league cup 2nd replay at old trafford against Everton

[steamer]

1st time I ever open a thread ( hope there is not one already open)

On the back of the Ray Graydon thread I looked through youtube for inspiration.
That year !!!
Have a look and listen.
Everton were up for it, shaded the first half and that Bluenosed bastard Latchford scored.
2nd half mainly Villa, go 2-1 up and they scored at the death.
Extra time, I saw the movie live and still jumped out of my chair when I thought we would score on youtube.
Mortimer, Little, Nicholl , baby faced Gordon, Gidman, the cross from brown , legends !!
I have to show my son the clips of Brian Little, the winner is imprinted in my brain.
Villa fans singing, Saunders, Saunders, Saunders Some one in Brum please get the ball rolling for a statue. Every one singing that night has my memories and I am sure a number of us are able to chip in a contribution. enough to get the Club to consider it.
It must be Ron telling Bond ( or the ITV presenter ) if they wanted to bet against us or Ron in his leather coat watching the result.

[Rudy65]

Was 12 and playing at Sutton Town Coles Lane that night. Remember vividly the commentary on BRMB

[Witton Warrior]

A trememdous night - after going to the bore-draw at Wembley and missing the first replay a load of us went on a coach from Cradley Heath. We were on the lower terrace at the side nearest the Everton end but I recall that they were in seats above us and there was some "banter" at half time involving pies.

The match went by in a flash but the weird thing is I never saw Sir Brian's goal until I bought the video about a decade later as I was on the floor with a heap of others after Nicholl's 200-yard screamer.

Coming out we mingled with the scousers who were very friendly as we had heard Utd were coming down to cause trouble (never happened of course) - that OK relationship went on for years afterwards and I have never been sure why it changed about 10 years ago - they seem to really dislike us now.

[castlefields_villan]

I was at all 3 games.  Almost unbelievable to think it's more than 38 years ago now, and I was an excited 19 year old at the time - I'd seen us go down in 1967 and 3 years later to the 3rd Division - everybody thought it would kick start a few years of Villa dominance, certainly domestically at least.

I can barely remember anything about the first game, just about the most uninteresting match I've ever seen "Pass the Ball Back Evvvvveeerrrrton".  The first replay wasn't much better and for some reason I never felt comfortable at my one and only visit to Hillsborough.  Possibly because my mate's car overheated on the outskirts of Sheffield and we had to leave it and walk, following the crowds about 4 miles to the ground, of course the inevitable happened and we lost our way coming out and were walking around Sheffield well into the early hours (with no idea of where we were for a while) until miraculously the block of flats and the pub where we'd abandoned the car hours earlier just appeared in front of us.

I got mumps a few days later (extremely painful and serious for a 19 year lad !!) - the day we lost 2-1 at Man Utd in the FA Cup and was seriously panicking about not being to go to the 2nd replay, which was still yet to be arranged - thankfully, it was not arranged until about three and a half weeks later, by which time I'd recovered.

That 2nd replay was a classic game - and my lasting memory is the 3 goals in about 4 minutes and both sets of supporters singing "we shall not be moved", pretty much in tune with each other - Like everyone else, I thought we'd be seeing the first ever domestic penalty shoot out, but of course Brian Little got on the end of Smudger Smith's (RIP) cross and tapped home the winner in the last minute.

I'd been at Wembley two years earlier and that (apart from the 3rd Division championship/Youth Cup in 1972) was the first thing I'd seen us win, but for me the 1977 League Cup win is second only to Rotterdam/Highbury (and I'd place them both joint first in terms of what it meant).

An unforgettable time to be a Villa supporter.

[levico]

Great times but thank goodness we don't have all those replays these days.

[castlefields_villan]

Great times but thank goodness we don't have all those replays these days.

Yes or we may be having kick offs at 8.00am on Sunday mornings to accommodate TV.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I'd been at Wembley two years earlier and that (apart from the 3rd Division championship/Youth Cup in 1972) was the first thing I'd seen us win, but for me the 1977 League Cup win is second only to Rotterdam/Highbury (and I'd place them both joint first in terms of what it meant).

An unforgettable time to be a Villa supporter.

Same here. My top 3 games ever were those three. I've mentioned before when discussing this game but I'll never forget my father turning round to me before the game as we walked up to the ground, "don't be too disappointed if we lose". It was the first time also I'd ever had a hamburger before a game. We had a few key players out including Andy Gray but it turned out to be a Brian Little special combined with the 110% from the lads that finally decided the game. We also did our bit.

It was a magical night and AVFC were indeed magic. We also chanted 'Everton' at the end but the night belonged to Saunders. He really was our king and as Steamer said the Villa fans singing, 'Saunders, Saunders, Saunders' echoing around Old Trafford was a religious experience, something I'll never forget.

[castlefields_villan]

It was a magical night and AVFC were indeed magic.
[/quote]
I remember on holiday in Tenby later that year getting a t-shirt printed with that famous, slow chant -----A              V             F             C; Aston Villa are magic

[West Derby Villan]

Went to two semis against QPR but couldn't afford the Highbury one. Then went to two finals but again couldn't afford the Old Trafford one. But hey ho a truly wonderful season and probably the best attacking Villa team I have ever witnessed

[Witton Warrior]

Went to two semis against QPR but couldn't afford the Highbury one. Then went to two finals but again couldn't afford the Old Trafford one. But hey ho a truly wonderful season and probably the best attacking Villa team I have ever witnessed

That whole LC campaign was fantastic - two of us wagged college for the SF replay at Highbury - we had the train fare and little else - we begged change from the line at the turnstiles to get in. If you gave two long-haired oiks a 10p that night just know you made it even more special. We had made a flag (you can see it being waved at the clock end near the front when we score on the grainy video) but the paint wouldn't dry so when a fellow Villan buried his face in it to kiss the Lion he spent the train journey home wondering why everyone was smirking at him.

God I loved that time...

[four fornicholl]

same ground, same year, different cup, my first ever away game
we lost but I was hooked

[wittonwarrior]

Best night of my life!  The atmosphere was red hot.  We battered   them but were one down  for the majority of normal time.  Nichol forget the goal was superb, Graydon  unplayable and Little for all his lazy play always stepped up for the bigger games.

The night was made  for Villa - "we all agree Aston Villa are magic are magic are magic".

For the younger ones you wouldn't believe it as the team were making their lap  of honour at the end the fans  were all  singing "Your never walk alone" imagine that now!

And then the Victory parade which was Coventry away when we took over the ground.

[Vegas]

I'm just too young for 77, but I remember You'll Never Walk Alone being sung whole heartedly by the Holte in the 80s.  How times have changed.

[Oscar Arce]

I was at all three games too.
The Wembley game was the worst final ever, there are some brief highlights on You Tube somewhere, which included mainly backpasses!
The Hillsborough game was better, but we threw it away near the end, totally gutted.
The Old Trafford game swung this way and that, until Brian capitalised on Terry Darracott's blunder (he heard a shout)!
Remember Chris Nicholl getting the Cup I was right next to him, and Saunders' long leather jacket.
A lovely ride home and a celebratory meal with my Dad and Brother.
We signed Ken McNaught on the strength of his performances in those three matches.

[castlefields_villan]

I know Andy Gray didn't play in the second replay as has been previously mentioned, but Ken McNaught was one of very few people who could nullify him in that 76-77 season (and we would have played Everton 4 other times that season) and I remember he was signed mainly on the basis of that.

Played Everton 5 times in one season !!! - no wonder that statistic always crops up !!