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Velodrome inside Aston Villa FC Ground.

Looks like the picture was taken from a high point in the Territorial Barracks. For some years you could see a section of the pitch from the bank in Aston Park.
 
The Midland Cycling & Athletic Club used to promote sports meetings at what used to be known as the Aston Lower Grounds, which became Villa Park. The cycle meetings used to get thousands in attendance at some of the meetings when the top riders were taking part.
 
I have an advertisers leaflet from the time of the picture @ #1. It offers "A number of very desirable positions" for let "at moderate rates, both inside and outside the Grounds, for the exhibition of enamelled plates, painted advertisements, and large posters." It lists "Amongst those who already rent Spaces on the Ground" - Messrs Bovril, Ltd. Liebig's Oxo. The Palmer Tyre' Ltd. The Dunlop Tyre Co. Dunville, Distillers, Belfast. Mackie's White Horse Whisky Co. Bass & Co., Burton-on-Trent. "The Sportsman." "The Sporting Life." "The News of the World." George Newnes' "Tit-Bits." "Thos. Cook & Sons, Tourist Agents. Bryant & May's Matches. Moss' Empires, Ltd. The Gaiety Palace, Birmingham. The Theatre Royal, Birmingham. The Prince of Wales Theatre, Birmingham. The Hippodrome, Birmingham. Etc., etc."

It states that, "The match in progress is only an ordinary First League Football Match between Aston Villa and Liverpool and the number of spectators present, great though it is, is only an average attendance. Considerably over 750,000 (or three-quarters of a million) spectators paid for admission to these grounds at Football Matches and Sports Meetings during the past twelve months."
 
John L said:
I have an advertisers leaflet from the time of the picture @ #1. It offers "A number of very desirable positions" for let "at moderate rates, both inside and outside the Grounds, for the exhibition of enamelled plates, painted advertisements, and large posters." It lists "Amongst those who already rent Spaces on the Ground" - Messrs Bovril, Ltd. Liebig's Oxo. The Palmer Tyre' Ltd. The Dunlop Tyre Co. Dunville, Distillers, Belfast. Mackie's White Horse Whisky Co. Bass & Co., Burton-on-Trent. "The Sportsman." "The Sporting Life." "The News of the World." George Newnes' "Tit-Bits." "Thos. Cook & Sons, Tourist Agents. Bryant & May's Matches. Moss' Empires, Ltd. The Gaiety Palace, Birmingham. The Theatre Royal, Birmingham. The Prince of Wales Theatre, Birmingham. The Hippodrome, Birmingham. Etc., etc."

It states that, "The match in progress is only an ordinary First League Football Match between Aston Villa and Liverpool and the number of spectators present, great though it is, is only an average attendance. Considerably over 750,000 (or three-quarters of a million) spectators paid for admission to these grounds at Football Matches and Sports Meetings during the past twelve months."
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Hi John,
Thanks for the advertising info.
I was in attendance to a fair few home games as a teenager when we were in the old 3rd division. I'm sure I heard it announced on the PA nearing the end of the season that we had reached 1 million spectators that season, or am I not remembering that correctly ?
 
It wouldn't have been quite 1m in a season back then RRJ. We set the then record for a 3rd Division crowd against Bournemouth on 12th February 1972 of 48,110 though (I was one of them).
 
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Yes, it is Salford Richard. I used to walk past Salford Park to get to and from Villa Park in the 60s & early 70s and travel past it to get to and from work afterwards, and remember when they put the 5 a side football pitches in it's place in April 2000. Up until then, there had been a 397 yard running track (with 6 & later 5 lanes) that was surrounded by the 403m cycle velodrome, with terraces around most of it and bench seating for about 100 seats, with a grass infield. The running track was in place first and the cycle track was then added, with the stadium being opened in 1951, as a contribution to The Festival of Britain.

Back almost on topic and further to RRJ's post @ #8, you set me thinking with that 1m spectators announcement that you mentioned. It seemed to jog something in my own memory, from way back then and I do think, I also remember hearing something like that said over the tannoy myself. I've delved into my record books and added up our home attendances during our brief stay in Division 3, and found that we had tremendous home total attendances of 797,797 in 70-71 and of 784,224 in 71-72. Adding the away games (we did make up much of the crowd away from home) and games played at neutral games, to both figures would take crowds over the £1m mark during both seasons, the club might also have added tickets they sold to us for our away games, to the home attendances to reach the £1m figure, or they may have said that crowds at Villa Park had topped £1m for Division 3 matches over the two seasons, either way I think we may be correct, in thinking that we both heard something like that ;).
 
John L said:
Yes, it is Salford Richard. I used to walk past Salford Park to get to and from Villa Park in the 60s & early 70s and travel past it to get to and from work afterwards, and remember when they put the 5 a side football pitches in it's place in April 2000. Up until then, there had been a 397 yard running track (with 6 & later 5 lanes) that was surrounded by the 403m cycle velodrome, with terraces around most of it and bench seating for about 100 seats, with a grass infield. The running track was in place first and the cycle track was then added, with the stadium being opened in 1951, as a contribution to The Festival of Britain.

Back almost on topic and further to RRJ's post @ #8, you set me thinking with that 1m spectators announcement that you mentioned. It seemed to jog something in my own memory, from way back then and I do think, I also remember hearing something like that said over the tannoy myself. I've delved into my record books and added up our home attendances during our brief stay in Division 3, and found that we had tremendous home total attendances of 797,797 in 70-71 and of 784,224 in 71-72. Adding the away games (we did make up much of the crowd away from home) and games played at neutral games, to both figures would take crowds over the £1m mark during both seasons, the club might also have added tickets they sold to us for our away games, to the home attendances to reach the £1m figure, or they may have said that crowds at Villa Park had topped £1m for Division 3 matches over the two seasons, either way I think we may be correct, in thinking that we both heard something like that ;).
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John, thank you for the journey back through history, it is much appreciated! I remember the Salford track as I used to fish in the reservoir. And the Festival of Britain although I was only 8. I never went to it only the memorabilia.
 
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