Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: wittonwarrior on January 15, 2023, 10:09:54 AM
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Am I only one who thinks Old Trafford and Highbury were at the time - supporter wise bigger one offs than Rotterdam.
My reasoning is partly based on the number of fans at both, the timing of both games in our history and in the case of Highbury. if that had not happened, then Rotterdam would not have followed.
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Obviously no where near 20k at Highbury but we took a shedload to Everton for SGT's last game in 1990. We had the whole away end (standing then) and the very top tier of their main stand IIR. My guess was it had to be around 7k Villa for that one.
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How many did we take to Chelsea when Randy Lerner gave us free coach travel for a midweek cup game at Stamford Bridge? From what I recall we had the whole end. That was a great away day (if you ignore the thrashing we got anyway).
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How many did we take to Chelsea when Randy Lerner gave us free coach travel for a midweek cup game at Stamford Bridge? From what I recall we had the whole end. That was a great away day (if you ignore the thrashing we got anyway).
6,000 I think.
Blackburn under MON in 2009 (2-0 win) there were over 7000 - we had the whole of the one end.
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FA Cup vs Arsenal around 2012...If my memory serves me right we took a huge following there...typically Villa lost 3-2 after being two up...Bent scored one....I think the other was from a free kick whcih was headed in by Collins (?)
UTV
The Doc
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Richard Dunne, I think, though history suggests he was more likely to stick one in his own net than otherwise.
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Am I only one who thinks Old Trafford and Highbury were at the time - supporter wise bigger one offs than Rotterdam.
My reasoning is partly based on the number of fans at both, the timing of both games in our history and in the case of Highbury. if that had not happened, then Rotterdam would not have followed.
Nurse!
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Not necessarily a 'biggest day out' but definitely a glorious day out. On the Saturday following our Wednesday night League Cup Final win v Everton we played Coventry at Highfield Road. New St Station was packed out from mid morning and the match attendance was 10000 above their average. Inside the ground it was Villa represented noisily on three sides with some in the home end. The injured Andy Gray was sitting with the Villa fans.We came from behind twice to win with a Brian Little goal about five minutes from the whistle. It kept us in with a chance for the top spot but too many games in hand. Basically though it was a mass celebration of the Wednesday before and all things Villa with a wonderful side.
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BFR's first game in charge. At Wednesday. The club he left for us in the summer after saying he'd never leave.
Two goals down in around only half an hour, only to win 3-2.
Edit, SGT's send off at Everton is a good shout.
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Notts County away in 1972. A crowd of 34,000. It's no exageration to say there were at least 20k from Villa. No M42 back then, we got stuck in traffic jams from Tamworth onwards.
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A much overlooked large away support was at Highfield Rd for the league cup 2nd replay v Palace in 1978/79. There were 25k there (IIRC) and palace probably had 2-3k in the away end and the rest was Villa. The attendance that night was higher than Coventry’s average home gate.
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Notts County away in 1972. A crowd of 34,000. It's no exageration to say there were at least 20k from Villa. No M42 back then, we got stuck in traffic jams from Tamworth onwards.
Most definitely one of the great days out!
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What I remember most about that match was John Burridge doing his one-armed press ups prior to the kick-off. There was a tremendous amount of Villa fans there allright.
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What I remember most about that match was John Burridge doing his one-armed press ups prior to the kick-off. There was a tremendous amount of Villa fans there allright.
I’d forgotten that! He got loads of abuse from the Villa fans before the game.
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What I remember most about that match was John Burridge doing his one-armed press ups prior to the kick-off. There was a tremendous amount of Villa fans there allright.
Can't have been, Burridge didn't join us until 1976.
Edit - ah yes. Coventry you mean, not Notts County.
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It was Burridge, season 78/79 he'd left us by then. October '78 Drew 1-1, 0-0 and won at Coventry 3-0. Scorers Gray 2 and Gregory.
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It was Burridge, season 78/79 he'd left us by then. October '78 Drew 1-1, 0-0 and won at Coventry 3-0. Scorers Gray 2 and Gregory.
https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/3551
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A much overlooked large away support was at Highfield Rd for the league cup 2nd replay v Palace in 1978/79. There were 25k there (IIRC) and palace probably had 2-3k in the away end and the rest was Villa. The attendance that night was higher than Coventry’s average home gate.
Great night and brilliant support especially as it was a midweek 7.30pm game. I remember Andy Gray scoring a real Roy of the Rovers type goal on the volley from outside the box.
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He hit it with his weaker right foot as well, didn't he?
My mate, big Derby fan, went to this one with his brother. Apart from Andy's goal his best memory of the night was going into a boozer after the game and hearing a Villa fan give a live performance of the 'Laughing Policeman' which they thought was hilarious!
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He hit it with his weaker right foot as well, didn't he?
My mate, big Derby fan, went to this one with his brother. Apart from Andy's goal his best memory of the night was going into a boozer after the game and hearing a Villa fan give a live performance of the 'Laughing Policeman' which they thought was hilarious!
What were the lyrics? I only know it in it's 'Altrincham' incarnation but that was still a good few years away.
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What's the biggest attendance any of us have ever been in. For me it's the Charity Shield in 1981. I think the official attendance was 93,000. I don't think the capacity at Wembley was bigger than that for any of the following cup finals.
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I think the attendance at both the 1971 and 1975 League Cup finals was 100,000.
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Other than Wembley finals it would have been 69k+ Vs Preston in the fifth round of the FACup in 1961/62 I think it was. I can't remember what the crowd size was at OT for the second replay of the League cup. I don't think the Theatre of Shit had a 70k+ capacity then but! I could be wrong.
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54,749 according to Wikipedia
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Lee B, I've got the lyrics somewhere up in the attic. I'll dig them out but you'll have to wait until after the w/end.
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Outside Wembley, Inter away the first time must have been high up there.
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If we're just talking attendance rather than Villa support present, 90,000 at Barcelona in '78 is possibly the biggest outside of finals/semis.
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Biggest crowd I was part of was the '77 League Cup final. It was my 7th birthday and the crowd was either 96,223 (the earlier editions of A Complete Record) or 100,000 according to Wiki.
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Lee B, I've got the lyrics somewhere up in the attic. I'll dig them out but you'll have to wait until after the w/end.
Nice one, cheers pal
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He hit it with his weaker right foot as well, didn't he?
My mate, big Derby fan, went to this one with his brother. Apart from Andy's goal his best memory of the night was going into a boozer after the game and hearing a Villa fan give a live performance of the 'Laughing Policeman' which they thought was hilarious!
What were the lyrics? I only know it in it's 'Altrincham' incarnation but that was still a good few years away.
There was a team called City, St Andrews they did come
And they're knocked out the FA Cup by Alec Stock's Fulham
It was in the final minute, the referee blew up
And now those Blue & White bastards are out the FA Cup..
Just the mention of Alec Stock can bring men of a certain age in south east Birmingham to tears. They really did think it was their year. As mentioned on here a few times, there was a Villa poem 'We're Going Up' doing the rounds at the same time, spring of 75. I still have a copy of it, the only problem being I put it in such a safe place I can't remember where. I've an idea it's in a record sleeve. One day I'll find it but until then a verse that references the above.
'Around Sheldon, Yardley, especially Small Heath, all the Blues fans were showing their teeth
We're going to Wembley they all gave a smile but Villa fans knew it was just for a while.
We're going to Wembley with Trevor but Fulham didn't think they were so clever
Now they ain't won the league and they ain't won the cup
And now they're really shaking "Oh course we're going up" '.
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FFS I was halfway through the 2nd verse when I realised it wasn't part of the song.
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Blackpool away 1975 with promition virtually settled swarms if Villa fans paddling in sea before game
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BFR's first game in charge. At Wednesday. The club he left for us in the summer after saying he'd never leave.
Two goals down in around only half an hour, only to win 3-2.
Edit, SGT's send off at Everton is a good shout.
These are the two that I remember most. Hoarse for days after both games. I don’t think I’ve witnessed better singing at Villa games.
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Notts County away in 1972. A crowd of 34,000. It's no exageration to say there were at least 20k from Villa. No M42 back then, we got stuck in traffic jams from Tamworth onwards.
Most definitely one of the great days out!
I was on the half way line in the old wooden stand packed with Villa. It's not exaggerating to say the stand shook when the synchrous jumping up and down to "we shall not be moved" was sung. There must have been at least 5 or 6 Villa special trains that day, absolute madness but absolute joy and euphoria. Just 10 years later and Champions of Europe....what a journey !!!
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Villa's best performance of the season; we won three-nil and it could easily have been double that. A brilliant win against a serious promotion rival. Fred Turnbull's finest game, IMO.
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Big day out 8 years ago today, spoilt only by Villa and the fact Arsenal scored 4 to our none.
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Big day out 8 years ago today, spoilt only by Villa and the fact Arsenal scored 4 to our none.
I thought we agreed to never mention it again?
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Worse than going down that was. I think the only time I've been embarrassed to be a Villa fan.
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Worse than going down that was. I think the only time I've been embarrassed to be a Villa fan.
Really? I've had loads!
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Big day out 8 years ago today, spoilt only by Villa and the fact Arsenal scored 4 to our none.
I thought we agreed to never mention it again?
Mention what again? Nothing to see here!
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How quick time goes - 8 years ago Wembley - that was my Dad's last game to watch us, before various illness's took hold of him
He is still with us thankfully - but he is not well.
Remember after the game getting the lift down to the ground floor, and Robert Pires was in the lift with us.
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Barcalona V Villa UEFA Cup 2nd leg 1978 is given as 90,000 but I heard on the night it was over 100,000. We took a decent few too.
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Big day out 8 years ago today, spoilt only by Villa and the fact Arsenal scored 4 to our none.
I thought we agreed to never mention it again?
Mention what again? Nothing to see here!
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2000 was far worse in that we genuinely were every bit as good as Chelsea back then and they won 1-0 thanks to a mistake on a day when we didn't turn up. Still sickens me.
2015, we were always rank outsiders given the shitshow we had turned into after 2010 and the succession of bad managers - Sherwood FFS!
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I had a great day that day. In that I don’t remember the game. I was enjoying myself too much in that den of thieves The Green Man.
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Barcalona V Villa UEFA Cup 2nd leg 1978 is given as 90,000 but I heard on the night it was over 100,000. We took a decent few too.
It was quite a scary night, was a fair few there but we'd been split up into 2 sections at either end of the ground. I think the Barca fans of 78 morphed into the Barca team of
83.
A brilliant week overall in Lloret, cheaper to do that than go with official Travellers Club packages.
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We seemed to take a lot to Atletico back in 97. I recall we had a lot of the upper tier on the side and a few blocks opposite too. Only young at the time, but as has often been said, what a shower of twats the local Police were and the Atletico Madrid lot.
Next biggest following after thatist have been Hamburg, with about 3500. Only time I've nodded off at the football and while stood up.
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We seemed to take a lot to Atletico back in 97. I recall we had a lot of the upper tier on the side and a few blocks opposite too. Only young at the time, but as has often been said, what a shower of twats the local Police were and the Atletico Madrid lot.
Next biggest following after thatist have been Hamburg, with about 3500. Only time I've nodded off at the football and while stood up.
Agree about Athletico. The night before the game a group of us were ambushed as we left a bar. Rocks and bricks raining down on us. Two of our lot required hospital treatment (nothing too serious, they both made the match).
Hamburg as I recall was a dead rubber so just turned into a massive piss up, just before Xmas. Great trip. Absolutely freezing at the match
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We seemed to take a lot to Atletico back in 97. I recall we had a lot of the upper tier on the side and a few blocks opposite too. Only young at the time, but as has often been said, what a shower of twats the local Police were and the Atletico Madrid lot.
Next biggest following after thatist have been Hamburg, with about 3500. Only time I've nodded off at the football and while stood up.
Was at both of those too, the Hamburg game was fucking cold. Our kid had a heavy cold as well so we buggered off at half time. I'm still yet to see us score a goal abroad in the flesh in three goes.
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Barcalona V Villa UEFA Cup 2nd leg 1978 is given as 90,000 but I heard on the night it was over 100,000. We took a decent few too.
It was quite a scary night, was a fair few there but we'd been split up into 2 sections at either end of the ground. I think the Barca fans of 78 morphed into the Barca team of
83.
A brilliant week overall in Lloret, cheaper to do that than go with official Travellers Club packages.
Ha! we were in Lloret too and as you say did it far cheaper than through the club. We were seated in the opposite side of the ground from where any Villa fans were. We were well received by the Barca fans the 10 or so of us. It was my first trip out of the country so everything was an adventure, even getting chatted up by a prostitute. Why she assumed I was fluent in Spanish I'll never know. Why I didn't know at the time she was a prostitute I put down to naivety.