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Aston Villa history

MWS said:
One of them, George Tranter, was a cousin of my great grandfather.

AVFC history have picture of him and he may possibly be the chap on the right of the cups. They do have his name and birthplace incorrect though.
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I can help you there:

Back (left to right): Tommy Lyons, Arthur Layton, J. Hogan, Billy George, Arthur Cartlidge, Alfred Freddie Miles, John Kearns, John Grierson (trainer).
Second: George B. Ramsay (Secretary), P. W. M. Bate (Club Director), John Devey (Club Director), F. Cooper (Vice Chairman), Fred W Rinder (Chairman), Howard Spencer (Director), J. E. Margoschis (Vice President), D. R. Jessop, E. W. Strange (Asssistant Secretary.
Sitting: William Billy Gerrish, George Hunter, E. Etre, Joe Bache, George Tranter, Chris Buckley, Albert Hall.
On Ground : Joe Walters, Arthur James Moss (trophies) Harry Hampton, Charlie Wallace
 
Vivienne14 said:
Was this taken at the grounds ? Viv

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Viv, I think that this picture was taken outside the former club offices, that were on the right of the Witton End and beside the old Trinity Road Stand (as shown in the picture below), until those buildings were demolished in 1981. The former club offices, a gymnasium and a player's recreation area were housed in The Aquarium that was part of Aston Lower Grounds. I often stood on the then grass/mud top of the Witton End in the 60s and looked at those buildings, the passing years has led me to confuse them with the Trinity Road Stand, that they stood next to. The following link gives some more detail and some photographs of the inside of the building:

Aston Villa Football Club | The official club website | AVFC

Welcome to avfc.co.uk, the official website for Aston Villa Football Club
www.avfc.co.uk www.avfc.co.uk

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The link is a wonderful piece of history John, both interesting from the point of view of Aston Villa FC and of Aston Lower/Pleasure Grounds. I note that there was an aquarian (later gym) housed in a building with "neo-classical arched and circular windows with tinted glazing". This seems highly likely to be the building in photo #183.

What a boost to the player's motivation and morale these premises must have had. And what a good impression it must have made to others in football circles. Great snippet of history. Thanks.

Viv.
 
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Great photo, thanks John. I can see how it was once the home of an aquarian. Nice spacious and airy accommodation Looks to me that there was an upper level too as you can just make out a balustrade bottom right. Perhaps thats where the club offices were located ?

An aside - a 'staged' photo I think - the effort being exerted by the guys on the punch balls suggests "take your positions everyone" !

Viv
 
Pedrocut said:
Trouble at Villa Park
(October 1976, Birmingham Post)



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I was there that day. :eek: I remember my friend and I were late getting to the match and arrived at our normal spot behind the goal at the Holte End 5 minutes before kick off. Usually there were about twenty to thirty young chaps that we knew well in the same place, but this time there was only one who welcomed us by whispering "Welcome to Glasgow".

We looked around us for the first time and noticed that we were in a stand that was 99.9% populated by Glaswegians. Every other one of which seemed to have a scar on his face, whilst the other had a bottle of whiskey about his person (of which we had neither;)). The atmosphere was incredibly hostile and we stayed where we were in silence until half time, when we climbed over the fence and onto the field and ran towards the Villa fans, who were in The Witton End. We did so, because the Rangers fans had begun to fight each other at the top of the Holte End and we felt our "cover", might soon be blown (as we didn't quite share their accent).

We received some withering looks from the Rangers fans (particularly their captain John Grieg), who probably assumed we were invading the pitch as they came out for the second half, rather than running across it to avoid what was obviously brewing where their "fans" were congregated. However, we were greeted by my friend's two brothers, who had seen us and helped us down into the Witton End, to which the Villa fans had earlier retreated. Villa's second goal was more than the drink fuelled Rangers fans could take and they then invaded the pitch, and began fighting with the police. Seeing this, we along with the rest of the Villa fans made a hurried exit from the stadium, and the so called "friendly" or "Battle of Villa Park" was abandoned. Fortunately neither my friend or myself, were wearing any club colours that day.

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Sadly, Aston Villa's Charlie Aitken passed away yesterday, aged 81.

I thought Charlie would always be there, he was ever present at left back when I was a young lad standing by the railings at the foot of the Holte End, all the way through to my late teens.

He was with us through the lows of relegation from Division 1 to Division 3 and was with us until he had played his part in getting us right back up to where we belonged. He played in our shirt at Wembley, in Antwerp and at Bury. Charlie played alongside Johnny Dixon, Peter McParland (photographed with @ 4 below) and Gerry Hitchens, as well as Brian Little, Andy Gray, Dennis Mortimer and every Villa player in between. He played against Best, Greaves and Charlton, as well as with and against Pele. His first Villa boss was Joe Mercer and his last was Ron Saunders. He played for Scotland U23 and for us a club record 660 times from 1961 to 1976. My thoughts as with his family at this time as he takes his place in the Villa line up in the sky. RIP Charlie HEITS (Holte Ender In The Sky)!

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Have just been looking through old records of the Midland Cycling & Athletic Club. An article mentions that the Villa started as a football club in Perry Barr before moving to the Lower Grounds in Aston, any information on this. I should mention that the MC& AC had a close relationship with Aston Villa in the early nineties, & used the cycling track at the Lower Grounds for Sports Meetings.
 
If anyone saw my post regarding Aston Villa & the Midland Cycling & Athletic Club, it should have read that Aston Villa migrated from Perry Barr to Aston Lower Grounds in 1897, do not know what they were known as before the move or where they played, sorry for the mis-information on the original post.
 
We lost the first of our 1982 European Cup winning team yesterday, the day before Aston Villa play again in Europe with that same trophy as the prize for the eventual winning team.

Gary Shaw was a local lad from Kingshurst. He scored 79 goals in his 213 games for Villa. Gary was a big part of the Villa team that won the League Championship (1980-81), the European Cup (1982) and the European Super Cup (1983). He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year (1981) and The Most Outstanding Young Footballer in Europe (1982).

During the early years of the 80s, Gary made 44, 41 and 53 appearances, scoring 20, 14 and 24 goals in 1980/81, 1981/82 & 1982/83 respectively. He made his Villa debut in 1978, when aged 16 and suffered a knee injury in September 1983, that all but ended his top flight career, when he was aged just 22. His was a footballing career that burned brightly, if sadly shortly, but Gary is a young player that will always be fondly remembered by fans like myself, who were lucky enough to have seen him play.

Gary had a fall at his home on 9th September and was admitted to hospital with a serious head injury. He passed away yesterday aged 63. Gone too soon. Thanks for the memories Gary. HEITS!

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