Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: Virgil Caine on May 01, 2012, 08:29:43 AM
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How many of us were at Villa Park 40 years ago to witness the full home debut of Mr Brian Little against Torquay?
Funny for all the games I have attended over the years it is this one I remember most keenly, witnessing as I did this frail teenager set up 2 goals and score one for himself.
Happy, happy days indeed.
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How many of us were at Villa Park 40 years ago to witness the full home debut of Mr Brian Little against Torquay?
Funny for all the games I have attended over the years it is this one I remember most keenly, witnessing as I did this frail teenager set up 2 goals and score one for himself.
Happy, happy days indeed.
Agreed - my best memories of He Who Walks on Water are of goals scored at Blackpool to secure our return to the top flight in 1975 and being at Highbury to witness his hat-trick against QPR.
A massive talent and amazingly understated character. Should have got sponsorship from Grecian 2000 though.
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Remember it well, I was 10 at the time and me and me old man (Holteender in the sky) went to nearly every game that season. The thing that sticks in my mind about Brians debut was how small he was I remember his shorts where huge. After that I tried to replicate his look when playing football at school by trying to make my shorts look as big as possible. I'm sure my teachers thought I had something wrong with me. Happy days though. UTV
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I remember it well. It's stored with all the magical memories that Villa have given me over the years. I was also there when the great Johnny Dixon played his last match against Sheffield Wednesday. The rise and fall of Villa Giants.
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My first game, I can only vaguely remember it, went with Dad and Grandad on the Witton End. It was also Dad's first game for 4 or 5 years having emigrated to Canada and we'd only been back a week or so. Wasn't it season 70-71, I'm not sure ?
For me it was the start of the Villa addiction I'm afraid, I've only missed a dozen or so at home since (damm those childhood sicknesses). What chance did I stand though, From Torquay to Rotterdam in a decade....we are the chosen generation of Villa fans.
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I remember it, too.
We battered them for 89 minutes then a chap called Jimmy Cave let fly from 25 yards into the back of the net and we lost 1-0!!
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I remember it well. It's stored with all the magical memories that Villa have given me over the years. I was also there when the great Johnny Dixon played his last match against Sheffield Wednesday. The rise and fall of Villa Giants.
Johnny Dixons last game was also Charlie Aitken's debut
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I remember it well. It's stored with all the magical memories that Villa have given me over the years. I was also there when the great Johnny Dixon played his last match against Sheffield Wednesday. The rise and fall of Villa Giants.
Johnny Dixons last game was also Charlie Aitken's debut
True; I also remember that, but the overriding thing was Johnny. The atmosphere was almost tangible. The thing is, and I don't wish to digress on this thread but, Johnny Dixon was and still is revered, the epitomy of what is Aston Villa, and to be able to say that I was alive when Johnny lifted the F.A. Cup the last time Villa won it and to be there when he played his last game for Villa is right up there with the Rotterdam experience.
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Nigel
Not sure of the game you are referring to but the Torquay game ( where we clinched the Div 3 Championship) was a 5-1 drubbing, Little 1, Vowden 2' Lochead, 1 plus og.
Poured with rain, pitch got waterlogged in some areas and although televised I have never seen any clips. Story is that ATV destroyed most of the Star Soccer tapes- pity.
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(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2337/zzztorquay.jpg)
Here are pictures of two of the goals, including Brian Little getting his first League goal for Villa.
I can remember that match vividly. Great occasion.
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Yep, I remember it like it was yesterday. 5-1 win and filthy day
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Now I'm worried. I was definitely there but don't remember it!
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I was there. It was a privilege to see Brian's first league goal. I also agree with EffDee that his performances away at Blackpool and in the League Cup semi-final replay were something special.
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Yep, I remember it like it was yesterday. 5-1 win and filthy day
Now I'm worried. I was definitely there but don't remember it!
same here . I blame the drink recently
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I remember it well. It's stored with all the magical memories that Villa have given me over the years. I was also there when the great Johnny Dixon played his last match against Sheffield Wednesday. The rise and fall of Villa Giants.
Johnny Dixons last game was also Charlie Aitken's debut
True; I also remember that, but the overriding thing was Johnny. The atmosphere was almost tangible. The thing is, and I don't wish to digress on this thread but, Johnny Dixon was and still is revered, the epitomy of what is Aston Villa, and to be able to say that I was alive when Johnny lifted the F.A. Cup the last time Villa won it and to be there when he played his last game for Villa is right up there with the Rotterdam experience.
I have Johnny's obituary in the Telegraph pinned on my noticeboard in my office at home - looking at it now
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Nigel
Not sure of the game you are referring to but the Torquay game ( where we clinched the Div 3 Championship) was a 5-1 drubbing, Little 1, Vowden 2' Lochead, 1 plus og.
Poured with rain, pitch got waterlogged in some areas and although televised I have never seen any clips. Story is that ATV destroyed most of the Star Soccer tapes- pity.
Ah, yes, you're right.
My memory was from our first season in the 3rd division.
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I was an awe struck 9 year old at this game and remember the pouring rain, muddy pitch and, IIRC, Andy Lochhead picking up the Evening Mail Midlands PLayer of the Year award on the pitch before kick off. I think we had finally confirmed promotion during the week away at Mansfield, on the back of a win at Bradford.
I was also at the corresponding fixture the year before that Nigel refers to and to this day I can still see Mickey Cave's goal past John Dunn at the Holte, viewed from the Trinity enclosure. I had no idea who the scorer was but on the green Harper's bus after the game one of those blokes with small portable radios - they were geeks but worth standing by in the pre tech era - told us his name and it has stuck with me ever since.
Until the 5-1 above I think Torquay were a bogey team for us in the 3rd, beating us home and away and knocking us out of the cup too.
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I remember the Torquay game well, and the previous season's 0-1 (and the FA Cup 1st Rnd defeat by them!) - great days to be a young Villa fan! Also Brian's appearances in the FA Youth Cup that season bring back some fantastic memories.
An earlier poster mentioned the Highbury hat-trick against QPR - for me that night is right up there with the greatest in terms of Villa memories. Our support down there that night was incredible, I'd love to see the goals again if anyone has a link. "Wemberlee, Wemberlee, oh we're all pissed up and we're going to Wemberlee!" was sung all the way home. (our original version before other clubs' fans changed it to "we're the famous whoever")
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I remember it well. It's stored with all the magical memories that Villa have given me over the years. I was also there when the great Johnny Dixon played his last match against Sheffield Wednesday. The rise and fall of Villa Giants.
I was there I think it was Charlie Aitken's first game unless Im wrong.
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I also remember a goal of his against the blues. I think it may have been Burridges debut and their best ever player scored for them (can't remember his name but he's been ill I gather lately, best wishes etc).
With the scores at 1-1 BL with his trademark turn (Not Cruyffs, I call it a Little, and he also had a flick that I've never seen since, with the back of his heel he used to put the ball over the defenders head and run round them, I digress into happier times)
Anyway with the scores at 1-1 he beat the last defender with a Little Turn, took a few paces and nonchalently passed the ball, no caressed,no stroked I don't have the words but the image will stay with me all my life because I was right behind it and knew it was going in, albeit in slow motion past the keeper along the ground into the bottom corner, from the second it left his foot.
I can't think of a better Villa player as a forward that I've seen. I'm not daft enough to put him at world class level but he was our iconic player of that time. I would put his proposed sale to blues as the moment when my childhood ended !
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The hat-trick v QPR at Highbury. One of THE great nights.
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Given todays obsession with "stats" how many breaths a player takes when walking up to take a corner and all that shit, it's fucking remarkable just how many assists Denis Mortimer had to his name as a Villa legend.
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Thanks DeKuip, was there on the night and have watched it countless times since but still get the same thrill!
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The hat-trick v QPR at Highbury. One of THE great nights.
Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end
Football will never get as good as that ever again
Over 30 years ago and I can honestly say I remember all of those games in more detail than probably any match this season
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The night at Highbury was simply brilliant, made sweeter by the fact that living in London the press simply assumed QPR would walk all over us.
I have two abiding memories of BL, one at the Old Den when Keith leonard and BL took Milwall apart and secondly the way he always made himself available from throw ins and no matter how close he was marked invariably retained possesion, often using the flick that Andrew08 mentions up the page.
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The night at Highbury was simply brilliant, made sweeter by the fact that living in London the press simply assumed QPR would walk all over us.
I have two abiding memories of BL, one at the Old Den when Keith leonard and BL took Milwall apart and secondly the way he always made himself available from throw ins and no matter how close he was marked invariably retained possesion, often using the flick that Andrew08 mentions up the page.
Bit like the current team then when it comes to throw ins you mean?
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I had no idea who the scorer was but on the green Harper's bus after the game one of those blokes with small portable radios - they were geeks but worth standing by in the pre tech era - told us his name and it has stuck with me ever since.
These geeks still exist. I see one at most home games and usually at away cup games where we are playing at a new ground. That was the source of our info in 81 at Highbury. I can still see the anorak-clad bloke, with long, greasy hair, jumping up and down with his radio glued to his ear. It is not unusual for these radios to be held together with tape, after the life they have had.
References in this thread to Andy Lochhead's Evening Mail Player of the Year award bring back great memories. I have a copy of the newstand sheet with the associated picture on the wall at home. They trundled a little table, or similar, onto the pitch to present it.
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I had no idea who the scorer was but on the green Harper's bus after the game one of those blokes with small portable radios - they were geeks but worth standing by in the pre tech era - told us his name and it has stuck with me ever since.
These geeks still exist. I see one at most home games and usually at away cup games where we are playing at a new ground. That was the source of our info in 81 at Highbury. I can still see the anorak-clad bloke, with long, greasy hair, jumping up and down with his radio glued to his ear. It is not unusual for these radios to be held together with tape, after the life they have had.
References in this thread to Andy Lochhead's Evening Mail Player of the Year award bring back great memories. I have a copy of the newstand sheet with the associated picture on the wall at home. They trundled a little table, or similar, onto the pitch to present it.
I had that on my wall too! Young posters on here may find it strange to hear that in those days football was rarely televised outside the top flight so we were really making a bigimpression to get on MOTD and push the likes of Derby and Wolves off Star Soccer, never mind have a 3rd Division player as Midlands player of the year.
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Here it is, Pat.
(http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/9940/photosq.png)
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(http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/6165/zzztorquayprog.jpg)
It's a bit hard to read my notes on the back, now that the red ink has faded. I have got Little coming on for Willie Anderson after 31 minutes and Dick Edwards appearing for Torquay, replacing Mal Lucas.