SPURS V VILLA 19TH MARCH 1966

[Villa Lew]

50 years ago today at White Hart Lane, Villa achieved one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the club.

After 52 minutes we were 5 - 1 down, our goal scored by the late great Tony Hateley. Alan Deakin then scored our 2nd goal and Hateley went on to score a further 3 goals and the game finished amazingly in a 5 -5 draw. We could even of won the match, Deakin took the ball round the goalie Pat Jennings and looked certain to score only for Alan Mullery to clear the ball off the line.

Villa team

Withers, Wright, Aitken, Tindall, Sleeuwenhoek, Pountney, MacEwen, Hamilton, Hateley, Deakin, Baker.

In the Spurs team as well as Jennings and Mullery were Knowles, Mackay, Gilzean and the great Jimmy Greaves.

[pooligan]

God 50 years ago,don't time fly. I was at that game with my father and i can remember at 5-1 down we were on the verge of going home .Thankfully we stayed to witness a remarkable comeback and i can recall "Doris" Deakin as my father called him failing to put enough power behind his shot to win it for us

[Ron Manager]

I was a few miles away at Stamford Bridge with my dad supporting little Alvechurch in the FA Amateur Cup Semi final I had my radio glued to my ear following the Villa match. Big Tone was a terrific goalscorer for the club.

[pooligan]

Yeah big Tone ,along with Harry Burrows my first Villa idol. Still the best ever header of a ball i can recall seeing in a Villa shirt .I was only a kid and i can recall older guys around me in the crowd always getting on his back and calling him a carthorse ,but boy could he head the ball.

[Ron Manager]

Yeah big Tone ,along with Harry Burrows my first Villa idol. Still the best ever header of a ball i can recall seeing in a Villa shirt .I was only a kid and i can recall older guys around me in the crowd always getting on his back and calling him a carthorse ,but boy could he head the ball.

What people don't realise is that Tony Hateley scored quite a few of his goals with his feet. Because he was so exceptional in the air people tend to forget that.

The best header of a ball I have seen in my considerable lifetime.

[pooligan]

For me Ron,it would be hard to choose between Hateley and Jeff Astle as to who was the best header of the ball i have ever seen .Both were brilliant .I think i am right in saying both started their careers at Notts County which was a strange coincidence

[Gregorys Boy]

That is an amazing turn around not least considering the quality of that Spurs side.  We've had some real classics with them over the years.  Nice to look back on in such dire times.

[Steve R]

For me Ron,it would be hard to choose between Hateley and Jeff Astle as to who was the best header of the ball i have ever seen .Both were brilliant .I think i am right in saying both started their careers at Notts County which was a strange coincidence

I am sure I read somewhere recently that they had played in the same side at youth level.

I'd rate Astle as a little better than Tone, Andy Lochhead was a better header of a ball than both of them, but both Astle and Hateley were better in the air, if that makes any sense.

[dave.woodhall]

I met Tony Hateley once. He was annoyed that I got lost on the way, but gave me a lesson in how to go up for the ball, albeit about thirty years too late.

[DaveD]

I met Tony Hateley once. He was annoyed that I got lost on the way, but gave me a lesson in how to go up for the ball, albeit about thirty years too late.

Did it involve glass slippers ?