Villa vs Liverpool 1978 (closed off Holte End)

[castlefields_villan]

Lot of trouble after this game I recall down by the Holte hotel and Witton arms.

Wasn't this the "revenge" game for the previous November?
That was mental all through town and around VP - very nasty

[/b]

As I remember after we'd beat them 5-1 in December 1976 (just before they went on to become English and European Champions) their reaction was "wait until they next come to Anfield".  And then, when we next played them in November 1977 and won 2-1 they were more than shell shocked - perhaps that triggered the 0-3 reverse as earlier discussed.  I remember the very hostile atmosphere that day, which certainly wasn't improved with their three  goals before half time.

[Witton Warrior]

Lot of trouble after this game I recall down by the Holte hotel and Witton arms.

Wasn't this the "revenge" game for the previous November?
That was mental all through town and around VP - very nasty

[/b]

As I remember after we'd beat them 5-1 in December 1976 (just before they went on to become English and European Champions) their reaction was "wait until they next come to Anfield".  And then, when we next played them in November 1977 and won 2-1 they were more than shell shocked - perhaps that triggered the 0-3 reverse as earlier discussed.  I remember the very hostile atmosphere that day, which certainly wasn't improved with their three  goals before half time.

The away game was on 5th November - I never forget it as the scousers were lobbing fireworks into us all through the match with the police standing and laughing. The racism was also a shock as it was so targetted at our black fans. The jog back to the coach was past the old pools company hq as we were warned not to cross Stanley Park due to the number of Villa being attacked. A load of us armed ourselves with staves from a fence and defended ourselves stoutly. The coaches had half their windows smashed so a lovely journey home as well. The welcome planned for the following home match should not have been unexpected by our scouse friends (blades were in evidence from Villa unusually).

[class-of-82]

I was one of those that crossed Stanley park that day armed with a piece of wood from possibly the same fence Witton warrior is on about.
All I can remember is the police on horseback charging at us then us getting whacked from those long sticks they carried.
Absolute battle ground that day hated them with a passion from that day on, also that was the day I stood on the anfield road end took one look at the kop and thought "is that it"

[Witton Warrior]

I was one of those that crossed Stanley park that day armed with a piece of wood from possibly the same fence Witton warrior is on about.

We should form an "Anfield '77 Survivors" group 

[conman]

was this around the time they put that  fence up down the middle to divide the holte
didnt last long , i think it was for staging semis
even the concourse underneath was divided

[class-of-82]

Witton warrior
Yea good idea came out of anfield road with 4 mates huge punch up started one scouser came up to me and asked me for a light knowing my accent was going to give me away so I got the first punch in 1st.
Didn't see my mates till we got to Brum all had to jump on diff coaches to get home

[castlefields_villan]

Re - away game - 5-11-1977

I think I've mentioned this on here or on another part of here - I had the chance to go to this - A lifelong friend was going and had a spare place in his mate's car.  ( I believe they stood in the enclosure in the mainstand close to half way - so that's where I would've been).

I was going out with a lass and Saturday night was always a night we had together, and because of this I declined the offer and made do with just watching it on MOTD.

Two weeks later she "dumped" me - it was the "it's not you, it's me" - you know - one of those where there's no actual explanation or reason binning you off.  And I've never forgotten that if she'd done it 3 weeks earlier (as must have been in her mind) I'd been present to witness this day which still gets to me after these years as I "missed it" - although listening to Tony Butler in the afternoon was very memorable.

[conman]

I was one of those that crossed Stanley park that day armed with a piece of wood from possibly the same fence Witton warrior is on about.

We should form an "Anfield '77 Survivors" group 

yeah i went that match on the train ,,with buses waiting at lime st station to take the villa fans to the ground
in the anfield road end , no segregation , scuffles throughout the match
after the match no buses back to lime street ,,,,,,,,just loads of liverpool looking for villa
villa fans split up , getting battered and legged all over the place
eventually got to station in a taxi ,,other villa fans coming back in 2s and 3s , black eyes , bloody noses etc

[castlefields_villan]

yes of course - this was the era of those marvellous, wonderful, sporting, humorous, well mannered Liverpool supporters !!

[Dr Butler]

not sure if this article on the game has been posted but it has a lovely gallery of match photo's...

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-v-aston-villa-the-day-375329

UTV
The Doc

[castlefields_villan]

Off the top of my head - I can't place the player in the foreground in the first picture ?  Jimmy Rimmer, Ken McNaught, John Gidman and Andy Gary all so obvious - to start with I thought it was Chris Nicholl - but of course he left as McNaught came in.

Wasn't that white away kit tremendous ??

[castlefields_villan]

Leighton Phillips

[class-of-82]

Castlefields_villan
 Yea you are right another myth about them being welcoming supporters. Anyone remember the pic on the front of the daily mirror in the 70s with the young man Utd fan being taken out of the anfield road end with a dart stuck between his upper nose and eye socket.

Like the man Utd song goes " always the victim it's never your fault"

[Pete3206]

What a magnificently frightening site the old Holte was.

[Pete3206]

H&V Post match thread 1st April 1978

1st post:

"Saunders out!"