Aston Villa: Memory Lane | Page 12 | Vital Football

Aston Villa: Memory Lane

Rock legend and ex Aston lad Gezzer Butler pictured here inside the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Aston having a look around again at a place both he and I know very well as we both went to the Sacred Heart Primary School next door.

On that very alter I was baptised and had my confirmation, and said my goodbyes to both my mom & dad who are buried in Witton graveyard.

Gezzer, Ozzy, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward were all about 5-6 years older than me so I didn't know them to talk to but I did know and occasionally knocked around with Paul, one of Ozzy's younger brothers and visited the family house in Lodge Road.

I vaguely remember seeing them around Aston/Witton and I bet that never in a million years did they ever think they would be living in the houses they now own or the money in the bank.

But good luck to them and they make me proud to think they came from Aston and became rock legends around the world.
 
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Some magic from our Brian and the goals from the League Cup final 1977. I swear 2.58 minutes into the short video gets to me every time.
Also, an interesting comment from John Motson saying late in the game "Villa still looking strong their fitness for which they are noted" ...Yes, Ron Saunders was a hard taskmaster but my how it paid off.


1977-League-Cup-Final-Second-Replay-at-Old-TraffordAston-Villa-3-v-Everton-2-aet-Brian-Little-...jpg
 
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The second goal v Man City in the earlier round was pure class.

And yes that singing at the end of full time sends a shiver down my spine.
 
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Thomas Holte said:
Some magic from our Brian and the goals from the League Cup final 1977. I swear 2.58 minutes into the short video gets to me every time.
Also, an interesting comment from John Motson saying late in the game "Villa still looking strong their fitness for which they are noted" ...Yes, Ron Saunders was a hard taskmaster but my how it paid off.


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Bizarrely the stand out memory I have of this game is getting back to the car looking forward to listening all about winning the cup on the way home to find someone had pinched my old mans radio out of his Escort whilst we were at Old Trafford
 
I've never seen this before and hope it brings back happy memories for those lucky enough to have seen the last time Aston Villa won the FA Cup. (I was around 2 years old!)

 
30th March 1960 The league division two Aston Villa 4 Liverpool 4

This game was crucial but before I tell you why, I will take you back to the 12th March and the 6th round of the FA Cup.

This was the first season that me and my 13 year old pals were going to the games on our own. The Villa were trying to return to the first division at the first attempt. We were top of the table and in the 6th round of the cup. Could we win the cup and promotion double.

We walked from our homes to meet outside the Wheatchief pub in Sheldon armed with our halfcrowns, that was tuppence for the bus to the Swan at Yardley and fourpence for the number 11 to Villa Park. A shilling to get in, tuppence for a programme, and fourpence for a Bovril. That left sixpence for the busses home. Don’t lose the sixpence!

The game against our old rivals Preston had caught the imagination, probably Tom Finney’s last game at Villa Park, and we were there with 69,732 fans cheering as McParland and Hitchens scored the goals that put us in a semi final against Wolves at the Hawthornes.
We had to be there.We cycled early to Villa Park to join a queue about 50 yards long at the Holte End turnstyle in Trinity Rd to get our tickets.

The queue didn’t grow much and to our horror after a couple of hours we were told we were a week too early. A batch of Birmingham Mails had printed the wrong date. Cheesed off we rode home, next week would be ok we thought.

We went on the bus next week, we arrived about 9, the turnstyles opened at 10. The queue was several times around the ground, we got about halfway up Witton Lane when the Sold Out sign went up.Then we queued for the bloody bus home!

I was a miserable sod until two days before the game my Uncle came to our house and gave me a ticket he had managed to get hold of. I was in dreamland.
Saturday 26th March Semi Final Villa v Wolves

I set off on my own with pom pom hat and scarf, bus into town then a bus to West Brom. I was in the Brum end, I was a small 13 year old but I got a spot at the side of an isle where I could see most of the game. The Villa gambled playing Gerry Hitchens with an injury but it didn’t work against a powerful Wolves side. We only lost 1 0 though and had Gerry been fit you never know…..As the 55,000 crowd poured out of the ground, I was disappointed, but not upset, the better side had won. Where the hell is the bus stop home!!

Four days later. Wednesday 30th March Villa v Liverpool night match.

How would we react after the semi-final defeat. Hitchens MacEwan were out injured and Saward was on international duty.

I rushed home from school, Mom made a quick tea, then with my halfcrown it was off to meet my pals at the Wheatchief.

27,000 fans saw Liverpool take a 3-0 halftime lead.And when they made it 4-0 on 60 minutes the question being asked was has this great season been destroyed at the Hawthornes.

We soon had the answer. McParland scored, we thought consolation goal on 66 mins. But then Bobby Thomson scored on 74 mins and with Villa Park roaring Mac was brought down in the box and Stan the Wham Lynn rammed the ball home. 3-4 on 75 mins. With the crowd going mad Thomson made it 4-4 on 85 minutes. Villa had scored 4 goals in 19 amazing minutes. Both teams went for the winner, both goalies made point blank saves, the final whistle went, the Villa were cheered off. It felt like a victory.

The double dream was over but surely this fantastic Villa fight back would ensure we would regain our rightful place in the First Division…..
 
It's a pleasure to read such stories Erod that remain in the mind of a person and with respect, an insight and reminder into how life used to be.

On reflection, I'm glad I wasn't too far behind you and enjoyed supporting the Villa and everything that went with it from the middle 60's onwards and I wouldn't change it for the world.
 
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Remember this one? I drove a dodgy Hillman Imp at the time and the cylinder head gasket blew as we got in to Leicester. The thing to do was to keep the engine going and get to help as soon as possible. So obviously we parked up and went to the game! Amazingly it started up afterwards and got us home.

 
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