27 years

[Risso]

So our first home win in the league against those c***s since 19 August 1995, coincidentally by the same 3-1 scoreline. Beckham's first league goal for them.


Britpop was just getting started. 'Never Forget' by Take That was number one in the charts. Films that year included Heat, Seven, Usual Suspects and Twelve Monkeys.


Where were you and what you were doing?

[Sexual Ealing]

I was a feckless, lazy, hedonistic 17-year-old. I'm now 44, and marginally less hedonistic.

[dave.woodhall]

Making money out of Villa fans.

[passport1]

That game was memorable for two reasons the result and the fact that I found myself sitting next to Savos girlfriend.

[steamer]

I was 40 last time at VP
But although not a regular occurrence  we mainly gave them a game at Villa Park before that
Best Villa memory (almost) LC Semi second leg 62,000 us 2 them 1

[Deano's Mullet]

I was 18, still at college and never imagining it would be that long before we'd beat them at home again.

[ASHTONVILLA]

I was watching the game as 21 year old, and never thought it would  take this long to repeat  the result!

Since then I have married, had three kids, floated my first business on the stockmarket, lost everything, divorced, started again, had  cancer twice, remarried,  had two more kids. Have lived in Brum, Liverpool, Wigan, the Lakes, Lancaster, Preston and rural Lancs.

I  hope less happens before the next home win against  them!

[Smithy]

I was moving into my third-year Uni student house at the top of Trinity Road (on Hampton Road), literally three-quarters of a mile away.  The plan had been to go to the game with two of my housemates, but we got delayed loading the cars up that morning, and didn't even arrive to get the keys to the house until about five to three, so we decided against running down the road to see if we could get in - obviously in those days you could often get in on the gate. No idea if we'd even been able to get in!

So instead, we were treated to the incredible roars of the crowd as we unloaded cars over the next half an hour.  I was genuinely surprised to be able to hear it, as I thought we were too far away.  I'd never been that close to Villa Park during a game without actually attending, and it shocked me I could hear the goals that far up the road.  Needless to say I was a bit pissed we hadn't arrived an hour earlier.

[wince]

Was 12, short and desperately geeky. To think I had not really reached puberty the last time we beat them at home in the league.,,,

[Jon Crofts]

A shithole that was Bosnia.

[Beard82]

I was living in Essex - and went to watch Braintree Town v (Someone).  I can't remember the score of that game - though I know Braintree won.  This was a habit for much of my mid-teams, bar getting to the Villa 2 or 3 times a season. 
I listened to radio 5 for the updates - and can remember the goals going in and telling my Dad. 

Its funny - I really expected us to win that day - just had that feeling.  Likewise I expected us to win today.  No magic, I have been wrong in hundreds of times in the intervening years. 

I think Barnsley took the lead in their game - and for the briefest of in-game moments were top of the league (I might be getting mixed up on my years).

Anyway - well done to everyone involved today - especially those who kept the faith in between! 

[Dave]

12 years old, trying to get a signal to BBC World Service on a portable radio in the car park of a camping supplies shop in the Pyrenees.

[SoccerHQ]

I had hair back then.

[PaulTheVillan]

I was 12. I had my tickets taken off me for the last win all those years ago because I got caught smoking cigarettes at the park.

[N'ZMAV]

I was 12 - so probably being a prick.