Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: thick_mike on August 15, 2019, 06:24:30 PM
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Couldn’t find the older threads that have surely existed, so I thought I’d share a couple of photos from the last day of the Holte End terracing. Villa vs Liverpool 7th May 1994.
I didn’t have a season ticket that year, so I had to buy one on spec from a bloke up by Aston Station. I am convinced to this day that it was Nigel Kennedy in disguise (big sunglasses, fake moustache, hoodie).
Sad day was brightened up by Dave Chance, or was it Dave Ismay, (one of the Daves anyway) singing YNWA to a chorus of boos from the home fans.
Came back from 0-1 down at half time to win with two Dwight Yorke goals in the second half in front of the Holte End.
Kids today think we made up the tales of beer crates, or were they milk crates (one of the crates anyway).
Smoke bomb or hotdog steam?
(https://i.ibb.co/TPrggVZ/A1-FCD2-EF-7-C20-4-C13-BD7-F-E7-E5-CEF00561.jpg)
When the Evening Mail was a real newspaper
(https://i.ibb.co/fvMmxrL/AF1-CF560-A501-423-B-AE08-86911853-D53-F.jpg)
The other old lady we lost a few years later
(https://i.ibb.co/NKw29p8/37302232-7-FF0-475-C-AF3-A-97-B5-D46-B2972.jpg)
My piece of heaven, behind the “V” floodlight Left Side (https://i.ibb.co/nrx0KYW/15-C4-F3-F8-302-F-4412-B2-B3-2-F29-FC134-E92.jpg)
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My first 2 games in the Holte standing are the Man Utd 3-0 boxing day game I was like 12 or 13 and went from middle stand to front and back many times with the waves of fully grown men surging forward all game, looking back im amazed i didnt get injured lol
And in pouring rain beating Port Vale 6-0 in the cup, and im sure all the goals were at the other end.
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Brilliant photos. H&V put out a Holtes last stand edition which I still have. On Saturday I shall return to Villa Park for the first time since 1993 and it will be the first time I have had a seat at Villa Park.
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My first 2 games in the Holte standing are the Man Utd 3-0 boxing day game I was like 12 or 13 and went from middle stand to front and back many times with the waves of fully grown men surging forward all game, looking back im amazed i didnt get injured lol
And in pouring rain beating Port Vale 6-0 in the cup, and im sure all the goals were at the other end.
I got soaked at that Port Vale game too...was it before they extended the roof?
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Brilliant photos. H&V put out a Holtes last stand edition which I still have. On Saturday I shall return to Villa Park for the first time since 1993 and it will be the first time I have had a seat at Villa Park.
I will be there too in A5 Trinity Road. You will notice some subtle changes :D
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Nice photos, thanks for sharing!
Looks like you were standing close to where I was that day although I can't see me or my Dad in any of the photos.
I also still have my copy of H&V The Holte's Last Stand, an absolute classic.
When the game had finished and a lot of people had invaded the pitch I found myself standing next to someone in my year at school.
I didn't even know he was a Villa fan but we became friends and started going to away games together.
Happy daze!
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Nice photos, thanks for sharing!
Looks like you were standing close to where I was that day although I can't see me or my Dad in any of the photos.
I also still have my copy of H&V The Holte's Last Stand, an absolute classic.
When the game had finished and a lot of people had invaded the pitch I found myself standing next to someone in my year at school.
I didn't even know he was a Villa fan but we became friends and started going to away games together.
Happy daze!
We started standing there because the crowd was thinner due to having to watch through the floodlight pylon. When I was a kid I couldn’t see over the crowd in front, so I got a better view there. After a while you didn’t notice the steelwork, you started to bob and weave unconsciously like a boxer.
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My first time on the Holte was to see us play Liverpool in 1982 so it would have been appropriate if I had been at 'The Last Stand' game against them. However I moved abroad to work a week or two before so my personal last stand on the Holte was against Arsenal in the last but one home game, which of course was most people's last but one stand.
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My last Holte End stand was 1967 against Hull. 2-0 up (Greenhalgh if I remember OK) and we lost 2-3 with a pathetic display from midfielders Park and Parker. From then on, for luck, I went Witton End/Lane or Trinity. Took a few years, but the move paid off. Honest.
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It was great going back to Villa Park last Saturday, despite the result. The Holte still looks splendid, although it was a bit strange sitting down the other end looking at it.
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Mike, fantastic photos. They've really brightened up my morning here.
And JD, 1993? That's a long time, mate. I'm sorry that they lost for you. Family aside, Villa and Villa Park are the only things I get homesick for.
When I do come home on occasion, it's pretty much the first thing I plan to go and see, whether it's a match or just to wander around and think of all the great times I've had there with great people.
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My last Holte End stand was 1967 against Hull. 2-0 up (Greenhalgh if I remember OK) and we lost 2-3 with a pathetic display from midfielders Park and Parker. From then on, for luck, I went Witton End/Lane or Trinity. Took a few years, but the move paid off. Honest.
I so remember that game, such utter dross, needed seeing to be believed. The sad thing is, it wasn't a one-off.
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Couldn’t find the older threads that have surely existed, so I thought I’d share a couple of photos from the last day of the Holte End terracing. Villa vs Liverpool 7th May 1994.
I didn’t have a season ticket that year, so I had to buy one on spec from a bloke up by Aston Station. I am convinced to this day that it was Nigel Kennedy in disguise (big sunglasses, fake moustache, hoodie).
Sad day was brightened up by Dave Chance, or was it Dave Ismay, (one of the Daves anyway) singing YNWA to a chorus of boos from the home fans.
Came back from 0-1 down at half time to win with two Dwight Yorke goals in the second half in front of the Holte End.
Kids today think we made up the tales of beer crates, or were they milk crates (one of the crates anyway).
Smoke bomb or hotdog steam?
(https://i.ibb.co/TPrggVZ/A1-FCD2-EF-7-C20-4-C13-BD7-F-E7-E5-CEF00561.jpg)
When the Evening Mail was a real newspaper
(https://i.ibb.co/fvMmxrL/AF1-CF560-A501-423-B-AE08-86911853-D53-F.jpg)
The other old lady we lost a few years later
(https://i.ibb.co/NKw29p8/37302232-7-FF0-475-C-AF3-A-97-B5-D46-B2972.jpg)
My piece of heaven, behind the “V” floodlight Left Side (https://i.ibb.co/nrx0KYW/15-C4-F3-F8-302-F-4412-B2-B3-2-F29-FC134-E92.jpg)
Some time just before Christmas around about 1982 we played host to Liverpool. Bob Warman, John Caine and Oscar the Newshound dog led the Holte End in a good natured rendition of 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas'. It then quickly went pear shaped when they tried to conduct the fans on The Holte for a rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' to be broadcast on the show . My beer crate in my early days on The Holte was a plastic claret one from Aston Manor brewery. For years after I had stopped needing the crate the older blokes I grew up with around me on The Holte found it very funny to occasionally ask me where my crate was.
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Talking of We Wish You a Merry Christmas, does anyone want to hear - yet again - the story of Doug and the cassette recorder?
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Talking of We Wish You a Merry Christmas, does anyone want to hear - yet again - the story of Doug and the cassette recorder?
Having not heard it, or at least if I have I can't remember it, yes please.
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Right, settle down and I'll begin.
One day, a long time ago, Tom Ross was collecting recordings of local sports people each singing a line of We Wish You a Merry Christmas. He was on his way out of Villa Park when Doug spied him and asked what was going on. Tom, with some trepidation, told him, to which Doug replied. "Excellent! I'll take part - I used to be Head Chorister at Chester Cathedral."
And so, a few days later, a package arrived at Capital or whoever they were then containing a cassette featuring Doug singing a selection of carols, accompanied by Heidi playing his organ.
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That was a considerably shorter story than I was expecting. I feel a little let down.
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I have a highly disturbing image in my head from the last 4 words of that story.
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I have a highly disturbing image in my head from the last 4 words of that story.
Eugh!
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Was this pre, post or during the bicycle kick? Just so I’m clear...
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I thought this would be the most relevant thread to post this question.
Someone put up footage of us playing Watford in the 80s and the Watford players warmed up before the game in front of the Holte. This completely threw me, I have no recollection of away teams doing that, was it a regular thing for away teams to do?
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I thought this would be the most relevant thread to post this question.
Someone put up footage of us playing Watford in the 80s and the Watford players warmed up before the game in front of the Holte. This completely threw me, I have no recollection of away teams doing that, was it a regular thing for away teams to do?
They did it occasionally as a bit of a wind-up.
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I thought this would be the most relevant thread to post this question.
Someone put up footage of us playing Watford in the 80s and the Watford players warmed up before the game in front of the Holte. This completely threw me, I have no recollection of away teams doing that, was it a regular thing for away teams to do?
As Dave has said occasionally away teams would do so much in the same way that some would choose to kick towards the Holte second half if they won the toss. It did get me thinking about one of the other pre match rituals lost to modern times. Around 45 minutes before kick off the away side would wander out of the tunnel in their civvies and shuffle around the pitch in groups testing the pitch to decide which boots to wear.I suppose that today's more structured and lengthy warm ups have made that obsolete.
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Best was, the Arsenal/Sammy Morgan replay Rd 3 FA cup
Villa ran out first and went to the Witton end.
arsenal ran out and had to go to the Holte.
The rest is History
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30 years ago today we walked away from the Holte terrace for the last time.
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30 years ago today we walked away from the Holte terrace for the last time.
Bloody hell, where has time gone?
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https://www.heroesandvillains.info/heroesarchive/hls/index.htm
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Beating Liverpool again tonight, 30 years on, with the winner at the Holte, would be summat special.
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To be fair to them the Liverpool supporters showed some class that day.
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I really don't remember anything from that day other than that oaf singing their anthem before the game.
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30 years ago today we walked away from the Holte terrace for the last time.
Bloody hell, where has time gone?
Sorry, but I refuse to believe that was 30 years ago, nope not gonna do it .........(shuffles away and buries head in the sand).
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It was a great day. We were in the Vine singing "Happy Days are here again..." about the Rags impending relegation the next day, dancing all over the pool table. Two Mickey Mousers, wankered on Diamond White, scaled the front of the pub to pull the letters off the sign, inspired by the souvenir hunting in the Holte.
And I fell asleep on the bus home......
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I remember a few of things.
Strange feeling around that it’s the end of something very special.
The poor guy singing YNWA through a barrage of abuse.
The winning goal seemed to me that Goalkeeper dived over the ball letting in very soft goal.
Not wanting to leave, and being ushered out while hearing people chiselling out their bits of the Holte end.
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30 years ago today we walked away from the Holte terrace for the last time.
Christ i feel old . I remember walking out after that game with a tear in both eyes , holding onto my certificate and match programe from the day.
I'm so glad we are still in the same location and we should never leave our home in B6 , memories for us all and HITS who we love and miss and also love the Villa.
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Goals at 1:42:20
&ab_channel=VillaBoy
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Goals at 1:42:20
&ab_channel=VillaBoy
Funny how your memories differ from reality.
Think I confused it with a Toney Daley goal from 11th April 92
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Goals at 1:42:20
Funny how your memories differ from reality.
Think I confused it with a Toney Daley goal from 11th April 92
I thought one of the goals was from a corner.....but clearly not.
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Goals at 1:42:20
Funny how your memories differ from reality.
Think I confused it with a Toney Daley goal from 11th April 92
I thought one of the goals was from a corner.....but clearly not.
That was 94/95 in front of the new Holte against the same opposition in the final home game and another Yorke brace! Easy mistake to make
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Ah thanks, so I'm only slightly crazy.