40 Years Ago This Weekend

[wardonia_blade]

With us on the brink of our first final in nearly 80 years, I have gone back to the halfway point (approx) to a 4th round FA cup tie that many older Blades will remember. Optimism was high as 6000 or so Blades made the trip to Villa Park. This was a massive away following at the time with 4-5 coaches being the norm.

We were in the top league, playing well, and finishing in 6th place, the highest I can remember. Currie was at his peak.

Villa were second division, eventually promoted (along with Man United!) and won the league cup a few months later, although their last four matches were Colchester, Hartlepool, Chester and 2nd division Norwich in the final, so not the hardest sequence.

As was the norm in that era Villa were miles too good for us on the day. Ray Graydon ran riot and we had no answer. A 4-1 defeat and no arguments. Probably the first indication that this Blades team was past its best and the awful relegation next season confirmed this. A 5-1 defeat at Villa was even worse.

I am sure many older Blades on this forum were there on 25 Jan 1975 and have their own memories.

However, next Wednesday, we will take a step towards erasing all these nightmares with the greatest night of triumph in years.

Believe, Blades.

 

[Groucho Blade]

I was there that day. I couldn't believe what I was watching. It was horrible. We were well and truly thrashed.
It was made even worse by the West Midlands constabulary who waded in amongst us and ejected anyone who took offence at their thuggery.

 

[Silent Blade]

With us on the brink of our first final in nearly 80 years, I have gone back to the halfway point (approx) to a 4th round FA cup tie that many older Blades will remember. Optimism was high as 6000 or so Blades made the trip to Villa Park. This was a massive away following at the time with 4-5 coaches being the norm.

We were in the top league, playing well, and finishing in 6th place, the highest I can remember. Currie was at his peak.

Villa were second division, eventually promoted (along with Man United!) and won the league cup a few months later, although their last four matches were Colchester, Hartlepool, Chester and 2nd division Norwich in the final, so not the hardest sequence.

As was the norm in that era Villa were miles too good for us on the day. Ray Graydon ran riot and we had no answer. A 4-1 defeat and no arguments. Probably the first indication that this Blades team was past its best and the awful relegation next season confirmed this. A 5-1 defeat at Villa was even worse.

I am sure many older Blades on this forum were there on 25 Jan 1975 and have their own memories.

However, next Wednesday, we will take a step towards erasing all these nightmares with the greatest night of triumph in years.

Believe, Blades.

I was at my boarding school telling a Villa fan, 3 years older than me, that Villa should forget about the FA Cup because they have promotion and the League Cup final in mind. I so was confident of us beating Villa but seeing the final score on Grandstand in the tv room disappointed me greatly and this Villa fan came up to me saying that I had been talking nonsense to him! Villa beat Norwich in the League Cup final and got promoted that season

 

[grafikhaus]

I was there that day. I couldn't believe what I was watching. It was horrible. We were well and truly thrashed.
It was made even worse by the West Midlands constabulary who waded in amongst us and ejected anyone who took offence at their thuggery.

I was also there. Turned a corner outside the ground - me in red & white gear - and four huge (to me!) Villa fans gobbed in my face. West Midland Police were renowned for their thuggery. We played at Molineux last game of 88 (89?) season in a 2-2 draw. The police were fucking animals.

 

[Pedro Verde]

I was arrested that day before the game for doing fuck all and got a hammering in the van on the way back to the nick. Thought we took 10k to Villa Park

 

[Revolution]

One of the things you never hear about the 1970s teams is how pathetic their cup record was.