tarzansbrother
Vital Football Hero
So this Carabao cup final will be my 10th visit watching Villa, to think I would visit Wembley to watch Villa that many times. Without a doubt my best visit was beating Man Utd with big Ron in charge 1994.
Wow 1975, my grandad died before that final, I was only 6. I love watching the video of that game and the Chris Nicholl final. Magic moments. Football is about winning and memories.
Worst by far was the Arsenal 2015 debacle . Utter embarrassment on the world stage. Awful experience.
. Lots of Wembley memories,good and bad. Dad couldn't get tickets for 1957 against the media darlings from Coronation Street. Dad rented our first TV from, ironically, Granada. Everything going well,2-0 up when Tommy Taylor nets for ManU. Just a few minutes left and this soon to be 9 years old wimps out and off for a walk round the streets of Northfield. Suddenly,a series of roars, l ran home like the wind and dad was sitting,as calm as ever, in his armchair. I stared at dad,he looked pleased enough and he clenched his fist and roared YESSSSSSS. Magic moments and Dad took my brother and l to town to see Johnny Dixon lift that famous trophy for a record seventh time. Thanks Dad. Then our long,painful decline ending up the third division. Tommy Docherty came and went and Villa stalwart,Vic Crowd steadied the ship. A league cup run saw us meet Man U in a two legged semi final. A 1-1 draw at Old Trafford with warhorse Andy Lochhead putting us l up with Brian Kidd hitting a screamer to level the tie. Andy had a perfectly good header disallowed for an alleged foul on Jimmy Rimmer. Second leg at Villa Park and Boss said anyone who slices off will be sacked and/or lose Holiday pay. Nervous night shift at Cadburys,teased by a plastic Scouser but eventual bliss. My first trip to Wembley. Brian Jennings (Winky) organised a coach from the Black Horse in Northfield. Remember getting on the coach and seeind 50 blond Villans with black eyebrows. George Michael has a lot to answer for. A boozy trip to London. Our mate,John Bodington,a bluenose but a closet Villan,had no ticket but came along more in hope than expectation. We met the stereotypical Cockneys flogging tickets and we put together to buy one for "Bod". He shocked us by telling the Cockney that his price was exhorbitant. We all thought that the Beano was Bods limit. Great game,Andy's missed sitter,Chico hitting the bar and matching Spurs all the way. But what we all remember is the passionate support,a Wembley official said that he'd never heard such noise levels. Roared the boys off the pitch and a great night in the "Smoke'. Football in the morning for Inverness villa in tha Nort Birmingham league. Most of us still pissed as we drew 3-3 with the mighty Bradford Bakery. We beat them 6-0 earlier in the season and strolled the league. Moral is don't get pissed and play football unless you are Paul McGrath. Many Wembley visits since, loved the 75 Norwich,94 Man U and of course the Liverpool semi. But perhaps,for my generation,that 72 game signalled that the grand old lady,the impoverished aristocrat was on the way back to the top table. Magic game. Magic day. Magic memories.No contest for me. 1975 I was 11and it was my first visit to Wembley (I cried when my Dad wouldn't take me in 1971) and Ray Graydon scoring from the rebound at our end.
My Dad was one of 13 and all his brother and sisters were obviously Villa fans which meant a lot of my cousins were as well. We filled a 52 seater coach with mainly family and a few friends . Just a magical day and impossible to forget.