Quote from: Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air on September 08, 2013, 02:27:53 PMA guy who worked with my Dad had no interest in football but his father in law who lived with them was a massive Villa fan. Back in the 3rd division days we would stop off coming through Gravelly Hill and collect him on the way to the game. He would tell us stories about Harry Hampton and him going to the 1905 FA Cup final. Whatever time we arrived he would be standing ready at the front window as we drew up and was straight out the door to get to Villa Park. One time we must have been particularly early and went in the house. I can still picture being shown his old programmes. Maybe 8 or 9 bound volumes of the Aston Villa News and Record all pre first world war, the first team and reserve fixtures and in perfect condition. If memory serves me I think he died not that long after he came with us to the 1971 final.As I say his son in law disliked football. Apparently after he died he cleared out his room fairly quickly and took everything to the dump.It was reported that a couple of days after the new board took over in 1968 a skip was being filled with 'rubbish' including bound volumes of programmes going back to 1908 and burned. One man was, apparently, shouting with glee "The Villa are dead. Long live the Villa." as he hurled these irreplaceable artifacts into the fire. Guess which ex-travel agent this was.
A guy who worked with my Dad had no interest in football but his father in law who lived with them was a massive Villa fan. Back in the 3rd division days we would stop off coming through Gravelly Hill and collect him on the way to the game. He would tell us stories about Harry Hampton and him going to the 1905 FA Cup final. Whatever time we arrived he would be standing ready at the front window as we drew up and was straight out the door to get to Villa Park. One time we must have been particularly early and went in the house. I can still picture being shown his old programmes. Maybe 8 or 9 bound volumes of the Aston Villa News and Record all pre first world war, the first team and reserve fixtures and in perfect condition. If memory serves me I think he died not that long after he came with us to the 1971 final.As I say his son in law disliked football. Apparently after he died he cleared out his room fairly quickly and took everything to the dump.
Quote from: dave.woodhall on September 08, 2013, 06:46:10 PMQuote from: Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air on September 08, 2013, 02:27:53 PMA guy who worked with my Dad had no interest in football but his father in law who lived with them was a massive Villa fan. Back in the 3rd division days we would stop off coming through Gravelly Hill and collect him on the way to the game. He would tell us stories about Harry Hampton and him going to the 1905 FA Cup final. Whatever time we arrived he would be standing ready at the front window as we drew up and was straight out the door to get to Villa Park. One time we must have been particularly early and went in the house. I can still picture being shown his old programmes. Maybe 8 or 9 bound volumes of the Aston Villa News and Record all pre first world war, the first team and reserve fixtures and in perfect condition. If memory serves me I think he died not that long after he came with us to the 1971 final.As I say his son in law disliked football. Apparently after he died he cleared out his room fairly quickly and took everything to the dump.It was reported that a couple of days after the new board took over in 1968 a skip was being filled with 'rubbish' including bound volumes of programmes going back to 1908 and burned. One man was, apparently, shouting with glee "The Villa are dead. Long live the Villa." as he hurled these irreplaceable artifacts into the fire. Guess which ex-travel agent this was.Yes, It was the singer Harvey Andrews, who was working for VIlla at the time who was ordered by Ellis to do this. There was an original poster advertising the first ever Villa match as well as other pre 1900 stuff that got destroyed as well. Why Andrews didn't have the gumption to try and save any of this I don't know? Andrews made no mention of Ellis shouting 'Villa are dead' etc, in fact Ellis had just saved us, this jus sounds like the tired old Ellis bashing, yawn!
I have a good collection up to around the mid 80's. Past that they became magazines and I have no interest whatsoever . What I am lead to believe though is that ticket stubs are more valuable than programmes these days, quite remarkable. The anoraks who I have smirked at in the past have had the last laugh.Oh and I do miss the Saturday evening Sports Argus. When I was younger and lived in London after away games I would go to this building on Fleet Street on the following Tuesday and buy my previous Saturday copy.
I’ve got a large number of villa programmes going free to a good home. They date back to the early 1960’s. Can’t be bothered to count them but 400+ maybe. Message me if interested.