Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: wittonwarrior on December 30, 2015, 11:57:23 PM
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Four stands:
Holte End
Witton Lane
Trinity Road
Witton End
The Chippy on Witton Lane
K and L blocks on the Holte
Singing the players names as they come out.
Last game of the season and the customary pitch invasion.
Serpentine coach park
Aston Tavern not the retro brick build that stands there now.
Saunders programme notes 110%.
The balloons
Witton Lane after the match
Rangers /Celtic chants - substituted by the names of the FA Teams in the final Man Utd/Liverpool at the QPR game the evening before.
The £10 junior season ticket
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Oh! the memories, to think back 45 years, the highlight following a great win was fish & chips at "The Witton Chippy" and eat them on the Midland Red special back to Bromsgrove, vr y special days indeed.
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The holes in the roof of the Witton Lane stand caused by German bombs. The thousands of bikes in the gardens of Witton Lane, the crush to get in the pissoir opposite the Holte pub, the smoke from the trains drifting across from Witton station, the pigeons flying out of the Trinity stand pigeon loft taking news of a goal to Corporation St, being pushed off the top of the Witton End slag heap, being lifted over the turnstiles by your big brothers, soldiers, sailors and airmen in uniform in the crowd in their hundreds, everybody wearing a cap, everybody smoking. I miss those days so much.
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The Trinity Road Stand.
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A V Floodlights.
Still had fencing when I started going.
We Will Rock You Played just after team runs on pitch. None of this line up and shake hands bollocks.
Sports Argus Paper.
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the red IMI sign
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The smell of onions and grease walking up from Lichfield Rd towards the ground.
Milk crates in the holte end.
Peter Withe throwing his wristbands into the Holte
Walking out afterwards and looking back up towards the ground and seeing what looked like a million people heading home.
Also walking down towards the fly-over bridge and hearing a roar behind you and not knowing whether to run for your life.
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Anybody remember the Ansells poster from the seventies of a packed Holte End with Ansells Bitter Men You Can't Beat Them underneath?
I always called it Aston Villa Men You Can't Beat Them.
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The gravel at the top of the Witton End and the mud bank behind it and the cavalry charge down said mud bank at the end of the game. All followed by a bottle neck to get out of the big gate.
The spiked railings surrounding the pitch perimiters, painted white and, in a later life, blue.
The mascot that handed out chewing gum to the players prior to kick-off as they entered the field.
The crush on big match days.
The noise on big match days.
Bovril.
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The smell of onions and grease walking up from Lichfield Rd towards the ground.
Milk crates in the holte end.
Peter With throwing his wristbands into the Holte
Walking out afterwards and looking back up towards the ground and seeing what looked like a million people heading home.
Also walking down towards the fly-over bridge and hearing a roar behind you and not knowing whether to run for your life.
and getting his bag of sweets ? from a fan at the front of the old Witton Lane stand about level with the Holte End penalty area.
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AV floodlights.
The clock on the Witton Lane.
Goalscorers sponsored by someone or other.
The scoreboards when they had the funny little animations when we'd get a corner or score.
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When the electronic scoreboards used to read "ALF TIME SCORES"
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The big plastic orange perched on the top of the Witton End selling Brit Vic or Mason's Jaffarade can't remember which. Tall coppers who smiled. Chips in newspaper from the three whores who ran the "chip shop" opposite the Holte pub. The Three Degrees my brother who was a military medic called them from the three stages of syphilis infection. The black guy in The Sycamore who would eat anything for two bob. His replacement Butty Sugrue who would have a paving slab broken on his head for half a quid. Bus conductors attempting to throw Villa fans off the bus for smoking on the lower deck.
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Being able to stand where ever you wanted
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winning two games on the trot regularly
whilst smoking
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Being able to stand behind both ends villa were attacking, by using the transfer turnstile at halftime.
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loads of empty number 11 buses waiting to take people home in both directions from witton roundabout
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loads of empty number 11 buses waiting to take people home in both directions from witton roundabout
Everyone remembers that, and correct me if I'm wrong but there was never a queue of 7s.
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loads of empty number 11 buses waiting to take people home in both directions from witton roundabout
Everyone remembers that, and correct me if I'm wrong but there was never a queue of 7s.
yeah but no one had mentioned it yet in this thread , i cant comment on number 7's
but i am sure there was a queue of empty buses after the match for the journey back to town from Sycamore Road
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loads of empty number 11 buses waiting to take people home in both directions from witton roundabout
Everyone remembers that, and correct me if I'm wrong but there was never a queue of 7s.
yeah but no one had mentioned it yet in this thread , i cant comment on number 7's
but i am sure there was a queue of empty buses after the match for the journey back to town from Sycamore Road
I can remember them, but none on Witton Island.
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The free busses from Deritend to VP on Saturday afternoon before the match and return journey from Church Road.
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The free busses from Deritend to VP on Saturday afternoon before the match and return journey from Church Road.
They weren't supposed to be free.
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The no 7 was my bus home if I didn't walk and I can never remember them queuing around the island. I do recall on occasion one renegade would be holed up in the no 11 line. I know this from looking in the direction that the bus would come from and seeing one come from Aston Lane as opposed to the Witton Road.
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Oh dear I owe someone some money in that case! I am sure no one paid?
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Oh dear I owe someone some money in that case! I am sure no one paid?
The criminal element that frequent this site. How low have we fallen?
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Can I ask you all to keep it quiet please as I am hoping to become a pillar of community in the near future and as such do not want any scandal or dirt emerging!
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The free busses from Deritend to VP on Saturday afternoon before the match and return journey from Church Road.
I occasionally used the free trains to and from new st / Aston or Witton until they recently installed ticket barriers
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The free busses from Deritend to VP on Saturday afternoon before the match and return journey from Church Road.
I occasionally used the free trains to and from new st / Aston or Witton until they recently installed ticket barriers
Police state them barriers lol.
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Winning football matches
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Getting thrown out of the Holte by the cops for swearing, running down the alley at the back of the Holte and paying in again at the other side, happy days
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The A S T O N V I L L A clock
Ansells Bittermen & Goliath across the top of the Witton Lane
The smell of cigar in the air in the Trinity Road stand on night games
Programmes in A4 size
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The A S T O N V I L L A clock
Ansells Bittermen & Goliath across the top of the Witton Lane
The smell of cigar in the air in the Trinity Road stand on night games
Programmes in A4 size
God I'd. Forgotten those massive programmes, oh happy days
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In the early 80s whenever we scored (which happened a lot), a kind of loud ding dong always came from the PA system (see 4.02 after Gary Shaw's goal below).
The 'we know what you're doing' whistle in the Holte End.
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Oh god yeah that bell. Totally forgotten that
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When the electronic scoreboards used to read "ALF TIME SCORES"
And the way they used to come up one scoreline at a time and the cheering that accompanied another Midlands team losing.
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Anybody remember the Ansells poster from the seventies of a packed Holte End with Ansells Bitter Men You Can't Beat Them underneath?
I always called it Aston Villa Men You Can't Beat Them.
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/114058793@N05/16118309285)
I remember this ad in old programmes.
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Getting thrown out of the Holte by the cops for swearing, running down the alley at the back of the Holte and paying in again at the other side, happy days
yeah remember when the coppers would form an empty square of space at the back of the holte and soon as we scored or done a knees up mother brown they would run in the crowd and chuck young kids out , arms up backs down the stairs
Then when they left ten minutes from the end the chants of the left side and the right side would start and charge into each other
remember the other chants , celtic / rangers , tiswas/swapshop
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The A.V. floodlights.
Unique in football and something that I would love to see returned to Villa Park.
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In the early 80s whenever we scored (which happened a lot), a kind of loud ding dong always came from the PA system (see 4.02 after Gary Shaw's goal below).
The 'we know what you're doing' whistle in the Holte End.
was this the same as the "just because you're losing" ? whistle, which I remember when the Holte was just starting to fill up - especially on night games
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Always buying a programme
Till some upstart fanzine came along and got me hooked
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In the early 80s whenever we scored (which happened a lot), a kind of loud ding dong always came from the PA system (see 4.02 after Gary Shaw's goal below).
The 'we know what you're doing' whistle in the Holte End.
was this the same as the "just because you're losing" ? whistle, which I remember when the Holte was just starting to fill up - especially on night games
Yes it was the same tune. "Back to school on Monday" to away fans.
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In the early 80s whenever we scored (which happened a lot), a kind of loud ding dong always came from the PA system (see 4.02 after Gary Shaw's goal below).
The 'we know what you're doing' whistle in the Holte End.
was this the same as the "just because you're losing" ? whistle, which I remember when the Holte was just starting to fill up - especially on night games
Yes it was the same tune. "Back to school on Monday" to away fans.
I've just been writing about that and I couldn't think of the tune. Thanks for reminding me.
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The upper grounds pub..when the weather wasn't too bad people would stand outside but in bad weather it was like a sweat shop in there.
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The fence down the middle of The Holte. Also going to one of the first matches with the all over roof on the Holte and marvelling at the size of it.
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The enamel badge sellers outside the ground.
The Peter Crowe Steele advert.
Singing "Bring on the champions".
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Getting in the Holte at 1PM to "soak up the atmosphere"
Walking bow-legged to get in as a junior having imbibed 4 pints of Ansells finest
Burning scarves
"You're gonna get yer f*****g heads kicked in..."
"Five Ken McNaughts!!!! "
"If your all going to *****, all going to *****, all going to ****** clap your hands"
"You're gonna get what Leicester City got..."
"We'll be running running round the Bullring with the Cup----pissed up!"
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Getting in the Holte at 1PM to "soak up the atmosphere"
Walking bow-legged to get in as a junior having imbibed 4 pints of Ansells finest
Burning scarves
"You're gonna get yer f*****g heads kicked in..."
"Five Ken McNaughts!!!! "
"If your all going to *****, all going to *****, all going to ****** clap your hands"
"You're gonna get what Leicester City got..."
"We'll be running running round the Bullring with the Cup----pissed up!"
when theres a scuffle everyone pointing and singing Villa Agro villa agro allo allo
same song going down the stairs from the back of the holte if we've lost
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In the early 80s whenever we scored (which happened a lot), a kind of loud ding dong always came from the PA system (see 4.02 after Gary Shaw's goal below).
The 'we know what you're doing' whistle in the Holte End.
was this the same as the "just because you're losing" ? whistle, which I remember when the Holte was just starting to fill up - especially on night games
Yes it was the same tune. "Back to school on Monday" to away fans.
I've just been writing about that and I couldn't think of the tune. Thanks for reminding me.
It was a classic - can't stop whistling it now !!
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The old Witton Lane stand was fitted out with wooden seats throughout, apart from about 50 light blue plastic seats at the front of the M block. That's where we sat for years.
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Most Villa players playing with pride for the club.
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The smell of pipe tobacco
The mascot running around the cinder track before the game
standing at the back of the lower trinity and having to follow the game through two sets of stanchions
in night matches, seeing everyone light up in the opposite stand when there was a break in play
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The tiny club shop under the Trinity Road Stand steps.
Meat and potato pies only.
One floodlight on until 20 minutes before kick off for night games.
The opposition wandering out in civvies to inspect the pitch.
Kids with trays selling confectionary.
The ground being open in the summer so you could just wander in.
Huge clearences ending up on Witton Lane.
The view of Witton,Perry Barr and Great Barr from the Holte.
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The ground being open in the summer so you could just wander in.
I was only telling someone about this on the weekend - my Dad took me to get my first ST in '75 and we went onto the side of the pitch from the corner of the Witton and had a walk round - nobody said anything other than "Good morning"
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When the electronic scoreboards used to read "ALF TIME SCORES"
And weren't long enough to cope with Matthew Le Tissier's full name so he was always Matt Le Tiss if I recall correctly.
The same scoreboards helpfully telling us it was a corner. As some witty individual in a fanzine put it." If Kent Nielsen's bouncing up and down, getting ready to jump at either end, we've probably worked out that it's a corner"
Meeting the same groups of strangers in the same spot on the Holte.
The "5 to 3" gang, who if they couldn't get in behind the crush barrier tended to fart their way in by releasing the gaseous decomposition products from god knows what they'd been drinking and several rancid burgers.
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The stadium announcer from the 70s (and possibly before that) up to around mid - late 80s (I can hear his voice now announcing the team changes etc...) anyone else remember him and know his name ?
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Getting in the Holte at 1PM to "soak up the atmosphere"
Walking bow-legged to get in as a junior having imbibed 4 pints of Ansells finest
Burning scarves
"You're gonna get yer f*****g heads kicked in..."
"Five Ken McNaughts!!!! "
"If your all going to *****, all going to *****, all going to ****** clap your hands"
"You're gonna get what Leicester City got..."
"We'll be running running round the Bullring with the Cup----pissed up!"
when theres a scuffle everyone pointing and singing Villa Agro villa agro allo allo
same song going down the stairs from the back of the holte if we've lost
Remember clear as day singing that song along with about everyone else after the Albion game when Alex Cropley had his leg broken. Flying down the Holte stairs without touching the floor. Those were the days, bit more sensible now.
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Villa Park, Birmingham
(http://i.imgur.com/1wby8fs.jpg)
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That is one of my favourite ads. Doesn't look 34 years old either.
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Stamping your feet on the wooden floors of the Trinity Road to urge the Villa on.
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Car auctions on Witton Lane before a midweek game.
All midweek games on a Wednesday.
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Car auctions on Witton Lane before a midweek game.
All midweek games on a Wednesday.
half 7 kick off
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The Trinity Road frontage - best in British football.
The AV Floodlights.
Nigel Kennedy's battered car with home made graffiti all over it in the car park.
'Dalian Atkinson drives Rover' - even when he was banned.
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The clock in the middle of the old Witton Lane Stand
The old manual halftime scoreboards - Corner of Holte/Trinity & Witton Lane/Witton End
The Witton End being called "The Witton End"
Games finishing at little more than a couple of minutes after twenty to five
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Games finishing at little more than a couple of minutes after twenty to five
Which meant that a swift walk got us to the Sacks of Potatoes in Gosta Green just as they opened at five, for egg and chips and pints of Springfield, then on to the Bull and/or the Old Royal in time for the bloke touring the pubs selling the Argus.
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Games finishing at little more than a couple of minutes after twenty to five
Which meant that a swift walk got us to the Sacks of Potatoes in Gosta Green just as they opened at five, for egg and chips and pints of Springfield, then on to the Bull and/or the Old Royal in time for the bloke touring the pubs selling the Argus.
Before all day drinking we would walk it into town for the pubs that opened at half 5 such as the exchange under the ramp going up to new st , the shakespere , the windsor , the costers or the red lion
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The Trinty serving Bovril with tubs of pepper on the brown counter wooden spoons to stir it in.
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Buying a ticket for the Upper Trinity from the kiosk outside and hoping you hadn't bought one where one of the goals would be obstructed by one of the pylons.
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Buying a ticket for the Upper Trinity from the kiosk outside and hoping you hadn't bought one where one of the goals would be obstructed by one of the pylons.
And the ball disappearing from view behind the Trinity roof from high clearences leaving you guessing which part of the pitch it would land.
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Buying a ticket for the Upper Trinity from the kiosk outside and hoping you hadn't bought one where one of the goals would be obstructed by one of the pylons.
And the ball disappearing from view behind the Trinity roof from high clearences leaving you guessing which part of the pitch it would land.
Yes, I remember that !
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Reserve matches at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon!
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Reserve matches at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon!
and the generation game on the telly when you get home
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Buying a ticket for the Upper Trinity from the kiosk outside and hoping you hadn't bought one where one of the goals would be obstructed by one of the pylons.
And the ball disappearing from view behind the Trinity roof from high clearences leaving you guessing which part of the pitch it would land.
Balls being kicked over the Witton Lane stand and a steward running outside to retrieve it.
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Standing on the Holte End and getting a whiff of one of those God-Awful farts that smelled like the perpetrator had followed through and shit themselves.I definitely don't smell them now , maybe they disappeared when it went all seater or my sense of smell has diminished over the years.
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it would be indecent assault now and was then really but remember in the 70s at the back of the holte if there was a bird there sometimes 5 or 6 villa fans would all try to feel her tits at the same time and she would scream and laugh
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Standing on the Holte End and getting a whiff of one of those God-Awful farts that smelled like the perpetrator had followed through and shit themselves.I definitely don't smell them now , maybe they disappeared when it went all seater or my sense of smell has diminished over the years.
oh god yeah , thinking about it , i can smell one now , while i am eating my dinner
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These days when a player from the opposition gets stretchered off they receive sympathetic applause. I remember a time when the would leave the pitch to the sound of "your going home in a f****** ambulance".
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Getting the Villa Special back to town and hoping the Argus would already be on sale.
Drinking in the Upper Grounds when Benny from Crossroads was always in there.
The toilets outside the Upper Grounds for some reason called "The Rhinos" by some.
The bloke next to me in the old Trinity Road stand who used to jump up and down on his programme as we tumbled into the Third Division.
Walking through town after a game and every window sill alive with starlings. Millions of 'em.
The night we "ejected" all the Arsenal fans from the Holte End and they swarmed across the pitch and got into the Witton. That was the night Sammy Morgan terrorised Bob Wilson. 6ft 2, eyes of blue etc
Staying in town on Saturday night drinking and then getting the Sunday Mercury about half ten on New St Station.
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Getting the Villa Special back to town and hoping the Argus would already be on sale.
Drinking in the Upper Grounds when Benny from Crossroads was always in there.
The toilets outside the Upper Grounds for some reason called "The Rhinos" by some.
The bloke next to me in the old Trinity Road stand who used to jump up and down on his programme as we tumbled into the Third Division.
Walking through town after a game and every window sill alive with starlings. Millions of 'em.
The night we "ejected" all the Arsenal fans from the Holte End and they swarmed across the pitch and got into the Witton. That was the night Sammy Morgan terrorised Bob Wilson. 6ft 2, eyes of blue etc
Staying in town on Saturday night drinking and then getting the Sunday Mercury about half ten on New St Station.
yeah i remember the millions of starlings flying from the outskirts of Birmingham to the City centre every night , and i remember the arsenal cup game , i was with mates from school in the north bank highbury for the 1st match when sammy morgan got sent off and with my old man in the holte when he inevitably scored in the replay , yeah and i remember saturday nights upstairs in the hole in the wall or the red lion and if not going to barberellas , sloopys , rum runner or the cedar i would get the last bus home at 11pm
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went the 1st game at Highbury however as a 13 year old wasnt allowed to travel to Birmingham alone for the replay no matter how tempting.
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My dad letting me stand on my own at the front of the Witton End - peering through the bars at these huge men playing for Villa - and being frightened when the ball came my way. Tumbling down the back of the Witton End - waiting for a 7 outside IMI - and somebody would have a radio - so we would all listen to the opening music that still gives me goosebumps and occasionally dusty eyes
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First home match 1977 - W Ham - birth of the Firms - 1:45 there were 200 ICF at the back of the Holte. The only match my, now, wife ever went to. I can still hear the rumble of hundreds of DMs as we ran up the steps at the back and chased them onto the pitch - then the glory of a 4-0 win! Remember winning?
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Getting the Villa Special back to town and hoping the Argus would already be on sale.
Drinking in the Upper Grounds when Benny from Crossroads was always in there.
The toilets outside the Upper Grounds for some reason called "The Rhinos" by some.
The bloke next to me in the old Trinity Road stand who used to jump up and down on his programme as we tumbled into the Third Division.
Walking through town after a game and every window sill alive with starlings. Millions of 'em.
The night we "ejected" all the Arsenal fans from the Holte End and they swarmed across the pitch and got into the Witton. That was the night Sammy Morgan terrorised Bob Wilson. 6ft 2, eyes of blue etc
Staying in town on Saturday night drinking and then getting the Sunday Mercury about half ten on New St Station.
yeah i remember the millions of starlings flying from the outskirts of Birmingham to the City centre every night , and i remember the arsenal cup game , i was with mates from school in the north bank highbury for the 1st match when sammy morgan got sent off and with my old man in the holte when he inevitably scored in the replay , yeah and i remember saturday nights upstairs in the hole in the wall or the red lion and if not going to barberellas , sloopys , rum runner or the cedar i would get the last bus home at 11pm
I remember that Arsenal game well - of course in those days FA Cup replays were played just 3 or 4 days after the original tie. January 1974 and we were struggling in the old second division and Arsenal were as they have always been - a decent top division side - but we were dynamite especially in the replay - I was a 16 year old at the time and I remember dashing home to watch the highlights and clearly my dad (who would've been 46 then) saying - quite annoyed - "Why can't they play like this EVERY week ?"
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One of the great Villa Park nights in the 1970s - must see if I can Utube it !!
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These days when a player from the opposition gets stretchered off they receive sympathetic applause. I remember a time when the would leave the pitch to the sound of "your going home in a f****** ambulance".
Or the very non PC "Bring on the bostick, take off the spastic".
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Lost In History @SadHappyAmazing 3h3 hours ago
Wonderful photo of Villa Park during a match between Aston Villa and Liverpool in 1907
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CadbiN0WIAAF1n3.jpg:large)
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These days when a player from the opposition gets stretchered off they receive sympathetic applause. I remember a time when the would leave the pitch to the sound of "your going home in a f****** ambulance".
and
you're going home in a wooden overcoat , or was that to the away fans
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Those Arsenal games was the best remember the "walk on" we did at vp towards the end of the game truly magical
Also how good was alun Evans to
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Lost In History @SadHappyAmazing 3h3 hours ago
Wonderful photo of Villa Park during a match between Aston Villa and Liverpool in 1907
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CadbiN0WIAAF1n3.jpg:large)
That's been photoshopped, this is the original
http://avfc.footballappfeeds.performgroup.com/javaImages/17/ae/0,,10265~10661399,00.jpg
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It looks like it is from the same spot but from a later game .I love the small details in the original such as the screen at top right of the ground to stop people standing on Aston Park Hill to get a free view.
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Standing on the Holte End and getting a whiff of one of those God-Awful farts that smelled like the perpetrator had followed through and shit themselves.I definitely don't smell them now , maybe they disappeared when it went all seater or my sense of smell has diminished over the years.
oh god yeah , thinking about it , i can smell one now , while i am eating my dinner
And worse, people pissing on the terrace.
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The refreshment sellers walking around the side of the pitch selling among other things, a brand of crisps you've never heard of.
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The refreshment sellers walking around the side of the pitch selling among other things, a brand of crisps you've never heard of.
I have got an image a packet of crisps called snaxx (orange wrapper) in my head .Probably totally wrong, the orange is probably from the plastic tray ,the sellers used to have all their snacks in.
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What was the make of the hot pies that were sold in the 70s? 20p I think they were. Delicious. To me.
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What was the make of the hot pies that were sold in the 70s? 20p I think they were. Delicious. To me.
i think they were fleur de lyes
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What was the make of the hot pies that were sold in the 70s? 20p I think they were. Delicious. To me.
i think they were fleur de lyes
Don't know but my old dad used to say they are probably made with horse meat.
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The refreshment sellers walking around the side of the pitch selling among other things, a brand of crisps you've never heard of.
And packets of 3 Jaffa cakes.
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Half-time scoreboard that were the alphabet and the scores
the floodlights
flags on the Trinity and you knew it was a big game
Trinity Road Enclosure
standing next to the away dugout
winning often
small horrible Witton Lane stand
behemoth of a Holte End
little yellow mints for my uncle and his mates when leaving the Globe on Manchester Street on the way to the ground
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The aisles of the Trinity Road enclosure being slanted (approx. 45 degrees) as opposed to straight as they are now.
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Arthur Cox and his odd stuttering sprint on to the pitch to treat an injured player with his water bag and magic sponge.
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Stamping your feet on the wooden floors of the Trinity Road to urge the Villa on.
The stamping would always make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
The little garden shed they placed at the front of the Holte End terrace in the '60's to sell stickers and enamel badges.
The timekeeper in the press box who had two pads with numbers on, perched on the front sill of the upper Trinity which he flipped over every minute so that the journo's behind him knew what time goals were scored.
Catching the No.11 to Wellington Road.
Retreating to the very back of the Holte terracing when a storm was blowing and still getting soaked.
Sitting squashed in the Trinity directly behind the press box and four seats away from a wooden partition separating us from the best seats and putting up with five wide boys (sovereign rings, sheepskin coats, menacing swagger etc) sitting on those four seats every game for several seasons.
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To quote Tony Gubba "..and Villa now, fighting for everything..."
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Football special buses lined up on Church Road.
People with transistor radios stuck to their ear.
Tartan bitter cans and scotch bottles filling all the gutters up the Trinity Road (Rangers visit in 76).
The pitch steward with black curly hair constantly walking round the pitch before kick off.
Theme from an unmade silent movie blasting out from the PA.
All the Holte to chose from but always stood in the same spot.
John Gidman back flicking the ball up onto his head when running out onto the pitch.
Same picture on the front of the programme for more than a one issue.
During the eighties, rushing to get across the Holte before the centre gates were shut at kick off.
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The Holte End chanting "Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy..." as Jimmy Rimmer ran towards his goal. It used to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
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Supporters being dragged out along the track in front of the stands by Police, It's all done out the back door now.
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The Holte End chanting "Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy..." as Jimmy Rimmer ran towards his goal. It used to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
I remember his first game for us we sang "Villa Park welcomes you Jimmy Rimmer"
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Golden Goal tickets (70's)
Some of the programmes being printed on what seemed like tracing paper (late 60's early 70's?)
Staff from the refreshment kiosks walking around the pitch in the early stages of the 2nd half with their bags of takings
Villa Vouchers
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Hanging on to the railings near the back of the Witton in case I fell down the precipice!
My eight year old brother fighting a teenage Derby fan with both hands and both feet as he tried to nick my Villa scarf.
Standing drowning on the Witton as Coventry beat us 3-0 in the Cup.
Going in as a 'Youth' when I was about 300 ..
Being in awe of the Portsmouth fans in the lower Trinity as they sang, 'Play up Pompey'. I think it was a cup game too - but on checking it must have been Division 2.
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The Coventry FA Cup game in a deluge (I have the programme somewhere, reduced pretty much to papier mache) was 3-0 to us, if you're talking about 1965.
I remember being impressed too by the Pompey chimes.
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What was the make of the hot pies that were sold in the 70s? 20p I think they were. Delicious. To me.
I used to dream of having enough money one day to buy a hot pie but I never did >:(
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I used to go in the Trinity Road Enclosure in the early 1970s and they were part of match day - delicious !
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What was the make of the hot pies that were sold in the 70s? 20p I think they were. Delicious. To me.
Pukka I think. On that subject, you could always tell you were at a northern ground when the pies went from steak & kidney to meat & potato.
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What was the make of the hot pies that were sold in the 70s? 20p I think they were. Delicious. To me.
Pukka I think. On that subject, you could always tell you were at a northern ground when the pies went from steak & kidney to meat & potato.
Can't remember if it was Elland Road or Old Trafford, upon enquiring as to what meat was in the meat & potato pie, I was bluntly informed, "meat".
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What was the make of the hot pies that were sold in the 70s? 20p I think they were. Delicious. To me.
they were fleur de lyes
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The Coventry FA Cup game in a deluge (I have the programme somewhere, reduced pretty much to papier mache) was 3-0 to us, if you're talking about 1965.
I remember being impressed too by the Pompey chimes.
My programme is still about too - with the back worn away by the rain.
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The turnstiles for the Holte on Witton Lane and Trinity Road. Defined what side of the Holte you stood.
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Anyone remember shaggy who use to open the holte end gates
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The refreshment sellers walking around the side of the pitch selling among other things, a brand of crisps you've never heard of.
I have got an image a packet of crisps called snaxx (orange wrapper) in my head .Probably totally wrong, the orange is probably from the plastic tray ,the sellers used to have all their snacks in.
They only ever did ready salted flavour too.