the following season at their place and lost 3-5. So much for taking the first team. ;)
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1975 . oh yes , its coming back to me now . I was 9 . Those days were awsome
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Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.
Great day but the crowd was massive. 2-0 wasn't it?
Remember it well; 2-0; Sunderland needed to win to join us in promotion. We'd been in the Holte since around 1315 and it was hot, noisy, packed and rocking!
Brian Little and Ian Ross (I think) scored, the second from the penalty spot.
Following the pitch invasion at the end, I had a piece of VP turf for about 2 years in my bedroom .. until me mam turfed it out (so to speak) - she had no sense of occasion.
Im probably wrong, but I thought it was Keith Leonard & Brian Little. If it isn't then the advancing years are really taking their toll.
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I remember that game and the atmosphere so vividly - it was my 21st birthday! I remember the weather, it was a beautiful spring day. The Sunderland players lined up either side of the tunnel and clapped the Villa team onto the pitch, because we'd just gained promotion in midweek with an away win (at Sheffield Wednesday, I think), the one and only time I've ever seen that done at a football match.
I was in the lower Trinity, and as I looked up as the team came out, the Holte was a mass of waving scarves and claret and blue balloons - an unforgettable sight.
The game itself was a hard fought tense affair, the two goals coming late on but joyously celebrated. And then there was the pitch invasion at the end.
All in all, a memorable way to celebrate your 21st - a day I'll remember as long as I live.
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I think had we lost to Sunderland we'd have had to beat Norwich in a 'Winner takes all' game at their place. As it happens we stuffed them 4-0.
I think the Villa team had a few injuries going into the Norwich game as well. After the match, Eric Houghton told the Norwich directors that Villa would be "bringing our first team next year."
And we played them second game of the following season at their place and lost 3-5. So much for taking the first team. ;)
I was at that game 3-5 at Norwich - still got the train ticket!
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There are some cracking pics of Villa Park during and after that Sunderland game here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/myoldscans/with/4086844434/#photo_4086844434
(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2780/4058579337_3fc8655e78.jpg)
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Great photos and such a great day. Was brilliant.