28 years ago - a low in our history

[saunders_heroes]

I went to both legs. I remember we traveled to Oxford on a double decker bus which was wrecked on the way back. I think Walters got our consolation goal.

I remember that. We got a free bus back to the station but some of the windows got kicked out and bus seats thrown out from the top deck. 2-1 makes it look close but we were rubbish that night.

Ha ha! We were on the same bus!
Obviously I didn't misbehave at all!

[saunders_heroes]

I think we went out and signed Steve Hunt and Andy Blair right after we Oxford knocked us out and they probably kept us up that season.
Hunt was a good player.

[Des Little]

I know I went to both legs but can barely recall the away leg, apart from seeing next to nothing thanks to only being 14 years old on a packed shit terrace. A desperate time for us.

[Flamingo Lane]

I think we went out and signed Steve Hunt and Andy Blair right after we Oxford knocked us out and they probably kept us up that season.
Hunt was a good player.

I don't think so.  Hunt came up through the youth set up, and Blair we bought in 1981, I think.

[saunders_heroes]

I think we went out and signed Steve Hunt and Andy Blair right after we Oxford knocked us out and they probably kept us up that season.
Hunt was a good player.

I don't think so.  Hunt came up through the youth set up, and Blair we bought in 1981, I think.

Nope we sold them then re-signed them in '86. I think it was the very day after we were knocked out by Oxford.

[Damo70]

We signed them on the old March deadline day Thursday in '86 and they gave us a real boost and helped us stay up. Whether it was also the day after the Oxford second leg or not I can't remember.

[saunders_heroes]

We signed them on the old March deadline day Thursday in '86 and they gave us a real boost and helped us stay up. Whether it was also the day after the Oxford second leg or not I can't remember.

I'm pretty sure it was the day after we were knocked out. It gave us an instant lift and we stayed up that season. Alas not the season after though.

[eric woolban woolban]

Andy Blair gets better every year or so the song said.

[pauliewalnuts]

The thing I remember about that match was the impossibility of getting somewhere to sell us beer on the way home.

Oh, and the football. What a depressing night.

[saunders_heroes]

We had a great win at arsenal in the 1/4 final though. Paul Birch with the winner I think.

[Damo70]

I know it was by far the worst ground I had visited at the time. Twenty eight years and dozens of league grounds later and I can't remember many worse since then.

[ez]

I remember the away terrace had a fence at the front with a cctv camera mounted on the top of it. A remote camera that moved around a lot.

[Damo70]

Am I right in saying the stand to the right of the away end was more like four small stands of differing height similar to having a Subbuteo set with one stand and having to improvise with shoe boxes and Lego for the rest?

[Richard E]

We had a great win at arsenal in the 1/4 final though. Paul Birch with the winner I think.

Sums up Villa - win at Highbury, lose to Oxford. Win at the Etihad (scoring 4 goals!!), lose to Bradford. Twas probably ever thus. And that is why we love them so.