Caledonia Dreaming or Ian38018 Sporting Travels: Villa Park

Saturday, 16 April 2011

Villa Park

10^th April 2011

Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle United

It is probably true to say I visited Villa Park eleven years too late – too late to view the wonderful Archibald Leitch designed Trinity Road stand façade, demolished by Doug Ellis in 2000 to make way for the present monstrosity. An imitation of the façade has recently been tacked on to the back of the Holte End Stand; quietly impressive but without the take-your-breath-away factor of the original.

Regretfully, this match also lacked any take-your-breath-away factor, due mainly to the fact this was a contest between an extremely edgy Villa side, very much aware they were flirting around the borders of Relegationland, and a Newcastle side still coming to terms with the loss of Andy Carroll’s firepower up front. That they were also without the suspended Kevin Nolan for this afternoon hardly enhanced their goal prospects.

Nevertheless the first two meaningful opportunities of the day fell to the visitors as first Joey Barton made a real hash of a headed opportunity, then Nile Ranger failed to unduly trouble Brad Friedel when put through.

In the 24^th minute the award of a rather soft free-kick against him for a challenge on Ashley Young had Barton bouncing around in frustration, but worse was to follow as Young, taking the free-kick himself, picked out James COLLINS whose glancing header looped in at the post. This strike certainly seemed to settle a few home nerves, and Villa enjoyed the best of things for the remainder of the half. Indeed, they should have been two-up at the break, but Darren Bent saw a perfectly good goal wrongly ruled out for offside.

The second-half was just more of the same really, with Villa dominating possession and Newcastle seemingly content to allow them to do so. A clutch of substitutions by both sides altered things not a jot, until the closing minutes when the visitors finally decided to try to salvage something from the afternoon. Peter Lovenkrands was twice foiled by the agility and positioning of home ’keeper Friedel, before Ryan Taylor struck an injury time free-kick just over the bar.

Quite why Newcastle decided to leave it until the dying moments to take a few chances and throw men forward, I have no idea. I sometimes feel no side should ever lose a match 1-0, as it just smacks of cowardice. To me, with my simple way of thinking, losing 1-0 is generally no different to losing 2-0.

So if you are trailing by a goal with 10 minutes to go, throw another player up front….then another……then another, so that by the end you are playing a 1-1-8 formation. What is the worst that can happen? – you concede on the counter and lose 2-0. But then, what do I know?

Villa Park North Stand facade in 2011

Villa Park North Stand facade in 2024

The Holte End facade, completed as recently as 2007 (photographed in 2011)

...and again in 2024

The rear of the Trinity Road stand is built over the road itself (2011)

Same view in 2024

Newcastle's Ryan Taylor fails to deliver at the Last Chance Saloon (2011)

...and an equally crappy effort, this time by a Villa player flies over the top (2024)

Panorama of Villa Park (2011)

Panorama of Villa Park (2024)

**********************************************************************************

Aston Villa 0-0 Manchester United

6th October 2024

I have not too much to report on this one, for rarely have I witnessed a top flight encounter so blighted by wayward passing, crappy crossing, poor finishing and plain old bad decision-making by two teams of professional sportsmen.

In the first-half Marcus Rashford for United, then Villa's Youri Tielemans both had shots which tested the two goalkeepers. The saves each looked a touch spectacular perhaps, but they were stops both 'keepers would have been expected to make. And that was sort of it for the first period.

Villa enjoyed a couple of spells of pressure both at the start and towards the end of the second half, but succeeded in creating only once chance of note. This fell to Jaden Philogene, but his goal-bound attempt was blocked by a very fortunate Diogo Dalot, who had actually turned his back on the shot.

As for United, a Bruno Fernandes free-kick which struck the crossbar was as close as they came to scoring. But, to be fair, had the strike been on target, it would not have gotten over Villa's defensive wall.

The Holte pub, after which The Holte end is named (I assume).

I have never seen such a comprehensive collection of condiments

These yellow strips on the stairs have been added since my last visit.

There are pictures of the each of the 1982 European Cup winning team displayed outside the ground. A pair of Scots, Ken McNaught and Allan Evans made up Aston Villa's central defence that evening. Clearly the duo made for an effective and efficient pairing, yet had been prior to 1982, ignored by the Scottish national side.

Evans was, almost grudgingly called into the squad just prior to the 1982 World cup finals in Spain. He played in Scotland's opening match against New Zealand, where he was posted missing for both Kiwi goals. He never played for Scotland again.

I have often wondered why Scotland manager at the time Jock Stein, had not just lifted the Villa centre-back pairing wholesale, and played both Evans and McNaught.