West Ham v Villa FAC R6 1979-80

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

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Who else went to this ? Nasty atmosphere, poor segregation with skinheads wearing nazi armbands amongst the Villa. Outside in the streets after we had to hide round the back of somebodys house for a while.

We lost 1-0 which made it 23 years of hurt and counting. ...... and still counting !

[Flamingo Lane]

I went.  Horrible.

[NatP]

Brian Moore mentions an all-ticket crowd in his commentary. Talking to my Dad he remembers a cash turnstile on the day. He also remembers his vow never to set foot in Upton Park ever again!

[peter w]

Wasn't there but this one of those that still sticks in my craw. Bastards.

[Towser]

I was there, worst away experience of my life

[sid1964]

I remember sitting at home listening on the radio - dreaming of wembley and then ......

Absolutely gutted! and I still am!

[Dave Clark Five]

It was an horrendous experience. I thought when they got that late penalty that they would calm down a bit but it went even more mental. Bad news inside and outside the ground. You had  to be there to realise how grim it was.

[Willie Anderson]

I went.TBH I didn't think it was that bad at the time, it was only hearing other peoples horror stories did it dawn how lucky I'd been, but in them days I was young & full of piss & vinegar. After that penalty the red mist descended & the West Ham fans were only too happy to oblige.

I suppose I should have been scared but I was too angry to care at the time.

I know I was chasing two West Ham fans down a side street when a mate suddenly grabbed me saying they both had knives.Now wether they was running away because they thought I was a complete nutter or wether an ambush was planned I'll never know, but thanks anyhow Steve ;-).

The one story I did hear repeatedly was a few Villa were kept back in the ground & then given a police "escort" until they went through some deserted open air market when all the old bill jumped in their paddy wagons & drove away only for a couple of hundred West Ham to appear from nowhere to give the villa a good kickin'.

[ktvillan]

I was there, segregation appeared to have gone out the window and I spent most of the match trying to avoid getting my head kicked in.  The nastiest, most violent atmosphere I've ever watched a game in.  And we lost to a dodgy penalty.

[cumgetus]

o yes i remenber it well. ended up with a black eye as it kick of at half times in the loos as there was whu in there .i ended up outside with around 15 mins to go... try to get back to our coach as safe as poss.... that was other mistake as there was a few outside without tickets
then got on the coach  to hear on the radio they had a pen...Think everyone i know on the coach had add sum kind of bother
o well maybe next year i thought

[willywombat]

Similar story here too. One of those days where the old saying that, " You'll only find trouble if you're looking for it" was horribly wrong.

[Dave Clark Five]

I was sitting in the car in the car park behind that South Bank. There were West Ham nutters climbing over the turnstiles to get in amongst the Villa, all wearing those green flying jackets. As I was heading back to the car there was a bloke there, who I reckon was Bill Gardner, foaming at the mouth, screaming ' they are facking Villa, they want slaughtering'.

[Astral Weeks]

Alan Devonshire, the man who inexplicably used to keep Sid out of the England side.

Hmm, who was it that Greenwood used to manage?

[TopDeck113]

One of my first away trips for a big game.  I shat myself.

One of my teachers at school had also gone and I remember him saying the following week that seeing how some of the West Ham fans reacted to a victory by a last minute penalty, he was in some ways glad that Villa hadn't got a replay, let alone won it.

[Exeter 77]

Still painful to watch.