Aston Villa History Thread

[DaveAV1]

When I was a little lad my cousins on my Mom’s side were Blue Noses. All I heard was how they were a big club blah blah. They took me and my Dad to the sty when I was 3, I don’t remember it at all but my Dad said I just ran up and down the steps uninterested. Then 1 day at school, I think I was 5 a lad came up to me and put a round Villa sticker on my jumper and said, “You’re Villa”. That was it I was chosen. 

I went home and told my Dad, who was a Cumbrian and had no real team allegiance at the time. He just said, “ So you’re a Villa fan then lad”. I think my Dad was chosen too. We must have gone to hundreds of games together, starting with Wrexham at home in the third division. We sat in the grand old Trinity Road I was smitten and still am. 

There is no ground in the world like Villa Park and no team in the universe like The Villa. Highs and lows they break you’re heart and then take you to the heavens. There are richer clubs and some bigger clubs but there aren’t any greater clubs. Aston Villa really are magic. 

[Phil Silvers]

12 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

When I was a little lad my cousins on my Mom’s side were Blue Noses. All I heard was how they were a big club blah blah. They took me and my Dad to the sty when I was 3, I don’t remember it at all but my Dad said I just ran up and down the steps uninterested. Then 1 day at school, I think I was 5 a lad came up to me and put a round Villa sticker on my jumper and said, “You’re Villa”. That was it I was chosen. 

I went home and told my Dad, who was a Cumbrian and had no real team allegiance at the time. He just said, “ So you’re a Villa fan then lad”. I think my Dad was chosen too. We must have gone to hundreds of games together, starting with Wrexham at home in the third division. We sat in the grand old Trinity Road I was smitten and still am. 

There is no ground in the world like Villa Park and no team in the universe like The Villa. Highs and lows they break you’re heart and then take you to the heavens. There are richer clubs and some bigger clubs but there aren’t any greater clubs. Aston Villa really are magic. 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2020 by Phil Silvers

[Five Ken McNaughts]

32 minutes ago, John said:

And there was me thinking they got one each!

[sidcow]

49 minutes ago, Five Ken McNaughts said:

On the subject of mid-80s Villa, do you recall the product placement that used to follow a goal at Villa Park? “Goalscorer for Aston Villa, Steve Hunt... Steve Hunt drives Austin Montego.” Not sure why that stuck with me.

You're going to have to help me out here folks. 

I was about to reply with a witty retort about if maybe that was why Hunt had scored an own goal on his debut. 

However on researching it to check my facts, I can't find that he did score and own goal on his debut.  But I was 99% sure he did.  I also thought is was against Olbeyun where he'd just signed from, but they weren't even in the same league. 

I thought is was something like a backpass that went through the keepers legs. 

Help me VT. Is my memory just totally wrong, am I thinking of a different player from that era or have I just been unable to uncover a true fact? 

[DaveAV1]

27 minutes ago, sidcow said:

You're going to have to help me out here folks. 

I was about to reply with a witty retort about if maybe that was why Hunt had scored an own goal on his debut. 

However on researching it to check my facts, I can't find that he did score and own goal on his debut.  But I was 99% sure he did.  I also thought is was against Olbeyun where he'd just signed from, but they weren't even in the same league. 

I thought is was something like a backpass that went through the keepers legs. 

Help me VT. Is my memory just totally wrong, am I thinking of a different player from that era or have I just been unable to uncover a true fact? 

Various people, sometimes on this thread, have put me right on some of my cast iron “facts”. The stress of supporting The Villa and the associated alcohol intake this often requires, can sometimes make the memory a little less reliable than we’d like to think it is. 

Far from worry about this slight deficiency it should be worn as a badge of honour, that proves you’ve actually survived this long. 

[DaveAV1]

45 minutes ago, Five Ken McNaughts said:

And there was me thinking they got one each!

This was under Doug they had to hire one if they wanted to drive it. 

[Five Ken McNaughts]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

You're going to have to help me out here folks. 

I was about to reply with a witty retort about if maybe that was why Hunt had scored an own goal on his debut. 

However on researching it to check my facts, I can't find that he did score and own goal on his debut.  But I was 99% sure he did.  I also thought is was against Olbeyun where he'd just signed from, but they weren't even in the same league. 

I thought is was something like a backpass that went through the keepers legs. 

Help me VT. Is my memory just totally wrong, am I thinking of a different player from that era or have I just been unable to uncover a true fact? 

My memory was sadly of no assistance on this. But the closest I could find to that scenario (by cheating with Google) was Steve Hunt scoring a last minute equaliser for Albion in a 1-1 draw at Villa Park in Dec 1985, then re-signing for Villa shortly afterwards. No idea if it went through the keeper’s legs or not as it doesn’t seem to be on You Tube. Perhaps your memory is a few weeks out of sync and already putting him in a Villa shirt (he was one of my early favourites – great touch and composure on the ball).

[sidcow]

21 minutes ago, Five Ken McNaughts said:

My memory was sadly of no assistance on this. But the closest I could find to that scenario (by cheating with Google) was Steve Hunt scoring a last minute equaliser for Albion in a 1-1 draw at Villa Park in Dec 1985, then re-signing for Villa shortly afterwards. No idea if it went through the keeper’s legs or not as it doesn’t seem to be on You Tube. Perhaps your memory is a few weeks out of sync and already putting him in a Villa shirt (he was one of my early favourites – great touch and composure on the ball).

Maybe, but I definitely had og in my head. 

[DaveAV1]

20 hours ago, sidcow said:

Maybe, but I definitely had og in my head. 

You’re still scarred by the Richard Dunne era. 

[John]

23 hours ago, sidcow said:

You're going to have to help me out here folks. 

I was about to reply with a witty retort about if maybe that was why Hunt had scored an own goal on his debut. 

However on researching it to check my facts, I can't find that he did score and own goal on his debut.  But I was 99% sure he did.  I also thought is was against Olbeyun where he'd just signed from, but they weren't even in the same league. 

I thought is was something like a backpass that went through the keepers legs. 

Help me VT. Is my memory just totally wrong, am I thinking of a different player from that era or have I just been unable to uncover a true fact? 

Steve did score an own goal on his home debut on 19/3/86, against West Ham. It drew them level in the 45th minute, after Hodge had put us in front moments earlier. We won it 2-1 with another goal from Hodge after 90 minutes.  

[sidcow]

3 hours ago, John said:

Steve did score an own goal on his home debut on 19/3/86, against West Ham. It drew them level in the 45th minute, after Hodge had put us in front moments earlier. We won it 2-1 with another goal from Hodge after 90 minutes.  

Thank you, I am not nuts then although I got the opposition wrong. 

Strange, my "Aston Villa, A Complete Record 1874-1988" book lists own goals around that time but doesn't record that one. 

Thanks for clearing up that conundrum!

I was also just mulling over in my mind why he was making his debut in March,  but of course there was no transfer windows then, he just signed in March! Doh. 

Edited September 3, 2020 by sidcow

[avfc1982am]

Just found this gem..

 

[Xela]

On 02/09/2020 at 12:06, John said:

Before my time but I recognise:

Cowans, Spink, Withe, Foster, Evans, Walters, Gibson, Birch and McMahon. Is that Gary Shaw at the back on the far left?

Is that Rideout between Evans and Walters? Gary Williams bottom left?

 

[John]

4 minutes ago, Xela said:

Before my time but I recognise:

Cowans, Spink, Withe, Foster, Evans, Walters, Gibson, Birch and McMahon. Is that Gary Shaw at the back on the far left?

Is that Rideout between Evans and Walters? Gary Williams bottom left?

 

100% correct. 

The others are from left to right (back row): Malcolm Beard, Alan Curbishley, Mervyn Day & Didier Six. 

Edited September 5, 2020 by John

[Xela]

5 minutes ago, John said:

100% correct. 

Excellent! 

Just missing the reserve keeper (no idea), the chap to his left (Pat Heard?) and the guy with magnificent hair between Walters and Gibson (no idea)

[sidcow]

2 minutes ago, Xela said:

Excellent! 

Just missing the reserve keeper (no idea), the chap to his left (Pat Heard?) and the guy with magnificent hair between Walters and Gibson (no idea)

Tony Dorigo with the hair ain't it? 

[John]

5 minutes ago, Xela said:

Excellent! 

Just missing the reserve keeper (no idea), the chap to his left (Pat Heard?) and the guy with magnificent hair between Walters and Gibson (no idea)

 

2 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Tony Dorigo with the hair ain't it? 

I've added the names to my earlier post. 

[avfc1982am]

1 minute ago, sidcow said:

Tony Dorigo with the hair ain't it? 

Between Walters and Gibson is Didier SIx.

Dorigo by MacMahon kneeling(see above)

[sidcow]

Reserve keeper Mervyn Day? 

[Follyfoot]

2 hours ago, avfc1982am said:

Just found this gem..

 

Great watch