Bomb Scare at Villa Park

[frank]

Does anyone remember a bomb scare at Villa Park in the early 70's, I think we where playing Preston and we won 2-0 and I think Charlie Aitken and Trevor Hockey scored. There was an announcement on the PA system saying they had received a phone call stating a bomb had been planted inside the ground, the stadium was not evacuated but they told us we could leave if we wanted to. I was in the Trinity enclosure AND NO ONE MOVED. Happy Days !!!

It was PNE and the first game of the season, I think 74/75. I was also in the Trinity Enclosure, my first time in there. Not sure about Charlie Aitken and Trevor Hockey scoring but we certainly won 2-0. You're right though on the fact that nobody moved which was a comforting factor to me at the time.

It was 1973/74 first game of the season. Hockey and Aitken did get the goals and there were over 28,000 there.

I was in the Trinity and, as you say, nobody moved after the announcement. It was at the time that Bobby Charlton was manager of PNE.

[dave.woodhall]

I was in the Trinity enclosure as well for that match. The eighties bomb scare was against Ipswich, I think in 87-88.

[Chico Hamilton III]

The 1987 bomb scare was against Huddersfield

[dave.woodhall]

The 1987 bomb scare was against Huddersfield

There was definitely one v Ipswich as well, maybe another season.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I'm sure you're right.

I do remember Huddersflied though. P Danson, the ref - there's a blast from the past.

You Danson? you askin'

Football: Explosive day as Seven are booked at unhappy Villa   

By CHRIS MOORE 
29 December 1987
The Times

Aston Villa ...............1 Huddersfield Town .........1 

Seven bookings and a bomb scare apart, it was the same old story for the Villa Park faithful yesterday as Aston villa completed a calendar year that has produced only five home wins in the Football League. 

Villa have been handing out presents to their visitors all season - they have now dropped 23 points out of 39 at home - so perhaps it was not surprising they had one left in their Christmas stocking for the side with the worst defensive record in the League. 

As one of the Yorkshire scribes put it: 'Follow Huddersfield and you see more goals than anyone else.' The count before yesterday was 87, of which 60 had been picked out of the Huddersfield net. 

For sheer quality, few of these could have matched the 61st, in the 29th minute yesterday. Gage steamed out of defence, found Thompson with a pinpoint pass from the half-way line, ran on to the return, played another one-two with his centre forward, before crossing from the byline for the stooping Birch to head home at the far post. 

But in the context of an otherwise frustrating game, it was completely out of character. 

Any thoughts among the 20,948 crowd that it would open the floodgates were quickly dispelled as Huddersfield struck back three minutes later. 

Mitchell, one of three central defenders employed to totally frustrate the recent scoring exploits of Thompson, flicked on Cooper's corner for Shearer to head his twelfth goal of the season. 

Thereafter, as tempers became frayed on both sides, Villa in particular lost every sense of direction amid an air of total irritation. Thompson, Walters and Banks were booked before the break, Aspinall, Bray and Andy Gray in an insane two-minute spell soon after the restart, with the visitors' substitute, Brown, making up the sinister seven. 

'We are not a kicking side,' Graham Taylor, the disenchanted Villa manager, later insisted. 'But we are a bloody silly side. We had some players out there without any brains. We have now got two more players facing suspension and I am concerned this lack of discipline could ultimately cost us promotion., 

----------------------------------------------------------------- ASTON VILLA: N Spink; K Gage, B Gallagher, A Gray, S Sims, M Keown, P Birch, W Aspinall (sub: A McInally), G Thompson, S Gray, M Walters. ----------------------------------------------------------------- HUDDERSFIELD TOWN: D Cox; S Trevitt, I Bray (sub: M Brown), I Banks, G Mitchell, S Walford, S Webster S Hutchins, D Shearer, G Cooper, D Cork. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Referee: P Danson. ----------------------------------------------------------------- (c) Times Newspapers Ltd, 1987   

[Simba]

I was in the Holte. I remember being a little concerned but there was a bit of mumble as the crowd discussed it, a derisive Baaaaaar sort of noise from the Holte and not one person moved.

[Chris Harte]

I was in the Holte. I remember being a little concerned but there was a bit of mumble as the crowd discussed it, a derisive Baaaaaar sort of noise from the Holte and not one person moved.

I'd forgotten about this. The noise the crowd made was a sort of "oh-get-on-with-it" type sound.

[montague]

Re 70's scare, I remember after it was announced on the tannoy my Dad shouting shove it up Vowdens arse for Christ sake