Aston Villa: Memory Lane | Page 90 | Vital Football

Aston Villa: Memory Lane

Great photo of Gerry Hitchens who left the Villa to join Inter Milan. They signed him in the summer of 1961 for £85,000 which must have been a lot of money in those days.

I was too young to ever see Gerry play for us but by all accounts, he was a great player.

Sadly Gerry died aged only 48 years old from a heart attack whilst playing in a charity football match in 1983. :utv:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1307221382539997184
 
Thomas Holte said:
Great photo of Gerry Hitchens who left the Villa to join Inter Milan. They signed him in the summer of 1961 for £85,000 which must have been a lot of money in those days.

I was too young to ever see Gerry play for us but by all accounts, he was a great player.

Sadly Gerry died aged only 48 years old from a heart attack whilst playing in a charity football match in 1983. :utv:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1307221382539997184
Click to expand...

Cracking photograph
 
Any of you 'older generation' (like me) remember a pulsating match at the Hawthorns back on Tuesday 31st August 1971 between Villa and Wrexham? It was a League Cup first round 2nd replay - hence the neutral ground.

Compared to Villa, Wrexham had a fairly decent team back then, managed by ex Villan John Neal.

There was a rare appearance in goal for Villa too, by goalkeeper Geoff Crudgington. He played a handful of games for us, but then went on to carve out a career at Crewe and Plymouth Argyle. John Dunn was first choice for us in those days.

http://www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=2364

We won 4-3 by the way. We scored the first and last goal at either end of a 7 goal thriller. I was there myself at the Birmingham Road end.
 
Thomas Holte said:
I'm not entirely sure if you are allowed to show a photo taken from Twitter so if not then please remove mods.....Thanks.

A splendid photo here and for the first time in colour.

Note the size of some of the blokes and I understand Jack Grealish’s great-great-grandfather, (Billy Garraty, second player on the middle row)


https://twitter.com/x/status/1307479381493850112
Click to expand...


What a fantastic photo!......
 
Thomas Holte said:
I'm not entirely sure if you are allowed to show a photo taken from Twitter so if not then please remove mods.....Thanks.

A splendid photo here and for the first time in colour.

Note the size of some of the blokes and I understand Jack Grealish’s great-great-grandfather, (Billy Garraty, second player on the middle row)


https://twitter.com/x/status/1307479381493850112
Click to expand...

Guy on the back row is an absolute unit!
 
Thomas Holte said:
I'm not entirely sure if you are allowed to show a photo taken from Twitter so if not then please remove mods.....Thanks.

A splendid photo here and for the first time in colour.

Note the size of some of the blokes and I understand Jack Grealish’s great-great-grandfather, (Billy Garraty, second player on the middle row)


https://twitter.com/x/status/1307479381493850112
Click to expand...
You are fine to share a photo from social media :thumbup:
 
Thought I'd see if I could find highlights of my first trip to VP and they exist!

Not as vintage as some of you lot, but some cracking goals in this match! My memory did lie to me though, was convinced for years that Staunton scored directly from a corner.

Villa - QPR 94

 
Gillette said:
Sat 12th February 1972 : Aston Villa 2-1 AFC Bournemouth
My first game - Division 3. My dad took me as a small boy and bought me a scarf I still have.

My dad told me stories of being at the Villa and it was so crowded you couldn't take your hands out of your pockets - not enough room.
Click to expand...
I was there amongst the 'reported' 48,110. The noise was deafening, mesmerising, enchanting. The Trinity floorboards at their best. If you weren't there, then it is unimaginable. When George Curtis was preparing to take that freekick the incredible noise built up to a crescendo. When A.L Lochhead scored from it, the skies parted. Never to be forgotten. BBC did a documentary on that match, wish it was available ['Contact' I think]. Nine days later Pele came to town, a reported 54,000 attendance [yeah and the rest] - never mind no room to get your hands out of your pockets, my feet never touched the ground for ages in the monstrous queues in Trinity Rd trying to get in the Holte. I got in, despite the best efforts of the Police horses, many thousands didn't.
All been said before years ago but worth repeating.
 
Pride of Lions said:
Any of you 'older generation' (like me) remember a pulsating match at the Hawthorns back on Tuesday 31st August 1971 between Villa and Wrexham? It was a League Cup first round 2nd replay - hence the neutral ground.

Compared to Villa, Wrexham had a fairly decent team back then, managed by ex Villan John Neal.

There was a rare appearance in goal for Villa too, by goalkeeper Geoff Crudgington. He played a handful of games for us, but then went on to carve out a career at Crewe and Plymouth Argyle. John Dunn was first choice for us in those days.

http://www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=2364

We won 4-3 by the way. We scored the first and last goal at either end of a 7 goal thriller. I was there myself at the Birmingham Road end.
Click to expand...
I was there as I was at the previous games at Villa and Wrexham. It was great fun to see the end full of Villa. Smethwick hated it. Brilliant game, Willie Anderson was the star of the games for me [he was magic]. I think it was the last game Geoff Crudgington played before he moved to Crewe. Brilliant days back then.
 
villasince67 said:
I was there as I was at the previous games at Villa and Wrexham. It was great fun to see the end full of Villa. Smethwick hated it. Brilliant game, Willie Anderson was the star of the games for me [he was magic]. I think it was the last game Geoff Crudgington played before he moved to Crewe. Brilliant days back then.
Click to expand...


Yeah, I was at both VP and Wrexham too. Travelled up by coach on the old 'Travellers Club'. As you say 67, Brilliant days back then.
 
villasince67 said:
I was there amongst the 'reported' 48,110. The noise was deafening, mesmerising, enchanting. The Trinity floorboards at their best. If you weren't there, then it is unimaginable. When George Curtis was preparing to take that freekick the incredible noise built up to a crescendo. When A.L Lochhead scored from it, the skies parted. Never to be forgotten. BBC did a documentary on that match, wish it was available ['Contact' I think]. Nine days later Pele came to town, a reported 54,000 attendance [yeah and the rest] - never mind no room to get your hands out of your pockets, my feet never touched the ground for ages in the monstrous queues in Trinity Rd trying to get in the Holte. I got in, despite the best efforts of the Police horses, many thousands didn't.
All been said before years ago but worth repeating.
Click to expand...


Oh yes, I was there too. Andy Lochhead leapt like a salmon and seemed to hang there as he planted the ball firmly into net.

I was there for the Santos match too. Amazing scenes both in and out. That was the game we hired generators for because of the power cuts due to the miners strike.

Again, great times.
 
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