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Memory Lane Southend v Aston Villa 20 Nov 1971

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Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset

Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset

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Dear All,

We are approaching the 50th anniversary of this great match when we knocked Aston Villa out of the First Round of the FA Cup in front of 16,929 thanks to a Billy Best goal.

Of the 11 that played that day all nine that are still alive (sadly Joe Jacques and Brian Albeson passed away some years ago) are members of SUEPA and I plan to ask all of them for their memories of that match (though John Roberts has already said he only recalls the defeat v Bournemouth in the next round!).

Can you please post your own memories of the match as fans here no matter how fleeting they might be. The game provides myself with perhaps my earliest memory of watching football albeit only re the flared trousers pitch invasion (how apt ....)

Also, if you have any pics of the match (I have a few from the match programme afterwards) or any press cuttings please post them here too.

Alternatively if you prefer please email me at suepassoc@gmail.com with any memories/pics.

I then plan to put everything together in an article during the week prior to the match which will be published on SUEPA channels and SZ. If I get enough input I might also send it to the retro football magazine Backpass (they are already going to publish something that has been put together re the 1971 Russian Tour for their next edition).

Chico Hamilton, who played for us 68/69 and then went on to Villa (not sure if he played against us in Nov 71) has so far eluded our SUEPA Agents though I do have a reasonably good lead for him in Spain which I'll look to press a bit more and see if we can also get him on board in the run up to the match.

If nothing else it will be nice to remember a cup win.

Thanks as ever for your input.
 
Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset said:
Dear All,

We are approaching the 50th anniversary of this great match when we knocked Aston Villa out of the First Round of the FA Cup in front of 16,929 thanks to a Billy Best goal.

Of the 11 that played that day all nine that are still alive (sadly Joe Jacques and Brian Albeson passed away some years ago) are members of SUEPA and I plan to ask all of them for their memories of that match (though John Roberts has already said he only recalls the defeat v Bournemouth in the next round!).

Can you please post your own memories of the match as fans here no matter how fleeting they might be. The game provides myself with perhaps my earliest memory of watching football albeit only re the flared trousers pitch invasion (how apt ....)

Also, if you have any pics of the match (I have a few from the match programme afterwards) or any press cuttings please post them here too.

Alternatively if you prefer please email me at suepassoc@gmail.com with any memories/pics.

I then plan to put everything together in an article during the week prior to the match which will be published on SUEPA channels and SZ. If I get enough input I might also send it to the retro football magazine Backpass (they are already going to publish something that has been put together re the 1971 Russian Tour for their next edition).

Chico Hamilton, who played for us 68/69 and then went on to Villa (not sure if he played against us in Nov 71) has so far eluded our SUEPA Agents though I do have a reasonably good lead for him in Spain which I'll look to press a bit more and see if we can also get him on board in the run up to the match.

If nothing else it will be nice to remember a cup win.

Thanks as ever for your input
Click to expand...
Booooooooooooooo ?
 
There are many things about modern live that can be quite intrusive but having a camera phone years earlier would have been great for capturing the memories.

My main memories of the day is feeling how full and loud Roots Hall seemed that day and off course the pitch invasion. Even though the crowd was about twice as big for the Liverpool game for this one I seem to recall it being louder that could be due to this being a Saturday game not played in a snow storm or the mist of time has clouded my mind.

Aston Villia are a such a historic club and I love Villa Park and every third round we have reached (not many) I have wanted to draw them away sadly the lightly hood this year is even greater !
 
Not surprising that i can't remember anything about the actual game!.
What i do recall is that being a member of The North Bank, we had arranged to 'meet up' outside 'Dixon's' at the top of the high st, which was to become 'Smiths', at mid-day.
I'd est a good couple of 100 at least mustered up, & we left soon after for Roots Hall, as the ground was opening around 1pm that day.
Unbeknown to us, Villa had organised a 'special' train for their fans, which had already arrived, not sure if it came in at Southend Vic or Prittlewell?.
Our stroll to the ground was casual with no police escort at all, which to some extent was a surprise as those inside Southend Police Station could not of failed to have observed a big crew walking past!.
We didn't encounter any Villa fans at all, until we reached the car park entrance in Vic Ave.
As we started to enter it, lo & behold Villa's train load of 'lad's' were all congregated there, & before a blink of an eye, mayhem ensued!. We chased them through the car park & around the back of the North Bank. ( Before anyone starts 'tut tutting' ) that's how things were back then ).
Then we thought we'd better get in the North Bank, before they possibly tried to do so.
As many are aware there was a pitch invasion pre game, instigated by Villa from the South Bank. IIRC they got about 1/2 way, before we all poured over the wall heading towards them, which had them on their tails back to the South Bank!.
Only other thing i can remember about that day, is it rained in the evening, as i was outside The Peter Boat with K.F, his girlfriend Pam, & John T.!
 
Billy Bests boot laces said:
Not surprising that i can't remember anything about the actual game!.
What i do recall is that being a member of The North Bank, we had arranged to 'meet up' outside 'Dixon's' at the top of the high st, which was to become 'Smiths', at mid-day.
I'd est a good couple of 100 at least mustered up, & we left soon after for Roots Hall, as the ground was opening around 1pm that day.
Unbeknown to us, Villa had organised a 'special' train for their fans, which had already arrived, not sure if it came in at Southend Vic or Prittlewell?.
Our stroll to the ground was casual with no police escort at all, which to some extent was a surprise as those inside Southend Police Station could not of failed to have observed a big crew walking past!.
We didn't encounter any Villa fans at all, until we reached the car park entrance in Vic Ave.
As we started to enter it, lo & behold Villa's train load of 'lad's' were all congregated there, & before a blink of an eye, mayhem ensued!. We chased them through the car park & around the back of the North Bank. ( Before anyone starts 'tut tutting' ) that's how things were back then ).
Then we thought we'd better get in the North Bank, before they possibly tried to do so.
As many are aware there was a pitch invasion pre game, instigated by Villa from the South Bank. IIRC they got about 1/2 way, before we all poured over the wall heading towards them, which had them on their tails back to the South Bank!.
Only other thing i can remember about that day, is it rained in the evening, as i was outside The Peter Boat with K.F, his girlfriend Pam, & John T.!
Click to expand...
Nor can I really.Though unlike you I saw it from a standing terrace in The West stand.Seem to remember that Chico (Hamilton) signed for Villa pretty soon afterwards too.
 
Like BBBL,i was also outside Dixons...trying to be one of the PAK(15 year old).Also dont remember much about the game,when it kicked off on the pitch(Villa fans were the first on and off the pitch)
I was up the top of the South bank at Brother Grimms shed booking up the next away game.
From up there,you saw the Villa fans come on the pitch walking towards the North bank.Then suddenly it looked like the whole of the middle of the North bank came on to the pitch.I think kids who were sitting on the wall(as you did those days) and all the kids in front of the wall also got onto the pitch,being push on/foreward by the older lads at the back.So it looked a lot more Sarfend "lads " were up for it.
Also i think maybe only two policeman run onto the pitch about the halfway line to try and stop it.
Real Dixon of Dock Green coppers those days,take my hat off to them
 
discord said:
Was one of my most memorable matches as a kid my dad ever took me to. Villa were a 3rd Division club back then, but still had some good players Andy Lockhead was a known goal scorer of that era.
Chico did play and hit the crossbar, we won 1-0
Villa went on to play Spurs in the League Cup Final that season too.
Click to expand...
One of only 2 seasons for Villa in Div 3,they finished top by 5 (old) points.
discord said:
Was one of my most memorable matches as a kid my dad ever took me to. Villa were a 3rd Division club back then, but still had some good players Andy Lockhead was a known goal scorer of that era.
Chico did play and hit the crossbar, we won 1-0
Villa went on to play Spurs in the League Cup Final that season too.
Click to expand...
 
I was 12 when I went to this game. My strongest memory of the game was being taken by my mates dad, They had just just moved to Southend from Birmingham and were long term Villa fans. We had seats in the East stands and arrived for the Villa fans coming on the pitch and turning and running as the North Bank emptied out. All the way there his dad kept on about how we would see some real football and how he couldn't understand why I went every week to watch lower league fare. To this day I can still remember the silent journey home!
 
Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset said:
Dear All,

We are approaching the 50th anniversary of this great match when we knocked Aston Villa out of the First Round of the FA Cup in front of 16,929 thanks to a Billy Best goal.

Of the 11 that played that day all nine that are still alive (sadly Joe Jacques and Brian Albeson passed away some years ago) are members of SUEPA and I plan to ask all of them for their memories of that match (though John Roberts has already said he only recalls the defeat v Bournemouth in the next round!).

Can you please post your own memories of the match as fans here no matter how fleeting they might be. The game provides myself with perhaps my earliest memory of watching football albeit only re the flared trousers pitch invasion (how apt ....)

Also, if you have any pics of the match (I have a few from the match programme afterwards) or any press cuttings please post them here too.

Alternatively if you prefer please email me at suepassoc@gmail.com with any memories/pics.

I then plan to put everything together in an article during the week prior to the match which will be published on SUEPA channels and SZ. If I get enough input I might also send it to the retro football magazine Backpass (they are already going to publish something that has been put together re the 1971 Russian Tour for their next edition).

Chico Hamilton, who played for us 68/69 and then went on to Villa (not sure if he played against us in Nov 71) has so far eluded our SUEPA Agents though I do have a reasonably good lead for him in Spain which I'll look to press a bit more and see if we can also get him on board in the run up to the match.

If nothing else it will be nice to remember a cup win.

Thanks as ever for your input.
Click to expand...
I was lucky enough to have a ticket for the East Stand Greens Row K 109 Price 60p. very close to where I still sit to this very day. A great view on the day to see everything that went on both before and during the game. The atmosphere that day was electric to say the least and I can still remember how nervous I felt that week building up to match day. Here is how one Sunday newspaper reported the only goal of the game:- From one of the spate of free kicks given away by the jittery Villa defence, full back Ray Ternent floated the ball into the Midlanders box. Tommy Hughes caught it, saw Southend's impressive centre-forward Bill Garner pounding in and promptly dropped the ball, and there jack-knifing forward, right on the spot, was local favourite Billy Best to head home from a few yards.*Referee that memorable day was Norman Burtenshaw. *Att:16,929. P.S. As mentioned by Zeuss in post No.11 Villa only played for two seasons in Div. 3. and in the 1st. Round of the F.A. Cup losing to 3rd. Div. Torquay United 3-1 in 1970-71 and then losing to us 1-0 at Roots Hall in 1971-72. I believe this to be the only time that Villa have been knocked out of the F.A. Cup by a fourth tier football club? (TBC) *Slade were at No.1 in the charts that week with "Coz I Luv You".
 
It's so hard to convey the excitement of that time to younger fans brought up on all seater stadiums and with Roots Hall missing the old South Bank .At the time many of the local North Bank lads used to follow Southend on the Friday night and have a dual allegiance to a London club on a Saturday, but on that day everyone was supporting their local club and turned up (unbelievable to think you could easily afford 2 or even 3 games in a week then as football was priced for the ordinary worker) as Villa were a big name with a big following..Entering the ground what a buzz and the atmosphere was like a big Div 1 (premiership) game.Before the kick off the Villa first and then the Pak Boot boys charged across the pitch to be separated by as said earlier a couple of coppers who turned it into a handbags at dawn meeting at the half way line before retreating back to the terraces.Onto the game and when you look back what a great side we had in the making and when Billy scored it was up there with a handful of treasured memories from that time.If only some of those moments were captured on film .With that team and support we should really have kicked on to be comparable to clubs like Ipswich were at the time ,but as we know the Rubin's cashed in the assets
 
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