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I know what you mean about seeming to play Villa more often than the other big clubs. Possibly because I have very clear recollections of us playing them in the 60's and 70's. Villa v City was my first away game in 1968 and the 3-0 City victory on Boxing Day 1967 is etched in my memory due to Bobby Brown's career ending knee injury.Quote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
I'm not quite sure I agree with that, either. Even if you took away a few seasons until the likes of Liverpool and Man Utd joined the league, their record of appearances in the top flight is still very impressive.Quote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
I get what you mean about their successes; their 1957 FA cup win was their first silverware for years and, League cup apart, they've won 1 title and European cup, though should have won the title again at least once in the 90s. It certainly doesn't compare with the bigger names in the top flight.
You're right to an extent that we have played them more often than the other bigger guns. Here's a list of teams and the number of times we've played them in the league, where the number of games against them in the top flight is greater than the rest (team, total games, top flight games, 2nd tier games):
Manchester United 30 28 2
Liverpool 30 24 6
Arsenal 34 34 0
Everton 34 30 4
Chelsea 38 24 14
Manchester City 42 30 12
Tottenham Hotspur 44 32 12
Aston Villa 50 32 18
West Bromwich Albion 52 28 24
Newcastle United 54 32 22
We played Villa in every one of their 6 2nd division seasons in the late 60s/early 70s. We also played them in 8 out of 9 seasons between 1952/53 and 1961/62, so those who are older than me will have lots of memories of playing Villa. After we lost 2-0 to them at Villa Park in 1975 we've only faced each other 6 times in the league - we didn't play them again in the league until September 2013 when we lost 2-0 again up there. Since 1975 we've played Spurs as often in the league.
Those with longer memories than me won't have many fond memories of Villa Park. We've lost 13 and drawn 2 of our last 15 visits there, while we've won 9 of our last 14 at home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moodybluebird
How many city would have travelled to Villa in 68, and would it have been by football special, or did away support only really become big in the 70’s ?
I went, by train, not sure if it was a football special. It was a snowy Boxing Day and we seemed to be at the ground really early. Groundstaff were clearing the snow away from the approaches (Derby would have had it postponed no bother:hehe:).Quote:
Originally Posted by TWGL1
One strange anecdote, I’m sure it happened, unless my memory is going doolally, is that Coventry’s game v Wolves had been postponed. Us City fans were stationed on the terraces by the half way line with Wolves fans in front of us supporting us and Coventry fans behind us, also supporting us. The Coventry fans were quite concerned with the Wolves fans presence and urged us not to let on that they were there.
There were a lot of City fans there that day as there were at all the 60s away games I went to, Plymouth in ‘67 being my first. Bluetit (Tony Jefferies) very often in the same company as me. The players very often travelled home on the same train as us.
Sounds like a brilliant day out that, interesting perspective, thanksQuote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
You're right about the postponement. It ended up being played in April and was Wolves' last home game of the season! Mrs Half a Bee recalls an away trip up north that was cancelled, probably in the 90s and a load of City fans ended up at Goodison Park instead.Quote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
A year after that fixture, Villa would be relegated to Div 3 for the first time and, a season later, we came close to a return to Div 1. I wasn't alive at the time, but it appears that those days in the late 60s, early 70s only really came back to the club in the late 2000s.
For a brief few years they were exciting Eric and we should have taken the final step. Crowds were rising, fewer plastics, nearly everyone at school was a City fan, helped by free entry every now & again with our sports master providing complimentaries. Massive FA Cup crowds when playing top flight clubs sort of pointed to the type of crowds we’d get had we’d gone up, attendances were often 20 thousand +, I remember a 30,000 against QPR. If only Fred Dewey and his board had shown a bit more financial ooomph, we could have gone from strength to strength, we had a 60,000 capacity ground for God’s sake. It was a criminal wasted opportunity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee
I’m so glad you confirmed the postponement of Coventry v Wolves because of all the things I miss, it’s my mind I miss the most:hehe:
It wasn't as if the first division was an unknown at the time for City, either. I know the phrase "sleeping giant" has often been used, but we saw last time we were in the Prem that there is a huge demand for top flight football and that really should be our ambition. To think how bleak things had become within 20 years is incredible, given that our seasons outside the top two divisions were very rare.Quote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
Very interesting to read. Thanks.
September 1969 and I was there. Rodney Marsh was the big draw for that game and it was reckoned he put a few thousand on the gate. Cardiff won 4-2 with John Toshack scoring 3. Terry Venables was in the QPR team that day and scored a penalty.Quote:
Originally Posted by splott parker
It was Cardiff's first crowd over 30000 in Division 2 since the 52000 against Aston Villa in the promotion year of 1960.
Everton now at risk of a points deduction: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...ity-rules.html
So, possibly dropping out of the PL, points deduction looming, a new stadium to pay for, no new manager bounce and team in free fall. Not that long ago, Everton were in Europe with the Everton supporting part of the family being tear gassed in Lille and having a cheeky Wankdorf selfie. Now it looks more like Rotherham away next season.Quote:
Originally Posted by City123
And the season after! :hehe:Quote:
Originally Posted by IanD
An overspend of £155 million over a 3 year period :yikes:
That is not just a minor discrepancy.
They deserve all that's coming to them.
Fleetwood!Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee
Lost 3-2 at Burnley, they look f*cked
They have a really hard run in. They are in deep trouble.
Goodison away beckons. Don't make stadiums like that any more.
The championship will look like division 3 north next season. Have the teams are north of Birmingham
Interesting observation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Armitage Shanks
I make it that, assuming Fulham and Bournemouth go up, half of the Premier League will be based in London and the South East. Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Palace, Fulham, Brentford and West Ham in London and Bournemouth, Brighton, Southampton further south. Add Villa, Wolves and Leicester from the Midlands and you're probably left with 6 sides from the north left in the PL.
Thank f***, 2nd worst view going, shithole that should have been pulled down years agoQuote:
Originally Posted by IanD
Results aside I have enjoyed a few top weekends away in Liverpool with the City.Quote:
Originally Posted by IanD
Be great to go back so soon.