On this day in 1976

[BC54 VFC]

Has any other player actually done the same or even bettered Chris Nicholl?

The only previous occasion was Sam Wynne, also in a Division One game, for Oldham against Man United in 1923. Sadly in April 1927 he died on the pitch whilst playing for Bury at Sheffield United, just 4 days after his 30th birthday.

[Dave Clark Five]

That match brings back special memories for me, noting my mum's comments on the game from the attached article on the Villa website from June 2008:-

http://www.avfc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~1334996,00.html

Sadly my dad is no longer with us and my mum is immobile and hasn't been to Villa Park for four years, but we'll never forget the game.

Great memories, Brian.

[BC54 VFC]

Cheers, Jon.

[Percy McCarthy]

Remember getting the gold liner coach from outside the crown at rubbery then on to Leicester crammed in there poxy corner what a game though.

Anyone remember the time when they crammed us in that corner we went onto the pitch and charged towards there end and took it, then Alan Evans had to come on the pitch to get us to go back into the empty section which was empty because we was all in the Leicester half of there end

Remember the headline 'Villa Fans Riot!'

Can't mind which paper or the score.

Legend has it they sang something about the pub bombings.

[Exeter 77]

Remember getting the gold liner coach from outside the crown at rubbery then on to Leicester crammed in there poxy corner what a game though.

Anyone remember the time when they crammed us in that corner we went onto the pitch and charged towards there end and took it, then Alan Evans had to come on the pitch to get us to go back into the empty section which was empty because we was all in the Leicester half of there end

Remember the headline 'Villa Fans Riot!'

Can't mind which paper or the score.

Legend has it they sang something about the pub bombings.

Too young to have been there but I thought it was Ipswich fans who sang about the pub bombings.

[Pat McMahon]

Remember getting the gold liner coach from outside the crown at rubbery then on to Leicester crammed in there poxy corner what a game though.

Anyone remember the time when they crammed us in that corner we went onto the pitch and charged towards there end and took it, then Alan Evans had to come on the pitch to get us to go back into the empty section which was empty because we was all in the Leicester half of there end

Remember the headline 'Villa Fans Riot!'

Can't mind which paper or the score.

Legend has it they sang something about the pub bombings.

I was on a day trip to Blackpool for the Filbert St riot and I reckon it was 1977-78 ish. It was definitely the day we won 2-0. The riot headline may have been the Argus.

[steamer]

I was there at that game with some older guys from work.
I think if I remember that it all started off very innocuously with a bit of banter and pushing and shoving.
The next thing their fans were backpeddling down the terrace with the Villa in persuit, They ended up on the pitch while the Villa were lost on their, now deserted end.
I seem to remember a shop/bar wooden shed at the top of the end being looted.
Very surreal as they never came back onto the end but either went down the tunnel or into the other parts of the ground.
The Bombing thing was defitnatly Ipswich, they were singing, I,I,R,A Ipswich Republican Army . we were sharing their end but at half time there was no segregation so it was open to all takers under the stand.

[class_of_82]

Yea headline was deffo the argus
Can't remember anything being sung about the pub bombings think it was just the euphoria of charging down the pitch then someone slung a bottle crate into us it went back and forth till we thought sod this and over we went .

Remember Evans and another player pleading with us to calm down
Ipswich always sung that  song but it had sod all to do with the I.r.a.

[ADVILLAFAN]

What were the order of goals in that game?

14 mins 1-0 Leicester: Alderson cross shot from about 12 yards out deflected into net off Nicholl.
40 mins 1-1: Little headed a right wing corner from Graydon against the bar; Nicholl scored from the rebound with a rising shot.
54 mins 2-1 Leicester: Worthington headed ball into the centre from a Whitworth cross; Nicholl turned ball past Burridge with his head.
86 mins 2-2 : Another right wing corner, this time by Hamilton; after the defence failed to clear Nicholl stabbed the ball into the roof of the net.

Thus Chris Nicholl scored a goal for each team, at each end. The above is taken from the Sports Argus, which had a front-page headline: 'CHRIS 2 FOR - AND AGAINST!', and a match report headline: 'It's nightmare for Nicholl'. The Argus didn't have a MOTM, but always gave a team form rate, which for the Villa was 'Good'.   

So he scored for both teams, in both halves then!