One Time Machine Ticket, One Season Ticket

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

If you had one return time machine ticket and one season ticket, which season would you choose to re-live - not necessarily in your lifetime?

Tempting as it would be to experience one of the very early seasons in the 19th Century or to re-live 1980-81, I'd buy a ticket for 1976-77.

I can remember coming up from London for one of the early games and being utterly astonished. 75-76 had been pretty dour, establishing ourselves in the 1st Division ending up in 16th place, so my expectations were fairly low. What I saw was a Villa side transformed into a one and two-touch pass-and-move team that was simply electric. I had never seen us play football like that before, and I don't believe we've played at that level since.

I came up for as many games as I could, but nowhere near enough. We scored 55 goals at home that season (we were the highest scorers in the league that season), and of course there were momentous thrashings handed out - 5 past Arsenal, Ipswich and Liverpool and several games where we scored 4. And we only let in 17 at home that season.

Sadly our away form was pish so we finished 4th, but then there was that epic League Cup win to cap it off.

Gray, Little, Cropley, Mortimer, Graydon and Gidman et al. in their pomp and the early days for Cowans and Deehan. I suspect even Frank Carrodus didn't get as much stick (always unjustly in my opinion) as normal. For me, this was the best Villa side I have ever seen, and I wish that I'd been able to get to more home games.

As a bonus, 76-77 saw the birth and high point of punk so musically it was a revolution too.

[duncan]

1962-63 for me, my very first season taken to the game by my late father. My first match Villa v West Ham.  I was seven and didn't fully appreciate it all! The chance to experience those days again in the company of the old fella would be marvelous. Also, I could check the pools results for that week.............

[lovejoy]

1957 wembley busby babes

I could tell all the villa fans to enjoy it as much as possible as it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

[asgpaul]

The 1976/77 season, if only to witness the 5-1 victory against Liverpool which was a mid week game and I wasn't allowed to go (was 10 years old), no cameras at the game to capture what could possibly be one of the greatest first halves of football played at Villa Park.  Saw many of the games that season, but missed this legendary game.

[pestria]

If you had one return time machine ticket and one season ticket, which season would you choose to re-live - not necessarily in your lifetime?

Tempting as it would be to experience one of the very early seasons in the 19th Century or to re-live 1980-81, I'd buy a ticket for 1976-77.

I can remember coming up from London for one of the early games and being utterly astonished. 75-76 had been pretty dour, establishing ourselves in the 1st Division ending up in 16th place, so my expectations were fairly low. What I saw was a Villa side transformed into a one and two-touch pass-and-move team that was simply electric. I had never seen us play football like that before, and I don't believe we've played at that level since.

I came up for as many games as I could, but nowhere near enough. We scored 55 goals at home that season (we were the highest scorers in the league that season), and of course there were momentous thrashings handed out - 5 past Arsenal, Ipswich and Liverpool and several games where we scored 4. And we only let in 17 at home that season.

Sadly our away form was pish so we finished 4th, but then there was that epic League Cup win to cap it off.

Gray, Little, Cropley, Mortimer, Graydon and Gidman et al. in their pomp and the early days for Cowans and Deehan. I suspect even Frank Carrodus didn't get as much stick (always unjustly in my opinion) as normal. For me, this was the best Villa side I have ever seen, and I wish that I'd been able to get to more home games.

As a bonus, 76-77 saw the birth and high point of punk so musically it was a revolution too.

76-77 everytime - still on the up and up after being promoted through the divisions with big crowds.  Definitely the most entertaining and arguably the best Villa team in my lifetime which ran out of steam due to a massive number of games.

Possibly still got the old season ticket book somehwere - all I need now is the time machine.

[ADVILLAFAN]

1899-1900 would be quite good fun - think we needed a draw at home against Thieverpool to win the league on the last day of the season and we were 5-0 up at half-time.

Pretty sure it was that season anyway.

[Concrete John]

Probably a bit unimaginative, but I'd go to 92/93.  It was my first season going regularly and we played great football under a great manager.

I don't suppose I'm allowed to cheat and set Fergie's, sorry........the ref's, watch forward a few minutes for a certain Man Utd v Sheffield Wednesday game, am I?

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

If you had one return time machine ticket and one season ticket, which season would you choose to re-live - not necessarily in your lifetime?

Just to be pedantic...your not re-living it if you choose one not in your lifetime.

If it was a season that I did go to, then without a doubt 1971-72. I could include Plymouth away in the league, and Palace away in the 3rd round of the league cup as these were the only two games I missed that season.

But I think with a time machine it really would have to be 1896-97. See the likes of Devey, Athersmith and Spencer sweeping aside all opposition as the Villa did the double.
Would I be staying there for the whole season ?  Imagine being able to observe Birmingham and its people as the century and the Victorian era was coming to an end. I want enough money and social standing to live reasonably though - as fascinating as it would be, and despite the best efforts of the present government, the majority of people had shit lives, shit life expectancy, shit jobs with no rights and lived in shit housing compared with what most of us have these days.

[DeKuip]

With a time machine I'd also go back to 1896-97, not only because we did the double but I'd also be able to see us play at the old Perry Barr ground (and pick up a few souvenirs from there) and also be at the first Villa Park games.

If the choice is limited to one I'd re-live then I'd probably go for 76-77 as well - great football, just left school, still playing football myself, just started drinking etc etc. Happy days.

[Meanwood Villa]

Time machine I'd go back to 1930-31 when we were the league's leading scorers. Pongo, Walker, Houghton and all that.

One I saw would be 95-96, still my favourite year. (I started going in 1987)

[darren woolley]

Mine would be 1980-81 just to be there every game to see us win the league.

[Woofles The Wonder Dog]

One of the things I also took from 76-77 was that just because things had been so didn't mean they'd always be that way. Saunders' football had always been pretty effective rather than stylish and exhilarating, as it had rather suddenly become*. I think it was this that gave me the hope that just because McLeish's football had been dour at Birmingham it wouldn't necessarily be that way for us.

* though this transition may have been less dramatic for season ticket holders at the time - I was by no means a regular by that stage.

[dave.woodhall]

1971-72. To have the whole Football League looking at us with amazement and to have towns where our team playing there was the biggest news for years.

[maidstonevillain]

A third vote for 71-72. Probably the last year that supporting Villa was really fun. Also do we have to come back. Can we just relive our lives from the chosen season, and hopefully correct all our mistakes. 71-72 would be a good place to start for that.

[mikeb1982]

Got to be 1982, I was only a month old when we won, so while it was technically in my lifetime, it would be great to have seen it and understood what an achievement it was