Memories of the European Cup 1982

[FLVillan]

Went to Rotterdam with the whole family (also went to Anderlecht semi).  I was youngest of three kids (13 years old).  The coach from Calais seemed to take forever and the bloody driver would not stop for us to take a piss.  "Stop the bus I want a wee wee" was the chorus from the bus (to the tune of glory glory halleluia).  He eventually stopped at the side of the road and everyone piled out and did the business on the grass verge. Felt sorry for the girls/women who had to go into the bushes with husbands and dads using their coats as privacy screens! 

We got to the stadium about three hours early, so we just wandered around and had a bite to eat.  The match itself is a bit of a blur, but I remember the collective gasp when we saw Jimmy going off and the young kid Spink coming on.  I think he'd played one first team game up to that point after replacing Jake Findlay as back-up keeper around 1979 ish.  But to be fair to the fans we got right behind Spinsky and that first save, low to his left from Rummenigge brought a cheer that was almost as loud as Withe's goal.  When we scored I didn't see the ball hit the back of the net as everyone collectively jumped in front of me and went nuts.  

The disallowed Bayern goal was the only heart-in-mouth moment after that.  Even though we were seen as underdogs, I was conditioned as a Villa fan back in those days that we would always win finals - my first was 1975, second was 1977 and then of course being in the Clock end at Highbury on Bosko Jankovic day.  Even when we played star-studded Spuds in the Charity Shield and were bloody awful on the day, I knew we wouldn't lose it....

All I remember about the coach trip back was the constant singing and rolls of toilet paper being unfurled above our heads around the bus in celebration. All the way back to Calais. Mental. After we got off the ferry, it was nothing but sleep all the way back to Brum. 

When I went back to school (we lived in Solihull so it was mostly bluenoses) I was treated like a celebrity and actually was called out during assembly to recount my experience.  "Best day of my life" was more or less all I could muster at that age.  The old man had to go to the school ahead of the match and basically told them he didn't care what the school rules were, his lads were going to Rotterdam and they could shove it.... 

[PaulC]

I have to admit because of personal circumstances I remember the league win far more than winning the European Cup. 

[FLVillan]

16 minutes ago, Tom13 said:

I don't know a load about Ron Saunders, but the bits I've seen of him, he oozed calm confidence. Didn't want to please or live up to anyone, just focused on his squad. Get many SAF vibes from him.

A single-minded man who knew what we wanted.  Wasn't afraid to make big decisions (selling John Gidman and Andy Gray for example) and emphasized fitness, hard work and team shape.  He didn't want superstars, he wanted hard-working footballers.  When he bought Peter Withe as Gray's replacement nobody saw it as a good signing - but he was 100% correct that Withe was the final piece of the jigsaw - perfect target man and foil for the nippy Gary Shaw.  He was brilliant with the media (stone faced and never got emotional - Bill Belichick is his modern equivalent).  Only Ferguson since has run a club the same way as Ron ran the Villa and Clough ran Forest.  

[John]

1 hour ago, Sulberto21 said:

Looking through our history we haven’t half underachieved. When the premier league started we were second behind Liverscum for trophies won. We were first for so long until their Vernon Pools sugar daddy came and helped them dominate. 

I think HDE's return as chairman after our ECF win, had a lot to do with our underachievement and our relegation five years later, but now is not the time to talk of the bad times that followed 82.  

[PerryBarrPet]

13 minutes ago, John said:

I think HDE's return as chairman after our ECF win, had a lot to do with our underachievement and our relegation five years later, but now is not the time to talk of the bad times that followed 82.  

I agree with this. Both points are correct: Ellis has to take the blame not only for our fall from being European Cup winners to relegation but also our continuous underachievement running to Lerner taking control. Now is the time to look forward and savour the exciting future our new owners are trying to shape not wallowing in past failures.

[John]

I watched that BT film about 81 & 82 last night, on getting home from the game. It really is excellent, try to see it if you can everyone. Couldn't wipe the smile off my face at times, just like I couldn't after winning the title and European Cup. Great to hear the stories from the players and to see those goals and celebrations. Happy Days! 

[wookster]

I cant remember whether this was between the final whistle and trophy ceremony or at the end of the show, it was a Villa fan running down the road and into a pub cheering "we won" then a big message across the screen saying congratulation from Davenports brewery

[mottaloo]

On 07/05/2022 at 22:48, Corleone said:

 

At the tender age of 11 i wasn't fully conversant with the offside rule so when Bayern scored what i thought was the equaliser it took me a couple of minutes before i realised that we were still winning and then when Cowans put the ball in the net in the last minute i celebrated again in a similar fashion to the first goal.

I don't remember that bit.

[DaveAV1]

On 19/05/2022 at 14:53, Sulberto21 said:

Watching the bt sports film the thing which stands out is the culture and mindset.

if I was interviewed outside Villa Park for the pre season expectations for the forthcoming season and said that I want us to win the title if get laughed at. 

It’s all the manager, squad etc talked about the few years leading up to it. 

Fantastic mentality.

The Super Villans BT Sport film sounds wonderful but I don’t have BT Sport. The tragedy is that it wasn’t made 40 years ago. Our tremendous achievements in 1981 and ‘82 were largely ignored by the national broadcaster and the press in general. Shamefully this was made easy for them by our former chairman Doug “Mr Aston Villa” Ellis who tried to write those years out of our history. 
 

You couldn’t even buy a dvd of the final at the club shop or anywhere else until Lerner took over. He, Lerner, even said he was amazed at the lack of reference to us being European Champions at Villa Park. Not a single picture on the walls, nothing. We finally had a European Cup reunion day, which if I recall was before a game against Sheffield Utd. The atmosphere was fantastic and on the back of that we blew them away and won 3-0 I think. 
 

Ellis did good things for us and bad. However of all the criticisms against Ellis and there are many, trying to write off 1981/82 is unforgivable. The fact that we had nothing to celebrate this but had a bloody stand with his name across it is all the more annoying. Any new development to Villa Park should include the renaming of the Witton Lane stand either for corporate advantage or to celebrate someone more deserving. Anything is better than what it is now. Holding us back for decades is bad enough but denying our greatest moments can’t ever be forgiven and in my opinion, cancels out anything he ever did good for us. 

[Tom13]

5 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

The Super Villans BT Sport film sounds wonderful but I don’t have BT Sport. The tragedy is that it wasn’t made 40 years ago. Our tremendous achievements in 1981 and ‘82 were largely ignored by the national broadcaster and the press in general. Shamefully this was made easy for them by our former chairman Doug “Mr Aston Villa” Ellis who tried to write those years out of our history. 
 

You couldn’t even buy a dvd of the final at the club shop or anywhere else until Lerner took over. He, Lerner, even said he was amazed at the lack of reference to us being European Champions at Villa Park. Not a single picture on the walls, nothing. We finally had a European Cup reunion day, which if I recall was before a game against Sheffield Utd. The atmosphere was fantastic and on the back of that we blew them away and won 3-0 I think. 
 

Ellis did good things for us and bad. However of all the criticisms against Ellis and there are many, trying to write off 1981/82 is unforgivable. The fact that we had nothing to celebrate this but had a bloody stand with his name across it is all the more annoying. Any new development to Villa Park should include the renaming of the Witton Lane stand either for corporate advantage or to celebrate someone more deserving. Anything is better than what it is now. Holding us back for decades is bad enough but denying our greatest moments can’t ever be forgiven and in my opinion, cancels out anything he ever did good for us. 

I'm assuming Ellis tried to do that as we won it while he was absent?

[mottaloo]

31 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

 

Ellis did good things for us and bad. However of all the criticisms against Ellis and there are many, trying to write off 1981/82 is unforgivable. The fact that we had nothing to celebrate this but had a bloody stand with his name across it is all the more annoying. Any new development to Villa Park should include the renaming of the Witton Lane stand either for corporate advantage or to celebrate someone more deserving. Anything is better than what it is now. Holding us back for decades is bad enough but denying our greatest moments can’t ever be forgiven and in my opinion, cancels out anything he ever did good for us. 

I worked as a blazer boy on corporate lounges from mid to late 90s and used to see Ellis on occasions. Every time I did, he'd be talking to a full time staff member scurrying alongside him, with such an attitude that would take my breath away. He owned the club so what were we mere mortals going to do - answer back ? He was no one's fool with skin tough as a rhino, so forget all this cuddly uncy doug the media portrayed.

So, for his arrogance in not recognising our Club's massive achievement ( we ruled half the soccer world) and then naming a stand after himself (then getting Lerner to agree not to change it) I am hardly going to stick up for him ever.

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by mottaloo

[DaveAV1]

1 hour ago, Tom13 said:

I'm assuming Ellis tried to do that as we won it while he was absent?

Yes that was absolutely his motivation. Add to that the speed at which that great team was dismantled after his return and you can see exactly what was going on. 

[Tom13]

6 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

Yes that was absolutely his motivation. Add to that the speed at which that great team was dismantled after his return and you can see exactly what was going on. 

Really sad tbh

[John]

42 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

The Super Villans BT Sport film sounds wonderful but I don’t have BT Sport. The tragedy is that it wasn’t made 40 years ago. Our tremendous achievements in 1981 and ‘82 were largely ignored by the national broadcaster and the press in general. Shamefully this was made easy for them by our former chairman Doug “Mr Aston Villa” Ellis who tried to write those years out of our history. 
 

You couldn’t even buy a dvd of the final at the club shop or anywhere else until Lerner took over. He, Lerner, even said he was amazed at the lack of reference to us being European Champions at Villa Park. Not a single picture on the walls, nothing. We finally had a European Cup reunion day, which if I recall was before a game against Sheffield Utd. The atmosphere was fantastic and on the back of that we blew them away and won 3-0 I think. 
 

Ellis did good things for us and bad. However of all the criticisms against Ellis and there are many, trying to write off 1981/82 is unforgivable. The fact that we had nothing to celebrate this but had a bloody stand with his name across it is all the more annoying. Any new development to Villa Park should include the renaming of the Witton Lane stand either for corporate advantage or to celebrate someone more deserving. Anything is better than what it is now. Holding us back for decades is bad enough but denying our greatest moments can’t ever be forgiven and in my opinion, cancels out anything he ever did good for us. 

I was at the reunion evening at Villa Park too and you're right, we did beat the Blades 3-0 on the following day. The players were really happy to have been recognised by the club for what they had done for us at long last. The players were happy to talk to me and my mates, and had a smile for everyone. I particularly remember talking to Jimmy Rimmer, who told me that he hadn't really done much in the final itself, unlike the other players who were there (something that he admitted, he had problems in coming to terms after coming off, during the Super Villans film as a tear welled up in his eye). I'm really pleased that I said to him that night, that we wouldn't have been at the final, had it not been for his performances in the earlier rounds and in winning us the league, during the previous season to qualify for the competition. I then said I'd like his autograph, but only had the admission ticket for the night with me (talk about being unprepared!), but he gave me a smile and told me that he'd be happy to sign that and posed for a photograph with me, taken by one of my mates. Just like the rest of the team, Jimmy was a great player and he's a really nice bloke, I've still got both the photograph and the autograph by the way. 

  

[slovenian]

found Super Villans on little streams, able to watch it outside of uk... imagine that, disgusting

send me a message if you share a same disgust

Edited May 21, 2022 by slovenian

[DaveAV1]

23 minutes ago, John said:

I was at the reunion evening at Villa Park too and you're right, we did beat the Blades 3-0 on the following day. The players were really happy to have been recognised by the club for what they had done for us at long last. The players were happy to talk to me and my mates, and had a smile for everyone. I particularly remember talking to Jimmy Rimmer, who told me that he hadn't really done much in the final itself, unlike the other players who were there (something that he admitted, he had problems in coming to terms after coming off, during the Super Villans film as a tear welled up in his eye). I'm really pleased that I said to him that night, that we wouldn't have been at the final, had it not been for his performances in the earlier rounds and in winning us the league, during the previous season to qualify for the competition. I then said I'd like his autograph, but only had the admission ticket for the night with me (talk about being unprepared!), but he gave me a smile and told me that he'd be happy to sign that and posed for a photograph with me, taken by one of my mates. Just like the rest of the team, Jimmy was a great player and he's a really nice bloke, I've still got both the photograph and the autograph by the way. 

  

Jimmy was a great goalie and great bloke. He lived in Walmley  and my mate was his paper boy. He always said he was a giant and if he ever came to the door he filled the frame. He was also friendly and very generous. Christmas tips for paperboys back then were about 50p or a pound if you were lucky. Jimmy used to give him a fiver!

[Zatman]

22 hours ago, DaveAV1 said:

 

You couldn’t even buy a dvd of the final at the club shop or anywhere else until Lerner took over. He, Lerner, even said he was amazed at the lack of reference to us being European Champions at Villa Park. Not a single picture on the walls, nothing. We finally had a European Cup reunion day, which if I recall was before a game against Sheffield Utd. The atmosphere was fantastic and on the back of that we blew them away and won 3-0 I think. 
 

I think this was O'Neill who said that and put the photos back up

 

[TRO]

23 hours ago, Tom13 said:

I'm assuming Ellis tried to do that as we won it while he was absent?

yes....Grade 1 Narcissist.

Yet he did instill discipline in the staff at B6....Something Lerner failed to do.

but his treatment of the famous win was despicable.

Edited May 22, 2022 by TRO

[sheepyvillian]

I've just watched the doc on BT sports. Had me filling up a few times especially when Jimmy got all emotional about having to come off.

What a team that was. 

[Only2McInallys]

I went to all the home games that season but the final was a few days before my GCSE’s so I didn’t go because I thought they were more important.

I got that so wrong.You can retake exams the next year but Villa getting to a European Cup Final,that might not happen again in my lifetime.