21/09/1968 ........0-4 Blues away.

[gregavfc69/70]

Did anyone attend the horror show that day?
Sounds like we were totally outplayed, did we get any shots on goal?
Presumably, there must have been some defensive blunders.
Did we have a huge Villa army packing out the Tilton End or were our fans scattered around the whole ground, probably not all-ticket back then.

[Chris Smith]

My first ever away game. For context I was still at junior school and my bluenose uncle was trying to convert me to the dark-side. From memory the Tilton was the home stand back then with loads of Villa fans in the Coventry Road. They battered us for 90 minutes and on the way back in his Hillman Imp my uncle said surely I wanted to switch now but there was no chance. One thing that sticks in my memory is hearing their lot laughing about how useless are keeper had been, Colin Withers if memory serves.

[dcdavecollett]

Like Chris, this was my first away game -what a great choice!

My memories were different to Chris's; it was a very poor game and was goalless up to the hour mark. Once Blues scored, they won at a canter, like we should have done on Sunday. Colin Withers, one of my childhood Villa heroes, didn't have an especially bad game, but that was, sadly, his last game for Villa.

they were a better team than us in those days and had a really class player, Jimmy Greenhoff, playing up front.

[dave shelley]

I know I was at this but had erased it from my memory, I can't remember anything at all about this one, and , yes, they were a much better team than us at that time, there was only one way that we were going and it wasn't up!

[gregavfc69/70]

My first ever away game. For context I was still at junior school and my bluenose uncle was trying to convert me to the dark-side. From memory the Tilton was the home stand back then with loads of Villa fans in the Coventry Road. They battered us for 90 minutes and on the way back in his Hillman Imp my uncle said surely I wanted to switch now but there was no chance. One thing that sticks in my memory is hearing their lot laughing about how useless are keeper had been, Colin Withers if memory serves.

Crikey, that sounds like Villa fans were on the Kop!
He'd conceded four goals at Bolton three days previously, Colin was dropped in favour of John Dunn but as he was aged 29,
surely he could still have been part of the squad? Maybe he put in a transfer request?
They laughed at him but we actually got him from Blues.

[gregavfc69/70]

Like Chris, this was my first away game -what a great choice!

My memories were different to Chris's; it was a very poor game and was goalless up to the hour mark. Once Blues scored, they won at a canter, like we should have done on Sunday. Colin Withers, one of my childhood Villa heroes, didn't have an especially bad game, but that was, sadly, his last game for Villa.

they were a better team than us in those days and had a really class player, Jimmy Greenhoff, playing up front.

If you go on You Tube and look at The Official ''History'' Of Birmingham City 1875:1990...at 14-03, that looks like a near post
Blues header at the Tilton (black/white film)...and @ 14-07....can anyone name that Villa back four in shot?
Giveaway that it's Villa are the claret socks. 
Sorry to horrify you with that sort of viewing!

[kippaxvilla2]

My first ever away game. For context I was still at junior school and my bluenose uncle was trying to convert me to the dark-side. From memory the Tilton was the home stand back then with loads of Villa fans in the Coventry Road. They battered us for 90 minutes and on the way back in his Hillman Imp my uncle said surely I wanted to switch now but there was no chance. One thing that sticks in my memory is hearing their lot laughing about how useless are keeper had been, Colin Withers if memory serves.

Crikey, that sounds like Villa fans were on the Kop!
He'd conceded four goals at Bolton three days previously, Colin was dropped in favour of John Dunn but as he was aged 29,
surely he could still have been part of the squad? Maybe he put in a transfer request?
They laughed at him but we actually got him from Blues.

John Dunn was a much better DJ.

[LeeB]

Like Chris, this was my first away game -what a great choice!

My memories were different to Chris's; it was a very poor game and was goalless up to the hour mark. Once Blues scored, they won at a canter, like we should have done on Sunday. Colin Withers, one of my childhood Villa heroes, didn't have an especially bad game, but that was, sadly, his last game for Villa.

they were a better team than us in those days and had a really class player, Jimmy Greenhoff, playing up front.

If you go on You Tube and look at The Official ''History'' Of Birmingham City 1875:1990...at 14-03, that looks like a near post
Blues header at the Tilton (black/white film)...and @ 14-07....can anyone name that Villa back four in shot?
Giveaway that it's Villa are the claret socks. 
Sorry to horrify you with that sort of viewing!

Two things:

a) I'd rather kick myself in the bollocks

b) I'm surprised it lasts that long, you could fit anything of note in that period on a Tic-Tok.

[dcdavecollett]

Memory tells me that the back four for that game was: Wright, Edwards, Turnbull and Aitken.

[castlefields_villan]

I was at this game as well, my first away game - what a terrible first experience for an 11 year old.

I was in the lower tier of the old railway end, and as I remember our supporters were "scattered" around there and the old kop.

One thing has puzzled me though, watching the brief clip of that goal, is that we're in our in our normal kit, and for some reason I thought we played in white - although after 56 years my memory might be playing tricks - can anyone else throw in any light on that and is there any other footage anywhere? UTV

[dcdavecollett]

You are right, Cas. We played in an all-white kit for the September game.

When we played at the Sty in the Spring of the previous season, we wore the normal claret and blue.

[Dick Edwards]

Like Chris, this was my first away game -what a great choice!

My memories were different to Chris's; it was a very poor game and was goalless up to the hour mark. Once Blues scored, they won at a canter, like we should have done on Sunday. Colin Withers, one of my childhood Villa heroes, didn't have an especially bad game, but that was, sadly, his last game for Villa.

they were a better team than us in those days and had a really class player, Jimmy Greenhoff, playing up front.

My first Villa Blues derby was at Villa Park and may have been that same season. From memory I remember Tony Hateley playing up front for them, Blues in an all white kit and the game finishing 0-0.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

It was my 3rd Blues game and we lost all three. First win came at the end of season during the Doc revolution, 1-0 Dave Simmons.

Attendance: 40,527
"Villa concede three or more goals for the fourth time in ten league games as they are handed a second gold lesson in taking chances by fellow strugglers and neighbours Birmingham. Villa have two cleared off the line and become the first side to fail to score against Birmingham this season to fall to 21st in the second division."
MATCH TIMELINE
63’ Goal, 0-1, (Birmingham City), Summerhill
66’ Goal, 0-2, (Birmingham City), Greenhoff
85’ Goal, 0-3, (Birmingham City), Vincent
90’ Goal, 0-4, (Birmingham City), Vowden
"Tommy Cummings' Villa now have just a single win in the last fifteen games as they make it a win, three draws and six defeats in ten division two games so far this season. Meanwhile, Goalkeeper Colin Withers made his final Villa appearance aged 28 before moving on to Lincoln City in June 1969. Withers played for Villa between 1964-65 and 1968-69 making 163 appearances."
GK Colin Withers |
RB Mick Wright |
D Dick Edwards |
CB Fred Turnbull |
LB Charlie Aitken |
M Mike Ferguson |
M Willie Anderson |
M Barry Hole |
F Brian Godfrey |
F Brian Greenhalgh |
F John Woodward |
Unused Sub Tommy Mitchinson

Birmingham City

Herriot, Martin, Green, Wylie , Robinson, Beard , Hockey , Greenhoff , Vowden , Vincent , Summerhill

https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/2994

[dcdavecollett]

Hi Dick E.

The 0-0 you remember was 69/70, the year we were relegated to the third division.

Hateley hit the post for Blues in that game. John Phillips made his Villa debut in goal.

[castlefields_villan]

You are right, Cas. We played in an all-white kit for the September game.

When we played at the Sty in the Spring of the previous season, we wore the normal claret and blue.

Cheers Dave, I thought we played in white that day, how sad is it that I can remember such a thing after all these years!