Championship Memories

[Mellin]

we had a strong mentality in the last 2 seasons in that league

I think that was the little spoken about influence of signing John Terry. He'd have reversed the dressing room from Santa video clown show to professional and focused. One of many pivotal decisions.

[Deano's Mullet]

Games I remember......

Rotherham (h)  3-0 Our first win in such a long time it felt like a cup win and Rudy Gestede looked like a striker. Blues fans on Moor St platform after bravely trying to show their colours whilst surrounded by Villa.

1-0 Wigan. The worst game in history settled by a wonder goal stunner from Grealish in the last minute.

4-2 Norwich,.Hourihane hat trick

The game at Blues where they threw claret and blue clappers at our players.

4-1  vs Wolves and 3 straight home wins vs Blues
The final vs Fulham, a great day until actual kick off.

Being outplayed by Albion at home but beating them in the playoffs.

Derby at Wembley. Couldn't get a ticket for that one so telly had to suffice.

I generally enjoyed it, even the first year it was nice to win lots of games again even though we lost a few few. The following year we still won 24 games despite blowing it at Wembley.
It was fun but I never ever imagined five years on we would be where we are now. Thank you, Fulham x 2 and thank you Mr Emery.

[Pete3206]

That last minute penalty at Reading to give us our first away win in forever.

[SoccerHQ]

Only just came across this thread.

Those days do feel like 50 years ago as opposed to five so puts the present "struggles" hugely into perspective.

I guess it's similar to living through us going down to division two in the early 70s and then see us winning the league and conquering Europe less than a decade later?

I remember at the time loads on here liking us being down there and not really wanting to get promoted as not many ever thought we'd be that competitive at prem level again so would rather stay down and win 20 games every season.

In reality we're now pretty much winning as many games as we did down there. In 16/17 we only actually won 16 out of 46 games and had two dismal runs that got Di Matteo the sack and then Bruce had about a 12 match winless run in the early part of 2017.

Just shuddering at that team posted for Sheff Weds. Again people genuinely thought it was good enough to go up and had underestimated the league quality.

17/18 was better as we finally went on a good winning run and Grealish became intergral in the second half of the season but I've never felt as low as I did after losing a game as after 2018 play off final. Not just the loss but you really feel we'd go into the wilderness for a decade given how bad the financial situation was. Thankfully NSWE then turned up....

It seems from that 10 match winning run in spring 2019 we've become good again in seasons at timing runs just when it really matters so I'm still hopeful of getting over the line still this season as feels we're still riding the wave of momentum created five years ago.

[Sexual Ealing]

I liked it because I lived in West London and I got to go to loads of away games. I hated it because we lost most of those away games and because Steve Bruce was our manager for most of it.

[Exeter 77]

5 years ago today was the semi-final first leg. The noise when Conor Hourihane's equaliser went in was as loud as anything I can recall in an all-seated Villa Park.

[Meanwood Villa]

I was monumentally hungover at that first leg. As is often the case, a Villa win was the best hangover cure. I remember saying to everyone at the Barton's afterwards "see you at Wembley", being utterly convinced it was true and so it proved.

[Monty]

I hated every second of it.

[Legion]

It had its moments.

[Monty]

I never felt joy though. At most, relief - especially when it was over.

[Villan82]

I never felt joy though. At most, relief - especially when it was over.

Excellent description. Sitting in Villa Park with the Upper Trinity closed was grim.

Five years later you can hardly get a ticket!

[Perthvillan]

I have a few DVD's from those three seasons in the Championship and was watching some of them recently.
There was some real shockers amongst them including a 3-1 defeat to Luton in the League Cup first round in that first season down there.
Luton were in the fourth division (League One) at the time and they ran rings around us.
I knew it was going to be a tough season.

[SoccerHQ]

I have a few DVD's from those three seasons in the Championship and was watching some of them recently.
There was some real shockers amongst them including a 3-1 defeat to Luton in the League Cup first round in that first season down there.
Luton were in the fourth division (League One) at the time and they ran rings around us.
I knew it was going to be a tough season.

Okore scored a comedy own goal in that so that basically ruled him out of being any part of our comeback.

Elphick was another massive disappointment. Probably a sign of how bad things had got with signings that a squad player at Bournemouth was being lauded as the new McNaught/Allan Evans and in reality he was as good as you'd expect a squad player from Bournemouth to be e.g. not very.

[Villan82]

There are DVDs of our Championship Years?

[Richard E]

There are DVDs of our Championship Years?

Scream, Scream 2 and Scream 3.