38 years ago today....

[pooligan]

Hello Dave , i can remember Mortimer hitting the bar and feeling disappointed that we had not given them six of the best.The other memories i have of that fantastic night are Brian Little curling his shot around Clemence for i think was his second goal and seeing the likes of Clemence,Hughes,Kennedy and Beaky Thompson almost coming to blows over whose fault it was for the goals

[dave shelley]

Thanks Pooligan, I'm not going mad then.  I also remember Thompson screaming that nearly every goal they conceded was a foul.  How dare we score agains them?

[Dave Cooper please]

The best memory of the mach was seeing Emlyn Hughes' face as Sir Brian of Little dropped his shoulder and left him for dead for about the eighth time in the match. Hughes couldn't even get near enough to foul him.

My step-dad, who took me to this one, had seen some of the finest footballers in the World in his time watching football but he proclaimed Little as right up there with the best he had ever seen.

[class-of-82]

I was 17 at the time and watching us totally dismantle the best team in England and the soon to be team that would dominate Europe was so magical.
Everything we did just clicked that night I don't think frank carrodus ever stopped running that night.
Every cross andy gray seemed to get on the end of and Brian little well only way to describe him was have a look at certain guy called messi to give you some idea what he was like that night.
Alex Cropley possibly the best midfielder I have seen in my time going to vp and my all time fave player.
Nights like that keep me going when we have to watch some of the performances of late

[Brazilian Villain]

I was only 6 and it was the second Villa game I remember being at. The first was against Millwall which I remember as I lost my scarf at it. Dad was working 6.5 days a week on the buildings then so I went to some Saturday games with my uncle and midweek games with Dad. I know we were in the lower Trinity Road towards the Witton End but can't remember anything of the game apart from the sense of surprise at half-time.   

[dave shelley]

I was only 6 and it was the second Villa game I remember being at. The first was against Millwall which I remember as I lost my scarf at it. Dad was working 6.5 days a week on the buildings then so I went to some Saturday games with my uncle and midweek games with Dad. I know we were in the lower Trinity Road towards the Witton End but can't remember anything of the game apart from the sense of surprise at half-time.   

The sense of surprise you mention BV reminded me of the noise at half time.  I don't mean the cheering but, once the players had left the field, people seemed to forget/ignore their usual half time routines to talk about what they had just been part of.

[Godfrey Brian]

Amongst our usual group was a lad we talked into going to his first ever game. He stood with us towards the back of the Holte for the first half and, amongst the disbelieving chatter at half time, went off, got lost and didn't make it back to us. He ended up going home early. It remains the only match he's ever been to and the only full half he's ever seen. He probably thinks it's like that every week!  .

Cheering that side off at half-time was one of my proudest Villa memories ever.

[Rudy65]

finished college early to go to the pub before the game.
What a night, the Holte swaying and roaring,
The second half was obviously a bit of an anti climax as even the players probably could not believe the score line.
For me this was my Iconic season,
Finished 4th, Regular crowds of 40K average only 34 because of a few low ones at the end. 50K against the Blues.
We beat Utd at home and Gray got fined for giving their fans the V sign, he said he was showing he had scored two.
Beat Arsenal also at home 5-1
Won the league cup, after the replays.
Knocked out the cup  1/4 final (who else- Utd) in front of 57K
Beat the Albion last game at home 4-0
Only black spot, Blues getting the double, although the game at their place was interesting.
Scored in every home game only losing one, Blues !!
Those were the days.

Yep. Agree, best ever season for me as well. Only 12 but it was fab, saw many games that season but not the 5 one

[papa lazarou]

I can remember the great Kevin Keegan being totally dominated and unable to do anything apart from complaining to the referee - about what I have no idea. It were grand!

[Comrade Blitz]

"The Best Half of Football Ever"

[Pat McMahon]

"The Best Half of Football Ever"

Cheers for that Comrade. I remember Micky Buttress but I had no recollection of him coming on that night.

Shame the Mail got the date wrong, but even the finest publications in the land can make mistakes.

[Chris Jameson]

Just seen this. I was at Feethams watching an FA Cup match between Darlington and Sheffield Wednesday and when they put the half time scores on the board thought there must be a mistake!

My memories of the night are the Darlington support singing 'Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' to the large Wednesday contingent, they did and they were and the match made the national news as it was held up due to 'hooliganism'. Jimmy Seal scored one of the best goals i've ever seen to clinch a shock 1-0 win for Darlo. My mum waited up for my safe return and it was her who told me the Villa score.

[Crops10]

Dad has always said that the 5-1 game was the best game of football that he had played in. Shocking that there were no cameras at the ground. Would have been a great game to have watched. See the scousers chasing shadows.

[Dave Cooper please]

Dad has always said that the 5-1 game was the best game of football that he had played in.

Almost certainly, it was as complete a team performance as you would ever wish to see.
The thing about your dad was that his combativeness was exactly the thing that allowed the likes of Mortimer and Little to be so creative.