April 9, 1988. Palace v Villa

[Chico Hamilton III]

Remember this – load of trouble ( weren't they filming a scene from ID at this match?)and we missed the last train from Euston back to new Street and ended up kipping on a bench outside Euston with all the tramps.

26 years ago.....

Football: Composed Villa end a poor run
By PAUL NEWMAN
11 April 1988
The Times
Crystal Palace ...... 1 Aston Villa ......... 1
Graham Taylor, the manager of Aston Villa, regarded this as two points lost rather than one gained. Yet in the context of Villa's faltering campaign for promotion to the first division, he may yet look back on the result at Selhurst Park on Saturday as a turning point in the season.
Although Villa may have let slip one of the guaranteed promotion places which only two months ago they seemed certain to fill, this result should help give them at least a place in the play-offs. Before Saturday, Crystal Palace were the only team with any realistic chance of edging Villa out of the top five. Now, even with a game in hand, Palace's task of making up five points on Villa looks at tall order.
Even more pleasing for Villa than the result itself was the manner in which it was achieved. Although Taylor's assessment than Villa were 'by far the better team' would have had few supports in the Palace camp, their performance was not one of a side racked by promotion nerves after losing four of its previous five matches.
Facing the Barclays League's most prolific attack, Villa defended superbly. Keown and Evans were as solid as a rock in the middle and Gage and Gallacher patrolled the flanks so effectively that Palace hardly made one telling cross.
It as a classic counter-attacking performance by Villa, typified by their goal after 27 minutes. After a Palace attack had broken down, Platt ruthlessly punished a moment's hesitation between Pennyfather and Nebbeling, raced forward from the halfway lined and shot firmly past Suckling.
Platt, who gave the experienced Cannon a rare run-around, set up several more chances, but once again Villa's failure to kill off opponents by building a lead proved costly.
Palace, who huffed and huffed all afternoon, finally brought down the 14,476 house - their best home attendance of the season - after 83 minutes, when Wright converted a penalty after being brought down by Andy Gray. They just about deserved a share of the spoils, but at this stage of the season a fifth draw in their last six matches was not the result they wanted.

[bertlambshank]

I could of built a house with the amount of bricks flying around.

[Five Villa Tattoos]

You can see footage of this game in "The Firm" with Gary Oldman.

[TopDeck113]

We took a fair few that afternoon.

[Charlie8182]

The first match in London I ever went to.  After Ian Wright equalised late on, Villa fans in the seating area threw seats onto the Palace fans in the stand below and Palace in turn threw dustbins over the brick wall at us in the corner terrace; this was indeed the 1980s.
As for the game, from what I recall the ref gave us precious little all afternoon.

[Fuse]

Great memories. Who remembers the green door that was basically all that was between the Villa fans in the terrace and the Palace fans on the side? Didn't last long if I recall

[garyshawsknee]

You  can hear us singing in that scene in the film.

[He wears a magic hat]

The first match in London I ever went to.  After Ian Wright equalised late on, Villa fans in the seating area threw seats onto the Palace fans in the stand below and Palace in turn threw dustbins over the brick wall at us in the corner terrace; this was indeed the 1980s.
As for the game, from what I recall the ref gave us precious little all afternoon.

The dustbin landed only a couple of feet away from me. I went on football special. The walk to the station from the ground was extremely lively

[Chico Hamilton III]

Great memories. Who remembers the green door that was basically all that was between the Villa fans in the terrace and the Palace fans on the side? Didn't last long if I recall

I remember that. Bottom right hand corner as we stood. A wooden door separating both sets of fans....

[Fuse]

Would love to know how many Villa were there that day. Also remember aside from the derbies that season we took thousands to Bradford, Leeds, Barnsley, Man City, Blackburn.

One of my fav Villa seasons ever and number one for away trips

[pauliewalnuts]

The first match in London I ever went to.  After Ian Wright equalised late on, Villa fans in the seating area threw seats onto the Palace fans in the stand below and Palace in turn threw dustbins over the brick wall at us in the corner terrace; this was indeed the 1980s.
As for the game, from what I recall the ref gave us precious little all afternoon.

If a visitor from another planet or, maybe, a young person, were to ask me "what is the difference between football today and football in the 1980s?", I'd point them at the above post.

[pauliewalnuts]

Would love to know how many Villa were there that day. Also remember aside from the derbies that season we took thousands to Bradford, Leeds, Barnsley, Man City, Blackburn.

One of my fav Villa seasons ever and number one for away trips

I know being out of the top flight is bad, and we've had this discussion on here loads of times before, but I really enjoyed that season. Some truly fantastic away trips.

[Dave Clark Five]

Apart from that game, there has rarely been any trouble there.

[Damo70]

Would love to know how many Villa were there that day. Also remember aside from the derbies that season we took thousands to Bradford, Leeds, Barnsley, Man City, Blackburn.

One of my fav Villa seasons ever and number one for away trips

Great season for the away trips. Palace was one of the few missed. I can't remember if it was due to work, lack of cash or if I was still mentally scarred from the trip to Selhurst Park for the Charlton game the year before. I think we equaled the division record for away wins that year. Matching Small Heaths total from three years before. Perry Suckling and Jim Cannon. Names that take you back to the eighties.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Apart from that game, there has rarely been any trouble there.

Suppose the home fans are usually happy with their 3 points...  :-(