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Author Topic: 'Taking the Holte'  (Read 48385 times)

Offline steamer

  • Member
  • Posts: 2077
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #30 on: October 24, 2012, 10:01:45 PM »
In the 60,s I remember a game at Villa park(67-68 ?) with the Blues when they a had a large following on the Holte through out the game. The attendence was 50,00
Having said that I went to practicaly every game played between us and them until the end of the 70,s and we were never shy at having a go on the Tilton or the Kop which ever crappy end they claimed to own.
The funniest memory I have was us playing a pre season friendly at Villa Park against them, Trev the cloven hoofed one was their super star " super,super,super boy" Sir Brian was playing for us.
As Dave said, "crews" would come early, pay into the Holte and claim to have taken it.On this occasion ( I was still at school) stories abounded that they intended, taking the Holte.No social network but word of mouth.
A larger number than normal Villa boys took their positions at the top of the Holte early, ( any one remember skippy ?) the noses came in the bottom right witton lane at about 2.00.
As they moved up, charge of the Light Brigade time, Villa fans  swept down and chased them onto the pitch and back through the turnstiles.
As we moved back up in a victory march, I had a smack around the back of my head. it was my Dad.
I had to spend the rest of the game standing next to him and behave. Bless him. I wish he was still around.
I think we won 2-1 Anderson 2 cloven foot 1.
Many teams in my memory came early and "had a go"I do not remember many staying, to the contrary I remember Villa having teams in the Witton to welcome visitors.
Forest at Home in 78, we had some challenging moments in Nottingham earlier in the season, this with a history of them turning up when we played Notts County in Div 3 whetted a few appettites for revenge.
A large contingent, couple of Hundred, Villa fans were in the Witton before kick off. As they came in they were persuaded to leave.
I do not think that there was a hardly a Forest fan in the ground at kick off, they had all gone home early.
This is not glorifying what happened, just saying that at the time that is the way it was.

Offline Lambert and Payne

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  • Posts: 3090
  • Age: 31
  • GM : Sep, 2012
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #31 on: October 25, 2012, 09:49:45 AM »
I've heard a few Bristol Rovers fans say they took the Holte, I don't believe it though. Also a few of them said in the early 70's they classed us as their main rivals

Any truth in that?

Offline willywombat

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  • Posts: 2438
  • Location: Barossa Valley
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #32 on: October 25, 2012, 09:58:33 AM »
I've heard a few Bristol Rovers fans say they took the Holte, I don't believe it though. Also a few of them said in the early 70's they classed us as their main rivals

Any truth in that?

Haha, In their dreams maybe! I remember them bringing a good few up on Easter Monday in the early 70's but they stayed well away from the Holte End. Down there was often a bit tasty though

Offline steamer

  • Member
  • Posts: 2077
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #33 on: October 25, 2012, 10:02:02 AM »
They were another team that came up the Holte whilst every one was in the pub and claimed to have taken it, but retired quickly when everyone else came out to play.
Having said that Rovers had a nifty team and going to the old Eastville was no walk in the park.

Offline willywombat

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  • Location: Barossa Valley
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #34 on: October 25, 2012, 10:06:55 AM »
Steamer, do you remember the big fecker with the beard who was completely fearless and would offer the whole mob out?

Offline PeterWithesShin

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  • Posts: 67463
  • GM : 17.03.2015
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #35 on: October 25, 2012, 03:08:50 PM »
I've heard a few Bristol Rovers fans say they took the Holte, I don't believe it though. Also a few of them said in the early 70's they classed us as their main rivals

Any truth in that?

It's mentioned in the Chris Brown book 'Suited and Booted' which is an enjoyable read with a lot about music and the start of the original skinhead movement in Bristol. I reckon Percy would enjoy it as it features a fair bit of Northern Soul type stuff.

From what I remember it was the Div 3 championship season. He says they went on the Holte, and ended up taking a bit of a battering but ended up staying on the Holte. I don't remember him claiming it as any kind of "we took the Holte" type victory. I'll see if I can dig it out and find the chapter.

Offline Lambert and Payne

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  • Posts: 3090
  • Age: 31
  • GM : Sep, 2012
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #36 on: October 25, 2012, 03:42:20 PM »
I've heard a few Bristol Rovers fans say they took the Holte, I don't believe it though. Also a few of them said in the early 70's they classed us as their main rivals

Any truth in that?

It's mentioned in the Chris Brown book 'Suited and Booted' which is an enjoyable read with a lot about music and the start of the original skinhead movement in Bristol. I reckon Percy would enjoy it as it features a fair bit of Northern Soul type stuff.

From what I remember it was the Div 3 championship season. He says they went on the Holte, and ended up taking a bit of a battering but ended up staying on the Holte. I don't remember him claiming it as any kind of "we took the Holte" type victory. I'll see if I can dig it out and find the chapter.

I found it in A-Z Football Firms or something like that, Ill dig it out when I get home if I have it

Offline PeterWithesShin

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  • Posts: 67463
  • GM : 17.03.2015
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #37 on: October 25, 2012, 03:55:36 PM »
Found the book, it's actually called Booted and Suited. At least I was close! If I can be arsed, and anyone is interested enough, i'll type up the couple of pages of the book that cover it and post it here.

Offline Lambert and Payne

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Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #38 on: October 25, 2012, 07:39:03 PM »
Found it

Three months later their team played at Aston Villa and this time they decided to have a crack at the huge Holte End kop. "We sang 'We've got the whole Holte End in our hands, we've got the whole Holte End in our hands' and we had" said Browner. "I had never seen so many Rovers fans at an away game, there were thousands of us. Our main mob was facing us at the opposite end of the ground, but about 500 of us had infiltrated the home fans and we had taken the massive, infamous Holte End with surprising ease. We had come charging up the steps at the back and were swift and merciless in our operation. It was virtually bloodless and they ran to the far end of the cavernous terracing, were they stopped to regroup and assess the situation. We knew we were in an unstable position. It was still a quarter of an hour away from kick off and we felt that if we could stay put for the next fifteen minutes we would be OK, the law wouldn't dare move us off once the game had started, there were too many of us. The minutes ticked away but 15 were just too many and soon the heavy thud of boots came closer. They appeared behind us, coming up the same steps and emerging through the same tunnel we had not ten minutes before. They also came from our left and the mob that we had chased off to our right had now recovered. Absolutely incensed, they attacked us with real venom, a three pronged assault that left us with only one way out, the pitch. We fought as much as we could and we could see our comrades-in-arms ar the open end facing us, desperately trying to get on the pitch and help us out, but the law massed in front of them and held firm. To coin a phrase, we were fucked."

From HOOLIGANS, A-L of Britains Football Hooligan Gangs

Offline PeterWithesShin

  • Member
  • Posts: 67463
  • GM : 17.03.2015
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #39 on: October 25, 2012, 07:42:12 PM »
That's from Booted and Suited. I'll type up what follows at some stage if I can be arsed.

Offline steamer

  • Member
  • Posts: 2077
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #40 on: October 25, 2012, 08:33:25 PM »
sorry WW can not remember the guy.
I would have avoided him like the plauge if he was as you described.
I remember the L.C quarter final in 1970, they had a fair old support in the Witton. we won 1.0 with Pat McMahon scoring the goal.
I did not go to the first game at Bristol.

Offline danlanza

  • Member
  • Posts: 9156
  • Location: Up in the hills overlooking the ocean.
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #41 on: October 25, 2012, 08:37:33 PM »
Found it

Three months later their team played at Aston Villa and this time they decided to have a crack at the huge Holte End kop. "We sang 'We've got the whole Holte End in our hands, we've got the whole Holte End in our hands' and we had" said Browner. "I had never seen so many Rovers fans at an away game, there were thousands of us. Our main mob was facing us at the opposite end of the ground, but about 500 of us had infiltrated the home fans and we had taken the massive, infamous Holte End with surprising ease. We had come charging up the steps at the back and were swift and merciless in our operation. It was virtually bloodless and they ran to the far end of the cavernous terracing, were they stopped to regroup and assess the situation. We knew we were in an unstable position. It was still a quarter of an hour away from kick off and we felt that if we could stay put for the next fifteen minutes we would be OK, the law wouldn't dare move us off once the game had started, there were too many of us. The minutes ticked away but 15 were just too many and soon the heavy thud of boots came closer. They appeared behind us, coming up the same steps and emerging through the same tunnel we had not ten minutes before. They also came from our left and the mob that we had chased off to our right had now recovered. Absolutely incensed, they attacked us with real venom, a three pronged assault that left us with only one way out, the pitch. We fought as much as we could and we could see our comrades-in-arms ar the open end facing us, desperately trying to get on the pitch and help us out, but the law massed in front of them and held firm. To coin a phrase, we were fucked."

From HOOLIGANS, A-L of Britains Football Hooligan Gangs
Well and truly fucked by the Villa you no-marks, so fuck off.

Offline willywombat

  • Member
  • Posts: 2438
  • Location: Barossa Valley
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #42 on: October 25, 2012, 11:10:11 PM »
I was at this game and can honestly say I have no recollection of Rovers being on the Holte End at all never mind World War 3 breaking out

Offline Pat McMahon

  • Member
  • Posts: 6756
  • Location: Shanghai - Blarney Stone for Villa games
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #43 on: October 26, 2012, 12:03:40 AM »
sorry WW can not remember the guy.
I would have avoided him like the plauge if he was as you described.
I remember the L.C quarter final in 1970, they had a fair old support in the Witton. we won 1.0 with Pat McMahon scoring the goal.
I did not go to the first game at Bristol.

I think this was the first game in my life where I remember the Villa winning in the last minute

Offline Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air

  • Member
  • Posts: 10729
  • Location: Upton Park....No, Olympic Stadium....No, Aston Park...Yes that's it,Turf Moor.
Re: 'Taking the Holte'
« Reply #44 on: October 26, 2012, 01:20:22 PM »
I was at this game and can honestly say I have no recollection of Rovers being on the Holte End at all never mind World War 3 breaking out

I cannot recall any opposition fans on The Holte in the Division 3 days, admittedly I was still sitting in the Trinity with my Mom and Dad. The ratio of home/away fans really ruled out any real incidents at Villa Park. Away games were a very different matter. 

 


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