Ever been to a non villa game at small heath?

[JD]

Only once. Back in about 1975 when they played at home to West Ham and lost 5-1. Decided I would never go back to the shithole after that. Went with my older Brother who wouldn't take me to Villa unless I went to this game with him (can't understand why he wanted to go, he's a yiddo).

[CT]

Twice - way back. Once with Cheltenham Town when they were non-league in an FA Cup match - travesty that they lost 1-0, and there was a lot of "naughtiness" going on that day.

Once with a mate who supported Crewe, so again we stood in the corner and Crewe won 2-0 delighting their, ahem, 100 or so fans.

Been there loads with Villa but the last time was the 1-0 Kevin Rchardson game in the League Cup so it's been a while.

[Villan For Life]

My ex-wife was a Nose so have crossed the cursed threshold about a dozen times. I did wipe my feet on the way out though!

All of the games were prior to their first promotion to the land of milk and honey. I particularly enjoyed being at Blose - Baggies and Blose - Wolves games as a neutral. Well kind of neutral. I always wanted those inbred knuckledraggers to lose!

My favourite memory is one of their failed play-off attempts that I went to. They played Barnsley in the 1st leg of the play-off semis and got tanked  4 - 0. The place empited soon after half time and my ex wanted to join the exodus. Quoting my "I never leave a game before the end" rule, I made her sit through the second half.

The divorce cost me a bomb but it was worth it!

[ColinMac]

Ex missus was (and probably still is a Blues ST holder) went to a few games with her during their first season back up.

Remember once they were losing at home to Man City whilst we were playing at Old Trafford.. Mellberg put us one up, got a text about the score and nearly gave myself away by shouting "yes" for no particular reason, more than a few funny looks.

Quickly saw sense and stopped all that nonsense.

[Chris Harte]

Never been there unless it was to see the Villa.

Been there loads with Villa but the last time was the 1-0 Kevin Rchardson game in the League Cup so it's been a while.

That was my last time there too. The russian roulette with bricks and bottles afterwards convinced me never to do it again.

[London Villan]

Never been there unless it was to see the Villa.

Been there loads with Villa but the last time was the 1-0 Kevin Rchardson game in the League Cup so it's been a while.

That was my last time there too. The russian roulette with bricks and bottles afterwards convinced me never to do it again.

Ahhh... what fun it was at Garrison Lane that night!

[Brend'Watkins]

My first ever trip there was for a charity event (a mixture of other Midlands clubs against the noses) in aid of victims of the Birmingham Pub bombings, that was in '74.  Seen a few other non Villa Blues matches over the years having married into a Nose family, the most notable being a West Ham cup match in the 80's....a lot of trouble at that.

My last sortie was the benefit match for the Rover workers a few years back.   I have to say, although we have a certain moronic element at Villa Park this lot take it to a whole new level.  

On the whole I find the place a depressing shit hole, it has no redeeming qualities, it lacks character and soul, there is nothing to like let alone love there.  It is a place most befitting of our neighbours.

[Simba]

Once. Seventies. Never again.

They nicked my car.

Well, I forgot it had a Villa sticker on the back window. Duh.

[castlefields_villan]

Ever been to a non villa game at small heath?

« Reply #51 on: June 08, 2010, 01:26:55 PM »

Quote


My first ever trip there was for a charity event (a mixture of other Midlands clubs against the noses) in aid of victims of the Birmingham Pub bombings, that was in '74.


I remember going to this game as well and as most Villa supporters did, decided to stand at the old Tilton End - I was speechless as all I can remember coming down from the rags on the old kop were cries of "we hate Villa, we hate Villa" - it was a charity match played in what was a most unpleasant and fearful period of time to be living in Birmingham.

[Big Dick Edwards]

A Nose mate of mine had a spare ticket for a Blues home game in the mid-90s, against Ipswich I think. T o numb the pain I went drinking with him beforehand in a pub I believe was called Eddies. Initially my mate hadn't intimated to anyone in the pub that I was Villa and I'd been chatting away with lots of the regulars he knew quite merrily while depositing large quantities of Guinness. After a few hours my mate proceeded to let it slip that I was Villa and these same blokes I'd been talking to suddenly saw me in a very different light and their friendly attitude changed. I found their faces and change of attitude very amusing. It was if they'd seen life from another planet and were pretty surprised that a Villa season ticket holder was amongst them on their own patch. In what I considered to be an act of bullshit bravado one even went on to tell me he'd recently shagged Sid's wife while he was on a building job just to get one over the Villa. I can't remember too much about the match other than they won 4-0 and Michael Carrick was playing for them on loan.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Bluenose mate's dad couldn't make the game, so I went about 4 years ago maybe?

It was against Wigan and Blues won 1-0 but should have had Ridgewell sent off.

I had drank most of a bottle of vodka and about 4 pints before the game and actually fell asleep at half-time....

[Damo70]

Some years ago me and my mate decided to see how the other half live and went to Small Heath V Albion at The Sty.

Being from bandit country (Sheldon) we naturally went in the Tilton with the Baggies brains trust.

The place had that dead, hopeless, moribund feeling. Half empty with both teams pissing around at the bottom of the second division.

Then who should pop up with a last minute winner for the Albion? Why the one and only Robert Hopkins. The away end went mad.
So did me and my mate, driven crazy by the irony of the whole situation.
Our most hated rivals loosing in the last minute to our second most hated rivals with a goal scored by the most odious 'nose in christendom, against his favourite team.

If I remember right that was you, me and our pet Albion fan/mate Foxy. I went again with him ( I think it was the following year) and after watching Albion win 1-4 we left the away end to go onto the kop to join in with the sack the board chants. Not sure how we got away with the fact we were pissing ourselves while everyone else had a face contorted with anger .

As a kid my uncle Les worked as a steward in a little courtyard they had behind the players tunnel in the corner. Throughout my childhood I had an open invitation to get in for nothing. Apart from a Blues Villa 0-0 draw in 1985 when no-one else I knew was going so I settled for the sitting with the enemy option, the only time I took up his offer was the infamous Leeds game. Due to my 'lofty connections' I ended up taking refuge in the bar sat with David Seaman and his dad while news of the Bradford fire was filtering through.

[atticus snood]

I had some mates in the early 90's who were SHA fans and I used to go there when Villa weren't at home. It was at the time of the Kumars. It was all pretty tedious. My nephews and brother in law are SHA fans and I got free tickets during their last relegation season so I'd treat them and take them down. It was very hard not to laugh when Fulham turned them over in one on their last PL games. I never felt comfortable there... I always got the impression they all knew I was a Holte Ender and would denounce me at any time. My nephews, to their credit, kept shtum.

[adrenachrome]

In the late 60's a school mate, a fellow Villa fan, decided it would be a good idea; that's my excuse anyway. Bear in mind that the entrance fee was probably 5 shillings (25p) or less.

It was late spring and they were playing Crystal Palace, and we joined in with the very loud chants of "We want our money back", and they lost. Villa won away.

[Zakk Fatt]

Yes, I was on leave from the army and I couldnt get tickets for our last game of the season away to Everton so I went to the Sty.  Blues needed to win to get promotion against someone but the opponents scored and so the 'Zulus' from the Tilton corner flag staged the first of many pitch invasions to try and cancel the game.

I thought I was on my own until about two thousand voices from the back of the tilton started up with 'Shit on the City' to lots of coats being removed to reveal villa shirts.  Oh the Eightees.  We bossed them that day in thier own back yard whilst the other half of us were up in Liverpool.