villamad All Our Yesterdays

1972: Villa v Bournemouth

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 11:43:00 +0000

It's 1972 and Villa are in the Third Division of The Football League. Dark times? Don't you believe it. The Villa support is in full force and it's no better illustrated than when the visit of Bournemouth sees Villa Park bulging at the seams.

We may have dropped a couple of divisions but our support is as strong as anyone's and stronger than most.

This Division Three clash has attracted more fans than top flight games between Everton and Leeds and Manchester United v Newcastle.

The official attendance will be confirmed as 48,110 and this doesn't include the turnstile jumpers and those that piled in during the second half. It creates the sort of atmosphere only possible in a heaving stadium. Villa fans are buzzing this season and 25 points out of 28 so far shows just how well the players are responding to electric support, both home and away.

Even by 1972 standards, this is not going to be a footballing classic. The charge for promotion makes this a tense afternoon indeed and the notoriously potato field like Villa Park is certainly on the heavy side.

Villa are still smarting fron the nightmare at Dean Court when Boyer and MacDougall had created havoc in the defence. This time we go man for man. Maybe nor the best idea.

Twenty seven minutes gone, Aitken is dragged way of position in pursuit of Boyer. Scoot hurtles down the "wrong wing" and his cross finds the head of the diving MacDougall.

One - nil Bournemouth.

The crowd loses no enthusiasm and lifts the team and we get to half time without conceding again Clearly a rethink is needed.

Bournemouth sense blood though and early doors in the second half, opportunity knocks.They get a corner, but suddenly the ground ERUPTS with chants of "Villa, Villa". From then on, we never look back.

Suddenly, with a more than vociferous stadium right behind them, Villa rally and dominate. Ray Graydon and the oft maligned Geoff Vowden terrorise the Bournemouth defence.

Vowden gets his just desserts for a thrilling second half showing, heading Villa level on 72 minutes.

However, one Andy Lockhead's winner is an absolute pearler. Along high ball into the box, Andy heads it then slots home with his right foot in front of adoring and delighted Holte End.

2-1 to the Villa and it's all over.

Bring on Pele.

1981 Wolves in the Milk Cup: Andy Gray sees red

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 19 Jul 2014 15:15:00 +0000

Dek Hogan recalls a feisty night in October 1981 when Andy Gray's first return to Villa Park after his record breaking move to Wolves proved eventful.

It's a Wednesday night in October. While I'd normally attend games down Villa Park with my schoolmates, on this particular occasion, I've gone with my dad. This does have bonuses: a) Dad'll drive down so no bus fare to pay, b) Dad'll pay for us to get in, saving a few more paper round pennies, c) Dad'll buy the pies and the Bovril. The drawbacks? a) Because Dad's there, it'll be Bovril and not a cheeky Mickey Mouse b) I'll have to buy my own programme.

Dad's parking place of choice is Electric Avenue, and there's something magical about walking up towards Villa Park for an evening kick-off.

All the talk before the game is about former Holte End hero Andy Gray. For Villa fans, this will be the first chance to see Andy back at Villa Park since he buggered off to Wolves for a bumper (in those days) £1.5 million transfer fee. Ron Saunders has invested the money from Gray and some of the other flair players from the exciting mid-seventies side so successfully that we have managed to win the actual league.

Things are not going so well for John Barnwell's financially strapped Wolves and Barnwell has been under such pressure to cash in on Andy that for days before the game, it hasn't at all been certain that the Scottish centre forward would still be in the gold and black by kick off.

Andy Gray himself is not best pleased at the situation, "I will not be railroaded into going anywhere - it's my career that is at stake" he protests as Arsenal and Leeds are reported to be tussling over his signature, "I'm like a rag doll being tugged about and it is a situation I don't enjoy.

Withe and Ormsby in the thick of it

So with all not particularly harmonious with the opposition, we're quite confident of getting a result in this
League Cup Second Round First Leg encounter. Tony Morley is recalled in place of Andy Blair meaning that - bar for the injured Ken McNaught for whom Brendan Ormsby deputises - this is pretty much the side that took us to League glory. We need a lift though, since winning the title, opposition teams have raised their game against us and we've struggled at Villa Park.

As the first half gets underway, Wolves have a really good go at removing any joy from the game with what can be best described as smothering tactics, designed more to stifle our creativity than employ any of their own. Thus we get what some would call typical derby day football for half an hour, bogged down in the middle of the park with little to no goal mouth action to report.

Not that the lack of exciting football stops us enjoying ourselves as we exchange banter and songs with the Wolves fans at the other end. My dad is more fascinated by the barbs and and witticisms coming from the regulars at the back of the left side than he is the actual match.

Andy Gray is of course getting particular attention from a lively Holte End.

He responds.

On 32 minutes, Alan Birch finds room and goes on a run before finding Gray who turns deftly and slots a left foot shot past the despairing Jimmy Rimmer. One-nil to Wolves.

Bugger. Nothing daunted though, we've still looked the better side, we'll get back into it. What can possibly go wrong? Go wrong it does, when Peter Withe goes up with the hard-grafting Joe Gallagher to challenge for a ball and comes down injured. Double Bugger. He's replaced by Andy Blair and Villa have to re-jig.

Andy Gray red-carded

Into the second half still trailing then but the Villa Park cauldron continues to keep the atmosphere bubbling. In the 54th minute, it bubbles over completely.

Andy Gray makes a rash dangerous looking lunge at Dennis Mortimer. He's got to pick up a yellow for that surely....hang on...IT'S RED!!!!!!!

There may only be 26,000-odd in the crowd but the stadium explodes with noise, Villa fans celebrating like we'd scored a last minute winner (actually louder than that) and Dingles exploding with rage. Absolute turmoil. Just what you go to football for.

The Holte goes ape-shit!

We're still bouncing up and down with unfettered joy four minutes later when we're brought down to Earth with a bump as Wolves score again. Jimmy Rimmer goes to collect a Birch cross and - under pressure from John Richards - somehow manages to drop it into the path of Joe Gallagher who delights in putting it away.

Two-nil Wolves. This was NOT in the brochure!

Des Bremner gets Villa's first

Villa wake up, led by the the industry and command of Des Bremner and some beautiful football from Gordon Cowans. Wolves begin to struggle visible as the home team's midfield finally produce the form that are capable of.

Swiftly, better quality football leads to goals. And Blair plays a lovely through ball to Gary Shaw who unselfishly finds Des Bremner who slots the ball forcefully past the advancing Paul Bradshaw and in off the far upright.

Two-one to them but we're on the way.

Andy Blair hits home a 20 yard equaliser

Now Villa turn the screw as it becomes one way traffic. Wolves struggle to clear a Tony Morley and the ball falls invitingly for substitute Andy Blair who scores from 20 yards out.

Two-two and Villa dominating but time is running out. Okay, there's a second leg to come at their place, but this a local derby and we want the win on the night. There's pride at stake!

Last gasp winner from Tony Morley

Suddenly, with Wolves' support whistling like crazy for the game to end, Parkin slips and Des Bremner is free and clear. He finds Tony Morley who caps a fine display by netting the winner.The crowd goes almost as wild as we did for Gray's red card.

3-2 to the Villa.

Nicely set up for the second leg, now just the spectacle of watching Dad attempt to avoid paying the "look after yer car mister" lads...

Postscript:

Three days before the 2nd leg we beat Wolves 3-0 in the league at their place.

We won the second leg at Molineux 2-1 thanks to two goals from Gordon Cowans on his birthday.

Andy Gray was banned for four matches.

Despite the pre-match speculation, Andy Gray remained at Wolves until November 1983.

Score Aston Villa 3-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Competition Milk Cup 2nd round 1st leg

Venue Villa Park

Attendance 26,358

Aston Villa: Rimmer, Swain, Gibson, Evans, Ormsby, Mortimer, Bremner, Shaw, Withe (sub Blair), Cowans, Morley

Wolves: Bradshaw, Palmer, Parkin, Atkinson, Gallagher, Villazan, Hibbitt, Bitch, Gray, Richards, Matthews

1976: When Rangers came to Aston Villa.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 12:43:00 +0000

When Glasgow Rangers visited Aston Villa for friendly on Saturday 9th October 1976, all hell broke loose.

All Our Yesterdays looks back at the mayhem via newspaper cuttings from the time:

The calm before the storm. No hint of trouble in Ray Matts's pre-match story

The Evening mail starts reporting the mayhem before the game is underway

The Mail reacted to events throughout the day, changing with each edition

The Sports Argus reports on the drama at Villa Park

The Sunday Mercury

Evening Mail's Monday edition - still front page news

The Mail with an updated edition as magistrates hear cases

1998: Atlético Madrid come to town...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 May 2014 13:39:00 +0000

It's March 1998. John Gregory - Deadly Doug's surprise choice to succeed the recently departed Brian Little has only had his feet under the table for a few short weeks, yet faces attempting to steer Villa into the UEFA Cup semi-final for the first time in the club's history.

It could be a tough ask. Villa had been battered by relentless attacks in the away leg against Atlético Madrid but a fantastic performance by goalkeeper Mark Bosnich had frustrated our Spanish hosts as our back three of Ehiogu, Southgate and Scimeca had struggled to cope with the dazzling skills of Jose Luis Caminero,
Mininko Pantic and Christian Vieri.

Bosnich had looked unbeatable though and only after a crunching challenge by Ian Taylor on Caminero had resulted in a penalty was he beaten. Even then he had managed to parry Vieri's spot-kick but not quite enough to stop it going in.

We start the home leg a goal down with no away goal but in front of an expectant and noisy 39,163 Villa Park crowd hoping for another glorious victorious Euro-glory night.

Despite an roaring rip-roaring atmosphere in the Holte End, the first half is nothing to write home about from a Villa perspective. Villa force only one save worth the name from Molina before the interval, a volley by Mark Draper, particularly painful for me personally as I've backed him for first goalscorer.

Atlético are in control though. forcing a flurry of early corners, one of which Draper heads nervily past Villa's far post, giving the noisy crowd the jitters.

Driven on by the Czech dynamo Radek Bejbl, Atletico double their overall advantage after 28 minutes. Kiko launches an Graham Tayloresque long pass which dips out of the night air to thwack Ugo Ehiogu on the shoulder as he attempts to muscle out a powerful run by Carlos Aguilera. Bozzie charges to the edge of his area to smother the ball but only succeeds in pushing it Caminero. The international, Atlético's penalty winner in the first leg, dodges two challenges before slotting the ball past Stevie Staunton on the line.

The second half is an all together different story.

The contest turns on a bold substitution by the relatively newly installed Gregory. Early in the second half he takes off the unpopular Savo Milosevic, who has not troubled Atlético, and sends on Stan Collymore. Stan's arrival is met with a chorus of raucous approval from the Claret and Blue faithful and the team react superbly.

Villa are now surging forwards but that leaves us open to the counter- attack. Christian Vieri, a thorn in our side in Vicente Calderon Stadium a fortnight earlier, and sub Jordi Lardin shoot wide of Bosnich's goal as what is now effectively a back two gets caught out.

Collymore's arrival breathes new life into Dwight Yorke. The grinning striker delivers a Hot Shot Hamish style shot which almost takes Molina into the back of the net . Then his header from Wright's cross leaves the cross bar quivering almost as much as the Spanish side's defence.

Those near misses raise excitement levels on the Holte to fever pitch. TIt's almost inevitable that we get back into it. A fizzing Lee Hendrie works his way into the box, finds Joachim who pulls off a lovely lay back to Ian Taylor. Taylor's shot skims off Daniel Prodan and Molina is beaten.

Atlético's once assured back line now looked at sixes and sevens. They are unable to stop Hendrie setting up Stan Collymore who hits one of the most venomous shots ever seen in the Holte End. It fairly rattles home, grazing the underside of the bar but the sheer power of it ensures it goes in. The Holte Enders are ecstatic but the away goal means we need to score again.

We almost manage it too, a powerful shot from Hendrie is only parried by Molina and looks as though it going to fall Joachim but a last gasp Spanish hoof away denies us

In the end, Jose Luis Caminero's away goal seals our fate but we have the scant consolation of being the first side to defeat Atlético in European away fixtures under Raddy Antic's managership. Kiko's late miss, with the goal at his mercy, spared us an aggregate defeat that would have been rough justice

After the match, Gregory begins his press conference by making an apology to his predecessor for not seeing Villa into the semis. "Sorry, Brian. We let you down, mate. We're thinking of you," he says. When pressed over why the game changing Stan Collymore hadn't started the match, Gregory snaps: "If you think that, you're a fool." But he adds: "I've learned a lot about my squad, most of it good."

Score Aston Villa 2-1 Atlético Madrid (aggregate 2-2, Atlético Madrid win on away goals rule)
Competition UEFA Cup Quarter-final 2nd leg
Venue Villa Park
Attendance 39,163

Aston Villa (3-5-2): Bosnich; Ehiogu, Southgate, Staunton; Joachim, Taylor, Draper (Nelson, 53min), Hendrie, Wright; Milosevic (Collymore, 53), Yorke.

Atletico Madrid (2-2-4-2): Molina; Andrei (Prodan, 58), Santi; Vizcaino, Geli; Aguilera (Toni, 81), Pantic (Lardin, 58), Bejbl, Caminero; Kiko, Vieri.

Referee: M van der Ende (Netherlands).

Graham's Goodison Goodbye: Everton 3 Villa 3 5th May 1990

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 16:31:00 +0000

Dek Hogan recalls a wonderful end of season party on Merseyside and what was effectively a fond farewell to a man who was the saviour of Aston Villa.

Cascarino's signing changed our style of play

For me the really wonderful thing about winning the league isn't the bit at the end where you actually secure the trophy, more the thrill of the chase as you strive to win it. It may well be for this reason that I have as many – if not more – fond memories of the seasons where we finished runners-up as I have of the season when we actually managed to win it.

One such magical season was that of 1989/1990 in which Graham Taylor's Aston Villa gave the then mighty Liverpool a real run for their money. Some would even argue that only a shift in tactics to accommodate late-in-the-season signing Tony Cascarino scuppered our chances. Up until Tony's arrival, standard operating practice had been to play the ball on the floor to Ian Olney who would hold it up long enough for Platty, Sid, Ormondroyd and Tony Tony Daley to deliver loads of attacking options as they poured forward. In the latter part of the season, play has become more “direct” and consequently less effective.

Bearing in mind we were relegated just three years earlier and deservedly so, the turnaround under Taylor, or “Sir Graham” as BRMB's George Gavin insists on calling him, has been nothing short of miraculous. Taylor quickly put together a workmanlike team of grafters to get us out of the second division, then spent that difficult first season back at the top transforming the squad with some shrewd buys of quality. This had paid off handsomely as we are now up there with the very best.

Liverpool have secured the title and we are assured of finishing runners-up, so as we head up to Merseyside, all 5,000 odd of us, it's very much party time, but there is an undercurrent of concern. The forthcoming World Cup is to be Bobby Robson's swansong in the England job and despite some one-eyed old hacks in Fleet Street disparaging our saviour, it's clear that our Graham is likely to be top choice for the big job.

As we prepare for the afternoon's festivities with a few cold ones in a Cheshire pub, there is some bad news. The talismanic David Platt has been involved in a car crash in which someone has sadly died. While Platty is said to be uninjured, he is by all accounts too upset to play. Young Mark Blake will get a rare chance to show us what he can do.

The old away end at Goodison

Strangely, for this fixture, along with my cohorts, I've opted for the seats rather than the terracing. The away end behind the goal at Goodison is a curious structure that has a very shallow terrace on the lower tier, then quite a high vertical wall before a generous but seated upper tier. Having paid for a seat I have no recollection of actually using it.

Away games around this time are much better than homes when it comes to singing, it being far easier to get a song going in the tight confines of an away pen than on a Holte End that can be sparsely populated. We also have a multitude of songs at this stage with several new classics to add to those passed down through the generations plus several songs for individual players. However, on this day, one song alone will dominate, “Graham Taylor's Claret And Blue Army”.

Amidst all the singing and generally having a good time, down on the pitch, a football match breaks out.

Mark Blake

Urged on by a particularly boisterous travelling contingent, Villa take the initiative from the get-go with Gordon Cowans spraying accurately passed balls with glee. One such ball sends Tony Daley scurrying down left and Neville Southall has to be at his imperious best to prevent Tony's dangerous centre doing any serious damage. The Everton keeper is swiftly back in action again as Cascarino and Olney combine set up Mark Blake with a left footed shot that requires the Welsh shotstopper to save athletically.

It's all Villa in the early stages though a 20 yard effort from John Ebbrell reminds us that Everton are there, though while the home supporters are still clapping that shot, Tony Daley has scurried down the wing and set up Chris Price whose low left-footed drive again gives Southall the chance to shine.

Neil Pointon is obviously fed up with being skinned by Tony Daley and up-ends him in unceremonious fashion, leading to a confrontation between the Villa manager and unpopular referee George Courtney. Suddenly Everton find a foothold in the game and have some meaningful attacks of their own. An Ebbrell corner leads to a 25 yard blaster from Stuart McCall which Sid clears off the line. Then, good work from Pat Nevin leads to a Mike Newell strike from distance which beats Spink but cannons off the post for Mountfield to hook to safety.

It's getting a bit end to end now, with both Tony Daley and the increasingly lively Nevin testing the goalkeepers. However, the pendulum is swinging Everton's way, McCall setting Nevin clean through and only the presence of mind of the excellent Mountfield preventing disaster.

However, disaster does strike in the very next minute, Tony Cascarino inexplicably sticking his boot on the end of what had seemed an innocuous effort from Pointon and knocking it past Spink to give the Merseysiders the lead. Not long before half time, there's almost more disaster when a rasping Tony Cottee drive skids off McGrath but just skims past the post.

HALF TIME: Everton 1 Aston Villa 0

The Villa faithful have, with the occasional lull to cheer at goal chances, been singing “Graham Taylor's Claret & Blue Army” throughout the first half. During the interval, there is no respite. The song continues, loud and proud from the mouths of the vast majority of those occupying the away stand. Everton fans look totally perplexed by the phenonemon and look on in a mixture of awe and amazement. We're still singing it as the players emerge for the second half.

Unusually, Taylor makes a half time tactical change, replacing specialist right back Chris Price with Gareth Williams. He obviously thinks there's something lacking in the midfield with the absence of Platt. It certainly can't be Price's form that has forced the change as he's been solid defensively and dangerous going forward. Whatever, the reasons the change pays instant dividends. Tony Daley finds the ball that frees Mark Blake to provide the sort of cross that is meat and drink to Tony Cascarino and he gleefully makes amends for his first half faux pas by knocking in the equaliser.

We're still bouncing up and down in joyous celebration when we're brought up short by Everton taking the lead again. In a goalmouth scramble, Spink saves well from Cottee but Dave Watson heads the ball goalwards and Newell helps it over the line from point blank range.

Soon though, Neville Southall hands us the opportunity to square things again, somehow managing to handle the ball outside of his area. Sid Cowans curls his spectacular free kick over the Everton wall and straight into the back of the net!

That's fantastic but Tony Daley tops it. His dazzling run bamboozles the bemused ex-Villa man Martin Keown and he lets fly with a stunning cross that bounces tantalisingly off the woodwork before crossing the line. We've taken the lead! What a game.

Sadly we don't get to nab all the points thought. Derek Mountfield, who has been magnificent all afternoon, blots his copy book by uppending Tony Cottee and Kevin Sheedy, a late sub for Ebbrell, slots home the resultant penalty.

FULL TIME: Everton 3 Aston Villa 3.

The final whistle isn't the end of the story. The Villa Army are still singing the Graham Taylor song nearly two hours after we started and we are showing no signs of stopping. Not until our Graham comes out to see us. There is a precedent here. When Taylor's men had to wait to tenterhooks to see if we had gained promotion following a nil-nil with Swindon, he lead his players to share the moment with the travelling support. Now he emerges onto the Goodison pitch to take the plaudits of the fans. It's a sweet, glorious, wonderful moment, but we know in our hearts and he knows in his that this is goodbye.

Score: 3-3
Competition: League Division One
Venue: Goodison Park
Attendance: 29,551

Everton: Southall,

Watson,

Keown,

Ratcliffe,

McDonald,

Pointon,

McCall,

Ebbrell,

Nevin,

Newell,

Cottee

Subs: Sheedy for Ebbrell, Atteveld for Watson

Villa:

Spink, Price, Mountfield, Nielsen, McGrath, Cowans, Blake, Gray, Cascarino, Daley, Olney

Sub: Williams for Price

Everton 3 Villa 3 May 1990 by villamadvids

Ghosts of Christmas Past: 1976: Aston Villa 5 Liverpool 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 13 Dec 2013 15:26:00 +0000

There was a time when every minute of every football match wasn't filmed; when Match of the Day covered just two matches while the local ITV stations picked a local game. If you weren't picked, your team's match wouldn't be preserved for posterity, unless a local TV news team had rocked up with a grainy 16mm film camera to capture the goals for the news. Even this was rare, as they'd have to waste loads of film in the hope of capturing the goals, often in light which cruelly exposed the limitations of their camera equipment.

Midweek matches were even less likely to be captured although we did have the odd league match on Sportsnight, if there wasn't an important boxing match on the same night and ITV's Wednesday Special slot would offer a match if they didn't have some grim documentary to show.

On Wednesday 15th December 1976, ITV do have a grim documentary to show and the BBC's Sportnight has been replaced by Sports Review of the Year 1976. As a consequence, no footage remains of one of the greatest ever nights at Villa Park, as Aston Villa take on the might of all-conquering champions Liverpool.

Pre-match all the talk has been of the absence of John Toshack through injury. No-nonsense Villa boss Ron Saunders doesn't think it will make our task any easier but he does expect to win.

“The trouble is Liverpool have such strength in depth the player they bring in to replace Toshack is just as likely to score against us” warns Ron, before adding “I want us to beat them this time and I want us to deserve to do so, but I will happily settle for the result rather than the performance if need be.”

Andy Gray heads Villa in front

So on a chilly December night, with blizzards just a few days away, a packed Villa Park is buzzing with anticipation.

Villa start off with a drive and energy that instantly has the champions on the back foot and the Holte End roaring. After just nine minutes, the deadlock is broken after some absolutely top-rate play from Alex Cropley, John Deehan and John Robson. The beautiful move ends with a trademark Andy Gray header and we have the lead.

The Merseysiders' back line is still trying to come to terms with that just two minutes later when Dennis Mortimer's incisive pass slices them clean open and John Deehan's clinical finish gives us a two nil lead and sees B6 transformed into Dreamland.

Villa keep ripping into Liverpool who seem completely taken aback by Villa's free running, fast passing style. Phil Thompson's attempt to get physical with constant thorn in the side Andy Gray results in the ball running loose and into the path of Deehan who hammers home his second and is by now probably feeling far happier that he was pulled out of an England Under 21 fixture to take part.

It's not totally one-way traffic and eventually keeper Jake Findlay is called into action with a full length save as David Johnson finally manages a shot on target for the away team. Phil Thompson's frustration inevitably bubbles over and he goes in the book for wrestling the driving force that is Dennis Mortimer to the ground.

Deehan helps himself to his second goal

The Scousers manage to limp on until the half hour before the fourth Villa goal goes in, a lovely cross from fan-favourite right back John Gidman finding the boot of Brian Little. Ray Clemence can only watch in misery as Little coolly slots home.

Jake Findlay finally gets caught out when coming off his line for to punch clear a Terry McDermott cross and Ray Kennedy manages to pull back what already feels like a consolation goal with a low drive.

Still in the first half and we're not done. A Mortimer cross finds Andy Gray and his header loops over a shell-shocked Clemence and the Holte End parties like it's Christmas and New Year rolled into one..

HALF TIME: Aston Villa 5 Liverpool 1

Villa lose Alex Cropley to injury early in the second half and an 18 year old Mike Buttress is pressed into service as sub, which validates Saunders' comments that Liverpool have more strength in depth. Despite this Villa continue to dominate throughout the second half.

John Deehan misses a golden opportunity to grab his hat trick from a Brian Little pass, Ray Clemence pushes a Dennis Mortimer centre on to his own crossbar and has to make fine saves from Deehan and Gidman.

A miserable evening for Liverpool is capped when Ray Kennedy picks up a booking for foul on the much kicked Mortimer.

A five one triumph for Villa then, the first time in ten years since Liverpool have shipped in five and that was against the mighty Ajax. This is special.

Ron Saunders reflected “That was a highly professional performance but it is the sort of display that we have been threatening to produce in so many recent matches”.

“I’m not detracting from those Villa boys,” lamented Pool manager Bob Paisley, “they did well. But my defence... I didn’t think they could play so badly.”

Aston Villa 5 Liverpool 1

Competition: Football League Division One

Attendance: 42,851

Aston Villa: Findlay, Gidman, Robson, Phillips, Young, Mortimer, Deehan, Little, Gray, Cropley, Carrodus. Sub: Buttress (for Cropley, 54)

Liverpool: Clemence, Neal, Jones, Thompson, Kennedy, Hughes, Keegan, McDermott, Heighway, Johnson, Callaghan. Sub: Case

Ghosts of Christmas Past 1998: OH MY GOD! WE'VE KILLED FATHER CHRISTMAS!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 16:28:00 +0000

Dek Hogan recalls a stunning Villa comeback and a very bad day for Santa Claus.

It's Sunday 13th December 1998 and in the words of Noddy Holder "IT'S CHRISTMAS!".

Lee Dixon cries on Gareth Southgate's shoulder

Well technically it's still Advent but some of us have already started on the Mince Pies and the songs about landlords filling flowing bowls until they doth run over.

Why not celebrate? We're in the bloody title race for goodness sake. Things are going rather well for John Gregory and his boys. As a consequence, the visit of Arsenal to Villa Park has proved irresistible to the Sky Sports boys and we're playing on a Sunday afternoon, which means that some of the lads are still recovering from being dragged round the jam-packed shops on the Saturday.

There's even talk of parachutists dropping in at half time. This doesn't generate much excitement. We've grown blasé about this sort of thing over the years. If you're in the wrong spot - as the Holte End often proves to be - you very often can't spot the bloke until his boots appear over the roof of the stand and him drifting in to land on a cross in the centre circle is not my idea of excitement.

No sign of anything dropping from the sky before kick-off, so this must be a half time extravaganza. A pint seems like a more attractive proposition.

We get off to a sluggish start with Arsenal looking sharp and up for it. Despite this, the first real chance of the game falls to us, Lee Hendrie winning a free kick at the expense of Lee Dixon. Alan Thompson lines up from 25 yards out and promptly wastes it.

Arsenal are bossing it though and it's no massive surprise when they take the lead. A David Seaman hoof is headed on by Ljungberg and Anelka to Dennis Bergkamp who launches an unstoppable past the diving Oakes for one-nil.

Ljungberg and Anelka both have efforts just inches over the bar as Wenger's lads really put us on the rack, Patrick Viera and Marc Overmars running us ragged. There's some respite as Lee Hendrie forces Seaman into a save and the well manacled Dion Dublin finally breaks free to head wide from six yards, but it's clearly been Arsenal's half.

This is confirmed in first half injury time. Nic Anelka's shows remarkable speed to catch up with what looks like an overhit Bergkamp's pass, he bamboozles Ugo Ehiogu and turns the ball from the bye-line to find Bergkamp who slides a left-foot effort inside Oakes and the near post from 12 yards.

Arsenal two-nil up at half-time and cruising.

Then the parachutists turn up and they are dressed as Santa Claus. Something is wrong though.

One of the Santas is getting dangerously near to the advertising hoardings on the edge of the extended Trinity Road Stand roof. Suddenly he clips it and appears to be stuck there and his parachute dangles uselessly beneath him. Before there's time to even finish the thought "How is he going to get down from there?" we find out. He drops to the ground like a stone.

There's a gasp, then an eerie silence, then the piercing cry of a Brummie accent exclaiming "Oh My God! We've killed Father Christmas!". It soon becomes apparent though jokes about how they'll be no presents for the kiddies this year are entirely inappropriate. This bloke is in real trouble.

Soon, they are erecting tarpaulins around him (it transpires they used his actual parachute as a screen) as the medics and Villa physio Jim Walker attempt to stabilise him. That's the sort of thing we are used to seeing at racecourses when horses are in distress. This is is obviously not good. The second half is delayed by something like a quarter of an hour while the the stricken Santa is attended to. He receives a massive roar of goodwill as he is stretchered away.

However, the show must go on.

Arsenal seem to have lost their joie de vivre as the delayed second half gets underway.

Suddenly, it all starts going our way. The arrival of Stan "the Man" Collymore as a 54th minute replacement for Gareth Barry proves to be the catalyst. Switching from 5-3-2 to 4-3-3, Villa are absolutely all over the North London outfit, scoring from the first attack after the rejig; Collymore feedsLee Hendrie, whose short pass meets the outside of Julian Joachim's boot for the wee man's fourth goal in four games.

Ray Parlour

We get a massive slice of luck for the equaliser. Dublin's first attempt is blocked. Thompson mishits the follow-up shot and the ball falls into Dublin's lap and he blasts it home. There are many sharp intakes of breath among the cheering because he looks certainly looks offside. No flag so we carry on celebrating.

Arsenal aren't dead yet though and nearly bite back with a lovely move which sees Anelka teeing up Ray Parlour, but the Charlie Dimmock lookalike (from the neck up) drags his shot wide of the right-hand upright. Oakes then produces a magnificent save from from Bergkamp's 20-yard free kick.

Villa keep up the pressure though and Martin Keown is left looking like a pillock as an Alan Thompson corner evades him and Dion Dublin volleys home from close range.

We win 3-2.

"I believe in my team, but this is a huge disappointment for us. I have to be realistic, and at the moment we are not title contenders." - Arsene Wenger

"I couldn't believe what I was seeing in the first half. We were simply awful. They were players I didn't recognise. Then, in the second half, it was like a dream, schoolboy hero stuff. We gave the reigning champions and FA Cup winners a two-goal lead and beat them." - John Gregory.

It's been a great comeback and Aston Villa sit proudly at the top of the Premier League. The only drawback, how is Santa?

Santa turns out to be in a very bad way indeed. His legs, hips, pelvis and ribs are broken and he will require a staggering 177 units of blood - almost the entire stock of Birmingham's blood bank. Some months after the event, Flight Sgt Nigel Rogoff will lose a leg as a result of the incident. He will make an astonishing recovery after the accident and fall in love with and marry his nurse, Sarah Collins.

Score: Aston Villa 3-2 Arsenal

Competition: Premier League

Venue: Villa Park

Attendance: 39,217

Aston Villa: Oakes, Wright, Southgate, Ehiogu, Watson, Taylor, Thompson, Joachim, Dublin, Barry, Hendrie. Subs: Charles, Collymore, Grayson, Vassell, Ghent.

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Vieira, Bould, Vivas, Ljungberg, Anelka, Bergkamp, Overmars, Keown, Parlour. Subs: Wreh, Grimandi, Upson, Boa Morte, Manninger.

Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley)

Ghosts of Christmas Past: 2007: Chelsea 4-4 Aston Villa

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 16:16:00 +0000

You have to really be there to appreciate it. That's what they say don't they? It's OK watching a game on the telly but you can't beat actually being there.

It's Boxing Day 2007 and Villa are at Stamford Bridge for a tasty Christmas clash.

But I'm not there.

I used to go to Chelsea a lot, in the days when the away terrace was miles away from the pitch, Ken Bates wanted to electrocute us all and if the home fans couldn't get close enough to thump us, they'd hurl sandbags at us. Not all together pleasant but at least it was affordable to go.

No real excuses, but I very rarely go to Chelsea nowadays because I don't like to validate their policy of charging extortionate prices for tickets by paying for them. I have occasionally lapsed but not on this occasion. Attempting that sort of trip on public transport on a Bank Holiday is no easy task and I've no wish to spend hours on a coach full of people who've been eating Brussels Sprouts the day before.

So as kick off time arrives, I'm in a packed drinking establishment on Broad Street, all red vinyl upholstery and gassy Carlsberg. Mind you the atmosphere is buzzing. Though the place is busy, some of my friends and acquaintances have managed to establish a bridgehead in a ideal spot, with good views of several of the tellies and one of the big screens, and relatively easy access to the Bar and the bogs.

Crucially, though the bar seems top be three deep at times, service is relatively swift.

The match gets under-way and Villa waste no time getting at Chelsea's suspect full backs, Ashley Cole and Paulo Ferreira. Their hesitance leads to early opportunities for both Gabby and Ashley Young.

It seems that a goal is almost inevitable and on the quarter hour, we strike, Gabby robbing Saloman Kalou of possession making headway down the right then finding Big John Carew with an inch perfect pass. Big John heads the ball across the goal on to the boot of Shaun Maloney who volleys home with aplomb.

The pub explodes with delight, with Carlsberg and Brummies flying everywhere. What's better is that Villa are keeping up the pace on a reeling Chelsea. Gabby gets two more great chances, putting one just over from am awkward angle where Petr Cech denies him a goal from the other one with a reflex save.

Things are going well until Fat Frank Lampard picks up an injury and his replacement, Michael Ballack, starts to give Chelsea a foothold in the game. As a consqeuence Chelsea get their first decent chance of the match but Joe Cole hits it with all the force of wet lettuce and it drops safely into Scott Carson's arms.

Then Shaun Maloney tests Cech again and this time the Chelsea keeper made a total hash of it, the ball bouncing off his arm and squirming into the net.

Two nil up, damn nearly half time and with Chelsea on the back foot, what could possibly go wrong?

Did I mention that the ref is Phil Dowd?

Michael Essien mishits a shot from 25 yards out and somehow the ball contrives to fall spawnily at the feet of Ballack who gets in front of Zat Knight . Knight gives Ballack the slighest of touches but that's enough for Dowd to award a penalty and having done so, giving him little option but to send the hapless Villa defender off. Shevchenko sends Carson the wrong way from the penalty spot and it's 2-1 at half time.

Martin O'Neill has no choice but to reorganise and it's two goal hero Shaun Maloney that is sacrificed. It's probably the last straw for the young Scot and he'll leave Villa not long later, which is a real shame. In this match Curtis Davies replaces him to slot in for the departed Zat.

While those in the ground are no doubt queueing for a Bovril, we are trying to negotiate the drinking establishment's toilets where they seem desperate to flog us a squirt of after shave.

As the second half gets underway, Chelsea make their superior numbers count putting Villa under the cosh. Soon Kalou finds space on the edge of the box and lays a ball across to Shevchenko who needs just one touch to hit a stunning shot leaving Carson no chance.

Two-two.

Grrrrr.

Chelsea are pummelling us now. Kalou skies one over and Ballack has two decent efforts from distance before Brazilian centre-half Alex decides to wreck our Christmas, bringing the ball out of defence, playing a one-two with Shevchenko and running on to drive a low shot into the bottom corner.

Three-two to them.

Double Grrrrr.

We are not out of it though. Not by a long chalk. Ashley Young drifts a free kick right into the heart of the box and Martin Laursen of all people is there to drive it past Cech on the volley.

Glorious!

Three-three. What a game! What an afternoon. We're not done yet.

Carvalho inexplicably decides to use both feet to tackle Agbonlahor, giving Phil Dowd the perfect excuse to get his red card out again and level up the numbers.

It's now a ding-dong battle as both teams go in search of the win and it looks like Chelsea have sealed it when Ballack caps a wonderful display by netting an awesome free-kick with just minutes remaining.

Four-three to them.

HUMBUG!!!

Gabby Agbonlahor's last gasp header is cleared off the line by Ashley Cole. The whole pub shouts “HANDBALL” in unison. We might be in Birmingham but we're making so much noise Phil Dowd might just have heard us in London. He gives the penalty.

Gareth Barry duly nets from the sport and the game, a truly remarkable rollercoaster of a game finishes 4-4.

Absolutely wonderful. Football as it should be played. Full of heart, passion, skill and thoroughly entertaining.

You have to really be there to appreciate it. You do.

But I'll tell you something, this was pretty bloody enjoyable viewed from a Birmingham boozer packed full of like minded Villans. It must have been pretty special for the people that were there.

Ghosts of Christmas Past: 1989 - "Fergie, Fergie On The Dole"

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 15:15:00 +0000

Dek Hogan looks back at a festive fixture that didn't give Alex Ferguson a very Merry Christmas...

It's Boxing Day 1989!

It's always a bit of a treat to be at home the day after Christmas. Home games against United are always a bit special too and in a way I'm a bit annoyed that the two things have converged. It seems to me we're sort of getting swizzed out of a special occasion playing a fixture that guarantees a bumper crowd on a date that guarantees a bumper crowd.

Pre-match pints are in order and I take some stick for having had turkey sandwiches for breakfast. There's A LOT of turkey left.

Word begins to filter through the pub that it's starting to look a bit busy outside the Holte End so we neck our pints and head for the ground. The Hillsborough disaster back in April had caused tighter ground regulations to come in, resulting in -amongst other things - a reduced capacity in the Holte End. Get there too late and you might not get in!

The queues for either side of the Holte are snaking down both Trinity Road and Witton Lane as we arrive and some of the chaps glumly join the back of the queue. Those of us with season tickets desperately attempt not to look too smug as we march past the growing throng and head for the dedicated, queueless season ticket turnstiles.

We're in! Some of the lads aren't so lucky.

Eventually word goes round that a) kick off is being delayed due to the crowds outside and b) not everyone is going to get in. The papers will later report that hundreds are turned away. It's difficult to argue that more could have been let in as we realise that the crowd is so densely packed that we can only manage to climb about two thirds of the way in our quest to get to the back. It also occurs to us that if the lads outside do manage to get in, they'll never find us.

Having managed to find a good vantage position, it would be a brave man that would risk losing it by going in search of a pie. Those turkey sandwiches I had for breakfast don't seem so silly now. It also soon becomes apparent that it would also take a brave man to lose his spot by going to the Gents, judging by the streams of steaming fluid that are starting to flow down the terrace.

I make a mental note to stay upright should we manage to score. This is not a day to fall over.

Gareth Williams' debut match

United have been struggling of late and their prospects are not improved by the fact that Captain Marvel Bryan Robson is unable to play. His replacement is one Clayton Blackmore and Clayton is not going to have a good afternoon. Taking his bow for us is 22 year old debutant Gareth Williams and Clayton is managing to make him look like a very promising player.

It's probably fair to say that nothing Clayton does would have even managed to excite a young David Beckham...

The key feature of a goalless first half is a truly wonderful display from huge Danish defender Kent Nielsen who keeps an increasingly frustrated Mark Hughes in his pocket throughout, to the absolute glee of a taunting Holte End. It's fair to say we have little love for Hughes and watching him completely shackled by Kent is truly the highlight of Christmas.

Kent Nielsen - Superb

Hughes strike partner is one Brian McClair who was on Villa's books as a youth player but vanished amidst talk of home sickness. He doesn't seem too happy to be back this time either, giving God an easy afternoon as the Villa faithful taunt Fergie with the sounds of “Thank you very much for Paul McGrath”.

It's probably not lost on the dour Scots manager that the man running the Villa midfield, one David Platt, is a United reject too.

Honours may be even at half time but there's no question that we've been the better side and sure enough in the second half, the goals start to flow.

On 56 minutes, Sid Cowans puts in a free kick. Derek Mountfield and Paul McGrath both help the ball on and United's Jim Leighton can only parry Platty's powerful shot. A grateful Ian Olney makes no mistake and buries it!

The Holte goes mad! And surges. Inevitably a few poor souls find themselves tumbling into the river of piss as a human tsunami unfurls. The canny trick when helping them up is to make sure that you aren't the one pressed up against their urine soaked coats as they regain their feet and the crowd's density returns.

Now Platt really starts to dazzle as Tony Daley comes to life.

Daley leaves Mike Phelan trailing in his wake and slots through to Platt who is right in front of goal. Platt ghosts past Viv Anderson and Gary Pallister, rounds the keeper and deftly slots home. More unconfined joy in the Holte and this time less people topple into the piss river.

United reject David Platt scores Villa's second

The Holte End is now joyously singing “Fergie, Fergie on the dole”. Even people that aren't joining in with the regular songs jump on the bandwagon on that one.

Happy Christmas!!!!

Fan favourite Kevin Gage nets Villa's third as Ince winces

Tony Daley is now having a wonderful time and scampers again down the right, cuts inside for Platt who lays it off for the advancing full back Kevin Gage whose low drive evades Leighton for 3-0 Villa. We're having a disco in the Holte by now.

We Win!!

The crowd will be confirmed as 41,247 which seems a bit low given that people have been turned away and it's been jam packed where we are. Sceptics mutter something about “cash turnstiles” and “liberties with the VAT” but they've probably been watching too much Minder. Who cares? Three points and we are being talked about as genuine title contenders.

It certainly doesn't get much better than this.

Back to the pub then. There's certainly no rush to get home.

It's turkey and chips for tea.

Competition: League Division One
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 41,247

Referee: David Elleray

Aston Villa : Nigel Spink, Kevin Gage, Derek Mountfield, Kent Nielsen, Paul McGrath, David Platt, Gordon Cowans, Gareth Williams, Ian Olney, Ian Ormondroyd, Tony Daley

Manchester United: Jim Leighton, Viv Anderson, Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce, Lee A Martin, Clayton Blackmore, Lee Sharpe, Paul Ince, Mike Phelan, Brian McClair, Mark Hughes

New Year's Day 1985: Villa 3 WBA 1

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 16:05:00 +0000

Dek Hogan recounts a particularly hard fought local derby...

It's January 1^st 1985.

I'm sitting on quite possibly the ricketiest Number 11 bus I've ever been on and the driver seems to be contriving to hit every pothole. Every vibration is pounding through my fragile bonce as the words of my dad resonate in my head. “Self inflicted wounds, no sympathy”.

Despite the pounding in my head, I decide that music must be a better option and I turn on my Sanyo personal stereo. I have to turn the volume up high to drown out the noisiness of the diesel engine, the drone of the chattering passengers and the general creakiness of the bus.

“All is quiet on New Year's Day”, wails Bono through the fluorescent orange sponge of my headphones. Quiet? You are having a laugh Bono!

It has taken me far longer than it usually would on a match day to peel myself off my mattress. I clearly overdid the whiskey chasers the night before but the consequence of my later than usual arrival is that I can't get to my usual Holte End spot, near the back of the right side, because it's rammed. The official attendance for this game will be recorded as 31,710 but it certainly feels like there's more than that because my second, third and fourth choices of terrace position seem fairly inaccessible too.

In the end, for the first and - it will turn out – only time, I elect to watch the game from underneath the scoreboard. It ordinarily has always seemed like a pretty dull part of the Holte from which to watch the game, but not today. There are two factors which mean that the atmosphere is good wherever you stand.

Firstly, it's a holiday game, so as well as the hard core that turn up every game, we've got the old school Villa fans who supported Villa man and boy but now only come down twice a year on New Years and Boxing Day but have some great tales to tell from days of yore. Then there's the kiddies that will be the Villa support of the future, brought down by their dads as a Christmas treat and for some of them, it's that very special first game.

Many of them have milk crates to stand on so that they can get some sort of view. If this practice seems a trifle unsafe if you are reading this in the health and safety obsessed 21st century, well it was a bit but not as much as you'd think. We didn't need loads of rules in those days, we looked after each other.

We are making so much noise as kick off approaches that it's impossible to make out the team news on the tannoy and it's not until the players emerge that we can work out who is playing where. There is some consternation around me that Colin Gibson has been selected in midfield ahead of |Gordon Cowans, with some people calling Graham Turner an idiot, but not everyone agrees with the dissenters and I'm one of them.

As it turns out Gibbo will have a decent game.

Things don't start too well though. This particular Albion side has a reputation of being physical and they certainly aren't going to hold back in the rumbustious atmosphere of a local derby. Villa players react in kind and after just thirteen minutes Albion get what was probably an inevitable penalty. Carl Valentine attempts to ghost past Tony Dorigo and the Australian lad's response is robust. Neil Midgley bravely points to the spot to ire of an increasingly lively Holte End and Derek Statham puts the Baggies one up from the spot.

Going a goal down only fuels the Holte into more relentless singing and unbridled rage.

The pace of the game never seems to slow, but the rhythm is constantly disjointed as tackles best described as full-blooded fly in all over the park. For the cultured football purist viewing the game from 2013, it probably sounds horrendous but for a partisan crowd desperate for bragging rights over the opposition it's absolutely bloody great stuff.

It soon becomes clear that Albion are making challenges with such reckless abandon that they are putting themselves in as much danger as they are our lads. Eventually, on the half hour, this catches them out. A wild tackle by Ally Robertson on Paul Rideout sees the Albion centre-half come off the worse. The resulting free kick sees Colin Gibson latch on to Rideout's flick on and score effortlessly past Tony Godden.

Robertson gamely tries to limp on but doesn't emerge for the second half. With only one sub allowed and the game showing no signs of calming down, this is a big plus for us.

With the Baggies forced to rearrange, Villa look more and more the better side with Steve McMahon dominating the midfield, so it's no massive surprise to see his lob setting Paul Birch free to score Villa's second.

Paul Rideout puts the game beyond doubt with an assured finish but even though there will be no more goals, the incident that has everyone talking about is yet to occur.

Allan Evans and aggressive West Brom striker David Cross go up for a header. From my position under the Holte End scoreboard, I clearly see Cross elbow Evans in the face. It looks completely deliberate and very nasty. The reaction of the other Villa players to the incident makes it clear to me that I'm not mistaken. It is fair to say that not everyone around me spots it, but they take little convincing of what has happened when it becomes clear that Villa's captain is out cold.

It doesn't take much to turn the atmosphere at an eighties soccer match and this incident turns the vibe particularly ugly.

There are 38 fouls in the game, 23 of them perpetrated by Albion players.

Villa boss Graham Turner states “You expect local derbies to be a bit physical.” after the game. David Cross and his elbow ensure that attempting to catch the bus home after the match will turn out to be “a bit physical” too.

The game has certainly got the adrenalin flowing, which seems to have cured the New Year hangover.

Just need to find a way through the Witton Lane riot now to get to the bus stop.

"Let's hope it's a quiet one": Derby 3 Aston Villa 4

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 14:44:00 +0000

Dek Hogan recalls an eventful cup tie at the Baseball Ground, viewed from the wrong end...

Wednesday 5^th February 1992 and Villa are in the middle of a goal drought, only having managed one goal since January 1^st, that goal coming in an FA Cup 3^rd Round Third Round Replay at White Hart lane. As a consequence, we have a mouthwatering fourth round clash with Derby County at the crumbling but hugely atmospheric Baseball Ground.

Despite our lack of firepower, it's an unmissable match. Sadly, tickets for the away end are at an absolute premium and despite being a season ticket holder with plenty of away games to my credit, I don't manage to get one. This isn't a massive surprise, since the away scheme of the day consists of the ticket office rubber stamping a yellow away attendance card with a rubber date stamp with a small Villa badge on it. Since the date stamps have been duplicated within days of the start of the scheme, it's not working out brilliantly in terms of fairness. There's people in the Aston Social openly offering to stamp your card.

However, three of us still travel to Derby, ticketless, because one of the lads knows “a friend of Andy Gray” and apparently they will leave us tickets at the players entrance in Derby. Andy is Big Ron's trusty assistant. It seems a tad unlikely, but Derby isn't exactly a massive jaunt so we take the risk and are soon to be found waiting outside the ground in the hope of tickets.

And waiting.

It soon becomes apparent that no such tickets are going to materialise. By now, even though we are outside and at the opposite end to the away section, the cacophony being created in the claret and blue contingent is almost deafening. One thing not being able to go, but ten times worse when you can actually hear the fantastic atmosphere but can't join in.

Dejected, we somehow get into conversation with a couple of Derby County stewards outside the ground, recounting our tale of woe, but in doing so, rather exaggerating our Villa credentials in a desperate bid to gain sympathy. Somehow, they get the impression that we are stewards back at Villa Park and we do nothing to correct this misapprehension, even hinting that if the game were to go a replay, we might be able to get them into Villa Park.

Suddenly, we are being escorted into the ground. We've blagged our way in! (Imagine trying to pull a stunt like that now). There's no way our new found Derby friends can get us into the away end, so we find ourselves behind the back row of the lower tier behind the opposite goal, and we hear ourselves promising faithfully that no matter how exciting the game gets, we won't give away our Villa fan status to the hordes of Derby fans ahead of us.

No sheep impressions tonight then, but little do we know just how difficult that promise will prove to keep, as one of the most incident filled cup-ties ever is about to unfurl in front of us. I actually say "Let's hope it's a quiet one" on the way in.

Fat chance.

The game gets underway, the Villa faithful are in full voice and while we can't join in, it is with some pride that we witness just how loud the boys (and girls) sound from the other end.

Just five minutes in and we go a goal down. Les Sealey manages to make a total hash of a Ted McMinn cross and Phil Gee – only playing because Marco Gabbadini is ineligible – gratefully scores the tap-in.

This is where blending in with the Derby fans becomes difficult. I knew stifling joy at a Villa goal would be a challenge but I hadn't even considered what my reaction should be for a Derby goal. I can't celebrate it. I'm on the verge of breaking into some low key polite applause when I become aware that one of my mates has started berating poor Les Sealey for the error. Our cover isn't totally blown but the people in close proximity soon suss who we are.

Before the Derby fans can decide whether to hang us or not, Villa equalise.

There's a frenzied goalmouth scramble which ends with England hero Peter Shilton on his knees and helpless as Dwight Yorke eventually fires home. The Villa end goes apeshit. In the home stand, I murmur a muted “yes” but I'm screaming and dancing on the inside. This muffled response appears to earn a grudging respect from the Derby fans that have discovered our true identity. It looks like we might actually get away with being in here.

Some good natured banter breaks out - though one or two of them look us up and down as though we'd molested their sisters - and it soon becomes clear that as long as we don't make too much of a fuss, we should be safe for the rest of the game.

The equaliser sparks Villa into life and soon we take the lead, a corner from Froggy gets Shilton into all sorts of trouble and he's virtually sitting down as Yorke's cheeky lob finds its way into the back of the net.

The impressive Garry Parker then makes a run from the halfway line, leaving Derby players flailing in his wake and drives the ball spectacularly past Peter Shilton from twenty yards and we are 3-1 up. It's really hard to attempt to blend into the shadows in a stand full of miserable looking Derby County fans when you've got a Cheshire Cat grin on your face.

Ho-hum.

Derby soon get back into it though, McMinn bamboozling Paul McGrath and putting in an inch perfect cross for Phil Gee to place an unchallenged header into the back of the net. Now it is the Derby end's turn to celebrate and fire a few well-worded barbs in our direction as we do our best to look inconspicuous.

We manage to get our fourth before half-time, a nailed on penalty. To his credit, Peter Shilton manages to save Dwight's spot kick but can do nothing to stop the Villa man slotting home the rebound.

4-2 up at half time and looking good. Goal drought? What goal drought?

The second half is never going to be quite as exciting as the first. Peter Shilton manages to save another Yorke penalty and Paul Williams prevents us from breathing easily by putting Derby back into it on the hour, but to be honest, I'm not sure the ticker can take much more excitement. Martin Carruthers even gets a much anticipated first team run-out. We have high hopes for him.

The final whistle goes, we escape the ground in one piece and an away tie at Swindon Town awaits. To avoid having to spend another tense cup-tie sweating in the wrong end, we will end up queuing overnight at Villa Park to secure our tickets for that game.

I always enjoyed the atmosphere of the Baseball Ground and have many happy memories, though I will admit that I've also enjoyed trips to Pride Park, just not quite as much. New grounds are just so sterile and while we can now watch games cosseted by the gurus of health and safety, I'm so glad I'm old enough to have experienced the buzz of the old school.

You just don't get that electricity any more.

Score: Derby County 3 Aston Villa 4
Competition: FA Cup 4th round
Attendance 22,452

Derby County: Peter Shilton, Mike Forsyth, Simon Coleman, Paul D Williams, Andy Comyn, Jason Kavanagh, Geraint Williams, Martyn Chalk, Ian Ormondroyd, Phil Gee, Ted McMinn

Aston Villa: Les Sealey, Dariusz Kubicki, Shaun Teale, Paul McGrath, Bryan Small, Kevin Richardson, Steve Froggatt, Garry Parker, Dwight Yorke, Tony Daley, Cyrille Regis

1962: Dougan double ends 24 years of hurt

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Oct 2013 11:47:00 +0000

It's 20th August 1962 and a Monday night.

Tensions are running high in the divided city of Berlin, Princess Margaret is on the verge of giving birth for the second time and nearly fifty-six thousand people have forgone the delights of watching Bonanza on ATV to head for Villa Park.

Just two days before Villa have started the season in good form with a 3-1 victory over West Ham at Villa Park. With another home game it's a chance to get the season off to a belting start. There's a snag though, we are playing Spurs.

Spurs have just been installed as favourites by the bookies for both the League and the FA Cup, the nucleus of Bill Nicholson's double winning side is there and Spurs never lose to Villa. You have to go back to 1938 to find Villa's last success against the Lilywhites. It's an embarrassment but a record that Joe Mercer's men are keen to put to bed.

In the twenty five post war clashes, we've managed just six draws and since our last win, television has taken off, we've defeated Hitler, had a new Queen and the movies have gone into colour. 1938 seems a lifetime ago.

Mercer's Minors fly out of the traps and batter Spurs for the first twenty minutes. Nicholson's men maybe taken aback with the furiosity with which Villa go about their work but they have the no-nonsense Dave Mackay and the solid Maurice Norman at the back and if we can manage to get past them we face the wall that is Bill Brown in goal.

For all our youthful energy and endeavour we can't find a way through.

Suddenly our failure to capitalise costs us. Jimmy Greaves has been subdued by his standards but suddenly finds himself with an opportunity, Nigel Sims saves but manages to spill the ball into the path of Terry Medwin. The winger accepts the gift with glee and puts Spurs one ahead.

As the game continues it's the Villa defence that looks more secure, manacling Spurs creativity while the Londoners' own back line seems to be having more and more difficulty dealing with the robust nature of wave upon wave of Villa attacks.

Then two minutes that turned the score line on its head.

Firstly, Harry Burrows puts a cross into the box with such force that the up until now seemingly unbeatable Bill Brown can only parry. Derek Dougan manages to leave Maurice Norman standing in the race for the ball and his header snakes in the back of the net.

With Spurs still scratching their heads as to what's just happened, Villa strike again in what will be the move of the match. Jimmy MacEwan goes on a powerful run through the middle, picks out Harry Burrows on the right wing. The speed of the move has left the Spurs defence struggling to get back as Burrows centres for Dougan who unleashes what can only be described as an unstoppable shot.

They call Dougan “Cheyenne” due to his cowboy walk. He's certainly proving to be a sharp-shooter tonight.

Spurs seem deflated after and never really manage to get back into the game. Villa's years of hurt are over. They've beaten Spurs.

Villa's cracking start to the season will continue with an away win at Manchester City the following Saturday but our lording it over Spurs lasts just nine days. In the return game at the White Hart Lane, despite goals from Dougan and Alan Deakin, a brace from Jimmy Greaves helps his team to a 4-2 victory.

At least the Spurs hoodoo has been broken though. Little do we know it'll be over three years before we manage to beat them again.

Aston Villa 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Competition: League Division One
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 55,630

Villa: Nigel Sims, Gordon Lee, Charlie Aitken, John Sleeuwenhoek, Vic Crowe, Alan Deakin, Harry Burrows, Bobby Thomson, Jimmy MacEwan, Derek Dougan, Alan Baker

Spurs: Bill Brown, Peter Baker, Ron Henry, Maurice Norman, Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, Bobby Smith, Cliff Jones, Terry Medwin, John White, Jimmy Greaves

1995: Bozzie takes out Klinsmann

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Oct 2013 12:53:00 +0000

It's the 25th January 1995. It's also very wintry.

Almost too wintry for my Australian relatives. Quite why Australians choose to come to Arctic Birmingham in the middle of their summer is a puzzler. It turns out that the teenage lad is a decent soccer player and is over here for trials with a few clubs. Sadly, his asthma – only mild and not much of an encumbrance in his native Oz – is flaring up quite badly in the much more polluted and dirty English air. His dreams look like being scuppered.

However they are keen to take in a top flight match while they are here and apparently it's my duty to take them. The midweek match against Spurs suits their timetable so I organise them tickets. It's all season tickets around my seat in the Holte End so I sort them seats in the Witton Lane. This is probably a good idea as I'm unlikely to be on my best “relatives visiting” behaviour while in the emotional throes of a Villa match. I also take the canny step of ensuring that the Aussies are doing the driving.

It's not been that long since Brian Little has taken over the helm at Villa Park and Gerry Francis hasn't had his feet under the table at The Lane for that long either. Gerry's only defeat in the job so far has come against the Villa in a 4-3 thriller, made all the more remarkable by the fact that Villa were between managers at the time.

Personally, I'm still miffed at Big Ron's sacking but Deadly Doug has been canny in getting Villa folk hero Little in to replace him, so I suppose I'm placated. Little's appointment has not been without controversy though it's only been a couple of months since we were welcomed by the regulars of Filbert Street with a mixture of fists and CS gas, pretty much as a consequence of Our Brian's defection from the Foxes.

We arrive at the Aston Social for pre-match drinks and my Aussie uncle makes the novice error of parking at the back of the car park. This will add a good half hour to the journey home, but hey sitting in a freezing cold car listening to the football phone in on the radio is all part of the English match experience.

The Aussies are somewhat taken aback by the Aston Social-on-a-matchday experience, likening it to the Cantina scene in Star Wars. I'm mildly insulted. With a forty thousand crowd expected, the place is packed to the rafters and it takes about three pints before they relax and feel a bit more at home. Then it's time to walk to the ground and they wrap themselves up like Nanook of the North. To be fair to them, it is a bit on the nippy side. They decline the offer of a dirty burger from "Sam and Ella's", which is hardly getting into the spirit of things.

We ponder whether Super Tommy Johnson has been availing himself of the street food on offer outside as he promptly throws up just prior to kick off.

The match gets underway and to be honest it's not a classic, hardly the advert for Premiership football that you want when you've brought along visitors from a foreign land.

All the action considered newsworthy happens within a few first half minutes:

Spurs have the clearest early chance. Barmby's short pass leaves Klinsmann with a clear run on Bozzie but the German uncharacteristically hesitates with his shot and the Australian keeper's legs come to Villa's rescue.

Steve Staunton is revelling in the midfield role handed to him by Little and it is his sweet left footed pass that puts Dean Saunders through, Saunders cuts inside, runs across an oddly tentative Austin, and powers his shot diagonally across the despairing Ian Walker. Saunders is in a rich vein of form, this is his fourth goal in six games.

Villa fans are still celebrating the goal when the match's key talking point occurs

Jurgen Klinsmann, chasing a long ball from Popescu, is clattered outside the penalty area by Bosnich. Properly clattered. It really does look horrendous and now the German is lying motionless on the turf. Jurgen is well known for making the most of situations where he may or not have been fouled, but this is usually accompanied by bouts of histrionics. He's still not moving.

Mark Bosnich surveys his handiwork

As Bosnich would explain “It was unfortunate and a pure accident”

"I was going to head the ball until Paul McGrath got in the way. Otherwise it would have been mine.

"I'm very sorry. and I told Jurgen so when I saw him at half time.”

It looks hideous at the time and concerns for the striker's welfare aren't eased as he has to be stretchered off and will take no further part in the game. We later learn, from the people with transistor radios, that he is suffering from a swollen nose, leading to a string of unsympathetic remarks about how big his hooter was in the first place.

Remarkably, and much to the chagrin of both Gerry Francis and the travelling Spurs contingent, Bozzie doesn't even get booked. He's booed throughout the rest of the match.

In the German's absence, Spurs push the lively Nick Barmby forward and they have a real go at us but it's our Ian Taylor who goes closest to troubling the scoresheet, heading just wide as Holte Enders begin trailing down for a half time pint.

It's a bit to and fro in the second half but we probably deserve our victory on the balance of play.

Paul McGrath forces Ian Walker into a spectacular save at one end while Popescu heads point blank straight at Bosnich at the other.

Somewhat ironically, Bozzie is booked for time wasting towards the end, and it's fairly obvious from the Spurs fans reaction that are in no mood to forgive.

A one-nil Villa victory then but all the talk is of the Bosnich/Klinsmann incident.

We meet back up with Aussies who ask if the atmosphere is always that acrimonious. It would be ungracious of me to point out to them that it was, in fact, an Australian that caused all the bother.

I point it out anyway.

Aston Villa 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0
Goal: Dean Saunders 18 mins
Referee: Robbie Hart
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 40,017

Aston Villa: Bosnich; Barrett, McGrath, Ehiogu, Teale, Yorke (Charles, 89min), Taylor, Townsend, Staunton, Saunders, Johnson (Houghton,78).

Tottenham Hotspur: Walker; Austin, Calderwood, Mabbutt, Edinburgh, Popescu, Barmby, Campbell, Anderton, Klinsmann (Caskey, 26), Sheringham.

Postscript:
We fully expect the media to crucify Bozzie for the challenge on Klinsmann but something remarkable is happening at Selhurst Park which take the media spotlight off our keeper.

Eric Cantona, reacting to taunts from a pillock in the crowd, has launched himself two-footed at the miscreant and all hell has broken loose. The unpredictable Frenchman will fill the front and as well as the back pages, which will spare the young Australian for the full glare of the venomous press.

Gerry Francis is no mood to let the matter drop and bleeds all over the papers for the next few days.

The incident will, however, come back to haunt Bosnich in October 1996 in a match at White Hart Lane. The keeper reacts to Spurs chants of “Klinsmann, Klinsmann” with what he will claim is a Basil Fawlty homage, but what sadly looks far more like a Nazi Salute.

White Hart Lane is not the place to be doing that...

FA Charity Shield 1981: Aston Villa 2 Spurs 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 14:00:00 +0000

It's the summer of 1981.

My beloved Aston Villa are League Champions. It's wonderful, fantastic!

But...

Being a dour Brummie, I can, of course, find a downside. Everyone says winning the league is more important and more of an achievement than winning the FA Cup, but with the cup you get the day out at Wembley and the moment of exhilaration when the winning goal goes in and when the captain holds the cup aloft.

It would have been fantastic if we'd won the League in our last home game versus Middlesbrough, but sadly it wasn't to be. For a while, the rumour had gone around the ground that we actually had clinched it that day, a rumour which even reached as far as Jimmy Rimmer but soon, word got out that we hadn't, leading to a terrible feeling of anti-climax, so when we were eventually crowned Champions, it was on the back of an away defeat at Highbury.

The Victoria Square civic reception is a great occasion and no mistake but my boyhood dreams are of lifting a cup aloft at Wembley, not on the Council House steps.

What I'm forgetting about of course is the FA Charity Shield.

I'll be honest, it's not really an event that I've paid much attention to in the past. The only one I can actually remember with anything approaching clarity is the clash between Leeds and Liverpool which saw Billy Bremner and Kevin Keegan sent off and walking shirtless and snarling towards the Tunnel End.

It's a trip to Wembley though, a chance for all Villa fans to celebrate on mass from the terraces, and a chance to best the cocky Londoners, Chas 'n Dave 'n all.

Gotta be done.

We decide to go with the official Aston Travellers Club and we're by no means the only ones. The scale of the operation becomes clear as we descend on the Aston Villa Sports and Leisure Centre/Serpentine Car Park which has disappeared under a sea of charabancs. We eventually find ours, coach number 22, towards the Asda. My dad is way back on coach fifty something and I ponder whether coaches with that high a number will even make it out of the car park by kick off time, let alone London.

The journey down the M1 is fairly uneventful, though the road is a sea of claret and blue with scarves seemingly flailing from every other car window. No on-board toilet facilities to speak off so the coach convoy pulls into Toddington services and judging by the length of the queue, it must be the entire convoy. As one wag puts it “Two million on the dole and they all wanna go for a piss at the same time”.

Eventually the convoy snakes its way through the North London Saturday traffic and our coach parks almost in the shadow of the Twin Towers. It becomes clear that with the vast volume of traffic parking up behind us, there will be no tearing hurry to get back on board the coach post match. We'll be going nowhere fast.

As we sit on the steep stairway leading to our allotted turnstiles waiting for them to open (to ensure getting a prime spot on terraces), a group of around a hundred Spurs fans decide to mount an assault on our position. I can only think they are expecting the Villa contingent to run away, but the opposite happens and their faces turn as white as their shirts as hordes of angry Brummies hurtle towards them. They run away at an even faster pace than they had been charging forward and the angry Villa mob erupts into expletive filled song

Soon the gates are open and we position ourselves with the best view we can find. Wembley isn't an ideal place to watch football though. We're at the tunnel end, in the upper section section of terrace and even the goal at our end seems to be an entire football pitch away, thanks to the dog track and provision for Speedway (for which they dig up the wings of the pitch, wrecking it). It's not really about the view here though, it's about the atmosphere. I don't of course know at this stage that this will be my last ever time on Wembley terraces, but I'm savouring every moment anyway.

Tickets are divided between an upper and lower enclosure and it soon becomes clear that quite a lot of the lower people would much rather be with us in upper and the precious process of dragging people up by their arms gets into full swing.

As the players emerge from the tunnel, it's clear there's no Gary Shaw, which is disappointing, though Spurs are missing Garth Crooks with cartilage issues which sort of evens things up. The Crooks-Archibald partnership had rivalled that of Withe-Shaw in effectiveness so it's sad that neither is on display.

Despite Spurs goal scoring prowess and flair filled midfield, they hadn't challenged us for the title due to shakiness at the back and have signed up Liverpool's Ray Clemence to attempt to rectify the situation.

We kick off then and Ozzie “Tottingham” Ardiles and Glenn Hoddle are showing no signs of pre-season rust. We are certainly on the back foot as Tony Galvin and Ricky Villa provide outlets for Ardiles and Hoddle's industry, while Steve Archibald looks dangerous, put through twice by delightful (unless you're a Villa fan) Hoddle flicks.

Villa's answer to Ozzie's artistry is to flatten him with increasing regularity. No one is getting involved in the physicality of the game more than Peter Withe, seemingly at war with Roberts and Miller. A particularly graphic clash between him and Chris Hughton leads to both men going into referee A.W. Grey's book and this seems to calm things down slightly.

David Geddis is doing well in Shaw's absence, denied once by a characteristic charge to the edge of the area by Ray Clemence and then again thwarted, this time by the offside flag after putting a deft pass from Dennis Mortimer into the back of the net. Villa are getting closer though and by the time the Spurs keeper saves an Allan Evans shot from a Kenny Swain free kick, it's clear the

shot-stopper isn't getting the sort of protection he was afforded in his Anfield days.

On the half-hour, joy for Villa but complete embarrassment for keeper Ray. He comes out to claim a Tony Morley cross but the ball goes through his gloves like they are coated with Country Life. The ball lands at Peter Withe's feet and is dispatched into the roof of the net. One nil Villa.

The goal spurs Tottenham on and they regain their Mojo of the earlier exchanges. As half time approaches, neat work between Archibald and Ardiles ends with the ball at Mark Falco's feet, twenty yards out. He tries his luck and despite an athletic dive from Rimmer and it's in. One-one.

Falco, only playing as understudy to the stricken Crooks, is now brimming with confidence and keen to show he can do with his left foot what he can do with his right, he runs on the pass from Tony Galvin and shoots so powerfully that even though Rimmer gets a hand on it, it still goes in. Two-one Spurs.

Mark Falco and David Geddis

With Villa still reeling Falco has another rocket of an effort, rapidly becoming the player of the day, but this time he can't beat our Jimmy.

Things start to look grim for us as captain Dennis Mortimer is forced to limp off and it's down to our sole summer signing, Andy Blair, to fill the breech. Blair's hardly got his second wind when we are back on terms and again Ray Clemence is at the centre of things. Both David Geddis and Peter with have their eyes firmly fixed on a Tony Morley cross, David Geddis takes out Clemence with all the grace of Giant Haystacks and Peter Withe puts the ball into the back of net while the England keeper is still seeing stars and tweeting birds.

From that point, Villa look the team most likely to win, Clemence recovering enough to make saves from Cowans and Des Bremner and we go closest when he can only tip a Bremner drive onto the cross bar.

Gleen Hoddle eventually wakes from his second half slumber late on to set Archibald free but Rimmer is more than capable of dealing with his shot.

Suddenly, it's all over. Honours even. No penalty shoot-outs. The Shield will be shared, which is very nice and all that but not quite the victorious, glory filled end I'd been hoping for.

Still the European adventure is about to start, but before we get to that, there's that long coach journey home. Where are those sarnies me Mom made me?

1966 and all that...Spurs 5 Aston Villa 5

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 12:19:00 +0000

Dek Hogan looks back at a match where despite ten goals being scored, it's a Villa miss that makes the headlines...

England. March 1966. World Cup Willie is everywhere.

No, it's not some sort of hideous STD you pick up from sleeping with footballers, we've not got as far as the Summer of Love yet. Willie is official mascot of the World Cup. The cup in question, the Jules Rimet Trophy, is being used to promote a exhibition for stamp collectors – people have simpler tastes here in 1966 – although just a few short hours after Villa have visited Spurs in a League Division One match, the World will be stunned when the cup is stolen.

If this is the Swinging Sixties, you'd never guess it from the night's television. The highlight of the BBC schedule is The Black and White Minstrel Show while Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson are the star guests on ATV's Morecambe and Wise Show.

Sadly, the goal feast that is about to occur won't be captured for television or posterity. The Match of the Day cameras are at Old Trafford, while ATV London has decided to show Rugby Union instead of Star Soccer. ABC Television, the ITV company providing weekend telly to the Midlands and the North has plumped for Sheffield Wednesday versus Northampton.

For Villa, the trip to London is an opportunity to complete a rare double over Spurs, having won 3-2 at Villa Park back in September. To achieve this, they have to find a way past shovel handed Northern Irish goalkeeper Pat Jennings, while attempting to keep one Jimmy Greaves quiet at the other end. Jimmy is virtually a fixture in Sir Alf's England team and hopes are high that his goals can win the biggest prize of all.

Jimmy has also formed a deadly partnership with Scotland's Alan Gilzean. Villa's star striker is Tony Hateley, but despite a very impressive goals to games ratio, a section of the Villa crowd have taken against him (the boo-boys prove to be a contributory factor in Hateley leaving Villa for Chelsea in October 1966 and without his goals, Villa will be relegated).

Four goals for Tony Hateley

Any hope of keeping Jimmy quiet disappears from the off. He is in imperious form and Villa players are left trailing in his wake. Almost immediately, he creates Spurs first goal, a short corner to Dave Mackay whose less than convincing shot manges to deflect in off Alan Gilzean. Soon Greaves is on the scoresheet in his own right, a neat one-two with Eddie Clayton and he's away to beat Colin Withers in the Villa goal. Colin will have a very busy afternoon.

Greaves's dummy than sets Jimmy Robertson free of the Villa defence, his cross is nodded down by Gilzean and a grateful Frank Saul steers the ball past the stranded Withers. Fifteen minutes on the clock, three nil Spurs. Oh dear!

Villa are still fighting though and Spurs are helping with some Keystone Cops defending. Pat Jennings makes a terrible error, throwing a ball straight to Alan Deakin, who sadly fails to capitalise; Alan Mullery's lack of control allows Villa's Alan Baker to fire in a low centre which conveniently finds Tony Hateley's knee and Villa have their first goal of the afternoon.

Spurs soon reassert their authority, a string of unchallenged passes leaving Spurs fans wondering if anyone actually fancies having an actual shot. Eventually, centre half Laurie Brown tries his luck and its 4-1 Spurs.

Early in the second half Robertson puts in what looks to be final nail in the Villa's coffin, getting on the end of centre-come-shot from the brilliant Greaves.

We're not dead yet.

Will Hamilton has been working tirelessly all game and starts to see the rewards. As the Spurs defence tire, he's able to create space for Deakin and Hateley to torture the fragile Spurs back line. Deakin soon takes advantage to get Villa's second, while Hateley is grateful for Spurs defensive lethargy as his nets Villa third.

Suddenly Spurs are leaking like a colander at the back and Hateley is dominating the aerial play. With the Londoners on the back foot, Charlie Aitken is free to forage and twice his crosses find the head of Hateley and end up in the back of net.

5-5 then, but can anyone grab a winner? We really, really should do...

Best to let Alan Deakin describe what happens, “I took this pass from Willie Hamilton and took off for goal.

“I went around the goalkeeper and thought-' I've done the hard bit, now I've got the winner' I took the ball a bit too far on, but still thought I must score.

“I sidefooted the ball all right, but it started to bobble on its way in. Next thing, there was Mullery racing across to clear. I couldn't believe it—it was terrible. . . .”

Despite the ten goal thriller, many of the headlines are focused on Deakin's miss. It's a game Villa could and some would say should have won. From a claret and blue perspective, that's a fair point of few, though it's hard to say that Jimmy Greaves' magical first half display wasn't worthy of at least something.

With the World Cup weeks away, England fans will be heartened to see him in such vibrant form...

Tottenham Hotspur 5 Aston Villa 5
Competition: League Division One
Venue: White Hart Lane
Attendance : 28,371

Spurs: Pat Jennings, Cyril Knowles, Laurie Brown, Alan Mullery, Dave Mackay, Frank Saul, Alan Gilzean, Derek Possee, Jimmy Robertson, Eddie Clayton, Jimmy Greaves

Villa: Colin Withers, Mick Wright, Charlie Aitken, John Sleeuwenhoek, Mike Tindall, Alan Deakin, Dave Pountney, Jimmy MacEwan, Tony Hateley, Alan Baker, Willie Hamilton

We won't be mastered...Spurs 2 Aston Villa 5

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:02:00 +0000

It's Saturday 4th April 1992 and we're off to London on a away trip. Tottenham here we come.

We're not exactly expecting anything special. Villa are very much a team in transition under the command of Big Ron Atkinson and it's proving a difficult task.

An away win seems quite unlikely, especially as we've not even managed an away league goal since New Year's Day and though we did manage to put Spurs out of the cup in January, this is one of those away jaunts where we're determined to have a good time despite the inconvenience of having to watch the actual match.

North London pubs prove to be very welcoming, so much so that our coach driver eventually resorts to driving off without the majority of us in an attempt to prise us out of the pub. Thanks to the density of London traffic, it doesn't prove that difficult to catch up to him when we finally come out blinking into the daylight. Catching the kick-off maybe more of a challenge.

It seems we're too close to Barnet for comfort and they are at home too, the coach is soon being pelted with coins, which some of the lads gratefully pocket as they ping in through the skylight.

We finally arrive at White Hart Lane with seconds to spare, having livened up the crawl to the stadium by raucously singing local radio jingles. "Stechford Tiles" and "Regency Windows" prove to be incredibly popular. I think we're gonna make the kick-off but I've reckoned without Spurs overzealous stewarding. At the other grounds we just get frisked, this feels more like a full blown medical.

I'm not sure whether the guy searching me is looking for weapons or trying to ascertain whether I'm circumcised. This is almost certainly the wrong ground to make that comment out loud but luckily he lets me in anyway.

We emerge into the busy terrace behind the goal to discover that Spinksy has already had to make three saves. This could be a long afternoon.

Suddenly Gordon Durie hits a powerful shot which is definitely going to beat Spink. It looks as if Shaun Teale can tidy up but Gary Lineker sticks a toe on it, the jug-earred goal hanger. One-nil Spurs.

Jug-earred goal hanger

If Spurs taking the lead so early has dampened the enthusiasm of much of the Villa support, it hasn't stopped our little mob from continuing with the radio jingles from the journey in and many seem perplexed that we keep shouting about “free grout and spreader”. Some attempt to join in with the spirit of the madness, others think the best course of action is to drown it out with proper Villa songs. The point is, the away section is making a lot of noise.

“The black Andy Gray” is playing for Spurs, he was a bit a fan favourite in the Taylor era but quickly loses our sympathy when he puts a tantalising cross in the box. Our sympathies are with one Shaun Teale who somehow contrives to beat Spink and stick the ball in his own net. We're two down now, it's still really early in the first half, but we're still singing.

The team are not being overawed though and Kevin Richardson is orchestrating the midfield beautifully so it's quite fitting that he should get us back into the game. A Dwight Yorke cross leaves him with a just a tap in, and he slots home with the sort of composure tap-in expert Lineker would have been proud of.

It's clear our Kev is having one of his better days a few minutes later when his free kick finds Ian Olney and the Spurs defence unexpectedly turn into statues leaving him with a simple finish and we're level.

We're now having a proper party in the away end and even a gilt-edged chance for Lineker to put Spurs ahead can't dampen our mood. He misses it, but then it wasn't a tap-in, so no surprise there.

God is playing My Lord, Number Five

Spurs have a proper go in the second half but we are defending in numbers and defending well. Them, not so much. On the hour, their entire defence decide to surround Big Cyrille but still can't stop him passing to Dwight Yorke, whose blistering shot cannons off the post and rebounds in.

We're winning away and Dwight's beaming smile is warmer than Trinidad and Tobago.

It gets funnier. Paul McGrath, not having one of his better days,manages to haul down Paul Walsh and Gary Lineker takes the resultant penalty. He goes to Spink's right. So does Nigel.

Saved!

We're not done either. Tony Daley comes on for Matthias Breitkreutz and beats two Spurs defenders with a trademark run before slotting past Ian Walker, so we're already in dreamland by the time Big Cyrille sees off the challenge of Jason Cundy to score Villa's fifth.

It's a truly glorious afternoon. Big Ron's Villa has truly made a statement.

Let the good times roll...

If you've got a story you'd like to share, send it to editor@villamad.co.uk

Gertcha! When the Poles knocked England out the Cup...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 14:42:00 +0000

It's Wednesday October 17th 1973 and England expects. It must be serious because they've moved Coronation Street for it. The nation will have to tune in half an hour early to see how Len Fairclough is getting on in his battle with the VAT man.

Sir Alf Ramsey is facing an altogether different battle. England - World Champions just seven years ago – are facing off against Poland in a do or die encounter to see which team is going to West Germany for the 1974 World Cup Finals.

Not qualifying seems unthinkable, but the Poles have already beaten us once in the group and consequently only need a draw to go through. This is Wembley Stadium though, surely we can win. Can't we?

Len worries about his VAT

I am seven years old (though I'm rapidly approaching the ripe old age of eight) and this is my first real experience of a vital England encounter. When England won the World Cup, I was a babe in arms, literally, as my family made the journey home from a summer break in Devon and they listened to the match intently on the radio.

For the 1970 disappointment, I was just a toddler and unable to process why so many of the grown-ups were distraught at events in Mexico, especially as the more animated ones were Irish. Puzzling indeed.

Three Wise Men?

Now I'm old enough to understand, but not old enough to go. So, along with most of the nation I'll be tuned into ITV who have the game live. In 1973, this is seen as a good thing because – thanks to ITV's invention of the panel – more people watch football on ITV than the BBC when they go head to head. Those die-hards that refuse to watch ITV or cad's television as they like to call it (and such people do exist in 1973) will just have to wait for Sportsnight and the dulcet tones of Barry Davies. On ITV we get StarSoccer's very own Hugh Johns, while On the Ball's Brian Moore is chairing a panel which includes Brian Clough and Derek Doogan. The two men don't appear to get on awfully well.

First the anthems, God Save The Queen is sung loudly and with gusto. The Polish anthem is roundly booed, a sure sign than any last vestiges of gentlemanliness are being swept from the English game, at least on the terraces.

The man charged with keeping order on what is a highly emotional night is Belgian Vital Loraux and he's quickly called into action after Allan Clarke is fouled by the Polish right back. He seems far less keen to bring proceedings to a halt seconds later when Polish keeper Jan Tomaszewski injures his hand and play continues for a considerable length of time before he can receive treatment.

It is twelve minutes before Poland can manage to launch an effective counter attack but when it comes, it's cause for concern. Lato seems to be able to outpace McFarland who has to resort to using his arm to stop the pacey Pole leaving him for dead.

It's mainly England though and I'm miffed after eighteen minutes when one of my favourite England players – Mick Channon – is hacked down brutally by Bulzacki, who goes into Loraux's book. Martin Peters chips the wall with free kick and McFarland picks out the quickly recovered Channon who agonisingly hits the post.

If you ask the seven year old me why I like Mick Channon so much, I'd probably say for his windmill celebration. (Ask me forty years later and it'll be for all of the winners he's provided for me on the horses, while in eighties it was his pronunciation of “Lineker”).

If England have been dominant in the early stages, it only gets better. There's just one flaw. We can't get the goal. There's a five minute spell that's an absolute barrage; Clarke can't turn in time to get on to a cross chested down by Chivers, Tony Currie's shot is deflected over the bar by Channon's head, Martin Chivers has a shot charged down and Tomaszewski – branded a clown by mouth almighty Brian Clough - makes a cracking save from Bell.

The Polish keeper is proving to be more acrobat than clown and caps a fine first half by tipping a Mick Channon header over just on half time.

England are frustrated and just can't turn their dominance into goals. Surely a winner will come though?

Not unless we get more clinical. In the fifty-third minute Currie somehow contrives to shoot wide after being set up by Chivers and two minutes later Tomaszewski shows he first sign of weakness, only parrying a shot into the path of Channon who can only find the side-netting.

Suddenly, disaster! Norman Hunter inexplicably loses it on the halfway line and we're cut wide open. Lato is away down the left wing. draws McFarland, finds Domarski who is given enough space by Emlyn Hughes to get a shot off past the despairing Shilton. It's there or as Hugh John's depressingly points out, “One Nothing Poland!”.

I normally love Hugh's One Nothing catchphrase.

Not tonight.

Peter Shilton can't look as Allan Clarke takes a vital penalty

It's only a few minutes until we're back on terms but it feels like a lifetime. Peters dribbles into the area where he is impeded by Musial. Penalty. You can tell there's something wrong with the mentality in the England camp when you notice that several players can bring themselves to watch. Allan Clarke is the definition of icy cool though and slots home for one apiece.

It won't be enough though, Poland have two decent chances themselves to score as Sir Alf's men throw caution to the wind and England just can't find a way through as the clock ticks down. The World Cup dream is over.

There's disbelief and as England's shell shocked fans try to come to terms with the defeat, Clough is still calling the Polish keeper a clown and being berated by Moore and Doogan. Just adds to the gloom really.

It's scant consolation that Poland will go on to light up the 1974 World Cup, eventually finishing third, while West German stalwart Paul Breitner will go as far to say they are the team of the tournament, though some will claim this is his way of having a sly dig at the Dutch.

For England though, Don Revie, Ron Greenwood and years in the international footballing wilderness lie ahead.

Gertcha!

ENGLAND: Shilton (Leicester), Madeley (Leeds), Hughes (Liverpool), McFarland (Derby), Hunter (Leeds), Bell (Man. City), Currie (Sheff Utd.), Channon (Southampton). Chivers (Spurs), Clarke (Leeds), Peters (Spurs).

Pele at Villa: The night Santos came to town...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 14:38:00 +0000

The programme

February 1972.

The nation is enjoying the ambiance of candlelight more often than it would like as the miners who provide the coal that keeps the country's lights on decide not to, though the three day week is still nearly two years away.

Aston Villa are languishing in the third tier of English football. Well, I say languishing, the team is actually doing rather well and Villa's massive travelling army is providing bigger than usual attendances for Third Division teams around the nation (though the vast majority are based in the north) and having a wonderful time in the process.

The lions have awoken.

Pele is a massive name in world football, having won his third World Cup in Mexico in 1970 and everyone wants to see him in the flesh...and his Santos team are coming to Aston Villa for an “International Friendly”. The world and his wife wants to be there.

Santos will also be playing Sheffield Wednesday on their mini-tour and fear of the dreaded power outages wrecking their big night causes that game to be shunted into the daytime, and a midweek daytime match will inevitably have an impact on the gate, though as one Owls fanatic is famously reported to have to told his son, “If I find out you've been to school and NOT been to see Pele, they'll be serious trouble”.

Villa beat the power cuts with a £5000 generator

Villa's board has a different plan, and knowing that Pele's appearance will guarantee a bulging Villa Park, has invested what is a King's Ransom of £5,000 on a generator that will power, a least in part, the stadium's footlights. While five grand is a lot of money in 1972, the papers on the morning are full of Villa's £70,000 bid for First Division Liverpool's Ian Ross, so that sort of puts things into perspective. Ross will make his Aston Villa debut the following Saturday.

Rumours are also circulating that Santos have decided to up their match fee at last minute or they won't select Pele. With over fifty thousand fans descending on Aston to see the great man, this could easily cause a riot. Whether there's any truth in that story who knows, but Pele does start, so perhaps we've coughed up.

Villa's last home game has been a top of the table clash with Bournemouth and the free scoring Ted McDougall, which has seen over 48,000 packed into Villa Park. On this night they somehow find space for over 6,000 more. The attendance on the night is 54,437 with fans scaling floodlight pylons or clambering onto the ABCD scoreboards to get a decent view.

Gate receipts dwarf those of the previous season's League Cup semi against Manchester United. Meaningless friendly? No. This is a massive deal.

Pele's every touch might be being greeted with enthusiastic cheers, but hey, this is Villa Park and we're Aston Villa. We take the lead just a few minutes in, a Ray Graydon corner finding Charlie Aitken's head. Charlie flicks the ball goalwards and Pat McMahon nods the ball home. One nothing!

We're actually doing all right here. It seems that some that Santos's silky skills aren't entirely suited to the Villa Park February mud. Keeper Cejas has to make a full length save from a rasping Bruce Rioch shot while Pat McMahon has two decent chances to add his tally.

Eventually though there are signs of the Pele magic everyone has come to see, lovely touch with both feet, fantastic dribbling skills, accurate visionary passing and even a cheeky back heel at one stage. It's actually quite annoying when our players close him down because you just want to drink in his mesmerising skill.

We're in for a cracking second half then. Or are we?

Pele and Jack Taylor talk floodlights

Santos keeper Cejas is concerned that configuration of the emergency generator fuelled floodlights has changed during the interval. A pylon that was lit is now in darkness and one that was switched off is now illuminated. He's refusing to play on and his team mates are with him. As the Santos players troop off, Jack Taylor is left stroking his chin and trying to sort something out with Villa officials. The somewhat odd solution is to play the second half with even less light than the first and we get back under way.

The second half isn't that old when Santos defender Leo hacks down Bruce Rioch and Ray Graydon duly obliges from the penalty spot.

By now, a good time is being had by all and when Edu pulls one back for the visitors eighteen minutes from time – a beautiful bending free-kick earned after Pele is hacked down – his goal is met with rapturous applause.

The silky skills of the Latin-Americans have done as much to light up Villa Park as a five grand generator and yet we still run out winners.

A night to savour.

Port Vale are due to visit on the Saturday. They must be terrified.

Aston Villa 2 Santos 1
Competition: International Friendly
Date: Monday 21st February 1972
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 54,437
Referee: J.K. Taylor (Wolverhampton)

Goals: McMahon, Graydon, Edu

Aston Villa: Cumbes, Wright, Aitken, Rioch, Curtis, Turnbull, Graydon, McMahon, Lockhead, Hamilton, Martin

Santos: Cejas, Paulo, Ze Carlos, Orlando, Leo, Oberda, Monoel Maria, Nene, Edu, Pele, Ferreria

Darius Vassell: The Strømsgodset Comeback

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 17:29:00 +0000

Dek Hogan recalls how an 18 year old Darius Vassell put himself on the football map..

It's Tuesday 15th September 1998 and there's European action at Villa Park.

When the draw had thrown up a first round tie against Strømsgodset most of us had shrugged our shoulders and gone off to look it up on the map. We couldn't look it up in the internet in those days because most of us hadn't got it and we'd never even heard of “Google”.

The papers - our primary source of football information unless you count the radio and CEEFAX – inform us that our less than illustrious opponents are a bunch of part-timers from the fishing port of Drammen, and should be no match for a John Gregory led outfit that has got off to a flying start in the Premiership.

Fair play, we may have had a fairly easy start as far as the fixtures go, but after an opening nil-nil with Everton at Goodison, we've won four on the bounce, confidence is high and over twenty eight thousand people turn up expecting to see Villa demolish a side the vast majority of us have never even heard of and we are told have the worst defensive record in Norway.

This is a tournament we fancy having a proper tilt at, because you can't beat a European night at Villa Park if you pull a plum tie against European royalty. There is still frustration that we crashed out of the previous season's tournament at the quarter final stage to Atlético Madrid and even then only on the away goals nonsense. We're up for this.

Well some of us are.

John Gregory doesn't seem so keen.

Our early league success has been based on a rock solid defence with Ugo Ehigou at its heart. He's dropped. Or rested. Seems a daft decision to me. Paul Merson - a recent capture from Middlesbrough - isn't eligible yet as he wasn't signed in time.

Initally, it's fairly easy to shrug off these omissions, because we spend most of the first twenty minutes camped in their half. Even if we are firing blanks. Alan Thompson manages to pick up an early doors yellow with a “robust” challenge on Hans Erik Odegaard, so robust in fact that Odegaard has to be substituted, while Darren Byfield manages to bring a spectacular save out of Glenn Arne Hansen with his 20 yarder, but we've nothing to show for our early dominance when all of a sudden, the wheels fall off.

Basically, skipper Gareth Southgate is caught napping, makeshift striker Anders Michelsen goes past him like he isn't there and while Bozzie does well to parry his shot, the Norwegian makes no mistake with rebound.

The Norwegians going in hard on Lee Hendrie

John Gregory is still barking his annoyance at the defending of the first goal as the second one goes in. Christer George - only on the pitch as a replacement for the Thompson flattened Odegaard and completely unmarked – steers the ball wide of Bosnich after Rune Hagen has drifted past Gareth Barry and provided a delightful cut-back. Well, delightful if you're Norwegian. The Holte End is far from pleased.

The angry atmosphere is ramped up by Strømsgodset's vigorous efforts to thwart any sort of Villa comeback, with feet flying in all over the place. However the German referee doesn't seem half as vexed by the Norwegians full blooded challenges as John Gregory does, Villa's furious boss even prods the fourth official in the chest as his rage boils over.

Villa find more width in the second half and provide Darren Byfield with opportunities to test Hansen while Bosnich is required to pull off a point blank save to stop Michelsen killing the tie off in a rare counter-attack.

Eventually the ref remembers where his cards are and produces a red one to Kenneth Karlsen's for fouling substitute Riccardo Scimeca, and things turn our way at last. Alan Thompson - our most creative player on the night – finds Gary Charles with his cross and the full back manages to put the ball away.

Then, suddenly, a new Holte End hero emerges.

Darius Vassell, only just on for the luckless Byfield, completely changes the mood and the tie.

A ball from Alan Wright is headed back across goal by Scimeca and Lee Hendrie miscue which spills to Darius who makes no mistake.

2-2. That'll have to do then. Tough second leg then.

Hang on though because we're not finished yet.

The tireless Alan Thompson has a hopeful shot, their keeper can only parry and there he is. That man again. Darius Vassell.

3-2

The Holte End goes barmy.

A star is born.

A couple of weeks later, one Stanley Victor Collymore will get himself back into John Gregory's good books with a hat-trick as Villa run out easy winners, the first Villa Euro-Hat-Trick since Gary Shaw hit three against Dynamo Bucharest in the European Cup in 1983, but nothing can take away from the drama of the night at Villa Park when Darius Vassell announced himself to the world.

Aston Villa 3 Strømsgodset 2

Competition: UEFA Cup 1st round 1st leg
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 28,893
Referee: H Strampe (Germany)

Aston Villa (3-5-2): Bosnich; Grayson (Taylor, 37), Southgate, Barry; Charles, Hendrie, Draper (Scimeca, 67), Thompson, Wright; Joachim, Byfield (Vassell, 80). Subsitutes not used: Ferraresi, Hughes, Jaszczun, Oakes (gk).

Strømsgodset (4-5-1): Hansen; Granas, Karlsen, Waehler, Skistad; Nyan, H Odegaard (George, 10; Strom, 71), Solberg, Kihle, Hagen; Michelsen (Olsen, 88). Subsitutes not used: Horsrud, Johnsen, Sannerholt, T Odegaard (gk).

The "Ian Wright, where's your final gone?" Kerfuffle

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 16:06:00 +0000

Dek Hogan recalls how a Holte End taunt aimed at Arsenal's Ian Wright went horribly wrong

It's Saturday 23rd April in the year of our lord 1994.

Barely a month has gone by since Aston Villa's glorious defeat of Alec Ferguson's mighty Manchester United at Wembley Stadium and the Holte End is still buzzing. These are the very last days of the famous massive terrace and we are making the most of them.

The League Cup victory means that there is far less tension concerning results. With a trophy in the cabinet and European football assured, it's just a matter of wallowing in the glory until the end of season.

George Graham's Arsenal are in town and on a bit of a high having reached the final of the European Cup Winner's Cup. Well, most of the team are on a high, one player not so much.

The fateful challenge that kills Ian Wright's cup final dream

During the second leg of the semi-final against Paris St-Germain, Danish referee Peter Mikkelsen had seen fit to hand a yellow card to Gunners' goal machine Ian Wright (Wright Wright) for a clumsy but fairly innocuous tackle on Alain Roche. Roche's decision to roll over several times and grasp his shin in mock agony probably didn't help the Arsenal man's cause.

Wrighty was always one to wear his heart on his sleeve and sank to his knees sobbing as the enormity of the booking's consequences hit home. The North Londoners' talismanic striker would be suspended for the final.

Wrighty has had eleven days to get used to the idea that he is going to miss a cup final by the time he arrives at Villa Park, but a gleeful, glowing Holte End is in end-of-term mood and in no frame of mind to let the England star off the hook lightly.

“Ian Wright, where's your final gone?” becomes the song of the day and even people not given to joining in with some of the more robust Holte End classics are singing along. This is the grand old terrace in full party mode and not hiding it's collective delight at Ian Wright's despair.

Ian Wright doesn't like it.

Now back in these highly adversarial days, giving a player “a lashing” isn't at all rare, is considered part of the game and supporters know full well that full-on verbal volleys can have an effect on the form of even the most seasoned of players.

However, we've picked the wrong man in Ian Wright. His reaction is to play brilliantly.

He is buzzing and a thorn in Villa's side all afternoon. Quite a few Villa fans get annoyed - the sort to get aggressive if you have the temerity to applaud a high quality opposition goal – but others, myself included, are in admiration at the way he's taken a negative and turned it into a proper positive, using the banter as the spur to boost his performance.

Ugo gets stuck in

He might be wearing an Arsenal shirt and terrorising the defence of my beloved Aston Villa, but he is showing that he is a man's man. One of the lads. He's letting his football do his talking and it's the perfect response.

Despite Wrighty's man of the match style performance, Arsenal seem intent on winning via a penalty and have three appeals dismissed out of hand by referee Keith A. Cooper, all of which probably have more merit than the fourth one which he puzzlingly succumbs to, Neil Cox harshly adjudged to have fouled Wright in what seems to my lager glazed eyes to be a perfectly fair challenge. Wright smashes the penalty home with venom.

Milking it

To say he milks his celebration is an understatement

Now, despite this game being all about the Arsenal man, Villa aren't playing that badly at all. This will be one of those games that make us think that Graham Fenton is going to turn out to be a special player and he's impressing in Deano's absence. Ray Houghton grabs a Villa equaliser with a lovely lob while Dalian Atkinson could easily have bagged two if David Seaman wasn't being so heroic.

It is always going to be Wright's day though. Kevin Campbell puts him through and he finishes clinically to ram our song back down our throats.

You're not supposed to enjoy defeats are you? Sorry, but I still smile when I remember this one. This was a classic Holte End afternoon and there'd only ever be one more to savour. Then the terrace would be brought to rubble and going to Villa Park would never be quite the same again.

The last word should go to the man himself though, "I'm choked enough about missing the final, so I didn't need all that. I showed them in the end. I love it when people have a go. It fired me up."

The Wrightless Arsenal go onto win the Cup Winners Cup by a single Alan Smith goal, but the final's not half as much fun as it would have been had he played.

Aston Villa 1 - 2 Arsenal

Goals: Ian Wright 29, 30 Ray Houghton 57

Villa: Nigel Spink, Neil Cox, Earl Barrett, Shaun Teale, Ugo Ehiogu, Ray Houghton, Dave Farrell, Kevin Richardson, Andy Townsend, Dalian Atkinson, Graham Fenton

Arsenal: David Seaman, Lee Dixon, Steve Bould, Andy Linighan, Martin Keown, Steve Morrow, Paul Davis, Mark Flatts, Alan Smith,Kevin Campbell,Ian Wright

Referee: Keith A Cooper
Competition: Premier League
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 31,580

1982 European Cup Final as it was tweeted

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 06 Oct 2013 14:42:00 +0000

Fireworks: Aston Villa 6 Everton 2 1989

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 22:52:00 +0000

Dek Hogan remembers how an eight goal thriller chased the grumpiness away...

It's Sunday November 5th 1989 and I am in a really grumpy mood.

Thanks to Elton Welsby and his cohorts at ITV, we have a match on. Everyone else has played on Saturday at 3 o'clock, but as we are lucky enough to get chosen by the telly bosses, we get to play on a Sunday instead. No roast beef and Yorkie pudding for me then. Oh dear me no. Lunch will have to be a pint of gassy Mickey Mouse in a plastic glass and a lukewarm pie. Lovely.

(For younger readers, Sky hasn't bought the heart and soul of football yet, but pulls in the viewers with WWF Wrestling, Kay Burley reading the news and Keith Chegwin hosting a truly awful yet addictive talent show. I will buy my first satellite dish a few months after this to watch Villa playing in the away leg at Middlesbrough of the Zenith Data Systems Cup Northern Final and we will have a houseful of dishless Villa fans for that game.)

I suppose one advantage of the telly people mucking about with my weekend is that I've set the video to record the match, so that if I miss anything vital, I can see it when I get home. I've put a four-hour tape in (Scotch E-240) and set the player to “Long Play” so that even in the unlikely event of a six hour delay (well you never know), I'll still capture the game. On the down side I've convinced myself that taping the game is a jinx (it actually proves to be just that on many an occasion) but I still feel obliged to record it just in case the game turns out to be an eight goal thriller, however unlikely that may be.

So, annoying as it is to have to travel across the city on unreliable Sunday public transport and to have to miss the one proper slap up feed of the week, (my Saturday pre-match meal around this era usually consists of a couple of Bird's Eye beefburgers and a sachet of Batchelor's Savoury Rice), this isn't the cause of my grumpiness.

I am pissed off because on my arrival at Villa Park I am unable to make my way to my usual Holte End spot.

The Hillsborough disaster has happened in the previous April and it is at this game that new ground regulations have their first direct impact on me. Although it can be split in half for neutral games such as FA Cup Semis, the Holte End has been, up until now, one vast terrace for Villa games. I believe that before the new regulations came in, the capacity of that one stand was around 23,000.

It has always been my practice to enter via the season ticket turnstiles where the Holte meets the Trinity Road, emerging into the ground directly under the spot where the ABCD scoreboard used to sit, then make my way happily across the entire terrace to my spot near the back of “the right side”.

Hang on though! I can't!

All the gates are locked. Fuming, I head up to the concourse to find that that too has been cut in half and despite lengthy arguments with the steward manning the gate in the middle, there is no getting through. Now I could maybe understand this course of action if they are expecting anything like a decent gate.

They're not.

Football is still very much in the doldrums in 1989, with attendances still down and gates for televised games even more so. The magic of Pavarotti and Gazza's tears that will start to rehabilitate football's image is all still to come. What makes no sense to me is that even with Villa Park's capacity reduced by the stricter regs, it could still hold the crowd we will attract for this match twice over and still not be bulging at the seams. (The actual gate will turn out to be 17,637.)

More to the point, the fences are still up at the front of the stand, so what they actually done is pen us in even more.

Call that safety, cos I don't.

Ironic that Villa should be putting up the Berlin Wall across my beloved Holte End just as the Iron Curtain is being torn down across Europe.

I'll have to watch the game from “the left side”, separated from my usual cohorts. Sure there'll be a bit more singing than on my side and the view is just as good. Indeed, I'd picked my old spot on the right side because it afforded a good view if you weren't too tall. In the intervening years I've sprouted to 6'1”, so “getting a good view” is much less of an issue.

Nose firmly out of joint, on to the actual game. I'm expecting a decent contest.

Everton are still expected to be title contenders while Graham Taylor has blended together a hard working bunch of players who on their day can give anyone a game. Some are still to be convinced about the unusual talents of beanpole forward Ian Ormondroyd but, as it turns out, he'll certainly win a few hearts and minds in this game.

Sid Cowans proves to be a key figure running the game from midfield and sets Villa on the road to victory, running on to Chrissy Chrissy Price's slick pass and driving in off the far post for one nil.

A cracking cross from Ormondroyd is met by a volley from one David Platt and though Neville Southall does well to stop it going in, he is powerless to stop Ian Olney from pouncing on the rebound for 2-0.

Norman Whiteside is chucking his weight about, picking up a yellow card in the process, and it is his scything down of the industrious Ormonrdoyd that brings about the free kick with which Sid finds David Platt's head and we have a 3-0 half-time lead.

Everton rejig for the second half with two substitutions but to no avail. A deft piece of play from Platty gives him his second and Olney soon bags a brace himself after Ormondroyd picks him out following a jinky run down the left.

By now, my grumpiness has left me, happily singing “Keown, Keown what's the score?” and “we want six”. We get six thanks to a Kent Nielsen header and even a late Tony Cottee consolation and a Paul McGrath own goal from a Peter Beagrie shot can't dampen the mood.

The game and the performance has transformed us into title contenders, it turns out that I actually quite like it on the left side and I will soon move there for the rest of the Holte End Terrace's life.

And there's still Bonfire Night to come. I jump onto a Number 11 bus and go off in search of a sparkler and a baked potato.

FA Cup Final 1957 as it was tweeted...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 03 Oct 2013 13:17:00 +0000

A tweet down Memory Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 18:12:00 +0000

We launched this section of the site by requesting some of your memories on Twitter.

Here is a selection of the responses:

100th Birmingham County FA Senior Cup 1985

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 11:54:00 +0000

Dek Hogan recalls Dennis Mortimer raising a trophy for Villa that may have been forgotten

I recently wrote about the Bradford Fire in 1985 and the subsequent charity game featuring the late, great George Best.

Now, as you'll appreciate, that game took place over twenty eight years ago, so although the bulk of the piece came from memory, with such a long gap, I thought it well worth trawling my archives to check out the facts.

Dragging out the mid-eighties stuff, I came across two pieces of A4 paper that were in fact, the official programme of the 100th Birmingham County FA Senior Cup Final, a game which I attended.

This game was treated very much in the same way as a Central League Match and Bill Shorthouse's charges didn't play that well on the night, but did enough to claim the cup, so this is a perhaps forgotten piece of Villa achievement.

Though Dean Glover was reserve team captain, Dennis Mortimer - making one of his last ever appearances in a Villa shirt - was allowed to pick up the trophy.

Like the George Best match which would follow just a few days later, there seemed to be little to no information about this small piece of Aston Villa history on the web, so I've scanned in some pics, wrestled the villamad.co.uk Twitter account off the news minions and shone a light on it.

The trophy is actually very nice, far nicer than that thing the size of a coffee mug that they handed to Paul Merson when we "won the Intertoto"...but that's another story....

Those tweets are here. Enjoy.

Blast from the Past: "Programme" from the 1985 Birmingham Senior Cup Final. Charged 15p for 2 sheets of A4 #avfc pic.twitter.com/1FaokCzPjA
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) September 27, 2013

Blast from the Past: Teams from the 1985 Birmingham Senior Cup Final: #avfc pic.twitter.com/MzRaTTl82C
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) September 27, 2013

Blast from the Past: Dennis Mortimer accepts the 1985 Birmingham Senior Cup as #avfcbeat Wednesfield Social 3-1 pic.twitter.com/81JdTwpC6A
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) September 27, 2013

Blast from the Past: The Villa team celebrate winning the 100th Birmingham Senior Cup in 1985 #avfc pic.twitter.com/duDBzsfGN0
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) September 27, 2013

Although Bernie Gallacher was listed in the programme for the Senior Cup win, a Brian Little shot in a 5-a-side broke his wrist...
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) September 27, 2013

...and Matthew Hellin played instead...
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) September 27, 2013

For the record, Villa ran out 3-1 winners, Dean Glover, Ray Walker & Dennis Mortimer getting our goals. Dave Morrison scored for Wednesfield
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) September 27, 2013

Despite missing the final, Bernie -who had played in every other round - was still awarded a medal
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) September 27, 2013

It was the 19th time that Villa had won the Birmingham Senior Cup...
— villamad.co.uk (@villamadtweets) September 27, 2013