Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: kj on November 05, 2012, 11:27:02 AM

Title: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: kj on November 05, 2012, 11:27:02 AM: Does any one else remember a game against the Bluenoese scum around 86/87 to mark the centenary or even bicentenary of the founding of teh city of Birmingham? Im sure it was a midweek afternoon kick off and im sure we won 5-2. It was the first ever game i went to aged 7 or 8 and is the reason i am a Villa fan today. No one i know remembers it so did it happen or am has my subconcious memory made it up?

cheers, KJ
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: bertlambshank on November 05, 2012, 11:43:51 AM: Didn't it go to pens?
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: Charlie8182 on November 05, 2012, 11:48:27 AM: It was in April 1988 in the Easter holidays- just before I left school, and we did win 5-2 watched by only about 6000 or so.
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: peter w on November 05, 2012, 11:52:52 AM: Me and my mate went just before we were supposed to go to work as I recall. Didn't we play in kits from 100 years previous also?
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: DeKuip on November 05, 2012, 12:53:18 PM: It was to celebrate the Football League Centenary and its founder William McGregor. Platty 2, Gareth Williams, Daley and Olney scored.
The old kits were worn in a match between former players before it - Bruce Rioch, Johnny Dixon and Peter McParland played.

The following weekend we played at Wembley in the Centenary tournament - 40 minute games in which we beat Blackburn on pens after drawing 0-0 and then went out to Forest on pens (0-0 again) in the quarter final. Forest went on to win it.
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: jackgallimore on November 05, 2012, 02:28:50 PM: Check out the excellent book "Friendlies Testimonials and Tours" which lists every known "uncompetitive" game. I expect that will give you the answer.
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: Nev on November 05, 2012, 03:51:37 PM: It was definately an afternoon which made for a rather strange atmosphere.
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: andyaston on November 05, 2012, 04:08:55 PM: Yea, alll the kids in our year were allowed to go. We were all seated in the Witton Lane stand, which being the smallest part of the ground seemed strange.

We won 5-2 and it was not really competetive. The non Villa/Blues fans watching seemed to enjoy it more maybe because they had never been to a match before. I wasn't conned in to being too happy about the score we still had promotion on our minds.
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: Damo70 on November 08, 2012, 03:56:19 PM: I remember I had only recently started my first job and I took the afternoon off to go. I also remember seeing Ken Bates and Bob Hall after the game. The one thing I have no recollection of is the score. Even seeing it posted hasn't jogged memeries of it.
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: Nev on November 08, 2012, 03:59:23 PM: Snipers!
Title: Re: City of Birmingham Centenary match in 86 or 87
Post by: Damo70 on November 09, 2012, 04:25:41 PM: Quote from: Nev on November 08, 2012, 03:59:23 PM
Snipers!

I hadn't forgotten. Especially as your original post about the game was on his birthday. Going on a quarter of a century and he still hasn't forgiven us for not telling him we were going to that game and not inviting him. Same as he still hasn't forgiven me for the Blackpoolgate incident with that hairdresser from Barnsley. Natalie. Friendly girl.