Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine

Heroes & Villains => Villa Memories => Topic started by: Villa Lew on April 29, 2021, 11:32:50 AM

Title: 60 years ago today
Post by: Villa Lew on April 29, 2021, 11:32:50 AM
Villa 4 Sheffield Wednesday 1    29 April 1961

This was a very good win on the final day of the season, as Wednesday, under the managership of the late Harry Catterick, who would go onto do great things at Everton, had had a very good season finishing 2nd to Spurs, who ending up doing the double.

It was a memorable game for 3 reasons it was the farewell appearances of the late great Gerry Hitchens, who scored 2 of the goals, he scored 96 goals for us in just 160 appearances, and also the late great Johnny Dixon, who also scored that day. Johnny, still the only Villa captain to lift the FA Cup at Wembley, made his debut in 1946 and made 460 appearances, scoring 144 goals. Also playing that day was an 18 year left back, who was making his debut, by the name of Charlie Aitken, who then went onto make a record 660 appearances for the club.
Title: Re: 60 years ago today
Post by: ADVILLAFAN on April 29, 2021, 02:41:53 PM
Think I had heard that Dixon's last game for us was Aitken's debut.

Didn't realise it was also the last appearance for Hitchens.
Title: Re: 60 years ago today
Post by: SteveN on May 01, 2021, 07:29:46 PM
It always annoys me that Hitchens never gets the recognition that John  Charles did for being a British sucess in Italy where he had a very good career. 
My first hero along with McParland a very good centre forward who would have won many more England caps if Ramsey had not decided to only pick home based players. His 5 against Charlton one of my favourite Villa memories.
Title: Re: 60 years ago today
Post by: Brazilian Villain on July 01, 2022, 12:12:59 AM
Well before my time but we had a pretty decent team in the early 60s. https://twitter.com/AndrewUllah/status/1542526717532598272
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