The last time we got relegated

[Pete3206]

Yes, Man City beat us 3-1

[silhillvilla]

The 0-3 loss at selhurst pk to Charlton was the moment we all knew it was over.
We sat silent in the car on the way back, battling through central London traffic until one of us finally flipped "do you want me to fucking drive, you're driving like an old granny"

[Damo70]

I was one of those who was at Charlton (I've just checked the attendance, it was 5,595 for a crucial top flight relegation game). Am I right in saying it was an early kick off? The strange thing is, even though I, like most of us, realised that day we were going down, it still didn't stop me feeling gut wrenchingly sick when it was confirmed after the Sheffield Wednesday game. However much you think you are resigned to it doesn't change how bad it feels when it's confirmed.

[Flamingo Lane]

I went to what I think was our last away game, at Arsenal, there were probably only a couple of hundred of us there.

[oldham_villa]

Was very, very young at the time. Have vague memories of getting outplayed at Maine Road not long after he arrived, kind of put the seal on him taking both of us down.

Could even be memory playing tricks as was about 7 years old, be interested if others recall it

The team coach run someone over or crashed into a car on the day we came to Maine Road. I'm sure the match was delayed a bit, though I may be mistaken

[oldham_villa]

I wish there were more footage available to see how bad/ lazy Stainrod was. I am only going off the fleeting memories of seeing the odd game on tv.

From the sounds of it, Turner really alienated himself with the players. McNeill then never seemed to be interested in the Villa job.

I do wonder if any former players will write about their time at the Villa from the early 80s perspective. It would be a fascinating read

[silhillvilla]

Think we won Mcneils 1st game - Cov away 1-0 Bruno ?
Then it rapidly went tits.

[Lastfootstamper]

Looking back, I can't believe it took til the penultimate game to confirm our relegation. I remember waiting on The Holte after every home game for the other scores to come in, so that I could do all my "if we beat...., and they lose to...." calculations for what now feels like it was months.
And here's a frightening thought; what if we'd stayed up?

[dorsetvilla]

The Charlton away game was an early kick off at Selhurst Park. A truly awful performance from a very very poor Villa team. I clearly remember a villa fan striping off to reveal a full villa kit and running up and down the terrace to chants of 'sign him up, sign him up '

[Damo70]

I wish there were more footage available to see how bad/ lazy Stainrod was. I am only going off the fleeting memories of seeing the odd game on tv.

From the sounds of it, Turner really alienated himself with the players. McNeill then never seemed to be interested in the Villa job.

I do wonder if any former players will write about their time at the Villa from the early 80s perspective. It would be a fascinating read

I read a lot of football autobiographies and Simon Stainrod's name crops up in a few. It would be fair to say he wasn't particularly liked or respected by his fellow professionals. In fact the last football book I read was about Justin Fashanu and concerned a story about Stainrod being particularly keen to spread what at the time were rumours about his sexuality. If you read books or quotes from members of the relegation side you get a common theme of lack of confidence in the team and lack of guidence, organisation and discipline from the two managers involved. They didn't know what hit them when SGT arrived, but whilst life got less cushy for them them appreciated the fact thing were clearly being done properly.

[ChrissyPrice]

I remember a couple of desperate draws against Watford and Wimbledon, which were both evening games in an echoing Villa Park.

But the thing is, relegation did just seem like one of those things that sometimes happened to a club then. Partly because a lot of the fans would probably remember things being even worse but also because most people really didn't care much about football then. The game was in a post-Heysel etc slump and the nu-footy fan was still years away. So I really don't remember that much ridicule. It also helped that relegation didn't seem to carry with it the risk of financial armageddon that seems to be the case nowadays.

[dorsetvilla]

I remember the first away game at Ipswich the following season. Far more villa turned up than the police were expecting. We were still outside when the game kicked off. A massive crush and many climbing up and over the turn styles to get in.  The police and stewards had to keep opening extra pens used for segregation to let everyone in.

[DeKuip]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2273320/Worst-Aston-Villa-team-1987-Sportsmail-looks-club-relegated.html#axzz2K8f5Z2JG

[DeKuip]

It's still amusing that we did the double over Coventry, a top-half team who were so desperate to beat us. Our only away win of the season.

[ez]

The stadium was desolate at times. I remember sitting down on the holte terrace and still having a view of the game. It was all too inevitable towards the end. The fight had gone and everybody knew.