Worst awaydays past and present.

[dave.woodhall]

Charlton away 86/87 was a terrible day
0-3 loss at selhurst park and relegation was more or less confirmed
Was a long drive home

But the pubs round there were open all day, which was a novelty in those days. It made the return journey bearable.

[Lambert and Payne]

Anyone else got stories of the 2002 game at the Sty? Interesting to hear peoples views on that night

[silhillvilla]

Charlton away 86/87 was a terrible day
0-3 loss at selhurst park and relegation was more or less confirmed
Was a long drive home

But the pubs round there were open all day, which was a novelty in those days. It made the return journey bearable.

With the benefit of hindsight we should have hit those pubs after the game, instead the designated driver on the day was keen for a swift getaway and said he knew a "short cut" back to Brum by crossing through Central London.
3 hours later we still hadn't even made the M1.
All in all a horrid day.

[dave.woodhall]

There has never, not even by stagecoach, been a short cut through Central London.

[Richard Richard]

Anyone else got stories of the 2002 game at the Sty? Interesting to hear peoples views on that night

I vaguely remember after their 1st goal and pitch invasion that a group of our fans ran down the front to try and get onto the pitch and ended up fighting with stewards/police.. Thank god they did'nt get on the pitch or it would've been a disaster. To this day i'd still like to know who's idea it was to make that an 8pm kick off and then who thought that the game was a complete success so they'd make the 2nd game 8pm too.

[dave.woodhall]

Anyone else got stories of the 2002 game at the Sty? Interesting to hear peoples views on that night

I vaguely remember after their 1st goal and pitch invasion that a group of our fans ran down the front to try and get onto the pitch and ended up fighting with stewards/police.. Thank god they did'nt get on the pitch or it would've been a disaster. To this day i'd still like to know who's idea it was to make that an 8pm kick off and then who thought that the game was a complete success so they'd make the 2nd game 8pm too.

Sky. Who else? I think that both games were so early in the season they were re-scheduled at the same time. Before the return their lot and ours were going in quite peacefully until a camera crew thought it might be a good idea to do one of their 'film the crowd' pieces. They seemed to believe it was a friendly, happy derby with lots of jovial banter. You can guess the rest.

[Mortimer's Bear]

Anyone else got stories of the 2002 game at the Sty? Interesting to hear peoples views on that night

I vaguely remember Mr Woodhall appearing on the teatime news looking very confident ahead of one of the games (I think the first one), not really a story more of a recollection.

Highlight of the return game for me was walking past the away carpark and seeing a bluenose I know from work penned in, get hit on the bonce by an unopened coke can that had been thrown (I did check the following day and he wasn't hurt).

[SoccerHQ]

Correct me if I'm wrong (I just have a ridiculously stupid memory for these things although not as good as that kid on Channel 4 last week) but I believe Sky originally were going to show both games on Sunday at 4pm but WMP requested them both to be moved to Monday night for some reason?

It was ridiculous after the first game anyway and all that went on the second game was put on at the same time, should never have happened.

[Dave Clark Five]

All the usual ones have been mentioned but the trips to either Bristol club could be dodgy. They had some right nutters down there. Forest was always a lively ground as well. Another where you were sure of trouble was Hull. Although there was a station at the ground, you had to go back to the main station to get the Special back. That short journey could be a nightmare. Surprisingly enough, Bolton was always a troublesome place to go at the old Burnden Park. In fact, nearly everywhere was. Sometimes other supporters turned up such as Leeds at Huddersfield. Came in with us to have a go at the Huddersfield then turned on us at the end. Millwall came into the away end at Fulham one night but a well orchestrated ambush saw a few Villa giving them a good hiding. Man City teamed up with Bury the week before the League Cup Final. They were waving bike chains at us.
The whole end at Carlisle was chased by two of our lot who shall remain nameless, with one clad in a yellow Harrington jacket. The tales are endless.

[Pat McMahon]

Charlton away 86/87 was a terrible day
0-3 loss at selhurst park and relegation was more or less confirmed
Was a long drive home

But the pubs round there were open all day, which was a novelty in those days. It made the return journey bearable.

After that match I felt like the kidnapped girl being held in the well by the serial killer in the Silence of the Lambs.  I just knew we were doomed.

[silhillvilla]

Charlton away 86/87 was a terrible day
0-3 loss at selhurst park and relegation was more or less confirmed
Was a long drive home

But the pubs round there were open all day, which was a novelty in those days. It made the return journey bearable.

After that match I felt like the kidnapped girl being held in the well by the serial killer in the Silence of the Lambs.  I just knew we were doomed.

Good analogy 

[silhillvilla]

Another one scarred into my brain -
Monday 12 Sept 2005, 8pm Upton Park
West Ham 4-0 Villa Harewood 3, Benayoun
Awful awful night followed by a stay in the E-tap hotel on the North Circular. I felt like doing a Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now) in the "hotel" bedroom after that match.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

Another one scarred into my brain -
Monday 12 Sept 2005, 8pm Upton Park
West Ham 4-0 Villa Harewood 3, Benayoun
Awful awful night followed by a stay in the E-tap hotel on the North Circular. I felt like doing a Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now) in the "hotel" bedroom after that match.

An awful game, which sticks in my memory as I watched it in a bar in Ibiza with a group of gloating West Ham fans and no other Villa fans. Also, this game kicked off about 2 hours after England won the Ashes at The Oval.

[andyaston]

Another one scarred into my brain -
Monday 12 Sept 2005, 8pm Upton Park
West Ham 4-0 Villa Harewood 3, Benayoun
Awful awful night followed by a stay in the E-tap hotel on the North Circular. I felt like doing a Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now) in the "hotel" bedroom after that match.

An awful game, which sticks in my memory as I watched it in a bar in Ibiza with a group of gloating West Ham fans and no other Villa fans. Also, this game kicked off about 2 hours after England won the Ashes at The Oval.

yea, that really took the shine off a great moment in sport.

[Mortimer's Bear]

Another one scarred into my brain -
Monday 12 Sept 2005, 8pm Upton Park
West Ham 4-0 Villa Harewood 3, Benayoun
Awful awful night followed by a stay in the E-tap hotel on the North Circular. I felt like doing a Martin Sheen (Apocalypse Now) in the "hotel" bedroom after that match.

I watched that game in a bar in Kos, surrounded by Wet Spam fans. Needless to say, I did not have a pleasant evening!