OriginalLondonLion offers something that I certainly never knew;
While we are waiting, why not sit back, relax, enjoy the World Cup and before that the European Cup Final, or Champions League Final?
Last season’s German away-day to Wembley was odd, this year is even more peculiar with a Capital City Derby taking place in the wrong Capital. So you might imagine that nothing that happened on May 26 1982 would still be unique – as far as I know it is.
There was a friendly atmosphere in Rotterdam between the Bayern fans and Villa, a welcome and sharp contrast to the Anderlecht game in Brussels. A German came up to me in the square where there had been a good natured kick about game in kit between the Villans and Bayern fans and asked if he could have my by then tatty copy of the Daily Telegraph. He offered me an upmarket German paper or a Bild Zeitung in return. I went for the rag because my German is schlecht. It had a list of reasons why Bayern had to win. One of them was that they had never lost a cup final in their history. Ho Ho – always a first time.
One other reason was such a surprise to me I had to get the German to translate it as confirmation. Villa would be the first team to win the cup with NO current International players! There are various ways of defining ‘current’ but if players who had not been in the starting 11 or subs for their country’s last international game is a reasonable definition then Bild was right. Needless to say I have been checking since and the Cup winners have always had at least one current international, Real and Athetico should have several.
Withe was sub against Switzerland??
Nah I’m 4 day’s out ohwell worth a go.
I know that conversely, Bayern had most of the players from the West Germany side that got beaten in the ’82 World Cup final.
One record that Villa hold and I doubt will eveer be repeated.They remain the last club to have won the European Champions Cup/Champions League at the first attempt.In other words their first time of entering.
I think Mark you are not quite right. Leaving aside the first winners Real Madrid, I think Nottingham Forest won it at their first attempt, and defended it. But I stand to be corrected on that one.
We weren’t far off defending it either still got to quarter finals but played a world class juventus team, with Rossi,platini, zoff and boniek. And that’s just their crap players lol
Mark stated that we were the “last club” to have won the won it at the first attempt, both Real and Forest did it before we did so he is technically correct on that one.
Firstly OLL, your not shell we say on a topic of doom and gloom, hence responds to your post , and it has to be said glory days that you and I was there. OLL have you any programs from the 80s as in one is a full feature of myself when working for the Villa, I feel that our paths have crossed over them years because I also traveled with Villa fans and management.and in one took 600 over by coach and train. Will Arthur Moseley ring any bells.
One thing we did do was win it the hard way which should be the right way bollox to this group stage millarky you have a second bite of the cherry which you shouldn’t.whinge over
Plus the fact you had to be CHAMPIONS.
Giddy..well said mate. The current format is designed solely to enable the teams with the most financial clout to progress. Its stage-managed for TV companies to make mega bucks. It makes a mockery of fair competitive play. Not only that we had to play ‘the true champions of European football’…whereby only the league WINNERS could enter. It has been seriously devalued ……it should return to a knockout competition with only respective league winners in it. But that wont happen as the ‘footballing moneymen’ wont allow. How I long for the days when football success was measured in honours and trophies and NOT in poundnotes!
Langford – completely agree with you.
UEFA have devalued both the European Cup and the UEFA/Fairs Cup by turning them both into these ‘league’ formats, and in the case of the CL, allowing any but the real league champions to enter.
The whole set up is as TV-oriented and rigged as “WWF” [or whatever they now call it] and Formula 1; just a charade.
Maybe we’ll live long enough to see TV audiences start to lose interest in football; another overdose this summer of the sort of crap world cup that we saw from S Africa in 2010 might just start people switching-off televised ‘soccer’…
Even its name ‘Champioms League’ is contradictory. For example, what are Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, champions of?…..fuck all, and they wil compete in next seasons ‘made for TV competition’!
The Cash Cow Cup.
Langford. I completely agree with all you are saying. On a seperate note, I would like you to expand on your ‘clues’ regarding ‘future’ manager and chairman at AVFC……
All I can is that neither the new owner or manager has been mentioned on this site YET. Look out for a ‘pleasant surprise’ BEFORE the end of May.
Keep the faith.
UTV
Read something in the tea leaves Langford????? I’m intrigued!
Malket mackay to be named new Norwich boss. Even they wouldn’t take lamberk back
Mackey, really? I’ve heard Lennon’s leaving Celtic for them. Lambert back to Celtic’s also a real possibility.
Carseun young and lee Clarke it is then!!
Whatever you know is it definite then Langford?
Ive just been thinking about the sale of Villa and the timing. I know that this has been in the pipeline for sometime as the day Mcleish was appointed was the day Randy had gave up. But has he timed it right by being this close season as the World Cup will give the club some breathing space as very few deals happen before it. It has been written by a few journos that the sale process could take 2 months. If this is the case we are looking about end of June or early July. If this is the case we would have plenty of time for new faces to be added as the world cup will just be over.
Mark is correct Villa were the last debutants to win it, but have Athletico taken part before? I do not remember them being good enough to qualify until last season.
All the above comments about the 4 places competition I agree with, the effect of the Champions League is a self perpetuating elite. Boy does it ruffle feathers when one of the elite clubs misses out to the nouveau riche PSG or ManC. This is really what is behind the FFP introduction.
Bill, I am sure we have met. My contacts at the club in the 80s that I remember the names of were Abdul Rashid, Sue Walker, Terry Weir and Steve Stride, also an Eric Woodward but not the one at Man U now. I do not recall Arthur Moseley. There is a picture of me in this year’s Stoke programme two to the left of the flag in Sinferopol.. I do not keep back progs but my mate in Portsmouth does so if you know the programme I can get a copy
Ardent – you are the only other person I have seen put in print their belief that Formula1 is a choreographed charade like WWF. I agree – but fail to convince anyone else.
OLL – I think that once “TV” [and now the other mega-media organisations] become so heavily involved in a sport, it ceases to be real competition. They don’t like the risk of anything unexpected happening – got to make sure all the sponsors and advertisers aren’t upset by some low-rent upstart beating the expensive full-price members of the ‘club’!
Originallondonlion, all in my time, infact Abdul Rashid was at one stage was a ball boy, then moved into promotions then onto running it, to think when he was a young lad he used to get under the gate or find him in the players tunnel, I’ve thrown him out dozen times, also do you remember Steves marriage to Sue? Arthur was assistant secretary to Steve Stride, Terry was Villa’s photographs for the club, and me chief steward in them days. as for the program will dig it out for you to see. If you was at the Rangers game it was me and not the police who order’s the door’s to be opened well before the police woke up. Happy days.
Also John Partridge gate controller Originallondonlion.
So it was you. Why didn’t you put them in old witton it used to hold around 15k plus
Oohah, I arrived at the ground about 11 am to find the prat of police commander had ordered to get them off the streets, some had slept in parks ,been in pubs all night, I went ape shit but he over rode me, I told him what might happen and it did. Will never forget it Oohah was a cover up what they had done.
I was at the Rangers game. For those who do not know, this was a “friendly” I think pre season or in a cup round hiatus. We got off the train from London at New Street, noticed something odd when there were no special buses to the ground and hailed a cab who refused to take us to Villa Park. The story of how many Jocks had turned up the night before and the damage done was all over Brum – but news to the London Lions. When we did get to the ground we found Rangers had taken over the Holte End. I never did understand how that happened, but you are the man to ask Bill.
The Gers (and Celtic) could make the trip for a couple of quid, as they had a massive following and more importantly, had a deal.
No doubt that deal was bent somewhere along the line, but whatever, it enabled them to travel in droves for pennies in today’s money.
A cheap trip down to fight the sassanachs, coupled with loads of whiskey?
And the Villa fans knowing better than to attend?
Yep, good question, asking who let them in.
It’s not as though they were in bloody disguise!
Apparently the rangers fans were outside causing trouble hours before the match started and that why they were let in as causing trouble outside. Villa fans had to go to old witton lane stand.
Just given the answer Oohah , your correct, it was a police instruction in what they did. OLL, Oohah, I asked for police to remove them off the holte I was told No, policy was no transfer in football ground, that’s why I took it on myself to open all doors with a steward on each door to let people out. It was definitely the police that caused that to happen, and we had other mad times in what they thought was right, I was not surprised in what happened at other grounds after that day.
Can see why Hillsborough happened now
Cheap public transport, full employment, higher standard of living, fairer distribution of wealth, higher levels of social mobility, free university… Oh the 70’s such terrible times,
As Billy Bragg song goes When did it fall apart? Sometime in the eighties,When the great and the good gave way To the greedy and the mean.
Thanks a bunch Maggie.
BWS – politics so early in the morning, you’ll need a lie down by lunchtime! lol
Lol. Got up with one on me mate.
Watch out Oohah and Badger, BWS got one on him.:-)
So has my Mrs, she just slammed the door and walked out…. But don’t worry i ran after her…. how dare she go for a walk without taking the dog.
Saddened…lol mate.
My Mrs ran off with my best mate…..I dont half miss him 🙂
Going away for a few seeks now. Will be reading but not posting. Hope you all have a great summer. Things better be looking more positive when I get home.
Take care, one and all!
P and P
TFTP……..(thing forward, thing positive)
Is that true about ur missus !!
Have a good one Langford, and lets hope its all sorted when you return !!!
You lucky sods, mine been with me for 53 years, I’ve tried every think to get shut, cleaned the house painted and decorated wash up made the beds , and she will won’t go.
Post from BWS Right lads and lasses sit down, pin back your lug holes take deep breath and get your heads around this.
Well I heard a rumour today the reason Randy’s selling is due to the club being under investigation for class A drugs use (or miss use – allegedly).
Now I thought the same as you are thinking, what a right load of old b*****ks but then I googled it and guess what comes out in the wash –
Apr 19, 2014.
A major football club in England has been rocked by a drugs scandal that has gone as far as the police and the English authorities, the Observer can reveal.
The police were called in to investigate after senior members of staff started suspecting some of their colleagues were regularly using class-A drugs inside the stadium. The allegations go to the top of the club and involve at least one high-profile figure with a considerable reputation within the sport.
(http://www.redcafe.net/threads/police-called-in-over-drug-scandal-at-major-football-club-in-england.388960/)
Then The Guardian Saturday 19 April 2014
On one occasion, two prominent officials were allegedly caught snorting cocaine in the boardroom of a rival club during an away fixture
(http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/19/police-called-drug-scandal-major-club?CMP=twt_gu)
And we are the only club to have suspended two prominent officials?
Perhaps I’m adding 2+2 and coming up with 5 but who knows?
Oohah coming on the midland news now about Lambert go to the USA people are asking why.
Hopefully to sack him though woukdnt put mortgage on it
With a good severance deal that’s not to be sniffed at?
BWS I went to home and away games through the 70s. Frightening. If you had kids about 10 years old you really did worry about taking them to any ground – that they would be caught up in one of those stampedes that the rival firms engaged in. Thank goodness football clubs made the effort to take back their product – a football match – from the yobs. It is so much better now that newcomers do not believe accounts of the 70s.
agree oll it did get scary at times. I got beaten up by a load of spurs yobs on a bus in 81 after we stuffed them 3.1 jyst after charity shield game. Though as much as I hate to admit it the hooliganism side did add to the atmosphere which was electric at times esp at villa blues games. Its all too corporate and nicey nice now. Used to love standing on the holte and away ends as part of the surge lol. People forget it wasnt standing that caused hillsborough it was those stupid metal fences that should of been designed to collapse upon impact. Awful decsion and obvious hillsborough would happen sometime
The Taylor report was used as an excuse to destroy terracing and transform the grounds into yuppie palaces, prices soared in an attempt to cleanse the grounds of the working classes and the this new breed of fan(s) are more akin to fans at a tennis match.
Bollox to that, give me those cold forbidding terraces and that electric atmosphere that was the heartbeat of football.
Exactly
Looks like Lerners put the club up for sale with NO buyer.If we arnt bought before the new season starts we could be in dire shit.What a cluster fuck this club is.
Watch it Ray ranson will rear his ugly head soon.
now there is one name that we don’t want to see !
Right lads and lasses sit down, pin back your lug holes take deep breath and get your heads around this.
Well I heard a rumour today the reason Randy’s selling is due to the club it being under investigation for class A drugs use (or miss use – allegedly).
Now I thought the same as you are thinking, what a right load of old b*****ks but then I googled it and guess what comes out in the wash –
Apr 19, 2014.
A major football club in England has been rocked by a drugs scandal that has gone as far as the police and the English authorities, the Observer can reveal.
The police were called in to investigate after senior members of staff started suspecting some of their colleagues were regularly using class-A drugs inside the stadium. The allegations go to the top of the club and involve at least one high-profile figure with a considerable reputation within the sport.
(http://www.redcafe.net/threads/police-called-in-over-drug-scandal-at-major-football-club-in-england.388960/)
Then The Guardian Saturday 19 April 2014
On one occasion, two prominent officials were allegedly caught snorting cocaine in the boardroom of a rival club during an away fixture
(http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/apr/19/police-called-drug-scandal-major-club?CMP=twt_gu)
And we are the only club to have suspended two prominent officials?
Perhaps I’m adding 2+2 and coming up with 5 but who knows?
The above post seems to have been trashed, maybe by Oohah????
I’ve re-instated it, as to me, it’s old news and was in the papers days ago.
My opinion says it was indeed this pair of bullies.
And that’s probably why the buyer that was in place pulled out
Not sure if it’s me badger apologies if i have didn’t mean too 🙁 must of pressed wrong button somewhere.
even if someone buys us I have the feeling we’ll be in the same shit 8 years from now or even sooner. We could easily find ourselves with yet another US owner who doesn’t have a clue what the game of football is all about