OK, here's the final line-up, after this site invited readers to send in their all-time favourite games:
Pol Omarcaigh:
I follow Celtic in the main but have always been a Villa fan too since schooldays. I have been down to see Villa 3 times when I was a lot younger and the 3 games I was at were all crackers. I cannot remember the exact dates but it was 3 simultaneous Easter Mondays late seventies.
The scores were : Villa 3 v Liverpool 1 (Liverpool won the championship that year and conceded 16 goals only I believe) I remember Gordan Cowans was outstanding that day.
2nd game was Villa 3 v Notts Forest 2 (I got John Robertson's autograph that day and he was fuming about my Villa scarf and Scottish accent)
The 3rd game was Villa 3 v Spurs 0 and Tony Morley scored two I think.
I have a good tarck record I'm sure you'll agree. Watched 3 won 3. Up Villa!!
Alex Simpson:
The greatest game ever was Villa 5, Liverpool 1.
But, does anybody remember why it wasn't captured for posterity on TV. I'll tell you why, because it was the bloody debut of one Derek Hales (£350,000, then, a record) for Derby County. So they bloody well sent the cameras to the Baseball Ground. That game ended 0-0. We will never see that first half again.....
By the way, top marks for the villain who remebers Keith Leonard as one of the greatest ever. His goals per game is still the best ratio for a Villa player ever, and probably the best for England too.
Stephen Samuel Rose:
I have looked at your web - site and agree with the suggestions of the Villa fans, but why has no one mentioned when Dalian Atkinson scored that goal against Wimbledon, which won him goal of the season. That season we finished second in the league to Man U, and this goal, my god, it was so good. It was a Wimbledon corner, which was over hit, and he controlled the ball and he just started to run. He went past five defenders, until he came to the penalty area, the keeper was approaching, and Dalian just chipped the ball over the keeper to see the ball go into the bottom corner. What a goal!
Jim:
Villa 6 Scousers (blue) 2
Most memorable for the tactics of playing a 7 foot winger who headed the ball into the penalty area from goal kicks.
Nov 89
Gavin Sanders:
The best Villa game was October 1990
Aston Villa 2 Inter Milan 0
With goals from Kent Nielsen and David Platt. The first was a rocket of a shot that shook the entire Holte End. The second was yet another spot of brillance from the legendary (when he was at Villa) David Platt.
Just a quick note
In the CCC semi-final 2nd leg Villa 3 - 1 Tranmere Dalian Atkinson had actually had a shit game and the entire Holte End was demanding that he was took off!!!!!! Just to clear things up!
Dan Nicotra:
Villa 3 - 2 Arsenal (1998/99 season)
After being 2 down and legend Super Dion getting 2 (one in the dying minutes) and Joachim grabbing 1 !!!! I hate Arsenal and they thought they were such big shots and when we were 2 down I was getting depressed but when Joachim pulled 1 back I was thinking we had a chance, but when super Dion pulled 2 back against the best defence in europe to win 3-2 I was going mad! It was the best comeback win that I can remember against such an up themselves team, and every time I think we are out of a game now, that always cheers me to know we can and whan arsenal supporters jeer me all I have to do is think of the day we kicked the crap out of them and I'm happy!
Also a good game, probably not that good for us because we lost, but 4-3 loss to Charlton, that was a game with a shit load of sprirt!!!!!!!
I also think that out 1-0 win over Arsenal with a Dwight Yorke finish in the 1997/98 season was a great game and a legend finish!
Kuen-Wah:
Ipswich 1 - 0 Villa
This was an exciting third round FA Cup tie when title-chasing Villa, in boss Ron Saunders' final full season, were at their peak. Gary Shaw played a blinder and Peter Withe was causing all sorts of problems in the Ipswich Town penalty area. Unfortunately, Paul Mariner stole the only goal against the run of play when Eric Gates put off the Villa centre-backs by pouting at them. Yet it proved a blessing in disguise as the boys were allowed to concentrate on the league, pipping them to the title while Ipswich botched up their treble attempt. Ha ha ha.
Jim:
Blues 0 Villa 1
You could not have dreamt this any better. Straight after Ellis kicks Saunders out (we're still in the Euro Cup Quarter Final) he gets the job at Blues and we have to play them within a matter of weeks. As expected it was civil war, fans literally running across the pith to get at each other. A heaving Tilton Road end singing "You must be f***ing mad, Saunders, Saunders" all game. Then, the gods smiled and with only a few minutes left...a dodgy back pass, got stuck in the mud and Peter Withe nips in to win it all 1-0. I still hate them, I still miss Ron Saunders, I still think about that goal and it still makes me smile!
Paul Rippington:
Villa 5 Liverpool 1 (mid 70's)
What I remember most was that the Holte end was so quiet. It was so improbable. Liverpool were virtually unbeatable and Villa were 4 - 0 up after about 20 minutes, and it was 5 - 1 at half time and it should have been more. I remember how the goals were going in and people were looking around in silent disbelief!! Villa's front three were Gray, Little and Deehan who accounted for all the goals and they were all crackers. I've been living in the States for the past 11 years and that game gives me great memories of home.
Other great games:
Villa 3 Everton 2 (League Cup final 2nd replay 1977)
Memorable for Chris Nicholl goal
Leicester 2 Villa 2
Chris Nicholl scored all 4 goals!!!
Tottenham 1 Villa 4
Ron Saunders spoils Ardiles and Villa's home debut.
One last memory:
The best Villa player ever who has been totally forgotten (because of career cut short by injury):- Keith Leonard. Does anybody else remember what a great player he was? I think he was so quickly forgotten because it was Andy Gray who replaced him.
Mohamed Arafa:
UEFA Cup QF Second Leg
Villa 2 Athletico Madrid 1
Despite conceding a Caminero away goal early on, an Ian Taylor strike and a rocket from 'Stan the Man', set up a tense last quarter-hour and nearly took Villa to their first European semi in 16 years.
Charlie:
Villa 2 Man Utd. 1 League Cup Semi (2nd Leg) 1970 71 ?
The first time I'd seen Villa play and my first trip to Villa Park. The first leg had been a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford which was an amazing achievement in itself seeing as we were still in Divsion 3 and United were in the old Division 1. Divison 3 and yet 57,000 turned up to watch Vic Crowe's men defeat Charlton, Kid and the likes with an Andy Lochead header after Kid had put United in front (I forget who equalised for us, Chico Hamilton ?) Anyway Villa played with the kind of passion born out of real tradition before a crowd that carried the team to Wembley where they out-played Spurs for 80 minutes before Martin Chivers fluked two late goals and since then I've hated Spurs. But I'll never forget Villa Park that night even though I was only eight years old.
Andrew Williams:
Just thought I'd pop you a note about two of my favourite games of recent years:
The first has to be Villa 5-0 Wimbledon, 22nd December 1996. I went to the game, it was bloody cold and only 28,000 people turned up because it was televised on Sky and because it was so close to Christmas. Savo's wife had given birth to his first son the day before and he played what was undoubtedly his finest game in a Villa shirt and possibly the finest of any Villa player of recent years - when people talk of what he is capable of they need only look to his performance of that night.
The second also from the same season has to be Newcastle 4-3 Villa. A style of football that Newcastle could only play under a manager like Keegan. Draper got sent off in the first half and we were looking good even though the scoreline read 3-1 down at half-time - but the second half saw two teams play with hunger for the result and pace was ballistic as attack followed counter-attack in a display of end-to-end total football, that finished with Dwight with a hat-trick and smiles allround even though we lost - the kind of game you wish could go on forever.
Just a couple of thoughts...
David Crowe:
Just a suggestion as to one of Villa's greatest moments in the last few seasons. Beating Inter Milan in the UEFA Cup.Remember RAY HOUGHTON scored against Pagliuca for the second time.Remember Giants Stadium, Ray's finest moment.
Anyway it's a suggestion worth noting. I think you should do a report on that game. But don't have Phil King as the hero,just because he scored the winning penalty,we all know who the real hero was.
OOH AHH PAUL Mc GRATH
Tony Corfield:
I've just seen your web site and you asked for more suggestions about great villa games. Here's just a few:
December 1976.
Villa 5 Liverpool 1
May 1982
Villa 1 Bayern Munich 0
January 1983
Villa 3 Barcelona 1 (European Super Cup)
November 1989
Villa 6 Everton 2
October 1990
Villa 2 Inter Milan 0 (Uefa Cup)
August 1991
Sheff Wed 2 Villa 3 (Big Ron's First Game)
March 1998
Everton 1 Villa 4
May 1998
Sheff Wed 1 Villa 3
Out of all the games I've listed I would say that the Liverpool match is my all time favourite. I'm sure there are many more that I've forgotten.
A few thoughts from the Webmaster!:
Villa 7 - 1 Wimbledon:
This was just after Brian Little had taken over and he was under a bit of pressure. We'd lost to Wimbledon earlier in the season, the result which ended Big Ron's spell in charge. This game, it was a different story: a Tommy Johnson hat-trick (his first goals for the club), two from Deano, one from Dwight, and an own-goal finished it off perfectly.
Villa 3 - 3 Wimbledon:
The best comedy of errors I've seen. Villa salvaged a draw without scoring in open play. Two Wimbledon own goals (Reeves and Cunningham I think) and a Dwight Yorke penalty got us a point.
Villa 3 - 1 Tranmere (4-4 on aggregate; Villa win 5-4 on penalties):
This was the CCC semi-final game in 1994. A dreadful first leg performance had left us 3-1 down in the return leg at Villa Park, and no team had ever overcome such a large defecit in this competition. However, inspired by a superb performance from Dalian Atkinson, we'd pulled it back to 3-3 at the end of normal time. With no goals in extra-time penalties were upon us (in the days before the away goals rule), and possibly one of the performances of Mark Bosnich's career. Ugo Ehiogu and Kevin Richardson both missed penalties, but Bosnich saved two in brilliant fashion. Got out of jail a bit there, I think...
Villa 3 - 1 Man Utd:
The first game of the 1995/6 season, and Villa got off to a flying start, 3-0 up at half time, with goals from Draper, Taylor (?), and Yorke. Some bloke called Beckham came off the subs bench at half-time and pulled one back, but by then we'd proved that we were serious about doing something that season, after the poor one that preceded it.
Go back to VillaWorld.