Happy Rotterdam Day

[martin o`who??]

Threatened with dismissal if i went off sick over those two days - had to watch it on TV while my mates were there - having not missed a game all season - Marvellous.

[castlefields_villan]

That's terrible Hookey - I'm really sorry to have read that.  Mixed emotions or what ??

At the time I thought it would be the first of many - I'm not saying I  expected us to do a Real Madrid and win it 5 consecutive times, but if someone had told me back in 1982/83 that I'd still be waiting for us to even to be in it again, I wouldn't have believed them.

[exigo]

Great to read memories of the day.

I was only seven, and this night in 82 is my second ever Villa memory – after watching a compilation of goals at the end of the 81 season (I have a recollection of a Peter Withe lob against Forest, which I would love to have confirmed from someone who remembers it).

Watched the game with my Dad, who was sitting in his favourite armchair. I can still remember turning from the telly to Dad when the goal went in, and wondering just where Dad had disappeared to. Seconds later he came back into land, arms aloft and roaring in delight.

Dad's joined the Holte Enders in the sky since then, but I treasure this Villa moment above all others. If only I'd have known back then that we didn't do this every year.

[castlefields_villan]

Threatened with dismissal if i went off sick over those two days - had to watch it on TV while my mates were there - having not missed a game all season - Marvellous.

I remember something like that as well.  I'd booked two days holiday (the Thursday as well as the match day as we were going by train and coach) immediately after the Anderlecht 2nd leg and was told a week or so prior to the game something like "there's a new company policy that states an employee can not take individual day(s) as holiday, only complete weeks.  As the Whitsun Bank Holiday was the week after, (for which we had the Monday and the Tuesday), I also booked that week as well and said "there I have 3 days off this week which leaves 2 spare days (which I'd like for the 26th  & 27th May).  After firstly admitting I'd got a point - somebody later came back with - "you can only take the remaining day(s) AFTER you've taken a Bank Holiday week."

I thought "stuff it" I'll get an employment solicitor on the case AFTER the game if I need to - I am NOT missing this !!"

I never heard anything more about it,  and seeing as the company closed a year or so later and paid all its workers off, so I think I've got away with it !!

[mikeb1982]

I was only a month old, at least I was alive though, much to my younger brother's chargrin...

I had a top from that game when I was about 6, the kids at school ripped the piss out of me for having an old shirt, not a shiny new Mita one.  When my dad told me what it meant to stop me crying about it I went back into school the next day, chest puffed out, and proudly stated (as instructed!) that this was the greatest shirt the Villa had ever worn. Still got it, and an older, fatter version that I can actually wear.

[Chris Jameson]

I know it was 34 years ago but isn't it great we can have this discussion thread, meanwhile Arsenal supporters are celebrating however many years they've managed to qualify for the 'Champions' League.

[castlefields_villan]

My only 2 nephews (both of whom I adore dearly) and are flying the family flag in the Holte End Upper were born in February 1980 and October 1982 respectively.

On a recent family get together,  they were engaging in their usual banter with each other and whilst the oldest was saying "I was alive on 26-5-1982" - albeit 2 years old !  The youngest was saying to me and their dad - "1980 or 1982 - which was the best year for Villa.  As my brother is 3 years older than me, I thought I'd settle the argument by saying "I was born in 1957 and nobody here can get near that !"

[castlefields_villan]

I know it was 34 years ago but isn't it great we can have this discussion thread, meanwhile Arsenal supporters are celebrating however many years they've managed to qualify for the 'Champions' League.

Nice one Chris !

[Chinchilla Bathhouse]

I was just sitting in the barbers, reading my phone while I waited for my haircut.  I noticed, not to my surprise, that BBC Sport's moronic "Sportsday" thread was banging on about this being the anniversary of That Night In Barcelona and also Arsenal's last minute title win in 1989.  Not a bloody mention of the really important anniversary.  So I texted in to remind the work experience kids who run the site and less than five minutes later there it was, a whole paragraph commemorating the triumph with a video of the greatest goal ever scored.  Better late than never I suppose.       

[aev]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2016/may/26/aston-villa-european-cup-relegated-1982

In the words of Bill Oddie (or Shakin' Stevens)...lovely stuff.

[Pat McMahon]

I was in my first year at university in Sheffield and had an oral exam the afternoon of the final. Failure to sit any of the exams meant automatic resit for the whole year.

My GP next to the university was a big Sheffield United fan so I concocted an appointment and asked him what he thought I should do. He pointed out that Professor X, head of the department, was an Arsenal fan and may be sympathetic to my cause. I had a chat, he agreed to switch my exam to 9am on the Friday morning (he originally wanted the Thursday morning but I had to explain I was on a coach trip that wouldn't return to Birmingham till 9am after which I had to head to Sheffield). No cheap flights for students in those days.

I went on the official coaches from Villa Park, and a mate form the Isle of Man came along with me. We had a great old time in the Rotterdam sun, despite warnings of "locals tooling up to have a go" and were part of the mass of fans down on that big green park outside the Double Diamond. An enterprising supermarket was selling half crates and crates of beer cheaply so I had more to drink than I ever had done for a Villa game - just as well given how nervous I was. You all know the match story but the moment that goal went in nourished me for years. And even the late disallowed equaliser didn't panic me as I had seen the linesman's flag go up early.

My only negative was not being with my mates who were on a 3-4 day trip as we had been for Anderlecht. In those days there was no way of communicating while away. We were on the bus less than an hour after the final whistle and a sobering overnight journey back to Brum, as the hangover slowly kicked in. Then Sheffield, and then my exam. I wore my Villa badge in the oral and spent most of the time talking about the final as the examiner was a big footie fan. Perfect!

I was back down that evening on the train to watch the trophy being paraded too.

[Chris Jameson]

Don't keep us in suspense, how did the exam go?

[flybo]

Happy Rotterdam Day best day of my life VTID
Renewed my season ticket today same date every year

[dalians umbrella]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2016/may/26/aston-villa-european-cup-relegated-1982

[clash city rocker]

Remember going into a bar by the ground that was doing a promotion...7 beers for the price of 5....bit of a weird promotion I thought but we decided to take full advantage of it all the same.