Cheating bastards 1 v Villa 0 FA Cup QF 1980

[clash city rocker]

Worst violence i have have ever seen at a match. Our coach was late getting there and dropped us by the ground. We asked a copper while we were waiting to get in to the ground where the coaches would be parked afterwards and he turned his lapel over to reveal a West Ham badge and said " Do you think i am going f**king tell you". To cap it all on the way back we were stopped on the M1 by the old bill. They said two cockneys had been stabbed and did we have any information that could help them. Yeah  like they helped us ! Silence prevailed  .

[Dave Clark Five]

It was the time when most of the West Ham wore those green flight jackets with orange lining. We had got there very early and parked behind the South Bank. You could see loads of them going in over the turnstiles. It was a dreadful ground in those days.

[pooligan]

Just about the only time in all my years of following the villa that i was glad that we had not won the game .Along with the Millwall game at the Den in the early 70s it was scary. Getting out of both grounds without getting a good kicking was not easy take it from me.

[littlevillain]

We played W Ham at home in October 1981 after winning the league and to this day it remains the most violent, blood crazed mob of Villa fans I have ever seen (I never got back for the infamous March 2003 game v Blues). I think everybody who had been attacked in the FA Cup quarter final was thirsting for revenge and brought every nutter in Brum with them, so a massive mob was outside the Holte waiting for the W Ham boys heading back towards the Serpentine.
 

Their fans took a real hiding, doubtless including many innocent ones, and the police had a real struggle to keep on top of things. Without the police it would have been carnage. - a bit like W Ham away in fact.

I remember reports in the Mail and Mercury with around 70 arrests, 90% of which were Villa fans.

Strange, but despite the evil atmosphere I don't think  this was ever referred to in the Villains book.

We won 3-2 by the way.

Yes, surprised that didn't make the book. It really got vicious outside the old vic with villa attacking them from both sides.

[Big Dick Edwards]

A dreadful game to be at. The hooliganism was as bad as it gets; aided and abetted by stewards and turnstile operators.

I remember going for a piss and seeing West Ham employees raising shutters to allow the home fans entry into our end. I couldn't believe it. I was young and naive up until that game.

[Seattle Villan]

I too was at this 1980 FA Cup QF game with a friend (we got drawn away in every round I recall) The reason we lost was because Stuart Pearson tricked the referee into awarding West Ham a penalty. He managed to place Ken McNaught`s hand onto the ball by grabbing his elbow and steering McNaughts hand onto the ball.  In other words by cheating. How do I know? Well my friend and I were just feet away from the players when this occured. Aston Villa were well and truly robbed that day in my opinion. We thought we had done enough to bring them back to Villa Park for a replay under the field lights and give them a footballing lesson as Aston Villa marched on towards winning the FA Cup for the eigth time. Sadly we were wrong due to Pearson`s cheating. This still leaves a bad taste in the mouth today 32 years later.

[eamonn]

Are you...."Hold On To Your Seats" Seattle Villan? I do hope so.

[peter w]

And if not can you just post it for us anyway?

[lovejoy]

Was there any bad blood prior to the match between te sides to suggest such violence? Did any of the actions of the stewards get reported and followed up on after?

[bertlambshank]

Was there any bad blood prior to the match between te sides to suggest such violence? Did any of the actions of the stewards get reported and followed up on after?

No it was still happening in the late 80's.

[Dave Clark Five]

Did any of the actions of the stewards get reported and followed up on after?

We don't gwass. We're faaaaaamily.

[Pat McMahon]

Was there any bad blood prior to the match between te sides to suggest such violence? Did any of the actions of the stewards get reported and followed up on after?

No real previous - it was just how W Ham were in those days, and they were well known for it. They did come up the Holte around 1978 but they were seen off pretty quickly and it wasn't that big a skirmish. Chelsea coming around that time was far, far worse.

Them being down in Division 2 and having the chance of a big-Ish scalp at home to get to a semi did not help

[barrysleftfoot]

  I remember being in the North Stand when Chelsk went up the Holte, and seeing one of them being chased all the way down the Holte, to the bottom, and getting a right pasting.

 Was'nt an unusual event in them days tbh.

[silhillvilla]

To this day, I still have no idea why McNaught handled ?
Re the violence, standard fare back then

[ez]

I remember the post match onterview with big Ken. He said his hand was "pushed onto the ball".
We were poor that day. Someone said we only started playing after the goal, which was the last few minutes.