2 Games, Any Significant Memories ?

[gervilla]

When I was a youngster I was brought  over to Villa Park by a family member  to my first 2 Villa games.
 V. Man U in 83-84 (0-3) and V. West Ham 86-87 (4-0).
As I was a kid at the time I have very little memory of both games.
Does anyone have any abiding memories of the above games ?

I do remember Steve Foster being introduced on the pitch before the Man U game and being booed by the Mancs. I also remember seeing Paul McGrath play for the first time.

I remember an air of depression around the place and a small attendance for the West Ham game. Warren Aspinall briefly became my favourite Villa player after this game....briefly.

I would really appreciate anything anyone has to add about these games.

[eric woolban woolban]

I remember the West Ham game. Think I went with some sort of youth club and panini stickers 1986 were on swapsies in the North Stand function room.

[gervilla]

I remember the West Ham game. Think I went with some sort of youth club and panini stickers 1986 were on swapsies in the North Stand function room.

Funny you should mention that, I found my full Pannini sticker albums the other day while clearing a load of old stuff out of my my mothers house. 85,86,and 87. Couldn't throw throw out...yet.

[Damo70]

My only memories are Foster's introduction and the stick he got from the United fans (maybe in the corner by the away end wasn't the ideal place to interview him). As for the West Ham game we hadn't been able to buy a goal since Christmas and then score four but we knew it was too little too late.

[Richie]

We were as good as down already when we beat West Ham - it just delayed the inevitable by a week or so.

Stood in a quarter empty holte end. Depressing times !

[andyaston]

Yes, we were virtually relegated when we beat the hammers 4-0, think we beat Coventry a few weeks ealier both games just delayed the inevitable.

[PeterWithesShin]

Wasn't the West Ham game just after someone had put a bet on us winning the last 4 games and staying up and he said he'd split the winnings with the squad?
After twatting West Ham and we failed to win any of the other 3 IIRC?

[Steve R]

I can remember nothing of the ManU home game. The only games that stick out from that season were the one at Old Trafford (we won it, and seemed to have found the next big thing in Paul Rideout) and the Kevin Richardson handball league cup semi games.

The West Ham game was not a bad one to pick. You should have gone more often that season. Actually winning, let alone scoring four and keeping a clean sheet  came as such a surprise.

It was somewhere near the end of the season when the wheels had well and truly come off.

A defence that featured Nigel Spink, Tony Dorigo, Gary Williams, Alan Evans, Paul Elliott and Martin Keown managed to concede almost 90 goals that season. Nice one McNeil.

[gervilla]

I can remember nothing of the ManU home game. The only games that stick out from that season were the one at Old Trafford (we won it, and seemed to have found the next big thing in Paul Rideout) and the Kevin Richardson handball league cup semi games.

The West Ham game was not a bad one to pick. You should have gone more often that season. Actually winning, let alone scoring four and keeping a clean sheet  came as such a surprise.

It was somewhere near the end of the season when the wheels had well and truly come off.

A defence that featured Nigel Spink, Tony Dorigo, Gary Williams, Alan Evans, Paul Elliott and Martin Keown managed to concede almost 90 goals that season. Nice one McNeil.

Maybe Houllier had studied "How To Defend, The Billy McNeil Method "

[gervilla]

Nearly 30 years later, I finally get to see the goals again from my first trip to Villa Park.
Thank you Youtube.

[Flamingo Lane]

I do remember Steve Foster being introduced on the pitch before the Man U game and being booed by the Mancs.

I don't think it was only the Mancs.

[NatP]

newspaper cutting from the West Ham game from my childhood scrapbook. If I can suss out the insert image option...

[oldham_villa]

Was that the season Sid missed through injury?

Our defence did always look dire with Ormsby is defence. That corner said it all: about 4 Villa players marking each other!

You could see Tony Barton was looking to replace players: Rideout - Withe, McMahon - Mortimer, Birch - Bremner. I guess Foster was to replace McNaught.

I wonder who Ron Saunders would have brought into the club had he stayed on. Doug had control of the cookie jar by now though, so probably nothing substantial

[gervilla]

newspaper cutting from the West Ham game from my childhood scrapbook. If I can suss out the insert image option...

Excellent. Thanks for that.

[the-farmer]

I found this from the following season 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DbTbFaKFtiY

I was in the Holte 

I'm sure I've seen Villa beat them 3-0 after then, was it around Christmas 89 ?
I think Gage scored ?