1976/1977 The Greatest Villa Team in my lifetime (so far) Part 1

[wittonwarrior]

Villa came into this season still looking for the first away victory in the league since rejoining the First Division the season before.  Indeed  our first season back  would see the Villa cling on to their league status thanks only to some dogged home performances in the second half of our first season back.

By the end of the 76/77 season however we had established ourselves  are everyone's second favourite club and had a trophy in the bag which could have been two or even three had it not been for injuries and a fixture pile up.

The only real change at the start of the season had  seen  the  end of Chico and Ian Ross, along with retirement of  Charlie Aitken, whilst the only incoming player at the start being Gordon Smith who if I recall did not immediately set fireworks off on the Holte.

Our first game was a very one sided 4-0 victory against West  Ham who at that time we always seemed to snatch results.  The attendance was just shy of 40,000 and we would end the season with the third or forth biggest average league attendance behind  Liverpool, Manchester United and on par with Manchester City. 

Other snippets during the season would see Andy Gray set English football on fire, the signing of Alex  Cropley, Gordon Cowans making his debut and scoring towards the end of the season, as well as the announcement of the New Stand to replace the Witton End and Villa of course winning the League Cup.  This was also the first official season of the London  Lions.

After West Ham it was away to Manchester City, it was still the school holidays  and my neighbour was a member of their London Supporters club and so off I went along and joined a decent away support on the Kippax where we kind of fell apart.  Was West Ham just a false dawn?

We then played  away at Everton and  I was kind of grounded after being battered  outside at Maine Road - yes it was a bad place to visit during that era.  True to form after what appeared to be so many away trips the  season before where I even saw  us lose at Bramall Lane (one of two teams that season), Villa did the dirty on me and won at Goodison.  I was  of  course delighted  but miffed I had  missed the match. 

The following Tuesday Villa got revenge against City in the League Cup - again I missed the match, living in London and still at school I had zero chance of making it.  City were perhaps the second or third best team in the Country at that time so  it was no mean feat. 

Ipswich Town come up to Villa  Park the next Saturday and we sent them home scatty with Andy Gray scoring a hatrick and thumbing  them 5-2.  We were starting to believe. 

Loftus Road awaited next and it was the turn of Stan Bowles  to run us ragged as we lost - not our favourite ground at the time but a difficult team to beat even though they had slipped from their heavy heights of nearly winning the league the season before. 

At this stage we looked like a  top half team but nothing  more, we needed to find  that extra bit of steel but alas immediately on we failed to aspire losing against Bloose in a massive 50,000 crowd  at Villa  Park 2-1. I think Gray scored for us, but at least it would me the last time  City would have the best part of 10,000 at Villa Park. 

Vila being Villa  then won the next two games  both at home, both of which I missed despite my £10 junior season ticket which all three Birmingham teams had adopted.  Norwich  in the league cup (how I hated John Bond ha ha) and Leicester in the league -  I had to attend some Duke of Edinburgh camp, the joys of being at school.

Stoke  away was next on the  agenda,  Andy Gray was injured and it was  left to Brian Little to lead the line not particularly well  - yes he did have some average games sorry to dispel his halo  for you anyone who had  never seen him play.  Shilton saved a penalty from Graydon at the Stoke End which was where close to 10,000 villa were stood (an end which resembled our Witton End).  Nothing  at changed  at this stage to think we were anything special especially without Gray but that would change.

Part 2 some big wins, the Glasgow Rangers game and believe it or not a 40,000 plus crowd at the Baggies which was a bigger attendance than for the home  event.

[Tucson Villain]

The Ipswich game was the first game that I ever attended.
Not a bad way to start. Great memories.

[Mister E]

This was probably my most favourite season; one where I did several away games and most of the home; one which contained perhaps one of our best-ever games of the last 50 years - Villa vs the European Champions on December 14th 1976.

[West Derby Villan]

Great read Witton, many happy memories of that season, probably the best Villa side I have seen. Without the fixture pile up (league cup semi-final and final marathons) I believe we would have easily beat our fourth place finish

[wittonwarrior]

I would confidently say  that there were 3 factors why we didn't win the league and FA Cup that season:

1. The  fixture  pile up - especially with  postponed and rearranged  semis and the three  finals.

2. John Burridge - the weak link in the team.  Just did not have the height for a top class  goalkeeper.  With Rimmer in goal we  could have  possibly have snatched the league.

3. Niggles  to Andy Gray throughout the season.  He was really top class when he did play.

[castlefields_villan]

This was probably my most favourite season; one where I did several away games and most of the home; one which contained perhaps one of our best-ever games of the last 50 years - Villa vs the European Champions on December 14th 1976.

Sorry to picky mr. P - but wasn't it the 15th of December 1976 ?

[Villafirst]

This was probably my most favourite season; one where I did several away games and most of the home; one which contained perhaps one of our best-ever games of the last 50 years - Villa vs the European Champions on December 14th 1976.

It was the 15th December 1976....

[peter w]

Didn't we beat Stoke 1-0 at home with Gray scoring the penalty? Or was that the season after?

[WarszaVillan]

Coventry at home 2 -2 was my first game.

[pbavfckuwait]

First season at work, so went to nearly every game home and away, as I had the dough, remember that Man City away game at the start of the season, went on the coach from the Hole in the Wall, the fighting started as we got off the coach to go into the supporters club, carried on in the ground , I think we left early and they were still waiting outside for us, think the coach went back about 11 that night and there were some major names on that coach and some major injuries carried back to Brum.