It was sad to see that Denis Law left us a week ago at the age of 84. He was undoubtedly one of Britain’s greatest forwards, proving this in a career across Scotland, England and Italy.
He was a forward who was able to show balletic skills on rubbish surfaces as well as on major stages as he won all of the honours in the English game. He was blessed with the skill to beat defenders, overhead kicks, back heels and an ability to be there at the right time.
I was there to see him score six goals at Kenilworth Road in the infamous abandoned F.A. Cup game of 1961.
Being treated for my 11th birthday, my Dad and I caught the 321 London Country Bus from the Ancient Briton, in St Albans, to the top of Cutenhoe Road in Luton, where a Luton Corporation ‘Special’ bus was waiting to take us to the ground. We stood at the Kenilworth Road End and watched a sensation, Denis Law, totally overrun the home side. It didn’t matter that we were drenched we were watching a master. Some of the crowd around us were complaining about the conditions at half time, and wanted the game abandoned so that they could get their money back and I also suspect that they didn’t like to see Luton thrashed. The teams did come out for 24 more minutes and no money was refunded or tickets given to the rearranged game.
I didn’t care, what a birthday treat to see Dennis Law tiptoe through atrocious conditions and score 6 goals, against Luton’s 2. Denis even scored in the rearranged game but Luton came out winners of that 3.1.
I only ever saw Denis Law on the TV after that, what a player, what a career.
I battled through the busy traffic into and through Sheffield on my way to Sandygate Road to ensure I was early enough to get to Hallam FC to get a seat and a program. A large crowd was expected to see Hallam play Sheffield FC for the first time in a few years in what is called the ‘Rules Derby’ a reference to the Sheffield Rules which are the oldest rules in football and still provide much of the basis for the playing of the game today all over the world.
Hallam FC, the second oldest club in the world were playing Sheffield FC the first and oldest club in the world. This at Sandygate Lane, the oldest football ground in the world for a semi-final place in the Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup administered by, Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football Association, the first area Association established in England.
I have been to this ground many time before so will not describe it again but point out that the club have recently extended the standing area behind the ‘Shed End’ and that one side is totally open to the cricket pitch. Because of the exceptional 1496 crowd, spectators were allowed to stand on the hallowed cricket pitch side, something I have never seen here before.
These two clubs are experiencing differing stages in their life. Sheffield FC are still at their Derbyshire ground and trying to get permission to move back into the City to have a permanent home and build the type of local community spirit that has been built up by Hallam over the many years in one location. Hallam’s success in generating income through larger than usual crowds at their level of football and the resulting extras, food, drink, shop, club house, etc has also seen success on the field as well. It leaves them currently in a good position to make the playoffs at the end of the season. Sheffield FC despite their status as the oldest club in the world, which generates a world wide fan base needs a local grounding. Sheffield are uncomfortably at the foot of the Northern Premier League East, 6 points adrift of their nearest rivals. A relegation might see them playing in The United Counties Premier North Division next year because of their Derbyshire location. So this season it is Sheffield that are the team from one level higher than Hallam. but next year the tables could well be turned.
Another reason for the trip was that the game was on my 75th birthday having been postponed, due to the snow, the week before. It was also roughly 70 years since I had watched my first football match, when at the age of five I had seen St Albans City play in the Isthmian League.
Hallam FC 2 Sheffield FC 1
Sheffield and Hallamshire Senior Cup – Quarter Final. Tuesday 21st January 2025, 19.45 pm kick off. Hallam FC, Sandygate, Sandygate Road, Sheffield S10 5SE
Hallam; All Royal Blue kit, goalkeeper wearing pink top and black shorts. Sheffield; Red shirts with black quartered fronts and black sleeves and collars, goalkeeper in all green.
Hallam kicked up the hill in the first half on a pitch that is beginning to show some wear after some busy use. It was a cool night at 4 degrees and would have been colder if not for the cloud cover.
The home crowd were immediately behind their team and they took an early lead when Hugo Warhurst, their goalkeeper launched a long kick that was expertly controlled by James Cadman who drilled into the net.
The end to end play now produced a goal for Sheffield when Connor Cutts rifled home an equaliser from distance. Hallam gained the ascendancy again and were denied by good saves by Niall Edge and the post. Niall Edge’s kicking was not helping Sheffield to move the ball up field and Hallam kept up the pressure. At half time it was one a piece but both teams had played their part in a full blooded encounter that had been end to end.
Hallam started the second half like the first and scored with only a few minutes on the clock. A cross was met by Leon Howarth who steadied himself, moved across two defenders and found the bottom left corner of the net after a deflection. Cue Hallam supporters joy and a blue flare held high behind the bottom end net in which they had just scored.
Sheffield huffed and puffed and created one real chance when the advancing home keeper was well beaten only for the shot to be cleared off the line by one of the three defenders who had raced back to cover.
As the game went on it seemed that Hallam were the side putting it all on the line as they continued to chase and challenge everything. This effort despite their sapping away defeat in the FA Vase on Saturday. Hallam held on and deserved the win. With some strong teams left in the cup another fantastic night could be waiting for Hallam.
The Chips unfortunately did not live up to the rest of the evening, they were warm, soggy, OK taste and not greasy but only a score of 55. Not up to the normal standard here but I think a large batch had been cooked and I may have received the end of that.
Friday saw me take a drive to Villa Park to see their 150th Anniversary Game, which had been deemed to be the Third Rond FA Cup game at home to West Ham. Tickets were reduced to £25 and less for children so another grandson was able to come along and see his first ever game at Aston Villa.
Other celebratory actions were the use of an Anniversary kit of black shirts, to pay homage to the original shirts that also had no sponsorship or player names on them. There were also items for sale in the club shop, which had lengthy queues, for £1.50, as well as a souvenir programme for the same price. Unfortunately only a few had been printed and although we entered the North Stand an hour early, there were none left, although they were for sale on eBay the next day at a very inflated price. Subsequent to this a new batch have been re-printed for sale to fans.
It was a cold clear night with the car temperature registering minus 4 degrees as we parked, and we were soon chilled on the way to the stadium, but inside, where there was a full house, it was warmer. There had been rumblings about Villa making this their anniversary match yet I felt the full house was a vindication considering the weather , a Friday night and the game being on TV. It also gave the chance for younger fans to attend and get their first taste of the Villa bug.
Villa fans were in good voice as too were the 6000 from West Ham who helped to create a good atmosphere.
Aston Villa 2 West Ham 1
Friday 10th February 2025 20.00 pm kick off F.A. Cup 3rd Round
Villa Park, Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 6HE, Villains v Hammers
Villa; Black shirts, white shorts West Ham; White Shirts, claret shorts.
The noise ramped up as the game started with both sides looking to take control. A mistake trying to head clear a challenge in the centre of the pitch was swept out to the West Ham right and the ball was quickly moved forward to be centred which allowed Luca Paqueta to shoot low to the left of Olsen, in goal for Villa, maybe for the last time, into the corner of the net to take the lead with 9 minutes gone.
Villa looked sluggish at this point and continual sideways passes with no result were greeted with derision by the home fans. The continual probing didn’t lead to anything and their flow was disrupted on 23 minutes when Barkley was substituted for Onana after a leg injury, not long after Fullkrug had been replaced for West Ham by ex villain Danny Ings. The probing pattern of play continued for Villa, with West Ham occasionally making a quick break but neither side looked like adding to the score as the clock wound down to half time. A group of past players were warmly applauded when they walked around the pitch at the break.
The second half started without West Ham’s Summerville who had been influential in the visitors play.
Villa took more control yet still didn’t score even though they forced a series of corners. One corner from the right was swung in to be headed on by Tyrone Mings to Ezri Konsa at the back post who headed it down into the ground where it was spilled by Fabianski, the West Ham keeper, after an intervention by a defender. The ball was pounced on by the imposing Onana who poked it over the line. Should the Hammers goal Hero, Paqueta, not have fallen over next to Konsa, he would have been able to challenge his goalward header.
The goal signalled a resurgent Villa which was also helped by the immediate introduction of three substitutes. Five minutes after the goal, Yuri Tielemans released a long ground pass from deep in his own half to Emi Buendia, who had started with a positive go forward attitude, who swept the ball out to the left where Ollie Watkins raced into the Hammers penalty area and flashed the ball along the ground to Morgan Rogers who with one strike buried it into the net. A typical Villa goal under Unai Emery. The onslaught continued and only the left hand post stopped Jacob Ramsey’s beautiful curling shot from making it three.
Villa relaxed a little and it was their other substitute, Nedeljkovic who raced back at impressive speed to block a goalward bound shot. Villa fans were now in full flow and were relieved and pleased at their teams second half play. For 70 minutes I though that I would need to write ‘ You have to deal with disappointments following the Villa part 4’ but my influence had changed which I put down to wearing my claret and blue scarf, knitted by my mother 30 years ago, to keep me warm.
UP THE VILLA, even though I couldn’t get any chips with the huge queue, because all food and drink was £1.50 and the crowd was 40898.
I decided to keep up my recent run of cup games by heading to see Coleshill Town play Biggleswade Town in the FA Trophy. I also wanted to say hello to an old school friend, the Chairman of Biggleswade Town.
Having left home with clear skies I was surprised to see the banks of black clouds as approached junction 24 of the M1 and then the resulting rain. My next surprise was that Google maps took me down a narrow lane and the entrance to the driveway of a private house. I was pleased that it wasn’t my poor navigation skills as another fan, from Brackley, had the same problem. We could see the lights beyond the house and eventually found the ground.
Coleshill Town FC is located on the southern edge of Coleshill, in the countryside. After turning down a lane, you find a large flat car park with a turnstile in one corner.
It was a grey day, and the low cloud and rain  gave a dullo appearance to what looked like a large area. It was an all weather artificial pitch open at both ends with large conifers behind one.
One side was open all bar a small covered seated stand and other side had a low seated stand, a small coveted standing area and the players changing rooms.
Over in one corner was a club house/bar, a hospitality (directors) building and a food kiosk.
Coleshill have gone through three names since being formed in 1885. Their first season in a league was 1906 when they joined the Birmingham Youth and Old Boys league. They carried on in local regional leagues until 1969 when they were promoted to the newly formed Midland Combination.
They had to wait until 2008 to move up again, this time to the Midland Alliance. When the league merged with the Midland Combination to form the Midland League in 2014, they moved again. Four years later, they were promoted to The Southern League Division One Central but were later transferred laterally to The Northern Premier League Division One Midlands, where they now play.
Biggleswade’s history goes back to 1874 but it wasn’t until the new century that they joined local football leagues. They played in Biggleswade and Bedford football leagues before joining the Northampton league which ,morphed into the United Counties League in1934. They joined the Spartan League in 1945 when they changed their name to Biggleswade Town. Back to the UCL in 1951 they moved again in 1955 to the Eastern Counties League but 8 years later they were back in the UCL quite some nomads. Their nomadic life continued with a switch to the South Midlands League in 1980, and league re-organisations saw them being founder members of the Spartan South Midlands League in 1997. 2008 saw promotion to the Southern League and 2013 promotion to the Southern Premier with another re-organisation placing them in the Premier Division Central of the Southern League from which they were relegated from in 2022 but bounced back up as champions of Division One only one season later. What an amazing journey, ground hopping through the leagues like rivals Coleshill.
Coleshill Town 4 Biggleswade Town 5
Saturday 16th 15.00 pm kick off. FA Trophy 2nd Round
Packington Ln, Coleshill, B46 3JE
13th Northern Premier League, Midland Division, v 22nd (last) Southern League, Central Division Colemen v The Waders
Coleshill, white shirts royal blue shorts; Biggleswade. All grey strip.
Biggleswade had the better chances to start the game when they pushed forward down the right, but as is often the case, it was Coleshill who scored first.
After 9 minutes, a positive run down the right, including a stepover allowed the player to deliver a ball along the ground for Alex McSkeane to steer it into the net at the post. It was two nil 9 minutes later when a corner from right headed was headed out to edge of box and Nathan Kabeya volleyed ball down into ground and its bounce deceived everyone and sped into left hand corner of net.
Biggleswade missed a glorious chance on 33 minutes when when a mistake by the keeper gave 10 a great chance to reduce the deficit but he blazed the ball wide.
With half time approaching the low cloud drifted lower and the rain kept up its miserable drizzle and it was more misery for the away team as Coleshill score their third goal. This was a copy of their first with a quick burst down the right meant the ball was delivered along the ground to allow Bassit Mandey to direct it into the net. Coleshill had been rampant, outclassing Biggleswade with fast breaks, the gloomy weather also did nothing to give the travelling fans anything to be happy about.
The second half started in similar fashion but Biggleswade seemed tighter at the back and had switched from high ball and play down the left to keeping it on the ground and pressing down the right where they had initial success at the start of the game. The away team pulled one back 14 minutes into the new half when a ball was cleared by the Coleshill defence to be curled back into the far post where it was nodded back for Cyrus Babaie-Gumbs to score. Just 3 minutes later the 185 Hardy fans were stunned when the away team scored again. What looked to me to have been a shot was hooked in by an attempted overhead kick by the post.
The mayhem continued when only a minute layer Cyrus Babaie-Gumbs rushed through and placed the ball into the centre of the net for 3.3.
The unthinkable happened with 75 minutes gone when Biggleswade’s comeback was completed when they took the lead. A cross from the left saw Cyrus Babaie-Gumbs leap higher than anyone else to head home and achieve a great hattrick.
Biggleswade’s joy only lasted 9 minutes when their defence gifted the ball to Bassit Mandy to calmly slide the ball underneath the despairing away goalkeeper.
The 90 minutes were up and in added time The Waders were awarded a free kick 25 yards out in the middle of the attacking half. Josh Steele kicked the ball straight down the middle and somehow the ball went between the goalkeepers head and the cross bar. The Biggleswade players celebrated with joy as the home goalkeeper was inconsolable.
An improbable victory for the visitors after their abject performance of the first half but one they deserved with a change of tactics and energy for the final 45 minutes.
I didn’t think I would see such an exciting game as the recent one between Hednesford and Gainsborough but this had certainly tried hard to compete.
A great day for my old school friend whose club were rewarded with a home tie to Totton in the next round.
Coleshill we’re back in action on Monday and put the cup defeat behind them with a home league win against Corby.
I queued up for chips sheltered from the rain by a gazebo. They were cooked separately and the very large portion was presented to me hot, hot. hot in a cardboard carton. They had a crispy golden outside and a soft inside. They were very tasty and slightly greasy, scoring a brilliant 74.
Butcher, Baker, Papermaker, with help from the Ice Cream Man.
I enjoyed watching football within the walls of Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle last year so I decided to return again.
I have written before about the Berwick Charities Cup and can only admire the dedication of the organisers, referees, and players who keep this tradition going each year. It is also a community builder with family groups of all ages turning up to watch with folding chairs, or just sitting on the walls or grass. Over 100 people watched for some or all of the match and as usual a collection box was passed round.
The ground it is played on is called the Stanks, a piece of land big enough for a full sized football pitch just outside the walls of the Elizabethan, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Castle. Now infilled, it was once part of the moat and has now served as a football pitch where thousands of pounds have been raised in the last 100 years.
There is an interesting exhibition in a local gallery showing 30 seascape by Lowry, who was a frequent visitor to these parts. I’m sure it will bring in many visitors but I think more could be made of the town promoting the Charities Cup which must be one of the wonders of the footballing world.
It was a glorious sunny evening with an onshore breeze keeping the temperature to a comfortable 18 degrees. The pitch is a bit uneven and there are flattened mole hills in one corner, but who cares, the pitch looks amazing.
Popworld AFC 3 Butcher, Baker, Papermaker 8
Berwick Charities Cup Group Stages: Thursday 20th June 7 PM Kick off
The Stanks, Berwick Upon Tweed
Popworld; All Royal Blue Strip Butcher, Baker, Papermaker; All Claret Strip.
It took only 13 minutes before ‘Butchers’ took the lead when their number 7 tapped in after the Popworld defence dwelt on the ball, were robbed and the resulting pass was in the net.
Only three minutes later and it was 2 nil when the number 9 waltzed through the defence to clip it into the far corner of the net followed by a screamer from the edge of the box by ‘Butchers’ number 6. Popworld were trying hard and were making a game of it and on 33 minutes managed to get a goal back when their number 10 scored, lifting the ball over the keeper from just outside the penalty area. Already the game was a lot more enthralling than England’s Euros game which had just finished prior to kick off.
Butcher, Bakers, Papermakers had numerous shots and one, with 10 minutes to half time, sailed over the bar, through the serving window of the ice cream van, where it was expertly thrown back to the loudest cheer of the evening.
So at 3-1 at half time it looked like there was still a chance of a Popworld fightback in the second half.
The second half couldn’t have started any worse for Popworld as their opponents scored three quick goals. In the first minute BBP’s number 7 hit the post and scored from the follow up. A few minutes later 7 again scored when he nonchalantly scored after a perfectly placed cross from far out on the right. He scored his third after some neat passing by his team mates.
Popworld scored next with their number 10 making a great turn and a bullet shot past the goalkeeper. This success was short lived when with the second highest cheer of the night, Popworld’s substitute, number 14, went to clear the ball with his head, 25 yards from goal, but it looped off his head over the keeper and into the net.
Popworld came back again when their number 10, again, leathered the ball past the massed defence from a freekick, 5 yard out, after a back pass to the goal keeper was picked up.
There was one more goal when BBP’s substitute, number 15, smashed the ball home and then ran to the crowd with his shirt off.
What a great evening, thank you to everyone. I will be back.
As soon as the final whistle had blown at Loughborough I was in the car to drive across to Villa Park for an 8.00 pm kick off.
A very relaxed 10 minute walk from the car park we use to the ground amongst happy Villa fans. They should have been happy, they were guaranteed a minimum 5th place finish and were the only English side in a European Semi-Final.
Many of the fans gathered underneath the part of the Holte End that struts out over the road to welcome the Villa team bus. The acoustics amplified the songs and enhanced the flares as the coach passed and emptied the hero’s into the ground.
The packed ground was rocking to Villa songs and chants as a cold wind whipped through the opening to where we were standing high up in the Holte End. It’s a great atmosphere at Villa for any game but the glare of the lights seem to turn it up a notch.
Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 2
English Premier League, Saturday 27th April 2024, 20.00 pm kick off.
Villa v The Blues, 4th V 9th. Villa; Claret shirts with light blue sleeves and white shorts. Chelsea; All royal Blue kit.
Villa were off to a great start when they took the lead after just 4 minutes when a John McGinn’s miss hit shot deflected off Marc Cucurella into the net. The crowd went mad but became more subdued as they realised that their team was under par for this game. Chelsea’s Nicholas Jackson had a goal disallowed by VAR for offside and he hit the foot of the post with a well placed header.
With the home side riding their luck they went two ahead just on half time when the ever improving Morgan Rogers took the ball to the left of the goal and slotted a class goal between a defenders legs and the keepers outstretched right hand.
It all looked fine but when the ‘World’s number one goal keeper’ doesn’t come out in the second half because of an injury you feel a bit tense. Chelsea put further pressure on Aston Villa from the start of the second half and when the Villa midfield gave away a simple ball Noni Madueke made no mistake putting the ball in the corner of the net. It was all Chelsea and the Villa fans tried to calm their nerves with a repertoire of old songs not used for some time, but Chelsea kept on the pressure.
With 80 minutes gone Connor Gallagher engineered himself some space on the edge of the keepers area and curled the ball into the top corner. The Chelsea fans were now delirious and both sides created chances as the game opened up some more. Ollie Watkins blasted a cut back over the bar almost into the top tier and during added time Disasi headed home for Chelsea. The Villa fans were distraught but also angry that a push in the back of Diego Carlos in the build up had been ignored. Cue the inevitable VAR and the goal was disallowed for the push which drew protests from the ay team. Once play had continued Villa nearly stole it in the final moment when from a corner Carlos headed the ball onto the roof of the net.
At the final whistle the Chelsea team surrounded the referee but the pushing and shoving that ensued was soon broken up. Villa were lucky to gain the one point on a night when they looked second best. Perhaps their astonishing efforts this season are catching up with them, they need to hang on in there and recover their style for the few remaining games and perhaps an amazing end to the season.
There were chips! which were hot, golden, crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle but had a slight seasoning on them which reduced their score to 60.
What a great day, having been lucky enough to see 11 goals and two very intriguing games, I drove home with a smile.
If you would have read the previous blogs regarding Aston Villa you will remember that I haven’t seen them win for some time hence the caption. This time I didn’t wear my vintage beanie hat or any other Villa item and they managed a draw, perhaps I will see a win next time.
On Wednesday I was treated to see Aston Villa play Manchester City at the Ethiad. The last game I had seen Villa play was in their 2023 home defeat to Stevenage when I posted ‘You have to deal with disappointments following the Villa’ after I saw them dumped out of the FA Cup by the League 2 side.
So much has changed under the fantastic Unai Emery, a place in European football and fourth place in the league behind Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City.
On my last visit to the Etihad I watched a limp Villa go down badly, without much fight, in what unfolded as their relegation year.
The Etihad is an amazing stadium with further development on going as they add further seating behind one goal. This will complete the refashioning of the stadium which will then have a capacity of 61968, certainly worthy of World Club Champions. Its not just the ground that catches the breath but also the other pitches and facilities that have been built to ensure their continued success. The club shop was busy with a lot of foreign voices looking at and buying merchandise, emphasising that this has become a true football tourist destination.
There are those that would say that it is just a franchise model copied from the USA with vast amounts of foreign money invested to give their owners the best publicity for themselves. There are also rumours that the Premier league are looking at circa 150 breaches of their rules, of which a verdict has taken a long time coming as against punishments metered out against Everton and Nottingham Forest for breaking the Profitability and Sustainability Rules. These rules are hampering competition from up and coming clubs who may have the resource to buy outstanding players and make competition more equal but can not because they will breach the profitability rules and be deducted points.
Against all of this Manchester City have truly helped English club football achieve the highest status in Europe for players and managers alike. Others have followed or are readying to join the party.
Back to the evening, having not pre booked parking we found ourselves both parked in what we felt appeared to be dodgy ‘secure parking’ which however turned out fine, We walked to the ground, very early, and walked around the stadium killing time to be let in 2 hours before the game. Meat pie, coffee, a look at the program and a lot of catching up meant the time whizzed by and we sat in our seats high up in the Villa section. The seats were the trial standing ones, which you could almost call cages, and as expected the Villa fans stood the whole game.
Villa’s season has been exceptional but long term and niggling injuries have played their part too. Only 40 minutes before the start we heard that Martinez will not be in goal due to a sickness. This added to recent injuries to Ollie Watkins, Pau Torres (on the bench being brought back into the team), John Mc Ginn suspended, and long term Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia, Boubacar Kamara, Matty Cash and Jacob Ramsey who keeps coming back and then breaking down again all of whom are side-lined. So it was with some trepidation that we viewed the game but like all fans there was hope and the Villa away fans were in good humour and voice as they greeted their heroes and goaded a rather quiet Manchester support.
Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 1
Wednesday 3rd April 2024 English Premier League, Kick off 20.15 pm
Etihad Stadium, Ashton New Road, Manchester M11 3FF
3rd v 4th, Manchester City nickname, City (Amongst others): Aston Villa nickname, Villa.
City: Sky blue shirts and white shorts. Villa: Claret shirts with light blue sleeves with claret shorts with light blue side slash.
Villa immediately set up to defend and make quick stylish breaks on the counter with City moving forward with methodical play and releasing the wide wingers of Doku on the right and Grealish on the left. It was Doku who was causing the greatest havoc and some neat play to get him past the defenders enabled him to pinpoint a ball to Rodri on the near post to ram home. City continued this style but to the Villa fans delight Grealish, who was booed or given a rendition of ‘Villa till I die’ every time he touched the ball was forced inside on his right foot every time and looked lost and ineffective.
Villas counter attacking set up bore fruit on 20 minutes when Morgan Rogers put Jhon Duran in on goal to put the ball past Stefan Ortega, in goal for City, with a sweeping fierce shot.
Continuing nerves at City attack after attack brought us to 45 minutes and still level but there were still 4 minutes of added time to see out. A disputed free kick just off centre of the goal keepers area was converted by Phil Foden with a free kick to the right of Olsen. If the Villa wall would have stood strong the ball would have hit Zaniolo and not meant the home side had the advantage at half time.
The second half saw Douglas Luiz test Ortega but an equaliser wasn’t coming and Villa conceded two more goals in the 62nd and 69th minute to two thunderbolts from Phil Foden, a top class act on the night, above many class acts.
For Villa Olsen deputising for Martinez, arguably the best keeper in the world at the moment, did well and could not have been faulted for any of the goals.
Villa fans kept singing even on the stair wells as they left the ground and drifted of with the surge of other supporters down the Ashton New Road.
Man City kept up their challenge on the top 3 and Villa stayed in fourth and need to revive tired legs for their home game with Brentford at the weekend. This may have been another of those dealing with disappointment moments, but somehow it didn’t because you just knew that everyone gave everything they could on the night.
No Chips, again, so it was another steak pie , compared to Mondays at Chesterfield it was drier and had less chunky meat, but in reality it was welcome even though 75 P dearer. the coffee though was 25 P cheaper but was very weak.
payonthegate 