My main memories are seeing a few Spurs fans getting chased and taking a right kicking under the Villa end, and I mean a real violent kicking, and shitting myself. Well I was only 11. And as we were staying in London dad having the bright idea we'd get the tube back. Which was all (or seemed to be to 11 year old me) Spurs fans and us, a family of 4. I think I shit myself again on the journey back to London.
I wonder why they didn't go to penalties back then, anyone know?
Sadly not. My old man says he is too old to be driving a caravanette all over Europe these days.
Quote from: PeterWithesShin on August 10, 2014, 11:24:19 PMMy main memories are seeing a few Spurs fans getting chased and taking a right kicking under the Villa end, and I mean a real violent kicking, and shitting myself. Well I was only 11. And as we were staying in London dad having the bright idea we'd get the tube back. Which was all (or seemed to be to 11 year old me) Spurs fans and us, a family of 4. I think I shit myself again on the journey back to London. There was a moody atmosphere that day PWS.I stayed put at half time but 2 of my mates went down to the bar / toilets. Apparently loads of Spurs fans came round from the other end of the ground and there was a royal rumpus for a couple of minutes. Some of the lads from our estate also said there was fighting on the car park after that game.We were at the ground early (my first Villa game at Wembley) and a couple of hundred Spurs fans charged the Villa fans on the steps up to the turnstiles. One idiot threw a full can of lager at us which my mate caught and drank. There was also a reasonable sized mob of Spurs fans in the lower section of the tunnel end (Villa end) for the whole game.Mark Falco - one of those bloody players who always scored against us.
Don't often post on here, but thought I would share this. The 81 Charity Shield. Where does one begin? As a 10 year old growing up in Hertfordshire I had only attended one other match. That was at Vicarage Road to see my local team Watford play Newcastle. The charity shield started a love affair with Villa that endures to this day. I have followed the club prolifically home and away ever since. Some of my best mates are Brummies. I am a regular in the Villa Tavern and the Aston Social, and my kids are Villa fans.......well 2 out of the three anyway.I do sometimes wonder why my old man decided to take me to this game. He didn’t support Villa or Spurs. Our family had no affiliation with Birmingham or the West Midlands. He will admit to admiring that Villa team of the early 80’s though. He still talks fondly of Ken McNaught to this very day.Anyway, without getting too misty eyed. This is the game that started my love affair with Aston Villa. That love has never wavered since that grey afternoon under the Twin Towers. I can’t remember any of that moodiness that people talk about. I was probably oblivious to it. My main recollection was staring in complete awe at the magnificence of Gary Shaw as the players strolled on the pitch beforehand. Sadly, he didn’t play as I recall.My favourite season in the last 32 years:The season in Division 2 under Graham Taylor(87-88) when my Dad started taking me to games regularly. He loved Sir Graham Taylor because of his time at Watford, and for a brief spell my old man facilitated me following the Villa. I would often tell my folks I was going to town with my mates and get the train to New Street from Hemel or Watford for £6.50 return. That was to watch such idols as Warren Aspinall and Steve Sims. Least favourite season: The season under Alex McLeish. An honorable and nice man but it was soul destroying to witness.So many other memories of the last 30 odd years. I often wonder what might have been if my Dad hadn’t taken me to this match. I would no doubt be supporting Arsenal or Watford like all my other mates. I will admit to still having a huge soft spot for the Glory Hornet boys though.UTV
Was at the game. Lot of running battles outside wembley before the game. Was only young at the time so found it all a bit scary at the time. [/quoteThat's what I remember from mid-70's onwards - lots of running!Someone would run at us and we would run away until we met more Villa and then we would run back at them until they mobbed up more and we would run, repeat... It was only hen some div fell over or was too drunk to get out the way that anything happenedI vividly recall the match against Sheffield Utd when we beat them 5-1 - the two sets of fans ran each other up and down Witton Lane for an hour.My mate Shukes got fed up and finally just stood about halfway by a lamp post and took the odd swipe as they ran past PSDon't tell the kids