Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: silhillvilla on February 21, 2013, 05:54:23 PM
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Apologies for the randomness of this one but I was trying to remember the game now when the fog driving back to Brum from Manchester was absolutely horrific. We drove off an island and onto a farmers field at one point the visibility was that bad.
Anyone else recall that. Think it was late 80s or early 90s was a Saturday 3pm game I think and pretty sure it ended all square 1-1.
Definitely my foggiest away game ever.
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Bonfire night 1989 I think.
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I remember a really bad foggy bonfire night coming down the M6 but I thought it was Liverpool.
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Easy to remember this one, 5th November 1988 with about 8,000 Villa fans in the scoreboard end, game finished 1-1.
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Cheers that's the one, visibility was down to about 5 yards on the way back .
Think Sid slid in our equalising goal. Weird isn't it, I can barely remember what I did this morning but some of these games are etched onto my very small brain.
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I remember it quite well. Sid scored, we were right behind the goal where he scored.
The journey home was absolutely incredible in that fog.
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Easy to remember this one, 5th November 1988 with about 8,000 Villa fans in the scoreboard end, game finished 1-1.
and with at least 3 in the Stretford End - winky thing
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Another top day out and i'm pretty certain we worked out that there were more Villa fans that day at Old Trafford than Blose fans at St Andrews.
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Bonfire night 1989 I think.
That was the day of the 6-2 Everton game.
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5th November 1988. Massive away following. I think McClair put them ahead and Sid equalised. It wasn't until after the game that I found out John Ward was in charge. SGT missed it. I think it was either his daughters graduation or wedding. Very foggy on the way back, made more atmospheric by the premier entertainments coach I was on showing The Lost Boys video.
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I remember standing in a really packed away end and Man United fans fired a few rockets at us.
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I remember standing in a really packed away end and Man United fans fired a few rockets at us.
And brandished, not for the first time, a Brummie Reds flag. I've never seen so many people, get so angry, in such a short space of time.
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I remember standing in a really packed away end and Man United fans fired a few rockets at us.
And brandished, not for the first time, a Brummie Reds flag. I've never seen so many people, get so angry, in such a short space of time.
Wedged in like sardines, then those twunts came out with that. Was there anybody there that wasn't that wound up that they couldn't have taken all of them solo? I was never one for the bovva, but I might've made an exception on that occasion! Not sure, but I think that was when anybody getting the train got herded onto a 3-carriage local jobby at warwick road and sent non-stop to New Street, irrespective of where you were actually trying to go (remember a lad from Sheffield wasn't best pleased!). But on the plus side, I was back in the red lion before seven
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They had the same Brummie Reds flag when we played them in our last game before relegation in May 1987
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Brilliant day out. Great atmosphere, rockets going off above us. Remember the Brummie Reds flag well.
On the journey back, our driver (bloke from Worcester called Jamie) seemed to think that driving his Renault 5 at 80 down the M6 was a good idea.
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I remember encouraging my dad to drive a little faster. Too which he replied 'I can't bloody see and will you stop going on about the goal you're getting right on my tits'
Quite unusual for my old man guess I didn't really appreciate how difficult it was to drive in those conditions
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Cheers that's the one, visibility was down to about 5 yards on the way back .
Think Sid slid in our equalising goal. Weird isn't it, I can barely remember what I did this morning but some of these games are etched onto my very small brain.
We've done this game on here a few times over the years. Five of us had traveled over from Leeds in an old Mini. God only knows how we got back over the M62. As Chico said, we were rammed in the away end, you couldn't move but it was a great away day for no particular reason. It just seemed everybody fancied it, despite the weather and we turned up in massive numbers. Tarzan became a legend at this game, everybody was on top form and even the wankers to our right with their Brummie Reds flag couldn't spoil the day. I think it was this game that 'Always look o the bright side of life' was our anthem and the Plastics nicked it thereafter and claimed it as their own.
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Was a great away day, my memories of the match.
Macca having a good game for them in CM and hitting a post.
Some wanker from up above lobbing a meat and potato pie at us which caught my shoulder.
Sids goal was just bedlam, saw the cross whipped in and Sid sliding in and that was it, didn't see the ball hit the net was swept away by a mass of bodies :-)
Then driving into a field I'm guessing somewhere around altrincham
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Starting lineup:
Nigel Spink
Chris Price
Martin Keown
Allan Evans
Derek Mountfield
Kevin Gage
Bernard Gallacher
Gordon Cowans
David Platt
Alan McInally
Tony Daley
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Couldnt get in the away end so 5 of us finished up sitting with the united fans. Probably because we had drunk rather a lot of ale we didnt pretend to hide who we were and had rather a lot of abuse all game. However that's all it was and i think it annoyed them more knowing that we just gave as good as we got.
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I was listening on the radio and I think Mark Hughes scored an offside goal but the BRMB lot didn't realise and went on for most of the game saying we were losing 2-1.
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We had tickets and went on the official coaches
When we got there I remember confused policemen outside, they'd only thought they'd need two pens in the away end and we were everywhere.
It would have been only my 5th or 6th away game, and most games I'd been to up till that point were played out in half empty stadiums, and I remember being staggered by the noise when Bruce put them one up in front of us. I think it was the biggest gate of the season anywhere, no surprise given how many Villa there were.
Sid's goal was ace, it would have been a travesty for support like that not to witness a significant goal.
I seem to remember that the fog wasn't that bad until we got to Stoke, but from there it was a miracle that the driver got us back, you couldn't see Aston church from the path outside, and I had to guide my brother home in the Cortina by sticking my head out the window and trying to follow the curb.
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We went to the Hacienda after the game and I bumped into Bernie from New Order in there. Still got the photo of me and him with our arms round each other (me with full curtains haircut)
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We went to the Hacienda after the game and I bumped into Bernie from New Order in there. Still got the photo of me and him with our arms round each other (me with full curtains haircut)
You've got to share that with us.
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The fog was definitely bad further North than Stoke. We were struggling to find the M6 west of Manchester
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Second game in, about 1:11.
Note the celebrating fans behind Sid right around the bend and into the other stand.
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Ahh I remember this game very well. Think it was still "pay on the gate" in those days. I remember the fireworks being chucked at us very well and Bryan Robson going over to their lot before the game and imploring them to stop it. Also remember loads of coinage being chucked at us from the seats above.
What a following that was though, I remember when we were in the escort afterwards looking back down from the crossroads by Lou Macari's chippy and just seeing a sea of Villa fans all the way down to the stadium. It remains an absolute stunning following to this day.
In terms of the drive back, I remember it vividly as I was the chauffeur in my Ford Cortina for god sake :-). Motorway was clear from memory until about Stafford and by god it came down. We got off at junction 7 and dropped 2 of the lads off at The Towers on A34. I seem to remember (and I am very ashamed of this) we were all desperate for a pee and ended up peeing on the pavement. The Fog was so thick no one could see us though.
Having dropped those two off, me and my mate headed towards South Birmingham to where we lived. I couldn't tell you now how we got home, although guessing A34. Absolutely couldn't see a thing but Tom was great at guiding me through to Yardley where he lived. Having dropped him off I then had to get to Marston Green and distinctly remember passengers walking in front of cars guiding them through the roads. I don't think I have ever had a more difficult drive in my life than that one.
When all was said and done though, a brilliant day out !!!
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I nearly forgot, but the clip reminded me. I am in camera shot as Bruce wheels away having scored his goal looking suitably miserable. And a whole lot younger than now :-)
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Thanks for the clip above , brings a tear to the eye that.
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How time flies can't believe that its 25 years ago this year.
It was that last away game my mom went to. I think the crush was too much for her.
I do remember some bloke jumping on her back when Sid scored. Enough to put any women off i suppose.
Needless to say she was not impressed with me or the old man for leaving her to fend for herself Doh
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25 years, that's very scary.
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A car load of us had a night in Blackpool the night before.
Car broke down on the way to Manchester - and we had to find a back street garage somewhere off Princess Parkway (?) .
Finally got to the ground - just in time of kick off.
Nightmare journey home - but still happy memories.
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Great clip, thanks for posting.
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This would probably be in my top 5 villa away days. Based on the amazing support as much as anything.
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Second game in, about 1:11.
Note the celebrating fans behind Sid right around the bend and into the other stand.
For fuck's sake another goal conceded from a sodding corner. Taylor Out!
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It wasn't this game as I didn't go, but do recall around the same time, Pallister scoring an own goal.
It was a beauty. In front of us. Knocked in from 25 yards. Off his ankle. Directly behind him. Top corner.
Now that was funny and I believe a one all draw as well.
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What's the most amazing bit of that video - "Awayday specialists Aston Villa" or "League leaders Norwich"?
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I may be wrong but I'm sure Graham Taylor was at his daughters graduation or something for this match ?!?
I have the highlights on a tape somewhere as I think this was where Mal Donaghy made his debut for ManUre
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Been quite foggy today and my mind drifted back to this game / journey home.
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That particular game had an incredible away following which caught Manure completely by surprise they had allocated us about half of that away end but bit by bit they had to open a paddock at a time until we were around the corner at the far side which is where i had to stand - pay on the day at the turnstiles, a good game and a decent result. If i remember correctly Colin Gibson got injured right in front of us and was out for quite a while......brilliant day hard to believe 25 years ago.
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I seem to remember Gibbo being their fans whipping boy and them jeering him after his injury whilst we applauded. I can't remember if that was the first bad one he got which eventually finished him at the top level or him breaking down again.
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That particular game had an incredible away following which caught Manure completely by surprise they had allocated us about half of that away end but bit by bit they had to open a paddock at a time until we were around the corner at the far side which is where i had to stand - pay on the day at the turnstiles, a good game and a decent result. If i remember correctly Colin Gibson got injured right in front of us and was out for quite a while......brilliant day hard to believe 25 years ago.
There was three or four seasons in a row up there we took a very hefty following. Not sure why, other than we could so we did!
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I've got this on video somewhere. Mal Donaghy was making his debut and McInally had recently scored his solo effort against Millwall.
I think this was the match that Colin Gibson damaged his knee and had to go off
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I seem to remember Gibbo being their fans whipping boy and them jeering him after his injury whilst we applauded. I can't remember if that was the first bad one he got which eventually finished him at the top level or him breaking down again.
I think this was the one that killed him off, as he had undergone bad injuries before
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I remember people getting crushed in the tunnels behind the central pens. We must have had 10'000 there that day
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Half a dozen of us went up and got fed up with the queque so went in the seats behind with the utd fans..didn't hide the fact we were villa and just got the usual abuse and threats but nothing else..Second half we got at bit braver and started chanting..." we are villa and without a doubt..utd wankers cant get us out"..they didn't seem to see the funny side of that and about 5 mins from time the old bill decided to escort us out for our own safety...Amazing what a few drinks before the game can do to one..!!