my first villa match

[SirSteveUK]

Must admit, I watched the 1975 final with (almost) tears of pride. What a great precursor of the teams that Saunders would go on to build.

What a centre-half Chis Nicholl was - and Chico with his Cruyff turns.....

My first match was by all accounts the pre Christmas match against Cardiff 1959 - I was 10 at the time - ensconced behind the Witton goal watching through the railings
 Memories ?  How big the players seemed to be - giants...the noise...just being excited - and slightly scared...

I have watched Villa in 6 different decades - I have 3 years left to make it 7.....difficult from here - but I may be visiting after I retire - so hopeful

[Holte End Stylist]

My first match was a UEFA cup game against Banik Ostrava at Villa Park. Ian Ormondroyd scored as I recall. There must have been at most a dozen away fans huddled together.  I remember chaining my scooter up behind some bins outside a social/bingo club by the ground.

[castlefields_villan]

Coventry at home, won 2-1 early season in 90/91 with goal scoring machine Cascarino with the winner.

First away game, San Siro Milan for the 3-0 drubbing....

I would hardly call this a drubbing, we'd played them off the park in the first leg and should have won by more than 2 goals. 

In the away leg, a long through ball caught us out in the first few minutes, but then I seem to remember for the rest of the first half we pretty much matched them and I remember Cascarino going close and of course an away goal for us would have left them needing four.

I the second half - they were probably more dominant but both their second and third goals were very dodgy - Stuart Gray was fouled just outside our box, but somehow the decision was given the other way and they scored from the resulting free kick.  And the winner !! You could Paul McGrath jockeying their player wide and (as I remember) the ball was clearly our of play before it was crossed for what proved to be the winner.

A Liverpool supporting colleague of mine at the time said to me the next morning at work (his first words) "your lot were robbed last night".

Anybody else recall ?

[Exeter 77]

The ball was definitely out before Pizzi crossed for Bianchi to put it in - still remember their names after all these years!  Actually I don't - had to check who crossed after Paul McGrath had shepherded him out of play. I thought it was Nicola Berti.

[castlefields_villan]

The ball was definitely out before Pizzi crossed for Bianchi to put it in - still remember their names after all these years!  Actually I don't - had to check who crossed after Paul McGrath had shepherded him out of play. I thought it was Nicola Berti.

Yes, it's a long time ago now, but I've still got that game on a VHS tape somewhere ! - I thought Berti scored their second ?

[Rudy65]

My first match was a UEFA cup game against Banik Ostrava at Villa Park. Ian Ormondroyd scored as I recall. There must have been at most a dozen away fans huddled together.  I remember chaining my scooter up behind some bins outside a social/bingo club by the ground.

Night of my wedding. I taped the match which I then watched around midnight having done the necessary wedding night stuff. My wife has still never forgiven that or me dropping the cake. We are still married though. Happily, I think

[el león Benidorm]

My first game was in September 1988. We had just gained promotion as runners up to the Mighty Millwall!!!

The match was against Liverpool. I remember everything that day,  getting the train in Redditch, the walk from Aston Station via the Addies... Buying as much crap as I could along the way, before taking my place on the Holte, half way up on the left side.

At 16 it was quite an experience for me with noise and the views making the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

The score was 1-1 with Rambo scoring for us and I think Houghton scoring for them although to this day I am still adamant thet the ball was moving when Spackman took a very quick free kick to play in Houghton.

The guy who I went to the match with wanted to leave early to miss the rush at the station - I told him to carry on and I would see him at work on Monday.

That was it, I was hooked!

I went home every game and away as often as I could. My first away game was Manure on 5th November. Coppers horse broke my foot and half the fans had a coffee/piss shower from the worlds greatest fans in the stand above.

I still get the hairs stand up on the back of my neck whenever I am home and got to VP... Now we just need the team to do the same.

[Comrade Blitz]

15 March 1997 v WHUFC - with my (then) future wife and Dave Wangerin. Met the Mailing List folks at the Faculty & Firkin beforehand. A nice surprise was that John Penlington arranged to have my name mentioned on the tannoy at halftime.

The final was 0-0. I don't think I've ever seen Villa win against West Ham.

[wittonwarrior]

15 March 1997 v WHUFC - with my (then) future wife and Dave Wangerin. Met the Mailing List folks at the Faculty & Firkin beforehand. A nice surprise was that John Penlington arranged to have my name mentioned on the tannoy at halftime.

The final was 0-0. I don't think I've ever seen Villa win against West Ham.

Used to be one of our guarantee victories