• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Villa Park history

As a Villa fan from the 1950s, It was pretty rough those days
I went to my first Villa match in the 1950s and stood at the front of the Holte End. From that time until I went for the last time in the 1990s the only "rough" time I experienced was when Rangers played us in a friendly. We didn't stay for the rest of the match. I only experienced friendliness, camaraderie and wonderful humour.
 
A little adjustment to the thread title: I’ve added ‘history’ to the title so that new posts focus on the Park over time. Also the thread is being moved to the Birmingham Sports History section. Thanks all. Viv.
 
Last edited:
As a Villa fan from the 1950s, It was pretty rough those days
Especially if you were a young lad stood right down the front. I will say no more than that, not great memories, even when they won. Best moment was if the football special was one of the remaining 1930s AEC buses to take you home.
Bob
 
Villa Park will have been the home of Aston Villa for 125 years this weekend. It has been a ground that Villa fans have over all those years, left in both sadness and in joy (dependent on Villa's results) since it staged it's first home game on 17th April 1897 against Blackburn (a 3-0 win during our League & FA Cup double winning season).

The record attendance at Villa Park is 77.558 on 2nd March 1946 for an FA Cup 6th Round tie against Derby. Villa Park has staged more FA Cup semi-finals (55) than any other football stadium, has hosted 11 full England internationals and is the only ground that England have played at in three different centuries. It hosted 3 World Cup group games in 1966, the 2nd leg of the first League Cup Final in 1961 and the 2nd leg of the European Cup Semi Final in 1982 (we won them both!).

Great players such as Best, Charlton, Moore, Matthews, Finney, Edwards, Beckenbauer, Platini, Pele, Cruyff, Billy Walker, Pongo Waring, Eric Houghton, Peter McParland, Paul McGrath and Brian Little have graced the Villa Park turf over the years. Here are a few photographs, that show how the ground has changed over the years:

1649940301647.png 1649940356139.png 1649940704686.png
1649940778918.png 1649940997703.png 1649941099712.png
 
Back
Top