Villa v Liverpool FA Cup 1988 (and the old Holte End)

[montague]

Apologies if this has been posted before. Great scenes from the old Holte End about a minute in.

[joe_c]

I remember leaving the Ipswich game early to get a ticket for this as they went on sale immediately after the match, no under 16 concessions as I recall so had to pay the full £3.50 which wiped out my pocket money for the week.

As for the game itself, I didn't realise there were different ticketing rules for cup games and was appalled at the vast number of Liverpool fans who had infiltrated the Witton Lane stand that day and the stewards did nothing about it...

[Nev]

I remember leaving the Ipswich game early to get a ticket for this as they went on sale immediately after the match, no under 16 concessions as I recall so had to pay the full £3.50 which wiped out my pocket money for the week.

As for the game itself, I didn't realise there were different ticketing rules for cup games and was appalled at the vast number of Liverpool fans who had infiltrated the Witton Lane stand that day and the stewards did nothing about it...

Exactly the same here. I think it was my first proper full house at Villa Park, it was a crackling atmosphere, one born of having nothing to lose really where promotion was the priority.

[LeeB]

My first full house too and I think the only time we stood on the left side.

I'd entirely forgotten about Doug's attempt to drum up a bigger crowd against Ipswich by putting the tickets on sale afterwards.

[SoccerHQ]

Randomly came across an article about the Liverpool game in 1994 which was the last one infront of the old Holte.

Did the PA really sing YNWA?! Think his name was Dave Chance.

A Doug idea of course....

[FrankyH]

He did, in his big pink suit. To be fair , he did raise his reservations about singing it, in that it would go down like a cold bucket of sick.

[Mortimer's Bear]

Randomly came across an article about the Liverpool game in 1994 which was the last one infront of the old Holte.

Did the PA really sing YNWA?! Think his name was Dave Chance.

A Doug idea of course....

I remember this, pretty sure he introduced it as a "song for all football fans" then get about 3 words in before being completely drowned out by the loudest booing you've ever heard...

[Nunkin1965]

This brings back some memories.
Garry Thompson walked into the DIY shop I worked in at the time a couple of days before the game. Had a chat about the upcoming visit of the mighty Liverpool.
I was 23 years old ffs!

[dcdavecollett]

Garry was involved in our only real sniff of a goal in that match.

Birchy got some space out right and swung the ball across, but Bruno and Rambo both stayed on the same post instead of splitting up and the chance was gone.

[rob_bridge]

First full house for me too. Great occasion and we gave it a proper go.

2 well taken laye goals undone us.

Remember their physio treating on of our players as we had 2 injured at same time.

[Des Little]

I was sat in the Trinity Lower, hoping for a celebratory pitch invasion at the end. it was some atmosphere in VP that day.

[Bad English]

Garry was involved in our only real sniff of a goal in that match.

Birchy got some space out right and swung the ball across, but Bruno and Rambo both stayed on the same post instead of splitting up and the chance was gone.

I love these snippets of memory from all those years ago. I am currently in the garage wondering why I went in from the kitchen.

[TopDeck113]

I was quite central in the Trinity Road lower. From that perspective, the packed Holte was a thing of beauty.
My recollection of the match is Liverpool had two or three gears more than us and we were never really in the game.  If you'd told me that two season later we'd be going neck-and-neck with them for the Division One title, I'd have wondered what your drug of choice was.  That we were is testament to the genius that was SGT.

[Simon Page]

I am currently in the garage wondering why I went in from the kitchen.

I'm guessing because you began the move in the kitchen.

[eamonn]

Were we any worse than Sunderland at Wembley four years later against a much poorer Liverpool side? One that knocked us out in 1992 and really shouldn't have. That BFR team of '91/'92 should have made a great cup side.