Claret & Blue Blood
Vital 1st Team Regular
Other than Villa games, my lasting memory of Villa Park was the FA Cup semi final replay between Leeds and Man Utd in 1970. A class mate of mine at school (11 year olds) was Russell Dugdale, who's dad, Jimmy used to run the Lion's club after playing for Villa and Albion. Russ told me that his dad had got two tickets and we could go to the match. It was a night game and the streets were heaving with fans (attendance 62,000). When I got to the Lion's club Russ told me that his dad had sold my ticket and I started to walk down Trinity Road to get the no 11 back home. Then there was a hand on my shoulder and as an 11 year old, I turned round to gaze up at this enormous copper behind me - he was truly huge. I was expecting the worse and then he said "have you got a ticket son?" I replied that I hadn't and was expecting to be told to "clear off out of the crowd". He then put his hand inside his tunic and pulled out a ticket and said that he had been asked to give it to a deserving cause. Having thanked him profusely, I raced back to the Lion's club to tell Russ. We were in the standing in the Trinity Road stand at the front and although the match ended 0-0, the players on that pitch were all legends. Leeds was Sprake, Reaney, Cooper, Bremner, Charlton, Madeley, Lorimer, Clarke, Jones, Giles and Gray (sub Bates). Man Utd was Stepney, Edwards, Dunne, Crerand, Sadler, Stiles, Sartori, Charlton, Kidd,and Best (sub Law). I would suggest that an English football ground would never witness such talent ever again. (see http://www.ozwhitelufc.net.au/23-03-1970 LUFC v Manchester United.htm ) Either of those teams would probably take apart Man City or even Barcelona if they ever played in the same era.
That year the FA Cup was a true marathon with two replays in the semi-final and a replay in the final that Chelsea (with the likes of Bonnetti, Osgood, Webb, Harris, Hollins and Hutchison) won with an injury time winner from Dave Webb.
Happy days and replays until a winner and no penalty shoot outs
That year the FA Cup was a true marathon with two replays in the semi-final and a replay in the final that Chelsea (with the likes of Bonnetti, Osgood, Webb, Harris, Hollins and Hutchison) won with an injury time winner from Dave Webb.
Happy days and replays until a winner and no penalty shoot outs