Inter Milan 1994. Big Ron's last hurrah

[LTA]

One of my all time favourite nights at Villa Park.  Not necessarily a great game, but a spine tingling atmosphere against a very good Inter team.  Amazing to think Big Ron would be gone weeks later.

[rob_bridge]

All Time Great Night.

I think there was only about 29,000 as the Holte was being redeveloped but it sounded like 90,000

[asgpaul]

Was first match I took my then partner to......think she thought it would be like this every game! 

I remember the guy in front of us turning to my mate during the penalties and asking:

'you ok mate?' - my friend replied 'yes mate' - to which the guy said 'well you look like shit!' -  classic, still makes us laugh!

Great night.

[Lucky Eddie]

Great night - but not as good as Inter at home fours years earlier 😎

[castlefields_villan]

This really was one of the all time truly memorable occasions at VP.

Sorry Lucky, but I thought it was as good if not better than the 2-0 win four years earlier.  In that tie, although we took a deserved 2-0 lead over there, I always worried about them getting an early goal, which of course was exactly what happened.  That return really was bad news for us - their second (and equalising goal) was never a free kick to them in the first place and for the their winner Mcgrath had seen their player take the ball over the goal line before he crossed it.

Anyway, we more than got our revenge four years later, and yes the old ground really was rocking that night - I was at the front of the upper doug, level with the Witton End penalty area and the noise was defeaning - I'll always remember the booing and whistling whenever they had the ball.

Like everyone else I feared the worst against a multi starred team in a penalty shoot out, but of all people - Phil King was our hero.  There's a tremendous shot of Big Ron and Doug side by side, by the tunnel, immediately afterwards, and when I watched it back later seeing them together makes it hard to think that as was said earlier, Ron was gone in a few weeks.
I wonder what would've happened if we hadn't lost to Trasponspor (then an unknown team) in the way that we did, in the next round.

[Deano's Mullet]

I was in the north stand upper. Great night. Guy whittingham and Ray Houghton s best games in a villa shirt.

[usav]

I was in the Witton Lane upper, my one and only time.  Great night!

[PeterWithesShin]

Lower North because of the Holte being rebuilt (wasn't some of the lower tier open for the first time that night?), right behind the goal so a great view of the pens. Although it was a great night, the first Inter game was better.

[Darlo Dave]

Both Inter games were special, but I think the 94 one tops it, because we won the tie on the night. Was in the Witton, and I remember watching it back as soon as we got home, and the crowd noise seemed just as loud on TV. I recall the commentators kept commenting on the noise we were making. Will we ever see those days again?

[The Left Side]

Upper Witton for me and an absolute belting atmosphere!

[castlefields_villan]

Lower North because of the Holte being rebuilt (wasn't some of the lower tier open for the first time that night?), right behind the goal so a great view of the pens. Although it was a great night, the first Inter game was better.

I thought the front first 10 rows or so of lower Holte were open for our first game of the 94-95 season against Southampton (1-1 draw with Le Tiss getting a late equaliser for them)

[castlefields_villan]

Both Inter games were special, but I think the 94 one tops it, because we won the tie on the night. Was in the Witton, and I remember watching it back as soon as we got home, and the crowd noise seemed just as loud on TV. I recall the commentators kept commenting on the noise we were making. Will we ever see those days again?

Fully agree Dave - I was at all the big evening games from 1971 onwards until the mid 1990s and for me this was probably the best ever atmosphere - and yes both Alan Parry and Kevin Keegan kept commenting on the noise levels - 1990 was good, but as I said earlier it was a first leg game.

[Pete3206]

All Time Great Night.

I think there was only about 29,000 as the Holte was being redeveloped but it sounded like 90,000

30,533

[Pete3206]

Saturday Night by Whigfield was at No.1 in the singles charts at the time.

Now people of certain age will have that tune going round their head for hours

[castlefields_villan]

Saturday Night by Whigfield was at No.1 in the singles charts at the time.

Now people of certain age will have that tune going round their head for hours

I could never get that dance