Other "mobs" turning up

[Dave Clark Five]

Thank f*** we don't have to go there regularly now, Pooligan. The walk back to the station was horrendous and, even when you got there, it wasn't exactly a safe haven. The old trick they used to do, while the one or two coppers were attempting to keep order, was for one of them to walk past and do a cutthroat gesture. One of the coppers would take the bloke out, although he would be back inside in five minutes. This left fewer Police around, as they were engaged escorting people out, so the nutters could start attacking everyone. That away end at the Den had no effective segregation until toward the end of its days.

[dave.woodhall]

Does anyone remember Brighton over Christmas 1981, when it was the only game on in the south of England and Portsmouth, Southampton, Palace, chelsea and probably Millwall all turned up?

[Richard E]

Not exactly a mob, but one of the first examples I remember of the terrace culture beginning to change was a few weeks prior to that Boro game.  We were playing at Maine Road and about every other game in the north of England had been called off because of ice and snow.  Wimbledon - lest we forget, playing in the division above us and destined to win the Cup at the end of the season - had their game at Everton called off quite late on, so their entire away following (two mini buses...) joined us in the Platt Lane supporting the Villa.  Regardless of whatever was subsequently said about their club, and the fact that they had a hex sign over us for must of the early 90s, I always had a soft spot for them because of that.

I remember that one, it was the week before we played Liverpool in the Cup. We were unbeatable away from home at the time.

There was a bloke in the home end dressed as Father Christmas (even though it was January) and in those less enlightened times he attracted a chant of "Santa Claus is a homosexual" to which he responded with a "moony" (albeit I don't think a full one) if I remember correctly. 

[pooligan]

Yes,i remember that game Dave, not a good place to be if you had a brummie accent. Was not to bad in the ground,but outside and the walk to the station was a bit scary .

[dave.woodhall]

Yes,i remember that game Dave, not a good place to be if you had a brummie accent. Was not to bad in the ground,but outside and the walk to the station was a bit scary .

I wasn't old enough for the seventies aways but the eighties were as dangerous if not more so because there were so few of us. Places like West Ham and Chelsea were ironically safer because they couldn't be bothered with us than the Brighton, Southampton or Ipswich type of trips when the local kids would target us because they wouldn't dare mess with the big lads.

[andrew08]

Yes,i remember that game Dave, not a good place to be if you had a brummie accent. Was not to bad in the ground,but outside and the walk to the station was a bit scary .

I wasn't old enough for the seventies aways but the eighties were as dangerous if not more so because there were so few of us. Places like West Ham and Chelsea were ironically safer because they couldn't be bothered with us than the Brighton, Southampton or Ipswich type of trips when the local kids would target us because they wouldn't dare mess with the big lads.

That how I remember those times... West Ham, Chelsea and the like didn't bother but cup games at, say, Grimsby where proper silly.

[pooligan]

The eighties were dangerous Dave,but believe me the 70s were just as bad. Because we were seen as a big club and usually had a big following ,mobs use to turn up,knowing full well that there was bound to be some "aggro" to be had.I only missed one away match while we were in the third (Gillingham away ,night game) and some of the mobs were scary to say the least.

Bradford City,Bristol Rovers,Swansea,Tranmere,Plymouth,Wrexham ,Bournemouth ,Doncaster and Chesterfield are all games i can remember going to and feeling scared.Younger fans might laugh at the mention of Bournemouth and Plymouth ,but their fans sure gave as good as they got

[dave.woodhall]

The eighties were dangerous Dave,but believe me the 70s were just as bad. Because we were seen as a big club and usually had a big following ,mobs use to turn up,knowing full well that there was bound to be some "aggro" to be had.I only missed one away match while we were in the third (Gillingham away ,night game) and some of the mobs were scary to say the least.

Bradford City,Bristol Rovers,Swansea,Tranmere,Plymouth,Wrexham ,Bournemouth ,Doncaster and Chesterfield are all games i can remember going to and feeling scared.Younger fans might laugh at the mention of Bournemouth and Plymouth ,but their fans sure gave as good as they got

I can well imagine, but it was strength in numbers. 5,000 of you and there's a good chance you can get away unscathed. 200 and it's a different story.

[nodge]

I remember being at Coventry away, I think it was the Saturday after we won the league cup in '77.
My mate's dad took us and we didn't even try to get in the away end just went straight in to the Coventry end behind the goal.  He then stayed at the back and left us to go down the front, I'd have been about 12.  You'd never do it these days but we thought nothing of it. There was fighting throughout the game right by us and I saw one guy get taken out by the police 3 times.  When we scored it seemed like half the ground celebrated, amazing number of Villa fans there.

[Damo70]

I remember in the early nineties my cousin's husband joining our away travelling group for a season or two. He was returning from a ten year exile from games. I think that may have been partly self imposed, partly imposed by my cousin and partly due to him being known to the police. He had calmed down from his younger days but was obsessed with how many Villa fans were in other parts of the ground. His catchphrase at pretty much every away game was "It's all Villa over there you know"!.

[AlexAlexCropley]

Anyone remember Anderlecht away in the Euro Cup semi and a load of skins turning up in the Villa bar in Brussels?
Turned out they were Molenbeek Skins and if I remember what they said to me it went something like "We are Molenbeek and we join with you,yes, and fight the Anderlecht hooligans,yes,because we hate them ,yes"
 Can't be sure,it was all a blur

[Dave Clark Five]

The eighties were dangerous Dave,but believe me the 70s were just as bad. Because we were seen as a big club and usually had a big following ,mobs use to turn up,knowing full well that there was bound to be some "aggro" to be had.I only missed one away match while we were in the third (Gillingham away ,night game) and some of the mobs were scary to say the least.

Bradford City,Bristol Rovers,Swansea,Tranmere,Plymouth,Wrexham ,Bournemouth ,Doncaster and Chesterfield are all games i can remember going to and feeling scared.Younger fans might laugh at the mention of Bournemouth and Plymouth ,but their fans sure gave as good as they got

I paid to go in the Bournemouth end but there were some vicious bastards waiting inside so had to jump over the turnstile and pay in at the other end. Port Vale was a grim place as well. Bristol Rovers came in the Holte End but were ejected not long after.

[pooligan]

I remember the two games you mention DCF . Bournemouth was a terrible day all round .There was a hell of a walk to the ground from the station,must have been at least two miles. Once there ,a large Bournemouth mob were waiting and it all went off in the park outside.The match itself was awful,we lost 3-0 .After the game, their mob was waiting for us at the station and it all went off again.

As for the Port Vale game, i forgot to mention them in my previous message. Some hard bastards there! I remember  the 4-4 match at Vale Park.Never saw much trouble before or during the game ,but after the match there was plenty of trouble walking back to the station.

[pauliewalnuts]

At the Millwall away game where we drew 1-1 and Jimmy Cumbes was hit by a piece of coal

Brilliant line there, not much could show up the change in times better than that.

[nodge]

I remember in the early nineties my cousin's husband joining our away travelling group for a season or two. He was returning from a ten year exile from games. I think that may have been partly self imposed, partly imposed by my cousin and partly due to him being known to the police. He had calmed down from his younger days but was obsessed with how many Villa fans were in other parts of the ground. His catchphrase at pretty much every away game was "It's all Villa over there you know"!.

Ginger Phil?  who used to say "Villa everywhere" Thick Neck?