OriginalLondonLion posted this, but sort of asked me to consider it for an article.
I personally found it somewhat eye-opening and definitely worthy of a slot;
Since as you say there has been no game this weekend, but Crimea is currently in the news, allow me to reflect on Villa’s only game there.
1981 was in the Cold War era, Ukraine was a Soviet Union province and Dynamo Kiev were the Russian Champions. Villa’s away European Cup game was switched from frozen Kiev to the warmth of Sinferopol. The Russians would not allow any commercial operators to run trips so the only supporters who went were filling up the seats on the team plane, about 150 of us. First day while the team trained on the pitch the supporters had a coach trip to Yalta. I thought this would be a tedious journey, but no, with two motorcycle outriders and 3 police cars, the coach ran non stop at a minimum 50 mph all the way with every traffic light switched to green. So we arrived there: usual trash food in an enormous hotel, but we did get to sit at the conference table with the waxworks of Churchill Stalin Roosevelt and De Gaulle for a photo shoot. Tour of the botanical gardens then another express bus back. I could get used to that treatment of supporters club coaches.
The next morning there was a run to Balaclava to see the sight of the charge of the Light Brigade. I ducked it and found myself in our hotel lobby chatting to Gary Shaw and a lady from the British Embassy in Moscow. Pointing to one KGB goon she told us that was her personal goon who had followed her from Moscow. Gary said “So if we three walked out of the hotel he would follow you?” “Yes” she said “and two more goons will follow you two”. We tried it, the goons followed, we walked a flew blocks, split up and walked back, each followed by a KGB man.
After that is wasn’t a surprise to see at the match the front three rows of seats all the way round occupied by uniformed soldiers each with an AK47. No pitch invasions there.
As for the game, Kiev just could not cope with Tony Morley, who scored a hat trick without reply. Away teams were supposed to defend, but Villa went everywhere in that campaign to attack from the off in the away leg.
The shops were grim and empty, lit by weak fluorescent strip-lights, the overall impression was the Russians put on a front; they had the Army, the Nukes, the space race etc, but behind it a hollow existence.
My next trip to Anderlecht could not have been more different.
Things have changed in so many ways, as highlighted perfectly in your post OLL.
Nice one mate and thanks.
Wow… what a great experience that must have been, and also a great read. I did Europe in the 90s, going to places like Bilbao, Madrid and Milan, but would have loved to have experienced it all in the 70s and 80s, especially when we won the one with the big ears! If you’ve got anymore stories, Original London Lion, I for one would enjoy reading them!
Anderlevht was brutal in a way. Tons of trouble. It was when we were at war with the Argies and there were thousands if villa fans who went there who wernt in the travellers club in tge next section to us behind the goal. Me and my mate went into that section as more atmosphere. It didn’t take long into the game when their fans above us in the seats starting chanting “Argentina” “Argentina” that’s when it all went off. Though the unofficial villa that were there came to make trouble and I doubt the majority of them were real villa anyway they were real thugs, a lot if cockney accents and definite national front as they had the tattoos etc. It was when hooliganism was rife and as we were the only European cup team in England a lot of thugs from other clubs piggy backed on the villa to cause trouble. I’m not saying they were no villa amongst them but I went to all villa home and away games that year and knew who our main boys were iv never seen this bunch before. Also worth mentioning is that because of these thugs and a so called villa fan going on the pitch when their player had a one on one with rimmer causing a one man pitch invasion very nearly led to is being kicked out and Anderlect tried to get us kicked out so they would have gone thru v bayern. Thankfully we did go thru and the rest as they say is history.
Me too Rawlie.
I’m quite looking forward to Part two – Anderlecht
Being born in 82 its great to hear accounts of times like these. Great read…..And left me wanting to see the next chapter: Anderlecht. Just hope ooah has not now gone and spoiled it.
A very enjoyable read orilonlion,good on ya mate. 🙂
Best post in god knows how long.
Really interesting read OLL and very well written. Thanks for sharing.
Have you seen the Birmingham mail lads? Petrov played in a charity match and scored a goal, was at Boldmere Sutton Coldfield ground, yesterday, great pictures. and Oohah was you on that train with the supporter club , you all had to get on a coach to travel to Anderlecht ground. If so we have met? It was me that got you all out of a pub that had tv camera’s and police plus reporters looking to stain Villa’s reputation. It failed they got a great press coming home, as best club to travel abroad.
Can’t remember Bill. I remember going to Ostend staying there and I think it was a coach that took us there to andrtlect. Sea of claret and blue everywhere. Don’t remember going on train though. But remember going to pubs where loads of villa singing but can’t remember trouble in there but there were a lot of non villa fans there for the ride and to cause trouble. It’s possible our paths may have crossed though bill not sure
We travelled to Ostend and stayed there the day before and the day after the game in Anderlecht, and got a bus to Andelecht from Ostend and back. The night after the game in Ostend was fantastic, the whole town stayed up all night and was packed with Villa supporters.
There were a lot of Chelsea and West Ham jerseys on display in the bars before the game and in the ground for sure. Also went to Rotterdam, and to Barcelona for the away leg in the Super Cup. Great experiences after watching Villa rise from the old third division.
Have to say that the season we spent in the second division under Graham Taylor was also fantastic by todays standards. Went to all the away games that season, and that was the best atmosphere I’ve seen at Villa games for a long, long time.
Do you remember all the prossies sitting in the window at Ostend town centre lol
I do, but the football was a big enough orgasm at that time. Great team, and the second great team that Ron Saunders built at Villa. How we let him leave is beyond me.
He didn’t get on with Deadly Doug truth be known, Doug put his nose in to many times for Ron,
I thought it was under Bendall he left
1981-82 he left the Villa Ellis was on the board of directors, if you remember Ellis chased the bendals and bought their shares in the Isle of Man. Secretly and gained control.
Yes I remember now. Wev had some shite chairman at least we had success under bendalls but they still fucked it up. So typical
All he wanted was a rolling contract Ffs.
He didn’t like Ellis.
What manager ever did?
With Deadly I think it was a case of ‘The Ego Has Landed’.
Really like his OLL, nice post mate!
*this
These are not my words but something I found a while ago and now’s a good time to share it –
26.5.82. the night we climbed to the top of the world, looked down at Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Liverpool and all the other great European teams of that decade, and we were able to say, “Aston Villa are the greatest football team in the world.
Its very sad how irrelevant that we have become! On every sports show we are just mentioned as an after thought!
that season I was 11/12, I had the enviable luck to be born at a time to experience those years, id been Villa since I can remember but it was the 79/80 season when I started going quite regularly and caught the football fever proper.
I was 11 when we won the league and went to every home game that season except Ipswich which was sold out, didn’t get in despite getting there a very early so we went and joined the huge crowd that congregated on the hill giving us a view of Holte and about a 5th of the pitch. in those days the gates would be opened with about 15mins to go to allow people to leave and everybody was waiting for this, I remember a few coppers on horseback blocking the entrances or trying to however the sight of a thousand odd Villans running full speed at them in the desire to get in and see the last of the game had them galloping off double quick before the wave of people came crashing straight through them. I got in, we lost 2-1, I was just in time to see shaw score(as I remember it)a great goal.
the euro season I went to every home game of the euro fixtures, I watched the final on TV with the family and remember being gutted about Jimmy Rimmer having to come off, this was already a massively difficult match and we were very much the underdog and we loose our keeper and this fella called Nigel Spink comes on and plays a blinder, he was magnificent.
I cant imagine how I would have handled it had we lost.
Happy days and we all thought like fools it would go on for ever but in typical Villa fashion within 12 months we’d managed to let the best manager we’d had in 70 years leave over fuckall and 6 years later were out of the top flight.
Could only happen at VP but still thanks for the memories Sir Ron / Tony Barton and the legends of 80/81 – 81/82.
Bang on with that BWS, at least you me and a few more had happy days but sadly its now a money game to business people and we have to go on history’s of them years. One day the tide will turn, we will return to glory days. Because I’ll have a word with the good lord and bollox him. 🙂
at least some of us older fans have seen us win the lot. Iv seen us win everything except fa cup how many supporters can say that of other teams
Oohah I did 1957 Man utd , the following year in the forces for me, great great days.
Yep your one of the chosen few who have seen us get the clean sweep. At least you can say you’ve seen us win every honour
It’s great to read the old stories from that era from all you old fogies 😉 reminds me of when my grandad used to tell me how damn good we were! vtid
Mark its a shame you’ve not seen it yet, I was 17 in 1957, we beat Man utd 2-1 Peter McParland scored both goals almost hundred thousand at Wembley, shit I can see me and my dad now, what a game.
Unfortunately Bill, with the dire state mdern football is in, I doubt I’ll ever see the glory days return to VP, breaks my heart mate.
Even sadder, I hope we get bought by a rich oil baron, just so I can.
me to a rich shiek would be the dream and its the only way we will ever challange again
Were utd as big a club as they are now in 1957. Or have they only become big since Munich. Were there as many villa fans as utd at wembley
Another great memory was in 1997, when Villa played against San Jose Clash, at San Jose University as a summer fixture. I live in San Jose now having been born in Erdington and grown up in the Midlands, so this was a big game for me.
My local Pub, the Britannia Arms sponsored the game, so we had a coach trip to the game from the pub.
Brian Little was in the UK finishing up the signing of Stan Collymore, but Villa brought over a strong squad.
Anyway the game was a crap 1:1 draw, but the entire Villa contingent (Deadly Doug included) came to the Brit afterwards. Ted McDougal was also there (he lived in the US at the time), one for the old timers, Villa v Bournmouth… I spent the evening playing pool with Dwight Yorke, Ugo Eghiogu, and Mark Bosnich, while the rest of the players sat and behaved themselves.
Yorkie was the only player not wearing a Villa tracksuit, he had his nightclub clothes on. He put $1000 behind the bar and told the bar staff to keep the shots moving. Anyway Yorkie had the hots for one of the waitresses there and disappeared just as the team were leaving.
The bus took off and Yorkie came out of the office and started playing pool again. 10 minutes later the door opened and Alan Evans walked in and shouted “Yorkie, get on this f***ing bus now!”.
Yorkie didn’t have much option, but what a great character he was/is. Missed him down the Villa for a long time…
Neil have you seen the Britannia now? You would never believe how its gone, nice building gone to ruin, owed by foreigners.
Interesting recollections – but are you sure about the Morley hat trick?
Thanks for the plaudits and thank you all for your memories. Now RW I am not sure about the hat trick. I did not keep the programme. You have no idea how much anyone who got a programme (the Iron Curtain countries often did not sell anything resembling a programme but gave out free team sheets) was begged for one on our return. However I am sure we won 3-0 and I think Morley scored them all. OOHAH’s memories of Brussels fit with mine, but that is another post.
OLL are you thinking about the Dynamo Berlin game (1-2) when Tony Morley scored two absolute crackers?
Yeah – the Berlin game was amazing. TM did run the show – the stunning run from the half way line to score followed by the stunning run back after the goal as he gave Saunders the Vs !!
The Kiev game was 1982 and was 0-0.