Third Division or nowadays?

[dave shelley]

Do you remember the Man City mob chasing us around the ground waving bike chains?

I was at that match and never saw that.  I remember sitting in their main stand.  I don't know why because I was permanently skint and can't for the life of me know where I got the money from for that sort of hoi-poloi.

[PatPatPatPatPatMcMahon]

seeing the glow of the floodlights as I came down Brookvale Road or Aston Lane was - correction - IS one of the most vivid memories of my life

Funny that. Whenever I think of home games in the Third Division era, it is often impressions of things outside the ground I remember most. I was 14 in 1972. We lived in Lichfield in those days and we would either go in my old man's car and park up on Holte Road or somewhere round there, or I would go on the train to Aston station. Not many 14 year olds are let out of the house these days, let alone go alone to evening matches. If I shut my eyes I can see the two or three blokes selling rosettes and scarfs and stuff, down by Aston church. I can smell the cigarette smoke in the air. I can smell the beer as you passed the pubs at the Holte or in Witton. But it's that AV floodlight glow that I will always remember.

[dcdavecollett]

Brilliant thread and thanks to so many contributors for bringing back so many happy memories.

The best short summary of the Vic Crowe/third division years that I've ever heard came from super Bruce Rioch who, recalling those times, simply said, "Progress, progress, progress."

[Big Dick Edwards]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. On the face of it, being in the third division was an embarrassment for a club of Villa's pedigree but the fans and club were united and we know now that the march back to glory had started, albeit from a lowly position. It's amazing to think we went from the third division to champions of Europe in ten years. I took it all in my stride as a youngster, thinking this was how football was and how it would always be. It could never happen nowadays, sadly, unless the club was taken over by a sheikh, and football is all the worse for it.

[Louzie0]

I was there when we beat Bournemouth.  Feb 1972.
What a match. What a build up in the Mail, as well.
We couldn't compete with the Bournemouths of this world.

[Steve R]

I was there when we beat Bournemouth.  Feb 1972.
What a match. What a build up in the Mail, as well.
We couldn't compete with the Bournemouths of this world.

It was a great game. I really hated Bournemouth, largely because they had the beta release of Harry Redknapp managing them, John Bond.

What is it with West Ham figures taking a pop at us all the time? Malcolm Allison was a twat too.

[Pat McMahon]

I was there when we beat Bournemouth.  Feb 1972.
What a match. What a build up in the Mail, as well.
We couldn't compete with the Bournemouths of this world.

It was a great game. I really hated Bournemouth, largely because they had the beta release of Harry Redknapp managing them, John Bond.

What is it with West Ham figures taking a pop at us all the time? Malcolm Allison was a twat too.

Did Malcolm Allison manage West Ham? I can barely recall their managers over the years - they just seem to be a blend of nonentities.

[E I Adio]

I was there when we beat Bournemouth.  Feb 1972.
What a match. What a build up in the Mail, as well.
We couldn't compete with the Bournemouths of this world.

Ted McDougall's diving header was an appropriately spectacular goal for the occasion. I admit that I applauded it, but only in the absolutely certain knowledge that we'd win the game.

[Damo70]

I was there when we beat Bournemouth.  Feb 1972.
What a match. What a build up in the Mail, as well.
We couldn't compete with the Bournemouths of this world.

It was a great game. I really hated Bournemouth, largely because they had the beta release of Harry Redknapp managing them, John Bond.

What is it with West Ham figures taking a pop at us all the time? Malcolm Allison was a twat too.

Did Malcolm Allison manage West Ham? I can barely recall their managers over the years - they just seem to be a blend of nonentities.

I believe Malcolm Allison played for West Ham as a centre half along with John Bond. I think he had a big influence on Bobby Moore's development. He had to finish playing because he had a lung removed and went into coaching at Bath and then had great success as Joe Mercer's assistant at Man City. He then managed Palace and returned to City as manager. The only time I recall him having a pop at us was when we played his Bristol Rovers team in the cup in the BFR years. I think he was just milking his last days in the spotlight. Everything in this post is what I think I can remember from reading a biography of him a few years back. I think the general summing up of him is that he was an innovative coach but not the best judge when it came to getting the chequebook out and buying players.

[Pat McMahon]

I was there when we beat Bournemouth.  Feb 1972.
What a match. What a build up in the Mail, as well.
We couldn't compete with the Bournemouths of this world.

It was a great game. I really hated Bournemouth, largely because they had the beta release of Harry Redknapp managing them, John Bond.

What is it with West Ham figures taking a pop at us all the time? Malcolm Allison was a twat too.

Did Malcolm Allison manage West Ham? I can barely recall their managers over the years - they just seem to be a blend of nonentities.

I believe Malcolm Allison played for West Ham as a centre half along with John Bond. I think he had a big influence on Bobby Moore's development. He had to finish playing because he had a lung removed and went into coaching at Bath and then had great success as Joe Mercer's assistant at Man City. He then managed Palace and returned to City as manager. The only time I recall him having a pop at us was when we played his Bristol Rovers team in the cup in the BFR years. I think he was just milking his last days in the spotlight. Everything in this post is what I think I can remember from reading a biography of him a few years back. I think the general summing up of him is that he was an innovative coach but not the best judge when it came to getting the chequebook out and buying players.

Cheers Damo. I remember him at Man City (fedora wearing Big Mal), at Palace and having a pop at us whilst manager of the Gas, but was unaware of his W Ham links.

Probably an innovative coach but also full of his own self importance - at least in front of the press anyway.

[Steve R]

Pretty much as Damo says - Allison played for West Ham and was never slow to claim to be an influence on the young Bobby Moore or to push himself as a graduate of the great academy (c). He (Allison, not Damo ) was always a grade A gobshite.

He was pretty dismissive of Villa after Man City beat us in the charity shield, 'just a practice game to us' and the like. Allison was also pretty scathing about Joe Mercer at City and was instrumental in getting him the sack. Mercer's departure from the club made Tony Barton's treatment look like a kiss on the arse.

With Allison running things by himself, Man City went downhill pretty quickly. Shame.

[Godfrey Brian]

My greatest Malcolm Allison moment (there's only been one admittedly). Fenerbache v Villa UEFA cup mid 70s in Istanbul. 10 minutes in, most of the supporters stop watching the match and applaud him in. Big hat, big cigar, glamorous young lady on his arm . He does the royal wave and everyone goes back to watching the game. I think he was managing the other Istanbul team at the time. He left 20 mins before the end -same ritual.