Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: PeterWithesShin on March 06, 2018, 10:55:15 PM

Title: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: PeterWithesShin on March 06, 2018, 10:55:15 PM
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: JD on March 07, 2018, 07:46:06 AM


Great game this one. David Geddis always seemed to step up when Peter Withe wasn't playing this season.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Holte132 on March 07, 2018, 03:48:23 PM
Two things that struck me while watching this - how fast and free-flowing the football was, and the very short shorts!
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: PeterWithesShin on March 07, 2018, 05:16:04 PM
Makes you wonder a bit, they should have gone 2-0 up, if they had I wonder if things may have ended differently.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Villa in Denmark on March 07, 2018, 08:07:26 PM
That was my only game of the championship season as a 10 year old.

Things I remember.
Being disappointed  that Withe wasn't playing.
Being excited that I'd also see England captain Kevin Keegan.
Being excited to see the BBC broadcast vans so it would be on MOTD later that night.
The rush of 2 goals in a minute.

Things that I'd forgotten until  I watched that.
That Alan Ball was still playing for them.
Mortimer hitting the post twice.
My mates dad muttering about  Rimmer "looking creaky on his line"
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Damo70 on March 08, 2018, 02:12:49 PM
That was my only game of the championship season as a 10 year old.

Things I remember.
Being disappointed  that Withe wasn't playing.
Being excited that I'd also see England captain Kevin Keegan.
Being excited to see the BBC broadcast vans so it would be on MOTD later that night.
The rush of 2 goals in a minute.

Things that I'd forgotten until  I watched that.
That Alan Ball was still playing for them.
Mortimer hitting the post twice.
My mates dad muttering about  Rimmer "looking creaky on his line"


I was also 10 in the title winning season and I also only attended one game. The 2-1 win at the sty.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: dave shelley on March 08, 2018, 05:00:12 PM
Watching that again made me feel very sorry for the stick I sometimes handed out to David Geddis.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Flamingo Lane on March 08, 2018, 08:11:01 PM
The thing I will always remember about that game is being deliberately and violently headbutted by a fellow Villa fan on the Holte End, following the celebration of our equaliser.  The fella who headbutted me apologised afterwards, saying the reason he did it was because he thought (wrongly) that I'd bumped into his son when celebrating the goal.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Big Dick Edwards on March 08, 2018, 08:30:31 PM
Watching that again made me feel very sorry for the stick I sometimes handed out to David Geddis.

I never rated David Geddis at all. He offered workrate and physicality in spades but technically he was lacking. Having said all that there's no disputing when he was called in to fill in for Peter Withe that season he always produced the goods for the team.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Flamingo Lane on March 08, 2018, 08:54:01 PM
I did rate Geddis.  Obviously he was no Peter Withe but in the season before we won the league I thought he was a great help and influence in the development of Gary Shaw in particular, and also in the style of play that the 1980/81 championship team was able to evolve; which I'd say was very well illustrated by how easily he fitted into the side in those few games he played in, in the championship season.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: PeterWithesShin on March 08, 2018, 08:58:21 PM
He only made 8 starts and 1 sub appearance but still managed 4 goals and at least 2 assists, all of them vital.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Damo70 on March 09, 2018, 10:40:52 AM
He only made 8 starts and 1 sub appearance but still managed 4 goals and at least 2 assists, all of them vital.

I was going to post something similar. Also, when Ron Saunders took him from Barnsley to Small Heath in the middle of the '84/'85 season he helped them to promotion with 12 goals in 18 games.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: villan from luton on March 09, 2018, 12:26:47 PM
I remember Geddis standing in for Peter Withe v Blues at home in December 1980 and scoring a couple of goals. Had a crap start for us but was an able deputy in that season for sure. 
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: dave shelley on March 09, 2018, 01:02:01 PM
I think if David Geddis hadn't taken so long to get started on goalscoring, his Villa career would have been far more noticeable than it was.  IIRC, he took an absolute age to get his first missing chance after chance that came his way, some of them absolute sitters.  One I recall of almost Ronny Rosenthal proportions.

Things that Geddis cannot be accused of were his work-rate and his seemingly unflinching attitude to not letting missed chances stop him trying.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Rudy65 on March 09, 2018, 08:22:30 PM
A decent Southampton team who created some good chances. Seem to recall this was close to the Manchester City one nil home win when we were fortunate to win.

Agree that Geddis was hampered by his poor start when it took something like 15 games for him to score in the 79/80 season. He was never an out and out CF though and was better playing of a target man
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Damo70 on March 10, 2018, 12:56:41 PM
For a while Geddis was in a very exclusive club as someone who had won FA Cup, League title and European Cup winners medals. Obviously he is still in that club but it isn't as exclusive as it once was. Jimmy Rimmer had a similar claim to fame with two European Cup winners medals with two English clubs.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air on March 15, 2018, 12:17:51 PM
7.20...If you're the visiting manager and you want a handshake at the end you had better be quick, nobody keeps Ron Saunders waiting.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: wittonwarrior on March 18, 2018, 07:53:39 PM
He was no John Deehan let alone an Andy Gray, Brian Little, Peter Withe or Gary  Shaw but he is remembered as a massive part of our proud history.  Bobby  Robson believe  me would never have sold us a better than average  player.  The two clubs were not exactly bossom buddies.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: villan from luton on March 18, 2018, 07:57:18 PM
Im not sure there was that much history between the clubs when he signed wittonwarrior, but may be wrong. That season we won the league was a different matter lol, I liked John Deehan by they way lol
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: dave.woodhall on March 18, 2018, 08:00:48 PM
There was no history between us, and Bobby Robson never said anything.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Damo70 on March 18, 2018, 08:01:11 PM
He was no John Deehan let alone an Andy Gray, Brian Little, Peter Withe or Gary  Shaw but he is remembered as a massive part of our proud history.  Bobby  Robson believe  me would never have sold us a better than average  player.  The two clubs were not exactly bossom buddies.

Ipswich are convinced we were lucky in the title winning season and that they were the better team. The fact that we finished four points clear of them in the days of just two points for a win doesn't seem to compute with them. They may point out our twelfth placed finish the following year. But we could point out that whilst they were finishing second (again) we were winning the European cup.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Damo70 on March 18, 2018, 08:03:55 PM
There was no history between us, and Bobby Robson never said anything.

I'm not sure many of the people involved with Ipswich at the time do. Apart from Alan Brazil, who uses his media stage occasionally to mumble something which comes across as a bit bitter still after all these years. Although I have also heard him compliment our team from that season on occasions. I guess it depends what mood he is in.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Big Dick Edwards on March 20, 2018, 08:41:29 PM
I don't know how many people remember or even know this fact but out of the six nominations for the PFA Player of the Year in 1981, three Ipswich players finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the voting. No wonder they were in a state of shock that we beat them to the title.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Damo70 on March 21, 2018, 10:32:06 AM
I don't know how many people remember or even know this fact but out of the six nominations for the PFA Player of the Year in 1981, three Ipswich players finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the voting. No wonder they were in a state of shock that we beat them to the title.

My first thought was that John Wark won player of the year, then I thought I vaguely remembered it was Frans Thijssen. Didn't Gary Shaw get the young player award? If I was guessing the Ipswich 1-2-3 I would go Thijssen, Wark and take a punt on Terry Butcher as the third.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: castlefields_villan on March 21, 2018, 02:08:35 PM
He was no John Deehan let alone an Andy Gray, Brian Little, Peter Withe or Gary  Shaw but he is remembered as a massive part of our proud history.  Bobby  Robson believe  me would never have sold us a better than average  player.  The two clubs were not exactly bossom buddies.

Ipswich are convinced we were lucky in the title winning season and that they were the better team. The fact that we finished four points clear of them in the days of just two points for a win doesn't seem to compute with them. They may point out our twelfth placed finish the following year. But we could point out that whilst they were finishing second (again) we were winning the European cup.

ok - they beat us home and away in the league and beat us in the FA Cup that season - but it's a rags way of thinking that the season is all about 2 (or in this case 3) games.  We won five more games in the league than them and as is so often pointed out - this was the last season of just 2 points for a win.  The season was over 42 games.  OK the way we won it may have been a little strange, but we did win it - fair and square.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Big Dick Edwards on March 26, 2018, 01:52:18 PM
I don't know how many people remember or even know this fact but out of the six nominations for the PFA Player of the Year in 1981, three Ipswich players finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the voting. No wonder they were in a state of shock that we beat them to the title.

My first thought was that John Wark won player of the year, then I thought I vaguely remembered it was Frans Thijssen. Didn't Gary Shaw get the young player award? If I was guessing the Ipswich 1-2-3 I would go Thijssen, Wark and take a punt on Terry Butcher as the third.

Yes, John Wark won it, with Paul Mariner and Frans Thijssen making up the Top Three.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Damo70 on March 26, 2018, 03:09:42 PM
I don't know how many people remember or even know this fact but out of the six nominations for the PFA Player of the Year in 1981, three Ipswich players finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the voting. No wonder they were in a state of shock that we beat them to the title.

My first thought was that John Wark won player of the year, then I thought I vaguely remembered it was Frans Thijssen. Didn't Gary Shaw get the young player award? If I was guessing the Ipswich 1-2-3 I would go Thijssen, Wark and take a punt on Terry Butcher as the third.

Yes, John Wark won it, with Paul Mariner and Frans Thijssen making up the Top Three.

I have a feeling Thijssen might have won the football writers award.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Richard E on April 02, 2018, 08:51:03 AM
He was no John Deehan let alone an Andy Gray, Brian Little, Peter Withe or Gary  Shaw but he is remembered as a massive part of our proud history.  Bobby  Robson believe  me would never have sold us a better than average  player.  The two clubs were not exactly bossom buddies.

Ipswich are convinced we were lucky in the title winning season and that they were the better team. The fact that we finished four points clear of them in the days of just two points for a win doesn't seem to compute with them. They may point out our twelfth placed finish the following year. But we could point out that whilst they were finishing second (again) we were winning the European cup.

ok - they beat us home and away in the league and beat us in the FA Cup that season - but it's a rags way of thinking that the season is all about 2 (or in this case 3) games.  We won five more games in the league than them and as is so often pointed out - this was the last season of just 2 points for a win.  The season was over 42 games.  OK the way we won it may have been a little strange, but we did win it - fair and square.

We were bloody robbed in the game at Villa Park and there was a blatant handball in the build up to the goal in the FA Cup game.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: ColinMac on April 03, 2018, 11:54:44 AM
92-93 we beat Man U at home in the league and beat them in the league cup, drew with them away and McGrath won PFA player of the year, but ultimately it meant nothing as Man U won the league as Villa challenge ran out of steam, we haven't spent a lifetime since moaning that we were robbed or that the better team didn't win the league.

Ps, 80-81 was the last season of 2 points for a win, 3 points were introduced the following season, under a 3 points system, our lead over Ipswich would have been even more emphatic.
Title: Re: Southampton (H) 29th March 1981
Post by: Damo70 on April 03, 2018, 06:39:34 PM
After beating us in the third round of the FA Cup they played Shrewsbury, Charlton, Forest and Man City in that order. Considering we beat Forest and City at home and drew with them both away that season and that Shrewsbury and Charlton were lower division teams, the chances are we would have had a decent cup run if they hadn't beaten us at the first hurdle. They probably did us a favour, especially as they had to replay their Shrewsbury and Forest ties.

And no, I hadn't forgotten we lost to Cambridge in the league cup.
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