Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: castlefields_villan on April 13, 2017, 03:06:17 AM
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Ok - it's 3.00am in the morning and I can't sleep - just remembered the date -
Anyone care to share their memories of that fantastic night at Old Trafford.
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i was 11 years old. My older sister took me. My ticket cost £1 and train ticket was the same. Caught the train in New St. Shared a carriage with 4 others who brought in a no swearing ban once me and my sister joined the carriage. They were drinking cans of beer I think? Were there cans of beer back then?
I had not been to many night time games so the whole sensory expeirnce of noise and sound is etched into my memory. I had a great view of Nicholls goal. Could hardly make out Little,s goal because it was right down the other end. However I wS not in the least surprised as that is what Brian Little did
However out of that cup run the 2.2 draw v QPR is a great memory. 2 goals from Dixie and e pen save from Burridge
40 years ago....bloody hell
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We won the Brian Little competition, or it seemed that way, he owned the League Cup that year like no player ever has or ever will again.
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Without looking it up, I take it this is the League Cup win over Everton at the 3rd attempt?
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It was just big game after big game at this time. Three semi finals with QPR, then three finals with Everton.
I checked the records, those six games were played between 1st Feb and 13th April included three lots of extra time and were watched by a combined attendance in excess of 320,000. We also managed to fit in eight league games and two FA Cup matches in this period.
I used to go to every game at that time home and away and I think I would have been pretty knackered by the end of it. There was also a wasted trip to London with with one of those QPR games being postponed.
The team were not knackered though - in the ten days after victory at Old Trafford we went to Coventry and won 3-2, then beat Spurs and Norwich at home 2-1 and 1-0 respectively with Brian Little scoring a goal in each of those too.
What a team ! What a player !
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not a good night for me went to wembley but could not get time of work for the replays :-(
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I remember travelling to Highbury for the QPR replay never to this day understanding how a London ground was neutral when one of the teams playing was a London team. Went with my Dad and a mate, we sat amongst a load of QPR fans, seem to remember them all being very good spirited.
Got a ticket for Wembley, we were in the non tunnel end very low down on the terracing, highlight of the game was a bandsman from the half time entertainment lost a spur off his boot and the second half was interrupted as players and officials searched the turf for the missing spur. Pretty dour game to be fair.
Couldn't get a ticket for Hillsborough and only my Dad got a ticket for Old Trafford, never forget that Chris Nicholl 40 yard piledriver.
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I remember most vividly the QPR matches and all three finals as I was at them all. What I can't remember is, how the hell I travelled down to London for the QPR replay. I was with my usual mate and can only guess we went in his car, I just don't remember any coach or train.
For sheer exhilaration the Old Trafford replay has to be somewhere at the top of the pile. I recall looking at my watch and saying to my two mates that if we were to get back in it we'd need to score soon. Cue Chris Nichols receiving the ball half a mile out and bang! The rest is history.
I've posted before that when SBL scored his first goal the noise from our fans was something that I'd never heard before or since. It was like a crack of thunder out of nowhere. The accoustics of OT lent itself to then, before it became soulless.
Got home about 4am happy as a clam, two hours kip and up for work. Brilliant!
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I remember most vividly the QPR matches and all three finals as I was at them all. What I can't remember is, how the hell I travelled down to London for the QPR replay. I was with my usual mate and can only guess we went in his car, I just don't remember any coach or train.
For sheer exhilaration the Old Trafford replay has to be somewhere at the top of the pile. I recall looking at my watch and saying to my two mates that if we were to get back in it we'd need to score soon. Cue Chris Nichols receiving the ball half a mile out and bang! The rest is history.
I've posted before that when SBL scored his first goal the noise from our fans was something that I'd never heard before or since. It was like a crack of thunder out of nowhere. The accoustics of OT lent itself to then, before it became soulless.
Got home about 4am happy as a clam, two hours kip and up for work. Brilliant!
That's an interesting point Dave, I'm too young for remembering this epic (was about 5 months old at the time), but the first time I went to Old Trafford was in '88, with the Brummie exodus. The noise when Bruce but them in the lead in front of us was something that I'd never experienced before, and as you say the ground itself seemed to amplify it somewhat.
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Isn't it funny the way your memory works? My overriding memories are of the train rolling back a few feet on the way home after the 1st game to a chorus of "we're on our way to Wembley", sitting on the coach at Sheffield queuing to get off the car park until about midnight and watching Chris Nichols shot take what seemed like half an hour to reach the goal.
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All 3 semis and all 3 finals for me to the one stand out memory from them all besides the games was when I had my huge villa flag up at the coach window and a brick went through the coach window in selly park.
Had to wait ages for another coach got to qpr 10 mins after kick off coach dropped us on Wood Lane and 50 of us legging it up South Africa road with one dressed as superman cape and all come round the bend by ground and loads of qpr fans about still but they all dispersed as we ran past them with superman at the front
Honest it was just like the batman and robin scene from fools and horses
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Chris Nichol's goal is in my top five Villa goals.
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I remember travelling to Highbury for the QPR replay never to this day understanding how a London ground was neutral when one of the teams playing was a London team. Went with my Dad and a mate, we sat amongst a load of QPR fans, seem to remember them all being very good spirited.
Got a ticket for Wembley, we were in the non tunnel end very low down on the terracing, highlight of the game was a bandsman from the half time entertainment lost a spur off his boot and the second half was interrupted as players and officials searched the turf for the missing spur. Pretty dour game to be fair.
Couldn't get a ticket for Hillsborough and only my Dad got a ticket for Old Trafford, never forget that Chris Nicholl 40 yard piledriver.
On the fact that the replay at "neutral" ground was played in London, wasn't the location decided by a toss of a coin, if we'd have won the match would have been at eg Wolves? And there was a to do about the tossed coin rolling all over the boardroom, toys were thrown out of prams about it not being fair?
Loving reading the memories from this period, I went to all of the games, even the one that wasn't- we were already in London for the QPR game by the time it was called off, so, sadly, had to stay in the pub. Happy days.
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I went to the Wembley game, missed the Hillsborough replay but managed to get to Old Trafford. A wonderful night
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Still possibly the best period of 2 months ever following the Villa.
Lets start with the QPR games, I was living in London at the time (well Ilford Essex to be precise). I actually got my ticket directly from Loftus Road and in the Villa End (which I think they called the School End at the time) which was a small Clock End type end but held 8,000 which Villa took and packed out. This was after 2 or 3 postponements due to a frozen pitch. We drew 0-0 and most of us thought we had more than one foot along Wembley Way. On to the 2nd leg and lets be honest we were outplayed - not a disgrace given the fact that QPR had finished 2nd just behind Liverpool the season before. Luckily we survived however we lost the toss and off to London it was for the 1replay. - For anyone who is guessing the 2nd replay was scheduled to be played only days later at the Hawthorns.
Anyway Brian Little in front of some 12,000 fans (packing out the Clock End) saw us through to Wembley.
The first game which was a bore draw, would be best remembered due to one of the bandsman losing one of his spokes and the start of the second half being held up. The replay at Hillsborough we should have won - played much better and so on to the 2nd replay and a delay of about 3 or 4 weeks at Old Trafford.
Gray was injured and Graydon came in for his first game in a bit. I travelled from London via Northfield with Mark Tonks and his family. His mum and dad were baggies but did I care I was getting a lift to the final. Some of the songs in the back of the car with Mark, his sister Nikki and me were colourful. It seemed to take ages to get to Old Trafford due to a massive traffic queue. We arrived as Everton took the lead urggh.
Villa were however in complete control on the pitch and the fans picked up on this and the United Road whefanre I was along with the scoreboard and the other side of the pitch were giving everything for the Villa to get back into the match. It came from the famous run forward by Chris Nicholl. Not his first run forward all night if I remember.
Little scored a quick second and we all thought the cup was secure only for a jammy Everton equaliser and then onto the last minute winner in extra time by Brian Little and I had reached heaven and beyond.
Getting back to Brum at about 3 in the morning and much singing in the back of the car it was fantastic.
ps who remembers the 15,000 plus fans who went to Coventry on the saturday.
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ps who remembers the 15,000 plus fans who went to Coventry on the saturday.
What a great competition for us that year-home draws throughout bar the 'neutral' semi-final replay culminating in that fantastic night in Manchester. Got to all the games including the final trilogy -dissappointed at Wembley, soaked at Sheffield and on a high in Manchester. Ended that night at 4am in Marco's chippie on the Walsall Road with a load of other travelling Villa waifs and strays from the night.No one wanted to go home.
And yes, the following Saturday Villa just took over Coventry.Soccer Specials leaving New Street from early morning (well probably additional ordinary trains but just full of supporters) .At the ground by 11 with thousands of others.,Villa supporters on all sides-Andy Gray was with supporters in the seats . What a truly wonderful time to be a Villa fan!
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Our daughter and her family are staying with us for Easter. The boys asked me this morning if I could show them my red and yellow cards from my refereeing days. Whilst looking, I came across my ticket for the match and also my train ticket. I've posted pictures of them on Facebook for the few people on here that are in the friends category. I don't have any luck posting pictures on here.
Match entry btw, was one pound. Suck on that youngsters! Only kidding.
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Didn't the Football League drop the prices for the second replay because fans had paid out twice already?
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The Coventry game was my 21st Birthday, what a day.
Today I am 61.
Last year on My 60th Birthday I travelled to Old Trafford, Strange how so many benchmarks in my life are associated with the Villa.
Glad I was not there yesterday though.
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Happy birthday Steamer, you missed fuck all yesterday. Typical Villa end of season.
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43 years ago today!
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I was 9. I remember my Dad taking me to the home leg v QPR, Dad going to Wembley and waking up to find he'd left the programme by my bed when he came in, then listening to us win the 2nd replay with him on the radio, my first real memory of following a big match on the radio.
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Have a good day on Thursday, Steamer.
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One of the few advantages of being an old git is remembering fantastic games like this!
Went to the Loftus road-got postponed twice so had to have 3 'dental appointments' which was really obvious at school.Went on the coach and got thumped by a Milwall fan after for protecting my mate's flag. Missed the replay at Highbury because some idiot had a party-which we spent glued to BRMB!
So lucky that my Dad took my Brother, sister and me to all 3 finals. First 2 were hopeless, but Chris Nicholl's toe poke would have hit me in the face if the net hadn't stopped it. AVFC Aston Villa are magic echoing around the ground along with Villa, Villa, Villa! TBF Everton fans were class as well. That Villa team under Saunders had an incredible spirit and just would not be beaten.
Went to Cov on the train and there were thousands of us there. Followed everyone else into the West End, but could have picked anywhere!
What a great time to be a 17 year old! Probably the most exciting Villa team in my lifetime.