How many...

[Alexmaverick]

...did we take to Villa Park,Oct '74? Anyone know/remember? I was there,in the Holte End.No segregation in those days.
(Cue faint sound of tumbleweed blowing in the breeze).
P.s. What about the Yids at G.R. a year later? Anyone know how many they brought up? I recall our tannoy announcer warning folk to beware pickpockets before kick-off.

[PAULCAFC]

I was at the Spurs game, they had a few here, not sure exactly but remember Chivers after the game not signing an autograph because us youngsters seemed to have upset him with our remarks! Juvenile stuff!

[crewedaft]

I was at all four home games - Birmingham and Villa one season, Chelsea and Spurs the next. Villa brought by far the most - about 4,000 - crowd was over 12,000. Impossible to tell how many travelled to the replay at Villa Park as it was pay on the gate and no segregation but I would guess between 1,500 and 2,000. Think we lost in the last minute!

The win over Birmingham in the round before (Div 4 beats Div 1) will always be my favourite ever Alex match. To a 10 year old kid the excitement levels were off the scale!

[whosbrianwilson]

We did indeed lose in the last minute. Geoff Crudgington who had played out of his skin all night (a la Kearton at Blackburn) dropped a cross and we went out. Absolutely devasted for him.

[Alexmaverick]

We did indeed lose in the last minute. Geoff Crudgington who had played out of his skin all night (a la Kearton at Blackburn) dropped a cross and we went out. Absolutely devasted for him.
You sure it was a cross he dropped? I've always "remembered" it as being a long-range Chico Hamilton effort that beat Crudg.

[crewedaft]

It's funny how crap we were at that time (bottom half of Div 4), yet big clubs used to be fearful of turning up to Gresty Road in the League Cup.

Remember Gerry Humphreys sending the keeper the wrong way to beat Chelsea and Birmingham were very nervous in front of a vociferous crowd. Against Villa we came back twice from being a goal down and could have won it (they went on to win the League Cup that year and beat Chester in the semis!!).

[whosbrianwilson]

You could be right Maverick.

These days, I struggle to remember what I had for breakfast yesterday!! If it was a long range shot, my "reminices" of that game have been wrong for nigh on 40 years!!

[PAULCAFC]

It's funny how crap we were at that time (bottom half of Div 4), yet big clubs used to be fearful of turning up to Gresty Road in the League Cup.

Remember Gerry Humphreys sending the keeper the wrong way to beat Chelsea and Birmingham were very nervous in front of a vociferous crowd. Against Villa we came back twice from being a goal down and could have won it (they went on to win the League Cup that year and beat Chester in the semis!!).

Remember the old bar in the Gresty Road end being busy with flagons of ale being downed (I was`nt old enough to drink then!)plus the nearby open toilet being used a heck of a lot of times(footy grounds then, unbelievable!)XD XD

[Alexmaverick]

Yep,Chesters had a dram season
It's funny how crap we were at that time (bottom half of Div 4), yet big clubs used to be fearful of turning up to Gresty Road in the League Cup.

Remember Gerry Humphreys sending the keeper the wrong way to beat Chelsea and Birmingham were very nervous in front of a vociferous crowd. Against Villa we came back twice from being a goal down and could have won it (they went on to win the League Cup that year and beat Chester in the semis!!).
Yep,Chester had a dream of a season,knocking out Leeds on their way to the semis and getting promoted to div 3.Their cup run was in an era when the big clubs actually cared about the domestic cups-the notion of fielding "reserve sides" was unheard of.Leeds at that time were one of the best and most glamourous outfits in the land and reached the European Cup Final later on that campaign.19,000 were at Chester for the Leeds and Villa games! For each game,that is!