1974 Centenary Match

[Brend'Watkins]

I have vague memories of this.  I think there were 2 games played on the night including an old stars game.  Don't remember who we played. 

[Dave Clark Five]

We played Leeds in the Centenary match.

[PGW]

They beat us 2 - 1

[Exeter 77]

We played Leeds in the Centenary match.

Was that Brian Clough's first game as manager of Leeds?

[DeKuip]

Not sure if Leeds had any friendlies before then but it was certainly at the start of Clough's brief spell there.
Norman Hunter tells a story how, en route to Villa Park, Clough stopped the coach on a dual carriageway and made the players sit on a rainswept grassy bank for a team talk. When they started getting up because the surface was sodden, Clough snapped: “I’ll tell you when you can stand up!” Billy Bremner promptly led his men back to the bus.

[Flamingo Lane]

Ray Graydon missed two penalties.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I think the Leeds friendly was the first time I saw the Villa lose. There was a special programme inside the normal official matchday programme that night. I'll try and dig it out.

[Brend'Watkins]

I think the Leeds friendly was the first time I saw the Villa lose. There was a special programme inside the normal official matchday programme that night. I'll try and dig it out.

The first ever 'Villa News and Record' I think.

Yes, it was Leeds.  Which might explain why there was a bit of trouble at it too.

[E I Adio]

I love the way they've obliterated the previous manager's name on the letter with a row of XXX's.

Times were 'ard in them days.

[dave.woodhall]

I have vague memories of this.  I think there were 2 games played on the night including an old stars game.  Don't remember who we played. 

Let me guess where you got that letter from.

[Dave Javu]

I love that "MANAGER XXXXXXXXX Ron Saunders" bit.

I wonder who it was who was too tight to get the letterheads re-printed?

[London Villan]

I love that "MANAGER XXXXXXXXX Ron Saunders" bit.

I wonder who it was who was too tight to get the letterheads re-printed?

It could only be one person...

[villan from luton]

Dont give a toss if it was Clough's first game as Leeds manager, it was the first time I saw Sir Ron as manager of Aston Villa

[martin o`who??]

We played Leeds united, who were the Bollox at the time, the Programme was a work of art with a replica of our first ever programme in it, if i remember rightly, it was voted programme of the season, and i seem to remember that the late great Don Revie called Villa Park "another Anfield" in his interview in it.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Bumping this. Did we release an all-time Villa 11 at the time, from our first 100 years, or just these games?