Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: Charlie8182 on April 17, 2015, 07:14:39 AM

Title: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: Charlie8182 on April 17, 2015, 07:14:39 AM
I've overlooked the game as its clearly one to forget, but I have no knowledge or recollection of a great chunk of the Holte End being closed off around this time??  We still managed to get more than 40K

Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: Villan For Life on April 17, 2015, 07:39:51 AM
I think it was when they resurfaced it and put the corridor up the middle.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: stuart r on April 17, 2015, 09:18:09 AM
I've overlooked the game as its clearly one to forget, but I have no knowledge or recollection of a great chunk of the Holte End being closed off around this time??  We still managed to get more than 40K



Superb effort at around 5:48... The best bit, followed by the ignominy of a slow motion replay and that familiar defender's humilitiated but stoic jog back to the half way line after getting ideas above his station up front.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: oldham_villa on April 17, 2015, 09:45:30 AM
Rimmer was appalling for their second goal.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: wittonwarrior on April 18, 2015, 09:21:12 PM
Could never fault Rimmer he was top notch for us.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: dcdavecollett on May 20, 2015, 11:22:02 PM
The second goal was all Smith's fault.

Why we bought him and sold Bobby McDonald for next to nothing to Cov makes no football sense.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: dave.woodhall on May 20, 2015, 11:24:15 PM
I've overlooked the game as its clearly one to forget, but I have no knowledge or recollection of a great chunk of the Holte End being closed off around this time??  We still managed to get more than 40K



We were replacing the old terraces steps, although I thought it was the year after. Obviously not.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: PeterWithesShin on May 21, 2015, 12:02:20 AM
Even with that much of the Holte closed off, there was still over 40K there. That's how big the Holte was kids.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: Chris Jameson on May 21, 2015, 12:08:38 PM
Not seen that before, my first home Villa game, got a photo I took of the Holte End that day, I'm sure it was some sort of drainage problem that caused it to be closed off. I developed a strong dislike of Emlyn Hughes that day.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: wittonwarrior on May 23, 2015, 08:26:38 PM
what I remember is that every time they got a free kick was how quick  they took it, also  the first team I had ever seen  that collectively crowded the referee  in mass.  There was definitely something  about them, well  quite a lot that I  didn't like  about the red  scouse.  Hated going their they were snidy on and off the field.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: adrenachrome on May 24, 2015, 01:57:55 AM
The second goal was all Smith's fault.

Why we bought him and sold Bobby McDonald for next to nothing to Cov makes no football sense.

I well remember Super Mac getting a massive welcome from the Holte on his first return to VP with Coventry. This was very unusual in those days.

I think he liked a drink, and Ron Saunders was not best pleased. Frank Pimblett was another young star of great promise who incurred Ron's wrath.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: silhillvilla on August 16, 2015, 08:31:54 PM
Lot of trouble after this game I recall down by the Holte hotel and Witton arms.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: peter w on August 20, 2015, 12:34:07 AM
Remember this game. I was stood, as ever, next to the away dugout. 3rd was lucky as Kennedy meant to cross it but the ball bobbled just as he struck it.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: Witton Warrior on August 20, 2015, 08:32:16 AM
Lot of trouble after this game I recall down by the Holte hotel and Witton arms.

Wasn't this the "revenge" game for the previous November?
That was mental all through town and around VP - very nasty
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: silhillvilla on August 20, 2015, 10:01:21 PM
Lot of trouble after this game I recall down by the Holte hotel and Witton arms.

Wasn't this the "revenge" game for the previous November?
That was mental all through town and around VP - very nasty
I don't remember the previous November but I recall a poisonous atmosphere from the off here not helped by being quickly 0-3 down.
"You reds are dead" was the song I always will recall the Holte belting out over and over again
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: castlefields_villan on October 05, 2015, 03:00:01 PM
Lot of trouble after this game I recall down by the Holte hotel and Witton arms.

Wasn't this the "revenge" game for the previous November?
That was mental all through town and around VP - very nasty
[/b]

As I remember after we'd beat them 5-1 in December 1976 (just before they went on to become English and European Champions) their reaction was "wait until they next come to Anfield".  And then, when we next played them in November 1977 and won 2-1 they were more than shell shocked - perhaps that triggered the 0-3 reverse as earlier discussed.  I remember the very hostile atmosphere that day, which certainly wasn't improved with their three  goals before half time.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: Witton Warrior on October 06, 2015, 01:18:56 PM
Lot of trouble after this game I recall down by the Holte hotel and Witton arms.

Wasn't this the "revenge" game for the previous November?
That was mental all through town and around VP - very nasty
[/b]

As I remember after we'd beat them 5-1 in December 1976 (just before they went on to become English and European Champions) their reaction was "wait until they next come to Anfield".  And then, when we next played them in November 1977 and won 2-1 they were more than shell shocked - perhaps that triggered the 0-3 reverse as earlier discussed.  I remember the very hostile atmosphere that day, which certainly wasn't improved with their three  goals before half time.

The away game was on 5th November - I never forget it as the scousers were lobbing fireworks into us all through the match with the police standing and laughing. The racism was also a shock as it was so targetted at our black fans. The jog back to the coach was past the old pools company hq as we were warned not to cross Stanley Park due to the number of Villa being attacked. A load of us armed ourselves with staves from a fence and defended ourselves stoutly. The coaches had half their windows smashed so a lovely journey home as well. The welcome planned for the following home match should not have been unexpected by our scouse friends (blades were in evidence from Villa unusually).
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: class-of-82 on October 06, 2015, 06:35:43 PM
I was one of those that crossed Stanley park that day armed with a piece of wood from possibly the same fence Witton warrior is on about.
All I can remember is the police on horseback charging at us then us getting whacked from those long sticks they carried.
Absolute battle ground that day hated them with a passion from that day on, also that was the day I stood on the anfield road end took one look at the kop and thought "is that it"
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: Witton Warrior on October 07, 2015, 12:23:35 PM
I was one of those that crossed Stanley park that day armed with a piece of wood from possibly the same fence Witton warrior is on about.

We should form an "Anfield '77 Survivors" group 
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: conman on October 07, 2015, 01:16:11 PM
was this around the time they put that  fence up down the middle to divide the holte
didnt last long , i think it was for staging semis
even the concourse underneath was divided
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: class-of-82 on October 07, 2015, 06:32:42 PM
Witton warrior
Yea good idea came out of anfield road with 4 mates huge punch up started one scouser came up to me and asked me for a light knowing my accent was going to give me away so I got the first punch in 1st.
Didn't see my mates till we got to Brum all had to jump on diff coaches to get home
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: castlefields_villan on October 08, 2015, 02:00:47 PM
Re - away game - 5-11-1977

I think I've mentioned this on here or on another part of here - I had the chance to go to this - A lifelong friend was going and had a spare place in his mate's car.  ( I believe they stood in the enclosure in the mainstand close to half way - so that's where I would've been).

I was going out with a lass and Saturday night was always a night we had together, and because of this I declined the offer and made do with just watching it on MOTD.

Two weeks later she "dumped" me - it was the "it's not you, it's me" - you know - one of those where there's no actual explanation or reason binning you off.  And I've never forgotten that if she'd done it 3 weeks earlier (as must have been in her mind) I'd been present to witness this day which still gets to me after these years as I "missed it" - although listening to Tony Butler in the afternoon was very memorable.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: conman on October 08, 2015, 04:09:32 PM
I was one of those that crossed Stanley park that day armed with a piece of wood from possibly the same fence Witton warrior is on about.

We should form an "Anfield '77 Survivors" group 

yeah i went that match on the train ,,with buses waiting at lime st station to take the villa fans to the ground
in the anfield road end , no segregation , scuffles throughout the match
after the match no buses back to lime street ,,,,,,,,just loads of liverpool looking for villa
villa fans split up , getting battered and legged all over the place
eventually got to station in a taxi ,,other villa fans coming back in 2s and 3s , black eyes , bloody noses etc
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: castlefields_villan on October 08, 2015, 04:29:18 PM
yes of course - this was the era of those marvellous, wonderful, sporting, humorous, well mannered Liverpool supporters !!
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: Dr Butler on October 08, 2015, 04:43:12 PM
not sure if this article on the game has been posted but it has a lovely gallery of match photo's...

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-v-aston-villa-the-day-375329

UTV
The Doc
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: castlefields_villan on October 08, 2015, 04:56:12 PM
Off the top of my head - I can't place the player in the foreground in the first picture ?  Jimmy Rimmer, Ken McNaught, John Gidman and Andy Gary all so obvious - to start with I thought it was Chris Nicholl - but of course he left as McNaught came in.

Wasn't that white away kit tremendous ??
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: castlefields_villan on October 08, 2015, 05:00:03 PM
Leighton Phillips
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: class-of-82 on October 09, 2015, 06:51:25 PM
Castlefields_villan
 Yea you are right another myth about them being welcoming supporters. Anyone remember the pic on the front of the daily mirror in the 70s with the young man Utd fan being taken out of the anfield road end with a dart stuck between his upper nose and eye socket.

Like the man Utd song goes " always the victim it's never your fault"
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: Pete3206 on October 10, 2015, 10:56:25 AM
What a magnificently frightening site the old Holte was.
Title: Re: Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)
Post by: Pete3206 on October 10, 2015, 11:01:43 AM
H&V Post match thread 1st April 1978

1st post:

"Saunders out!"
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