Tom Watt on Talk Shite

[E I Adio]

I was a bit sad when I noticed the Davenports ad.

I wonder if the Ansells Bittermen ad was still on the Witton Lane stand at that time.

The Ansells Bittermen sign was up there well into the 80s if not till the stand was pulled down

Thanks. You'd think I would remember, as I stared at it often enough from my vantage point in the Trinity. I put it down to age.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Great footage of some great Villa days.
It was around this time my Villa mate and I used to go to The Belfry on Saturday nights and usually bumped into a few of the players...remember going into the gents once and Carrodus and Leighton Phillips were in there.
Had a very friendly chat with them and couldn't get the smile off my face for days because I'd had a piss next to two of my heroes!

We were great to watch then.
On the pitch I mean, not having a piss.
;-)

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I was a bit sad when I noticed the Davenports ad.

I wonder if the Ansells Bittermen ad was still on the Witton Lane stand at that time.

The Ansells Bittermen sign was up there well into the 80s if not till the stand was pulled down

Thanks. You'd think I would remember, as I stared at it often enough from my vantage point in the Trinity. I put it down to age.

There is only one place you should really see a Davenports ad. On the telly with a song.

[bill]

I was on the Holte End for that game. 21 years old, and watching the best attack we have ever had. That team was the most entertaining I ever saw turn out for Villa. Was gutted when Gray and Gidman were sold, and later Little had a serious injury which would ultimately end his career. Saunders then pulled of that which marks out great managers from good ones, he built a second great team.Andy was a God to the Villa fans, to some of us of a certain age, he still is. Happy days.

[dave shelley]

Back in those days when you went to watch the Villa; either home or away and you knew that that front line was fit and well and would be playing, you just didn't hope for goals, you expected them!

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Back in those days when you went to watch the Villa; either home or away and you knew that that front line was fit and well and would be playing, you just didn't hope for goals, you expected them!

That season 1976-77 we were top scorers by a distance in Division One. 76 goals in 42 games, 5 more than Man U and 14 more than Liverpool who won the league. If we had been tighter at the back we could have walked the league that season.

[TopDeck113]

Fantastic thread.  Agree wholeheartedly about the 76/77 team being the most entertaining of my lifetime.  As wonderful as 80/81 was, it would have been great if the earlier team had won the league with their swashbuckling attacking style. 

[Steve R]

Sorry about this being on the wrong thread but, as we're discussing old songs, do any of you old  'un's remember this?

He's up, he's down,
He's in the Rose and Crown,
Barry Hole, Barry Hole.

This was after he got fined by the club for being out drinking when he shouldn't have.  Someone else was to but for the life of me I can't remember who.  Dick Edwards???

Dave, was it Ferguson?

That  was running through my mind Pat as I was typing.  It would make sense as they were team mates at Blackburn.

It was all three. The newspapers reported that they had been fined two weeks wages fairly on in the disastrous 69/70 season. It was the first sign that all was not well behind the scenes, rather than just on the pitch. A little while later it was reported in a major Sunday rag exclusive that all three would never play for the club again.

The story I heard was that initially Vic Crowe had spotted them breaking one of Docherty's curfews and reported them. Docherty was a bit Pepe Mel-like at times. Edwards had got pissed in a subsequent incident and had alone 'behaved like an animal' and smashed up Vic Crowe's car in an act of revenge. This resulted in the blanket banishment.

What can't have gone down well with the other two was that Docherty later went back on his word with Edwards and picked him to play a few games. I can remember him playing in a cup game aganst Charlton in a half back line that consisted solely of centre halves. Fairly typical of the corner that Docherty had painted himself into at the time.

although he was very skilful, losing Ferguson was probably no big deal. Docherty had already decided he was not 'my kind of player'. Edwards and Hole were a big loss however, both were easily good enough to play in the top flight. We could certainly have done with the services of both the Dick Edwards that had once played Ron Davies off the park and the Barrie Hole that had played equally well in the great cup run of the previous season.

I am not sure how much Hole deserved the ditty. If he drank a lot he certainly could take it very well. On the pitch he always appeared an unassuming but assured professional, and certainly a good player.

Ferguson soon departed for QPR and Edwards to Torquay, a massive waste of talent. The then manager Crowe revealed at the end of the season that he had asked Hole to stay, but 'respected him for his principles' when Hole had said that he preferred to leave the club.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I was on the Holte End for that game. 21 years old, and watching the best attack we have ever had. That team was the most entertaining I ever saw turn out for Villa. Was gutted when Gray and Gidman were sold, and later Little had a serious injury which would ultimately end his career. Saunders then pulled of that which marks out great managers from good ones, he built a second great team.Andy was a God to the Villa fans, to some of us of a certain age, he still is. Happy days.

Great stuff bill - I was 22 and also on The Holte for every game.
Couldn't agree with you more about that team.
They were wonderful to watch and made us all feel really proud.
I'd just started teaching and going into school on a Monday morning was a joy!

[dave shelley]

Great summation Steve Rose.  That clarified the situation and a lot of it is now how I remember it.  I never knew the nitty-gritty but do now remember it being Vic Crowe reporting them.

Barry Hole was one of my favourite players at the time.  I remember standing next to him at the bar in the Lion's Club at a function one night.  I'm a fairly shy kind of person, a lot better now than I was, so it took a great deal of courage for me to speak to him.  I complimented him on the goal he'd scored against Spurs that I mentioned earlier in the thread.  He just said 'yeah' and turned away.  Bastard upset me.

[MONCABA]

Grays 2 goals away at Liverpool  in 77 live long in the memory.  It was the first time they had been  beaten at anfield in ages.

[Villan For Life]

Some interesting comparisons between 76/77 and 80/81.

I don't remember 76/77 that well but 80/81 seems like yesterday.

At first glance the big difference between the teams was away form. In 76/77 we were virtually invincible at home, losing once, Champions Liverpool were unbeaten at home. Both sides won 5 on the road but we drew 4 and lost 12 whereas Liverpool drew 8 & won 8 on the road. That's where the league was won/lost. In 80/81 we won 10 away games.

I've just looked at the 80/81 table and was surprised that we conceded 40 goals. I don't remember that defence conceding virtually a goal a game!

[Gregorys Boy]

Tom Watt is way too good for such a crap radio station.

[Ron Manager]

Sorry about this being on the wrong thread but, as we're discussing old songs, do any of you old  'un's remember this?

He's up, he's down,
He's in the Rose and Crown,
Barry Hole, Barry Hole.

This was after he got fined by the club for being out drinking when he shouldn't have.  Someone else was to but for the life of me I can't remember who.  Dick Edwards???

Dave, was it Ferguson?

That  was running through my mind Pat as I was typing.  It would make sense as they were team mates at Blackburn.

It was all three. The newspapers reported that they had been fined two weeks wages fairly on in the disastrous 69/70 season. It was the first sign that all was not well behind the scenes, rather than just on the pitch. A little while later it was reported in a major Sunday rag exclusive that all three would never play for the club again.

The story I heard was that initially Vic Crowe had spotted them breaking one of Docherty's curfews and reported them. Docherty was a bit Pepe Mel-like at times. Edwards had got pissed in a subsequent incident and had alone 'behaved like an animal' and smashed up Vic Crowe's car in an act of revenge. This resulted in the blanket banishment.

What can't have gone down well with the other two was that Docherty later went back on his word with Edwards and picked him to play a few games. I can remember him playing in a cup game aganst Charlton in a half back line that consisted solely of centre halves. Fairly typical of the corner that Docherty had painted himself into at the time.

although he was very skilful, losing Ferguson was probably no big deal. Docherty had already decided he was not 'my kind of player'. Edwards and Hole were a big loss however, both were easily good enough to play in the top flight. We could certainly have done with the services of both the Dick Edwards that had once played Ron Davies off the park and the Barrie Hole that had played equally well in the great cup run of the previous season.

I am not sure how much Hole deserved the ditty. If he drank a lot he certainly could take it very well. On the pitch he always appeared an unassuming but assured professional, and certainly a good player.

Ferguson soon departed for QPR and Edwards to Torquay, a massive waste of talent. The then manager Crowe revealed at the end of the season that he had asked Hole to stay, but 'respected him for his principles' when Hole had said that he preferred to leave the club.

I think the Doc played big Dick Edwards at centre forward once or possibly twice. Dick had the muscle of George Curtis with a bit of skill added. I liked him.

[E I Adio]

And he could play guitar.