Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: castlefields_villan on April 23, 2015, 12:00:41 PM
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Anyone remember this time of year back in 1975 ?
Following a 5-0 win at home to Oldham, we went to Blackpool and won 3-0, promotion back to big time (after 8 long years away) was confirmed with a 4-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday 40 years ago today, then we ruined Sunderland's chances by beating them 2-0 at VP, then the following Wednesday we gate crashed and ruined Norwich's promotion party (they'd been promoted the previous Saturday at Sunderland's expense) by beating them 4-1.
After 8 years away from the top table - what a time to be a Villa supporter and I remember it all like it was last week !
Anybody's memories ?
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sorry put it in as a poll - meant it to just be new topic
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The Sunderland match was my first VP visit as a 15 year old.
Had started following Villa about 3 years before but the old man was more into cars and motorbikes so never got taken
The Burnley match will be my 40th anniversary with this great club
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Loads locked out of Sunderland game, i had to go in Witton end to get in ground. At Blackpool all the Villa fans dancing around like loons, we thought that Sunderland had
lost which would have meant we were up. Sheff Wed was one of the best away followings ever seen ramming the open end at Hillsbrough and the pitch invasion at the end of the game.
Nothing said in the press about that!!!
Wonderful times as you say
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Sunderland was a 2-0 win, The england manager was, i think Don Revie at the time and had come to see Brian Little but left before Little scored the second goal. Went on the pitch at the end.
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remember the season so well,didnt every out player score that season when ian ross scored a pen, remember tying to get on the pitch a blackpool and a copper stuck one on me and my mate was half way up the fencing . the folly of youth.
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I had only moved to Manchester in '74 and went to Hillsborough for the 4-0 game. We had all of what is now the Kop (?) opposite the Lemings Lane end and rough estimates are that there were 20,000 Villa fans inside the ground with loads more stuck on the M1 and roads from it that never made it to the ground. Yes, I was on the pitch at the end, went for a few pints before going to Sheffield Station where a nice South Yorkshire officer decided that I had stolen the pint pot I had in my hand from a pub. Promptly arrested, taken to the nick, released at about 1 a.m after the last train had left for Manchester, had to sleep on the station, got the 1st train at about 5.30 a.m and go straight to work after getting a change of clothes. Yes, I remember it.
P.S Had to take a Police caution at Salford Central police station about 6 weeks later for the 'Theft' - How they could tell I had nicked it, never mind from what pub is beyond me.
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I'll never forget that Sunderland game - we were already promoted and they needed to beat us to join us (I can't remember without looking where that would've left Norwich - who were the 3rd team promoted along with us and Man. Utd.).
I was a few months short of my 18th birthday and left home about 11.30am in Great Barr to catch the 118 down to Perry Barr - a walk down the Broadway and into the pub - I think it was called either the Harriers or the Broadway about 12.00 for a quick lager to calm the excitement - saw a few very worried looking Sunderland supporters in there - they had to win and we were in the form of our lives.
A quick walk to the ground and I was there by 1.00pm and I reckon I was amongst the first 100 or so people in the ground - I knew this was going to be a full house. I was in the Trinity Road enclosure about 12 rows from the front just to the right of halfway. It was a sight to be withheld to see first the Holte End and then the rest of the ground filling up - by 2.00pm the Holte and the rest of the ground was rammed.
Two late goals by Ian Ross (pen) and Brian Little - can't remember who was first - anybody know without looking - Was it Brian ? Anyway a 2-0 win just put the icing on the cake and as Norwich had won to ensure their promotion I remember being on the pitch and Sunderland fans in tears as our lot were singing "second division rubbish" at them. - what a day - glorious sunshine - the lot.
What a second half to the season that was - beat Man. Ud 2-0, won the League Cup against Norwich, beat Sheffield United (at the time a division one top 6 side) 4-1 in the FA Cup before narrowly losing at Ipswich (also then a division one top 6 side) in the 5th round - came from behind to beat Albion 3-1 to go along with all the other games already mentioned. Ron Saunders certainly had transformed a team that only 3 years earlier was in the 3rd division.
And of course much more and better was on the way.
UTV
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I had a lump of the Hillsborough turf planted in my parents back garden. Probably half of North Birmingham is forever a little bit Sheffield.
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I had a lump of the Hillsborough turf planted in my parents back garden. Probably half of North Birmingham is forever a little bit Sheffield.
You are so right Bren'd. I went on a right gardening spree for those few games .My old mum's garden had a small patch combining bits of turf from Blackpool, Hillsborough and Villa Park and my baggy Levi''s had dirt in the pockets for months!
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Loads locked out of Sunderland game, i had to go in Witton end to get in ground. At Blackpool all the Villa fans dancing around like loons, we thought that Sunderland had
lost which would have meant we were up. Sheff Wed was one of the best away followings ever seen ramming the open end at Hillsbrough and the pitch invasion at the end of the game.
Nothing said in the press about that!!!
Wonderful times as you say
Im ashamed to say I invaded the pitch at the end of the Sheffield Wed game and volleyed a truly magnificient imaginary goal from about 30yards.
My mate had a tennis ball . He did the same from a bit closer....and scored!
I seem to remember the meat pies were particurlary fine at Hillsborough and the pubs were closed because of a strike. But most of all I remember that terrifiying block of flats just as you enter Sheffield. People on our Villa coach were staring at it in awe!
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I remember the Oldham match well - I took my then girlfriend Christine (now my wife of 39 years) and got tickets in the Trinity Road rather than stand in my usual spot in the Holte. Brian Little scored a hat trick and cemented his place in my eyes as the most talented player I have seen in claret and blue. Andy Lochead returned as a member of the Oldham coaching staff and got a very warm reception from those who witnessed his displays for the Villa (e.g. 1971 Villa Park v United).
I have just asked the good lady what she remembers of the match - apparently nothing!!!
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Memories! I remember The Sheffield Game away when the pitch was invaded afterwards
And Doug Ellis running for his life when some fans started getting into the stand
That he was in (he was popular then as well) but the jubilation of us on the pitch will always
Stay with me. The Blackpool away game when we were in the NorthShore working men's club
Afterwards when match of the day was on they focused on my White polo jumper, I got instant fame then
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We were in their end at Blackpool. I remember a Blackpool fan running on the pitch in front of us. He started goading us, thinking that he was safe because of the fence between us and him. It was like a pantomime (he's behind you) because a fellow Villan got on the pitch from the side stand and chased him off the pitch, happy days.
Went to Sheffield on the Wednesday and helped to ram the their end (Kop I think?) and get on the pitch, got some turf, still have, oh what a night!
Saturday came and ground full by 2 o'clock. Fantastic match, Ian Ross scoring a pen, so that all our outfield players scored that season, unbelievable achievement.
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Wonderful times as you say
I seem to remember the meat pies were particurlary fine at Hillsborough and the pubs were closed because of a strike. But most of all I remember that terrifiying block of flats just as you enter Sheffield. People on our Villa coach were staring at it in awe!
That block of flats was called Hyde Park IIRC. When I was a student I knew a few people who had lived there - it sounded like Mile End in the Pulp song. The estate had yellow lines around it on the pavement to deter people from getting too close to the walls to avoid stuff being thrown out of windows at them. The story went that a bloke had thrown a tv out the window in a domestic argument and had killed a passer by below.
Re that end of season, we were just on an unstoppable roll. IIRC we only lost one game, away at Orient after the New Year. My favourite was the 3-1 v Albion, but that afternoon v Sunderland was amazing with 57,000 inside Villa Park, including at least 10,000 Sunderland fans. As a 12 year old my dad used to take me on the Witton End and though I celebrated our 2 goals not a word or gesture was bandied in my direction.
I too have fond memories of the rousing rendition of "Andy Lochhead in the Air" prior to the Oldham game. I think Doug mentioned it in the programme for the last match of the season.
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Blackpool away was amazing can anyone remember playing footie on the beach before the game about 40 a side then a huge mob coming down the beach towards us and it was all villa.
Thousands upon thousands of Villa at hillsborough it seemed like a home game then the big finale at vp against Sunderland.
God how I think about those days, young not a Care in the world and followed the villa everywhere no tickets no booking history u just jumped on a coach or train and went and got in.
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I can remember sitting in the New (cantilever) stand at Hillsborough - which rapidly emptied on to the pitch at fulltime. I recjkon I was one of the last ones out - took me some time to summon up the nerve to get on the pitch - but remember there was a large crowd at the tunnel calling for their heroes
;D
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Remember going to blackpool game,sunderland wasn't the last game we then beat Norwich away 4-1, remember well being on the vp pitch after sunderland game
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My aul feller took me and we were in the north bank with the makems. I remember they were quite friendly and passed me down to the front (yes, that kind of thing really used happen). Don't actually remember much else apart from the mass of humanity.
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The Oldham 5-0 win was my first game at Villa, the 2-0 win over Sunderland the second. After that I was hooked.
I've still got the programmes with half time scores from other games written down on them.
Wonderful, wonderful times.
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Remember going to blackpool game,sunderland wasn't the last game we then beat Norwich away 4-1, remember well being on the vp pitch after sunderland game
Yes, you're right - Norwich had gained promotion on the Saturday we beat Sunderland and their celebration party was the following Wednesday evening against us. I imagine they felt we'd be happy to "take it a bit easy" having already got promoted ourselves. We well and truly spoilt their party - imagine planning a celebration party for your last home game and then have the visitors come and beat you 4-1 !
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Surely the best finishing run to a season we've ever had, and one of the few teams to step up a gear after winning the League Cup (so often teams dip after that).
In 7th place after the Xmas games we had 17 left - won 14, drew 2, lost 1, beat all our promotion rivals and won the League Cup.
Best memories were joining the swarms of Villa fans celebrating promotion on the beach straight after the Blackpool game before word finally got round that rumours of a Sunderland win or draw were wrong and we weren't promoted yet. Went there on a coach with my older brother and his mates so was sneaked the odd can, but dad wanted to go to Hillsborough on the Wednesday. He drove to Sheffield and it seemed a never ending journey with the roads full of Villa fans and traffic moving slowly. We went in the first turnstile which was the Kop and Villa had taken it over (and we had the Leppings Lane end), we stood in the corner of the Kop and the Wednesday fans, miffed at their main end being taken over, were gathering there. By kick-off we too were surrounded by Villa. On the pitch we tore a poor Wednesday side apart that night. On the way back we stopped at a pub just outside Sheffield (I presume) and my dad and brother went in - me and my mate were told to stay in the car but we got out and stood waving our Villa scarves at all the cars going past, who were all hooting their horns at us. Happy days.
I've seen clips of the Blackpool game on YouTube as it was on MOTD but don't think there's footage anywhere of Hillsborough or the Sunderland and Norwich games, which is a shame.
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Great memories of that final match of a memorable season at Norwich. There was a lot of bitterness towards Saunders from the Norwich fans. He had walked out on them after a row with the chairman Robert Chase and joined Manchester City a few days later.We had also beat them in the League Cup final a few months earlier .The Norwich manager John Bond who was never short of a word or two had talked of how they were going to get revenge As it turned out,Villa despite missing a couple of key players cruised to a easy 4-1 win.Great days following the Villa
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Great memories of that final match of a memorable season at Norwich. There was a lot of bitterness towards Saunders from the Norwich fans. He had walked out on them after a row with the chairman Robert Chase and joined Manchester City a few days later.We had also beat them in the League Cup final a few months earlier .The Norwich manager John Bond who was never short of a word or two had talked of how they were going to get revenge As it turned out,Villa despite missing a couple of key players cruised to a easy 4-1 win.Great days following the Villa
Anyone else remember the 3rd match of the following season (75-76) away at Norwich, they really did get their revenge for the season before - I remember going to Carrow Road and the game was cruising to a 1:1 scoreline with about 5 minutes to go before half time - from nowhere they scored three goals - although I seem to remember something dodgy about all of them - half time was 4-1 to them and the game ended at 5-3.
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I couldn't make the Blackpool game for reasons I just cannot remember. I went to Hillsborough with a couple of mates from work, I remember it as if it was yesterday. Got to Sheffield easy enough(by car) and noticed that the crowds were forming up pretty quickly. Grabbed a quick pint and went in reasonably early to get a good view (on the Kop). I was, as usual pretty nervous and then, the first goal. There seemed to be a bit of a scramble and the ball seemed to take an age to cross the line. Cue pandemonium, all hell broke loose because, there was only going to be one winner from then on. With all the traffic after the match, it took hours to get home, no pint! The early hours IIRC and work next day with the biggest grin on my face.
I was at the Sunderland match on the Saturday and, nothing I can say here will add anything to what has already been written. Such a happy, brilliant season.
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The Sunderland game was 41 years ago today and I've mentioned on here before that my lasting memory will be getting into the Trinity Road Enclosure at 1.00pm, being amongst the first 200 or so people in the ground and watching it fill up - I'll never forget looking at a rammed Holte End before 2pm and thinking "WOW"
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41 Years and i can remember most of that day we played Sunderland as if it was just a few years back . I recall in those days i use to park my car in Tame Road around 2pm.Lucky for me,that particular say i went early and parked up around 1pm.As i walked to the ground i encountered thousands of Sunderland fans who had been locked out of the Witton End and were not to pleased obviously.So i went straight into the Holte when it opened at 1 30 pm and by around 2 30 it was full
As for the game itself,i can remember Ian Ross taking the pen and scoring Anyone remember why he took the pen, i am pretty sure he did'nt usually take them.Was it because he was the only player not to have scored all season ?
After the game i can recall lots of trouble down by Witton Station with the Sunderland fans and it was a bit scary getting back to my car but nothing was going to spoil my day that day
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Ian Ross took the pen because he was the only outfield player that hadn't scored in that wonderful season I think
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Rossy took the pen as the regular taker that season, Ray Graydon, was injured.
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I was on the Witton End with my dad, and kitted out in my usual pre-teen outfit of scarves on each wrist and around my neck. Their fans were as good as gold and I remember no animosity at all. There were thousands of Mackems there but the Witton wasn't segregated in those days and I don't recall any trouble.
The Holte really did look amazing from the opposite end of the ground.