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Author Topic: 50 years ago  (Read 13232 times)

Offline Clarence Blue

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Re: 50 years ago
« Reply #90 on: February 19, 2021, 04:56:14 PM »
Please see...

https://www.heroesandvillains.info/forumv3/index.php?topic=61887.msg3915013#msg3915013


I got an important detail wrong  :-[ 50 years plays tricks on the memory. Andy L scored the winner v Bournemouth....not the equaliser (that was Vowden).

Offline Clarence Blue

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Re: 50 years ago
« Reply #91 on: February 19, 2021, 05:52:57 PM »
About the Man U semi final away match in 1969...
'What was the away game like Frank? I know we had a good following there but was it a backs to the wall game?'

There'd been strikes and power cuts in the weeks leading up the match and I think they'd been rescheduled for a week later than planned. It started with queuing outside Villa Park for tickets from 6am on a cold December Sunday morning, No. 11 from Bearwood, tickets for both legs on sale simultaneously. By the time we joined the queue it was about 6 deep, from the Trinity Road where the McGregor statue is now, all the way around the back of the Holte Hotel, and half way down Witton Lane. We got our tickets about 10am, by which time the queue had extended past Witton Square, up Witton Road, then Nelson Road and back into Trinity Road, almost 360 degrees wide sweep around the stadium. Take a look on Streetmap  :o   https://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=408466&y=290692&z=0&sv=B6+7BU&st=2&pc=B6+7BU

Match day came, an interesting day out for four 14 year olds, including yours truly, who bunked off from their Black Country school, with parents' permission in my case. Earlyish train from New St to Piccadilly. The only incident en route was that one friend was just sliding a small window open, to let a bit of fresh air in, when a patrolling copper took exception and belted him around the earrole. Charming! Anyway we arrived about 1.30pm for a 7.30KO!

We'd nominated our friend, who'd moved down from Stoke, to do the speaking, if anyone asked us anything, as he sounded more northern than us. Man U were notorious for trouble in those days. Hadn't walked more than 100 yards from the rail station before a bloke asked us if we 'had a light' and then 'where are you going lads?'. No sooner had our Potteries mate replied than he attacked us, so we scattered and ran, luckily faster than him. Afterwards we just got a bit of food and kept a low profile the rest of the afternoon, as we skulked around the city centre, trying to look 'normal' and not lost.

After that we were split into two x 2s and didn't see the others until next day. Got to the ground OK and into the open end, opposite the Stretford. Lots of fans of both teams in that end, no segregation, fairly good natured banter during the match. Massive and noisy following for Villa of course. They expected to drub us, a team from 2 tiers below. Charlton and Stiles played but were fairly quiet as I recall. George Best was on decent form and did several of his mazy dribbling runs.  It seemed that each time he did, it was matched by Hamilton for us, Chico having one of the best games I saw in his years at Villa, MotM that night.

Andy Lochhead poked the first goal in from close range, at our end, sending us Villa lot into unbelieving ecstasy. Lots of crowd sways and pushes followed. Kidd was their stand out player that night and he scored a deserved equaliser with a cracking long range shot. Overall though, we weren't under that much pressure until the last 10 minutes, gave as good as we got and the draw was well deserved.

Afterwards outside the stadium the Man U neanderthals were out for trouble big time. Me and my mate Ossie sat silent and petrified in a carriage packed full of hooligans on the local train back to Piccadilly. At one stop, they spotted an unfortunate Villa fan on the platform and several jumped off to give him a hiding. Anyway we made it unscathed back to Piccadilly, jumped on one of the ancient football specials they had back then, and it ROCKED all the way back to New Street. 

Set things up nicely for the return...that's another story.  ;D





Online Godfrey Brian

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Re: 50 years ago
« Reply #92 on: April 24, 2021, 10:05:41 PM »
24th and 26th April 1971. PNE 0-0 and Mansfield (lost )  0-2. Two away games and three points dropped confirmed what had been likely for sometime- we were to spend another season in Division three. Disappointing but ahead of us lay one of the most enjoyable seasons to be a Villa fan. But first two final home games and the chance to finish the season with a couple of victories - what could possibly go wrong?

Offline dcdavecollett

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Re: 50 years ago
« Reply #93 on: April 25, 2021, 12:31:56 AM »
Went to the Preston game, which had a good attendance. Though it finished 0-0, it was a good game, with us slightly on top, on a rainy day. This was one of the few games after the cup final where we actually played quite well -there was a drop-off after Wembley.

This was probably because Preston were a decent team who tried to play football; struggling sides who hoofed the ball and 'got stuck in' often left us bemused that season, as the playing record shows.

Online Godfrey Brian

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Re: 50 years ago
« Reply #94 on: May 02, 2021, 10:55:31 AM »
1st May 1971 Villa 3 Wrexham 4 a low attendance of just over 17000. Entertaining end of season stuff. Two big memories for me- my first villa hero Brian Godfrey scored his last goals for us.Also I was standing at the back of the Holte and after one of the goals I looked left and right and everyone had moved forward leaving me, for a short moment as 'the back of The Holte'! Trivial but I impressed a lot of people at school that week (I thought! :) ). 

Offline dcdavecollett

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Re: 50 years ago
« Reply #95 on: May 02, 2021, 10:58:49 PM »
Went to this game.

Brian Godfrey hadn't scored before this match; Vic & Ron played him a bit further forward in midfield and Brian used his shooting-boots to good effect.

Eddie May was centre-half for Wrexham -he was built like a sh*thouse, and was totally unbeatable in the air if a good cross came in.

 


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