Other "mobs" turning up

[lennythekad]

Does anybody remember in the 70's at some away games, a mob from a rival team of Villa's opponents, would turn up looking for aggro with us or our opponents of the day?.
Some of the one's I can recall were,
Tranmere, Friday night, in 71/2, a mob of Liverpool patrolling the terraces looking for Villa fans to batter.
Bradford City in 71/2, there was a train strike, so no specials ran, cutting our numbers travelling. Just as we got of the Harpers coach, a mob of Leeds chased us down the road. Lot of fighting in the enclosure that day.
Huddersfield 72/3, the same mob of Leeds were siding with Villa that day.
Sunderland 72/3, About 20 Newcastle surrounding about four of us at the away end. They were looking for a scrap with the mackems and were ok with us initially, but turned nasty towards the end of the game, at which point we melted into the crowd!.
Oxford 72/3(?). We "took" their end at the Manor Ground, but a mob, I think were Arsenal, were with the Oxford lot and ran us out of their end onto the pitch. The game kicked off at 10 past three as a result.
Fulham 73/4, a Millwall fan had been stabbed the week before at VP, so a load of them were waiting in the park, behind the ground, to have a go at Villa fans on the way back to Putney Bridge
Hartlepool 74/5, night game in the League Cup. M'boro crew, claiming early doors "we'se with youse", but then turning on Villa fans towards the end.
Anybody got any others?

[braders]

Preston 1st game of the Third Division Championship season, Burnley fans on our side to have a pop at Preston fans.  Oldham when we won 0-5, big battle in the Oldham end that was won by Man U fans.  Port Vale on a wet Tuesday night 4-4, had a right set to with Stoke fans. I was at the Bradford and Fulham games you speak of and remember it well

[SarkGrime]

The Liverpool mob that jumped on me suddenly near the halfway line at Tranmere  during the first half that Friday night back in 1971/72 were largely 12-year-olds. I was staggering about like the Hunchback of Notre Dame with about 8 of the little cretins on top of me trying to tug my 1961 home-knitted Villa scarf off my necks.

I saw Pongo himself behind the main stand before the match!

[Bernie]

Preston 1st game of the Third Division Championship season, Burnley fans on our side to have a pop at Preston fans.  Oldham when we won 0-5, big battle in the Oldham end that was won by Man U fans.  Port Vale on a wet Tuesday night 4-4, had a right set to with Stoke fans. I was at the Bradford and Fulham games you speak of and remember it well

Now I'm going to really picky so apologies, but........I've a feeling that the Preston game was the first one back in Div 2 at the start of 72/73, in fact I think Preston were promoted along with Fulham in our first, unsuccessful, season in the 3rd. The Oldham game was actually 0-6- I also remember it being a bit tasty on the terraces but not caring because of the score. I was at the Port Vale 4-4 game too (I think we  threw away a 4-2 lead) but am almost certain it was a Saturday afternoon as i wasn't yet going to night matches.
If I'm wrong I'll be happy to be corrected. Well a bit happy maybe....

[lennythekad]

You're correct on all three points Bernie. I didn't want to be the one to pick braders up!. I think us old un's can let the odd factual error go, whilst wallowing in nostalgia.

[b23]

Other " mobs " turning up ? Hahaha ! Imagine this scenario. Some of you may have been there too. Aston Villa v Bristol Rovers was the game and i think it was a Third Division saturday 3 oclock kick off. I had a paper round and a Holte End season ticket. At the time the Holte capacity was about 27,000 and crowds seemed, to my young eyes, to be flocking to Villa Park. I got to this game at about 1 oclock. I used to love watching the ground filling up. When i got in about 200 ish Rovers fans had taken the Holte. Gradually the Holte filled up and Villa fans inevitably got closer and closer to the gasheads. At ten to three i guess the Villa fans arriving from the pubs, and not wanting to share the Holte, took umbridge and chased them away down the long stairs at the back of the stand. They emerged in the corner of the Witton road by the old pylon and the programme shop with a baying mob of Villa close behind. Rovers ran to the Witton End and were never heard of again.

[adrenachrome]

That was pretty common back then, and often it was what social scientists would call highly ritualised. I used to always be in the ground by 1.30, if not earlier.

I remember quite a few games where the opposing fans would congregate at the bottom Holte and do what was known as the Millwall clap, and then advance up towards the back of the stand. They would usually be removed at some point.

A night cup game against Sperms when we played brilliantly but lost 4-1, was one exception. They had a portion of the Holte for the whole game, and the chant  was "hiding behind the coppers".

Small Heath had half the Holte for one game as well: that was when there were coins flying around for the whole game and you could hear them pinging of the steel struts.
 

[willywombat]

Cardiff away 73ish, quite a few Bristol City with us

[SarkGrime]

Cardiff away 73ish, quite a few Bristol City with us

That would be the day when Billy Kellock came out after half-time winding the Villa fans up and a police inspector threatened to spray us with a fire hose when we jeered at him. All very edifying.

[willywombat]

Cardiff away 73ish, quite a few Bristol City with us

That would be the day when Billy Kellock came out after half-time winding the Villa fans up and a police inspector threatened to spray us with a fire hose when we jeered at him. All very edifying.

No recollection of that to be honest, I remember we won the game 2-0 and that there was a lot of trouble but not much else

[Witton Warrior]

The other way around I remember going to Wolves to have a go at Man Utd (may have been a Cup game) after an incident at VP earlier in the season when the Villa chaplain was assaulted on Witton Lane (that was the tale anyway). It really is laughable now isn't it? I'm glad most of us grew up!

WW

[Rudy Can't Fail]

There was a game at Villa Park against Bristol (City) in the late 70's/early 80's where a load of noses turned up, due to their game being called off. They stood with the few Bristol fans that had traveled up in the North Stand. After making a bit of noise for half an hour, they all pissed off, leaving about 10 remaining fans in the enclosure.

It was rumoured years ago that Chelsea used to come up to the Sty to help them out when the Villa crossed the city.

[Witton Warrior]

There was a game at Villa Park against Bristol (City) in the late 70's/early 80's where a load of noses turned up, due to their game being called off. They stood with the few Bristol fans that had traveled up in the North Stand. After making a bit of noise for half an hour, they all pissed off, leaving about 10 remaining fans in the enclosure.

It was rumoured years ago that Chelsea used to come up to the Sty to help them out when the Villa crossed the city.

I remember that Mark - there were always rumours that the Noses were turning up - usually rubbish of course. Remember at Od Trafford in the '77 replay replay when everyone was waiting for the Reds to arrive? Villa and Everton vs the Mancs - never occured of course, these things seldom did.

As for Chelsea - we do seem to have had some run-ins with them over the years. Their NF affiliations never helped in my eyes and I remember Villa and Wolves travelling together from Stourbridge to have a go at them in Digbeth when our matches were called off. That was politics not football though.

Should be fun if QPR get promoted as well...

[willywombat]

Chester at Sealand Rd in the League cup 74/75. Quite a few Everton and Liverpool with them

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I was standing on this dirt mound at the Shay in 1971 watching us lose to Halifax. I overheard this old guy in a cloth cap whisper to his mate that his first love was Rotherham.