Villa Park Highest Attendance wasn't Derby? One for the history buffs, please.

[Chico Hamilton III]

'if you hung up 11 claret and blue jerseys to dry, 40,000 villa fans would turn up to watch'

Tommy Docherty, 1968?

[nigel]

Wasn't that the era when 'if you hung up 11 claret and blue jerseys to dry, 40,000 villa fans would turn up to watch'? I've heard that said a few times but can never remember what era it refers to. I first heard it when I was about 11 on an Irish tv tribute to Paul McGrath.

Apparently it was Tommy Docherty in '69 who said that famous quote.

[nigel]

Wasn't that the era when 'if you hung up 11 claret and blue jerseys to dry, 40,000 villa fans would turn up to watch'? I've heard that said a few times but can never remember what era it refers to. I first heard it when I was about 11 on an Irish tv tribute to Paul McGrath.

Apparently it was Tommy Docherty in '69 who said that famous quote.

Could have been '68 as Chico says though

[godzvilla]

From what I can gather  the record gate for a League Game at Villa Park  was 69,492 vs  Wolverhampton Wanderers, 27 December 1949 ..............................Godzvilla!

[JUAN PABLO]

I remember a Sunderland game that unbelievable packed, don't know the year , I remember people even on the bottom of the floodlights .  I use to take my beer crate then.

[SashasGrandad]

Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you  youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.

Great day but the crowd was massive. 2-0 wasn't it?

You could fit lots of us skinny teenagers in the holte in those days. Sir Brian scored a fantastic goal - flicked it up over his head and left the defender for dead.

Sadly today I would need at least 2 teenager's spaces!

[ian c.]

'if you hung up 11 claret and blue jerseys to dry, 40,000 villa fans would turn up to watch'

Not if they had Macron written on them.

[SX150]

I was down the front of the Holte for the Sunderland game, fantastic day. Another vision I have is of people being passed down to the pitch above head height that had fainted etc. A kind of crowd surfing I guess you might call it.

[ktvillan]

It certainly felt like a very very big crowd against Sunderland but who's to say if it was more than the official 58,000.  It was three promoted in them days so Sunderland could (would?) have gone up with us had they won.  And the last game against Norwich was, I think 4-1, not 4-0.   

[The Laughing Policeman]

I think had we lost to Sunderland we'd have had to beat Norwich in a 'Winner takes all' game at their place. As it happens we stuffed them 4-0.

I think the Villa team had a few injuries going into the Norwich game as well. After the match, Eric Houghton told the Norwich directors that Villa would be "bringing our first team next year."

And we played them second game of the following season at their place and lost 3-5. So much for taking the first team.

[JUAN PABLO]

1975 . oh yes , its coming back to me now . I was 9 .     Those days were awsome   

[WA Villan]

Convinced there was more than the official 58,000 at the Sunderland game in 1975 (Divison 2 for you  youngsters) when kids sneaking under the turnstiles was fairly common.

Great day but the crowd was massive. 2-0 wasn't it?

Remember it well; 2-0; Sunderland needed to win to join us in promotion. We'd been in the Holte since around 1315 and it was hot, noisy, packed and rocking!

Brian Little and Ian Ross (I think) scored, the second from the penalty spot.

Following the pitch invasion at the end, I had a piece of VP turf for about 2 years in my bedroom  .. until me mam turfed it out (so to speak) - she had no sense of occasion.

Im probably wrong, but I thought it was Keith Leonard & Brian Little. If it isn't then the advancing years are really taking their toll.

[Astral Weeks]

I remember that game and the atmosphere so vividly - it was my 21st birthday! I remember the weather, it was a beautiful spring day. The Sunderland players lined up either side of the tunnel and clapped the Villa team onto the pitch, because we'd just gained promotion in midweek with an away win (at Sheffield Wednesday, I think), the one and only time I've ever seen that done at a football match.
I was in the lower Trinity, and as I looked up as the team came out, the Holte was a mass of waving scarves and claret and blue balloons - an unforgettable sight.
The game itself was a hard fought tense affair, the two goals coming late on but joyously celebrated. And then there was the pitch invasion at the end.
All in all, a memorable way to celebrate your 21st - a day I'll remember as long as I live.

[George E]

I think had we lost to Sunderland we'd have had to beat Norwich in a 'Winner takes all' game at their place. As it happens we stuffed them 4-0.

I think the Villa team had a few injuries going into the Norwich game as well. After the match, Eric Houghton told the Norwich directors that Villa would be "bringing our first team next year."

And we played them second game of the following season at their place and lost 3-5. So much for taking the first team.

I was at that game 3-5 at Norwich - still got the train ticket!

[pauliewalnuts]

There are some cracking pics of Villa Park during and after that Sunderland game here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/myoldscans/with/4086844434/#photo_4086844434