Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: wittonwarrior on September 21, 2017, 07:51:35 PM
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My villa life began in Division 2 so I can't add Division 3 to my list but near goes:
1. Away games, far from the WM with only a handful of supporters on occasions cue: Leeds , Middlesborugh etc.
2. Having to send cheques and requests in the post for tickets
3. Jam packed in the Aston Tavern
4. Postponed games when you were on the journey, (Bolton , Spurs for example at Villa Park and what was worse the likes of Everton away when you were travelling all the way from London)
5. Trips to places like Nottingham where you were penned in at the station for what seemed ages having arrived on the special.
6. 2nd replays although we always did well out of them
7. Leyton Orient promotion game in 74 - no not us but them with a change of promotion (Vic Crowe's last game) at least I got on the pitch
8. Leeds and their stupid sock tabs, and there wave to the crowd.
9. Being too young to travel to Antwerp
10. Bogs of pitches such as the Baseball ground, mind you late 70's ours was not much better
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11. Bacuna
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My villa life began in Division 2 so I can't add Division 3 to my list but near goes:
1. Away games, far from the WM with only a handful of supporters on occasions cue: Leeds , Middlesborugh etc.
2. Having to send cheques and requests in the post for tickets
3. Jam packed in the Aston Tavern
4. Postponed games when you were on the journey, (Bolton , Spurs for example at Villa Park and what was worse the likes of Everton away when you were travelling all the way from London)
5. Trips to places like Nottingham where you were penned in at the station for what seemed ages having arrived on the special.
6. 2nd replays although we always did well out of them
7. Leyton Orient promotion game in 74 - no not us but them with a change of promotion (Vic Crowe's last game) at least I got on the pitch
8. Leeds and their stupid sock tabs, and there wave to the crowd.
9. Being too young to travel to Antwerp
10. Bogs of pitches such as the Baseball ground, mind you late 70's ours was not much better
Postponed games when you don't know until you arrive to see the sign outside Loftus Road or when a barman in a pub near Old Trafford tells you. Not getting into a league cup quarter final at West Ham and wondering around the charming local area for ninety minutes. Not even being allowed to wonder around the charming local area as Nottingham as the local police were clearly trying to keep crime levels down by encouraging people to take up trainspotting.
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the walk from cov station to the ground it must of been 5 miles
that poxy liitle corner they tried to cram us into at filbert street till they realised 5-6 thousand isn't going to fit in it
that's about it to be honest I miss the old days so much
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the walk from cov station to the ground it must of been 5 miles
that poxy liitle corner they tried to cram us into at filbert street till they realised 5-6 thousand isn't going to fit in it
that's about it to be honest I miss the old days so much
The queue to get into the x rated adult shop round the corner was always longer than the queue to get into Highfield Road.
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Despite having to watch your back and a general assumption by the police that any football fan under the age of 30 was probably a hooligan, I loved the old days. The 3rd division were the happiest days of my life as a Villa fan.
If I can try a think of a few I would say.
1) Playing Wimbledon, home or away.
2) Seeing Villa players careers as good as finished in Albion games
3) Monkey chants/Bananas.
4) The cage at The Dell
5) Hodge
6) Exiting the away end at Old Trafford
7) Everything about Dirty Leeds
8)The away section on the side terrace at Maine Road
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The Dell what a dump - how they got away with the cage even in days before H&S is beyond me. Mind you I went there one year night game and the side paddock was also a poxy view.
Leicester corner should have waited outside until it was full and then escorted to the other end. The only time I think I stood in that corner was the week before wembley in 77.
Would definitely agree about the Kippax away section twice in 76 (the second time the night game)
Leeds was as bad as OT for coming out the ground.
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Despite having to watch your back and a general assumption by the police that any football fan under the age of 30 was probably a hooligan, I loved the old days. The 3rd division were the happiest days of my life as a Villa fan.
If I can try a think of a few I would say.
1) Playing Wimbledon, home or away.
2) Seeing Villa players careers as good as finished in Albion games
3) Monkey chants/Bananas.
4) The cage at The Dell
5) Hodge
6) Exiting the away end at Old Trafford
7) Everything about Dirty Leeds
8)The away section on the side terrace at Maine Road
I only ended up on the Maine Road side terrace once. Just before Christmas in BFR's first season. All the other times I was on the benches in the Platt Lane stand behind the goal. Or on the pitch. But that was just for David Bowie gigs.
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The rain in Halifax.
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Having to get to the ground before the turnstiles opened so that I could be one of the first into the Holte End to secure my favourite spot - behind the goal and one step up from the walkway so that nobody would be standing in front of me! At only 5 feet 2 inches this was important!
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Jimmy Sirrel
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The rain in Halifax.
In my case it was the rain in Huddersfield. Yorkshire must have a monsoon season.
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Jimmy Sirrel
Looked like a cross between a gargoyle and Yoda. The world's oldest professional league club had the world's oldest manager.
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The 'ginnel' on the way in and out of The Manor Ground, Oxford.
The Manor Ground Oxford.
Oxford United.
Travelling to Selhurst Park for games against Palace.
Travelling to Selhurst Park for games against Charlton.
Travelling to Selhurst Park games against Wimbledon.
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Standing on the Holte and getting a whiff of one of those god awful farts that could make you gag.
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1. Man united in the FA Cup spell
2. Liverpool away losing 3-0 spell
3. Being 2-0 up and losing 3-2 again mainly to man united
4. Always being one player short of being a top side
5. Mark Bosnich kicking it straight out for a throw in.
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Luton Town on the plastic pitch
Coventry City
Robbie Fowler (loved us didn't he)
Ian Wright (loved us also)
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Standing on the Holte and getting a whiff of one of those god awful farts that could make you gag.
Realising you're standing in piss as somebody decided they couldn't be bothered to walk down to the bogs on the Holte.
The bogs in the Witton and Holte End. They were literally bogs.
Plod at almost every away game. Special mention to Merseyside Police with their big sticks and partial methods.
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Standing - anywhere
Paddling in 4 inches of urine in a Norwich gents
Selhurst Park
Driving all the way to Leeds in torrential rain to hear that the match had been postponed
Scuffles at Coventry and Maine Rd
Leaving my car near Maine Rd
1 hour queue to get out of the 'Asda' car park
Losing 5-0 to Man City
Conceding 6 or 7 to Chelsea
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Luton Town on the plastic pitch
Coventry City
Robbie Fowler (loved us didn't he)
Ian Wright (loved us also)
Add Michael Owen to that list
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Cornalties...hopefully.
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Luton Town on the plastic pitch
Coventry City
Robbie Fowler (loved us didn't he)
Ian Wright (loved us also)
Add Michael Owen to that list
And Matt Le Tissier
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Absolutely every single aspect of Coventry
Open away ends in the rain
Standing on the Holte and dropping those god awful farts that made people gag and no one knew it was me
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Scarf robbers.
West Ham where they moved the away coaches during the game so you were left wandering the streets trying to find them again.
The pies they used to sell on The Holte
The crush to get in at The Albion.
"Have you got the time mate?" at every away ground.
Trips back on winter soccer specials that would suddenly stop in darkness in the middle of nowhere for ages.
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Anfield visit
When you were kept in Lime Street station until KO time. Bussed to the ground and dropped off outside the Kop, so we had to walk around the ground to the Anfield Road entrance, wasting more time. Then greeted by the Bizzies with night sticks and at about 3:30 getting inside the ground where we were welcomed by the Annie road mob at the top of the stairs, oh happy days
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Anfield visit
When you were kept in Lime Street station until KO time. Bussed to the ground and dropped off outside the Kop, so we had to walk around the ground to the Anfield Road entrance, wasting more time. Then greeted by the Bizzies with night sticks and at about 3:30 getting inside the ground where we were welcomed by the Annie road mob at the top of the stairs, oh happy days
The first time I went to Anfield we were walked from Lime Street to the ground, none of this luxury bus nonsense!
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Anfield visit
When you were kept in Lime Street station until KO time. Bussed to the ground and dropped off outside the Kop, so we had to walk around the ground to the Anfield Road entrance, wasting more time. Then greeted by the Bizzies with night sticks and at about 3:30 getting inside the ground where we were welcomed by the Annie road mob at the top of the stairs, oh happy days
The first time I went to Anfield we were walked from Lime Street to the ground, none of this luxury bus nonsense!
Ha ha, When I said bus I meant.......
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Luton Town on the plastic pitch
Coventry City
Robbie Fowler (loved us didn't he)
Ian Wright (loved us also)
Add Michael Owen to that list
And Matt Le Tissier
Add David White
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Fellow fans pissing on the spot where they stood in the Holte End.
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Losing stuff on the Holte during "knees up mother Brown"
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Being pushed down about 20 terrace steps everytime there was a goal or even a near miss.
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Being pushed down about 20 terrace steps everytime there was a goal or even a near miss.
And then everyone turning around and grinning like Cheshire Cats as they made their way back to their starting positions.
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Specials arriving late sheff wed and Norwich
The cage on the specials urggggh
Losing to Ipswich
Len cantello
The villa bingo card - will win on the next one
Rushing from the ground to catch the last train for London night games - I missed both our goals v Barca UEFA cup
One thing I don't miss though is my £10 junior season ticket
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Absolutely every single aspect of Coventry
Open away ends in the rain
Standing on the Holte and dropping those god awful farts that made people gag and no one knew it was me
Take a bow son !!!
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There is no opposite of this thread about things we do miss. I miss the free busses from Dale End to Church Road. It was this easy travel to VP that probably cemented my resolve to be at VP for every home game.
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Having your retinas burnt every time you looked at the old AV floodlights.
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Having your retinas burnt every time you looked at the old AV floodlights.
Glory Glory Aston Villa......sorry wrong thread.........but I don't care.......I loved them there floodlights !
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the tacky half time entertainment
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Police horses helpfully herding us along and the need to dodge piles of horse shit. This was particularly tricky while leaving busy night fixtures as the dark and volume on foot traffic meant the giant turds were on you in an instant. If you were lucky, they would be well trodden down.
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The old Serpentine car park before it was tarmacced over for the short lived supermarket.
A brief shower and it was 50 yard detours in the mud around the small lakes that formed.
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Running down the bank of the old Witton End at the end of the match, trying to stay upright and not falling over like in the Coopers Hill cheese race.
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Like someone said earlier those horrible farts that used to waft across the Holte. Saying that in those days people were drinking shite bitter and mild.
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Kinsella
Coventry being in the top flight
Not being able to beat Blues
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A dozen or so blokes trying to flog you the H & V fanzine at strategic points around the ground. ;D
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Paddling in three inches of tea/coffee/Bovril in the old tea room at the back of the old Witton End pre-North Stand. I often recall it and the times I used to go in there with my old man prior to kick-off.
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Like someone said earlier those horrible farts that used to waft across the Holte. Saying that in those days people were drinking shite bitter and mild.
I don't know if you travel away or not, but trust me those farts are still very much part of the 'matchday experience'
I should know...
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Kinsella
Coventry being in the top flight
Not being able to beat Blues
I won't accept any criticism of Coventry. I like them purely for the fact that they stayed up at the expense of Small Heath in hilarious circumstances in 1984 (and I'm guessing stayed up at Small Heath's expense on other occasions since they both spent the best part of twenty years, on and off in Small Heath's case trying to survive.)
And did us the courtesy of not beating us for years and finally letting us be the team who teased them and then finally relegated them.
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Like someone said earlier those horrible farts that used to waft across the Holte. Saying that in those days people were drinking shite bitter and mild.
I don't know if you travel away or not, but trust me those farts are still very much part of the 'matchday experience'
I should know...
Used to go away a lot in the 90s but circumstances mean i've prob forgotten the away match experience of drunken twats not watching the game and the farts that would drift across the stands.
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The dying fly
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Trying to get to Thornton Heath for a 3pm kick off.
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Away to QPR in the League Cup - Nasty. The compliment was returned the following Wednesday.
Being 3-0 down at Watford on Boxing Day and following the half time goodwill messages on the screen by shouting "Merry Christmas to Watford from Nigel Spink" - hilarious.
The team not turning up v Chelsea in the FA Cup Final.
Glasgow Rangers at VP.
Getting to VP on a cold, wet Friday night to find the match v Sheff. Utd. has been postponed.
My first match at VP and seeing us lose 2-1 to The Cobblers.
The fence dividing The Holte end (standing-only days).
Being thrown out of the kids queue 'cos I looked older than I was.
On the plus side I liked the additional match before kick off (Stanley Star) and Theme from an Unmade Movie.
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I went to that Cobblers game! It was well-named.
Their winner came from a forty-yard free-kick that stand-in 'keeper John Gavan missed on its flight into the net.
Awful!!
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Sitting on the number 11 for what seemed like hours
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Trying to get to Thornton Heath for a 3pm kick off.
I used to work at Selhurst depot and often went to a Weatherspoons opposite Thornton Heath station. Hated the area with a passion. I lived in Brighton for a while and change in environment in the space of 30 minutes train journey was incredible.
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Trying to get to Thornton Heath for a 3pm kick off.
I used to work at Selhurst depot and often went to a Weatherspoons opposite Thornton Heath station. Hated the area with a passion. I lived in Brighton for a while and change in environment in the space of 30 minutes train journey was incredible.
You should have gone 100 yards to the left to the Railway Telegraph, a great pub.
Lived in Thornton Heath back in the 70s, you did get used to it.
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Short shorts that literally hung just below your nads. Look ridiculous now when you view 80's footage.
As you get older you thank McGrath the longer style has remained in vogue as its the only Villa kit item I'd regularly still purchase.