90s League Cup Triumphs: Your Favourite?

[Ro-land Browning]

Well both, of course.

[Dave Cooper please]

'96 because I was in Bosnia and was the only Villa fan in the bar amongst a mixed crowd including at least five Leeds fans. I bet at least a months wages on Villa winning and Savo scoring, I got very, very pissed that night.

[Nev]

I attended every round in '94 and have all the tickets framed with a photo of me and two mates holding the cup, taken at the awards night at the end of the season.

This was the first time I saw Villa win a major trophy and will always remain special.

[ez]

I attended every round in '94 and have all the tickets framed with a photo of me and two mates holding the cup, taken at the awards night at the end of the season.

This was the first time I saw Villa win a major trophy and will always remain special.

I also had my pic taken with the trophy then. It was on display in the old club shop and you could just turn up with your cameras and snap away.

[Ro-land Browning]

'96 because I was in Bosnia and was the only Villa fan in the bar amongst a mixed crowd including at least five Leeds fans. I bet at least a months wages on Villa winning and Savo scoring, I got very, very pissed that night.

Anywhere near Banja Luka?

[jamestownvilla]

easy 96 arrived in london on the sat no ticket nowhere to stay got  a ticket next day in a pub called the greyhound ..right behind the goal where savo scored  a certain tony yeboah didnt get a sniff that day almost missed the flight back such was the joy and beers

[Dave Cooper please]

'96 because I was in Bosnia and was the only Villa fan in the bar amongst a mixed crowd including at least five Leeds fans. I bet at least a months wages on Villa winning and Savo scoring, I got very, very pissed that night.

Anywhere near Banja Luka?

I was in Gornji Vakuf at the time but we did move up to Banja Luka to set up the HQ there towards the end of my tour.

[SDVILLAIN]

easy 96 arrived in london on the sat no ticket nowhere to stay got  a ticket next day in a pub called the greyhound ..right behind the goal where savo scored  a certain tony yeboah didnt get a sniff that day almost missed the flight back such was the joy and beers

So you were with the Leeds fans?

[Ro-land Browning]

'96 because I was in Bosnia and was the only Villa fan in the bar amongst a mixed crowd including at least five Leeds fans. I bet at least a months wages on Villa winning and Savo scoring, I got very, very pissed that night.

Anywhere near Banja Luka?

I was in Gornji Vakuf at the time but we did move up to Banja Luka to set up the HQ there towards the end of my tour.

Small world! My cousin / best friend was there at that time, he has some harrowing memories. You have my utmost respect, Dave.

[Dave Cooper please]

Small world! My cousin / best friend was there at that time, he has some harrowing memories. You have my utmost respect, Dave.

Thanks.

We had to do regular runs to some of our remote radio rebroadcasting vehicles, passing through beautiful little villages where every third house had been razed to the ground because it belonged to a Bosnian Muslim family rather than a Serb family despite the fact that they had been good neighbours just a few months earlier. Evidence of ethnic cleansing contrasting with some of the most breathtaking scenery I have ever seen, it fucked with my head rather!

[peter w]

94 because I was convinced we were going to win it after playing the Shit away.The walk up Wembley way convinced me we were going to win, and as has been said as soon as Dalian scored the victory seemed assured. First Wembley trip for 17 years. Brilliant.

96 I was in Oz and missed the whole thing.

[Big Dick Edwards]

Any cup final win is wonderful but of the two, I'd plump for 1994. It denied Manchester United the treble and we weren't given much of a chance of winning that match beforehand.

The 1996 final really was too easy and never in any doubt.

[martin]

I was at every game of the '94 campaign - an odyssey that included trips to the Sty and Sunderland. Arse and Spurs were ironically the most difficult to get to even though I was living in London at the time - a late work finish and a bladder-bursting sprint up the Tottenham High Road to make kick-off is still a fresh memory.

And then Tranmere. Away: as bad as it got; home: as good as it's ever likely to be.

Not quite true. The final topped it. A truly great day.

So '94 for me.

[VillaZogmariner]

1996 - Because one of us scored

[Chico Hamilton III]

94 for me, no question

Sunderland away was unbelievable (3rd round?). They were all over us, we had 4 shots and scored with every one. Atkinson scored 2, houghton and Richardson got the others. I knew we'd win the cup after that.

I blagged 2 tickets for Tramere away from Paul McGrath ( a long story, but the man is an absolute gentleman and a legend). He left 2 tickets for me at the players entrance and me and my brother-in-law ended up sitting with the players' wives at Prenton park. What a star!!

The home game against Tranmere was a perfect end to the old Holte. Silk scarves tied round the wrists, pitch invasion at the end. The atmosphere then reminded me of how I felt as a kid in the 70s, watching Villa. Unbelievable!

The final was fantastic, 12 years since we'd been to wembley and the Villa fans were incredible. When our first goal went in, I thought my heart was gonna jump out of my chest. Beating Man United was perfect. Difficult to explain how arrogant they were before the game ( I was living in Salford at the time).

I went to work in manchester city centre then next morning, totally hungover, with a Union Flag with "Salford Villa" stiched on it draped round my neck ( covered in beer stains from the journey back from Wembley). Still got the flag at home, waving a Salford Villa flag at man utd fans was like a red rag to a bull.

96 was brilliant but, for me, it didn't recapture the excitement of 94.