It mattered not that the first match was Colours v Whites or that on this particular occasion so many changes were made at half-time that fans were left uncertain as who was first team and who was reserve next Saturday.

In the event Parkes, who had played for the Whites, got preference over Lynn who had played for the Colours but found himself going to Newcastle reserves instead. And Amos Moss at number eight – Thompson had pulled a muscle in training begging the question what they get up to at that training ground half a mile away on the other side of Witton Road.

Arsenal were the opening day visitors on my father’s 55th birthday. 50,950 shirt-sleeved fans of football did not see anything to suggest that healthier times lay ahead. Lishman scored first at the Witton End before, just shy of a quarter to four Walsh equalised at the Aston end. Unfortunately, approaching a quarter past four Oakes also put the ball into the net at the Aston end. 1-2.

Warwickshire have just surrendered their county championship and the flag that went with it to Surrey (The flag had been a suggestion by Warwickshire when they discovered that there was no actual trophy for winning the championship).

Normally the start of the season had continued with midweek fixtures home and away but this year the clubs were allowed a whole week to go back to the drawing board before playing for a second time. Martin obviously used the time well because Herbie Smith replaced brother Amos and when in the thirty-second minute after the ball had deflated twice Gibson put the third ball of the afternoon beyond the reach of their Justice of the Peace goalkeeper Middleton. Derby were condemned to a one-goal defeat. Most of the 22,010 headed dejectedly to Peartree and Normanton station. Villa supporters were happy with the 5/6 (26p) they had spent on their train fare.

STOP PRESS We have just signed a winger from Ireland – Peter James McParland.

The distance was measured at thirty yards. A record for a header and a record for Aldis for whom this turned out to be the only goal he ever scored for Villa. Dixon added a third on the stroke of time, meaning Sunderland had not won at the home of football since the days of Billy Walker. 1925 to be precise.

It’s Matthews time again, hence 52,688. We should have scored in the opening attack but moments later Jones put his career in jeopardy when he failed to hold a routine shot from Brown. And it was Brown again who repeated the dose thirteen minutes. Then we had a chance to reduce the deficit but for a penalty save by Farm from a kick taken by Harry Parkes. Why was Parkes taking (and missing penalties) when Dorsett was standing right next to him? Eventually Dixon made up for things.

Villa kept pegging away but Blackpool were doing likewise and a third goal (57) by Taylor seemed to kill off all hopes. So it was easy for Mortenson (78) and Brown to complete a hat-trick (87)

Then Wolverhampton Wanderers became our home and away midweek fixture. Derek Pace seemed to have been around so long, mostly in the reserves that the goal he scored in the rain (52) was practically treated as a debut goal. Unfortunately it was only a consolation after first Taylor and then Broadbent had scored one of his infrequent goals for the Wolves (48). 37,652.

STOP PRESS We have signed another winger. And an Irish international to boot. Norman Lockhart from Coventry has sneaked in beneath the radar. And while we are at it, as we are a bit deficient between the posts, a goalkeeper. Dennis Parsons from Hereford United. Not Wolverhampton Wanderers as is more generally assumed.

Sandwiched between the two Wolves games was a visit to Stamford Bridge which is almost too embarrassing to report. Just let it be said that we had an off day. Not least Keith Jones. 56,653 onlookers probably had taken it that Chelsea had had a good day. Not really.

That Parsons had better be good but not a good idea to put him in against Wolves. Graham Cordell, nice to see you again. Not his debut because he had appeared three times last season. The real debutant is McParland after only two goalless Central League games. He must be good though!

As it was both custodians had little of consequence to do in a poor encounter. It had all the makings of a bore draw until Mullen stole the two points (74) and Wolves’ first double over us for donkeys years.

Four consecutive defeats so not a good time to be hosting champions Manchester United even if they had already slipped a tad. 43,390 saw a thriller in which Lockhart made his debut and instantly endeared himself to the faithful on 27. The lead only lasted four minutes. Suitably refreshed we amazed the assembly with two goals in two minutes by Pace and Roberts. But anything we can do so United do also with two goals of their own in two minutes. Two penalties! The first against Dorsett was debatable the second against Con Martin left no cause for doubt as he forgot he was no longer goalkeeper.

Curiously Jones always seemed to perform better when recalled to the team having been dropped. Such was the case at Portsmouth where the remainder of his defensive colleagues were also heroic. Jones even saved a second half penalty and was only beaten in the closing minutes by Gordon – offside surely? This after we had held the lead given by Roberts for the better part of 86 minutes. 1-1. 35,935.

Bolton Wanderers. No Lofthouse, no Blanchflower because they were in opposition to each other in Belfast. The first Saturday in October was reserved for the home international championship to the annoyance of those clubs who had to sacrifice players for this purposeless competition. Ireland 2 England 2.

32,242 made their way to Villa Park but they saw little to enthuse over. Notable only for a long-range shot by Amoss Moss (13) and an equaliser by Beards (21) when the ball reached him after having first struck the referee. Otherwise the game merited a 0-0.

Three draws in a row; could we expect anything better when Middlesbrough came to the city?
With a markedly different eleven, maybe! Indeed we only had to wait barely thirty seconds after Mr Turner had set things in motion when Gibson finished off a fine move. Try as he did Wilf Mannion could not manage to bring his side level. Perhaps as well we won because now with nine points Manchesters United and City were bottom with only eight.

Albert Vinall was the token reserve when we otherwise sent the first team off to Aldershot to play the annual fixture against the might of the British Army. Usually a confidence-building exercise but this time the opposition comprised mainly of Scottish national servicemen who came fully equipped and it was no great surprise when a truce was called with us vanquished 1-3.

Not exactly the desired result expected ahead of a visit to third-placed Liverpool. But astonishingly enough it was a result destined to start send them sliding down the table.

A rarity – an unchanged team. From Middlesbrough, that is. Although Jones might well have signed on for unemployment benefit at the offices on the corner of Beacon Hill the fun did not really start until an hour had ticked by.

Then Hughes won a challenge for the ball against Gibson and kindly turned the ball beyond Ashcroft and we were finally on our way. In the 84th minute Roberts ensured that those who had paid 10/6 (52p) to go on the excursion train to Lime Street would have a pleasant journey home.

Manchester City arrived with a star goalkeeper, Bert Trautmann, otherwise this story would have a rather different ending than 0-0. It was anything but a 0-0, not least after Jones saved a penalty by Don Revie (26) and Blanchflower stood firm. 30,370.

The Victoria Ground had not been a happy hunting ground in past years. It is interesting to note that our reserve team forward line at home to Burnley reserves read Pace–Thompson–Walsh–Chapman–McParland. Begging the question; which forwards we could possibly send out in Staffordshire? But Dixon was back from injury and set about proving how much he had been missed.

Again it was a game of two halves and little of it in the first. Dixon (51 & 65) Smyth (70) then lo and behold, Blanchflower. His first for Villa in the two seasons he had been with us. But then he was not bought to put the ball in the net, only to stop the ball getting there. Finally stoppage time long before it came to be called stoppage time. Followed by a mad rush to get to the station because the excursion was scheduled to depart at 4.55 (16.55). 4-1. 26,659 and coincidentally the reserves also won 4-1.

Next time out Thompson was back from recuperation. Tom Finney came and as always ensured a good gate, 41,990 but he was well marked by Harry Parkes. A mediocre game was marked only by the 69th minute cracker from Gibson. Twelve points from eight unbeaten league games. Championship form or not? Dream on.

Flushed with our freshly-restored confidence the players set off for a week of ‘special training’ at Blackpool. Except that they were without four of the main personnel. Lynn, injured, Martin and Blanchflower involved in midweek internationals and so too Johnny Dixon, first reserve for England against Wales at Wembley. The nearest he ever got to international selection. Also, the first time Wales played at Wembley. England 3 Wales 2 (Ford 2).

Blackpool is not an altogether attractive place in winter and whatever we practised there came to naught with the inevitable result at Burnley. For the sixth time since the hostilities. The winning goal came after thirty frustrating minutes. A theme which continued for the next sixty as the improvised front line could not get the ball passed Cummings and through to Walsh. 24,750.

From one bogey team to another – Tottenham. Unlike Burnley, who we usually defeated at home it made no difference where we were playing Spurs. Home or away the result had an air of inevitability about it. 32,265 knew this only too well and were not surprised by the 0-3 score line. Disappointed, maybe.

Hillsborough, where my brother had been amongst the 29,785, offered a measure of respite and arrested our fall towards oblivion when Lynn and Pace responded to the two from the ill-fated Derek Dooley.

This was followed by one of those occasional Monday afternoon FA Cup first round second replays. After 2-2 and 2-2 – Queens Park Rangers 1 Shrewsbury Town 4.

By now winter had set in and Villa Park suffered its first postponement for fifteen seasons when Cardiff City were scheduled to pay us a visit. But skates rather than boots would have been the more appropriate footwear.

38.046 turned out at St. James Park and who were we to disappoint the locals? In the thirteenth minute Dixon gave all his relatives in the crowd something to cheer about which kept us in the game for a while but not at the end. 1-2.

A third consecutive away game, this time at Highbury, saw no end to the misery, not least because of the driving rain which kept the numbers down to 30,054. Despite an early goal against by Lishman it was a better performance than of late, until the fortieth minute that is, when Holton added a second. But hope sprang eternal when Thompson scored his first goal of the season (in only his fifth game back). Kelsey was only rescued a couple of times by the ball sticking in the mud. But no such help was afforded to Jones when Roper netted two minutes from time.

Boxing Day, a Friday, and we received an afternoon visit from Charlton Athletic. The goalkeeping question continued to vex manager Martin and fans alike. Parsons had just enjoyed seven clean sheets (as they are now called) in the reserves so time to give him a go,

But he did not stay goal-free for long in the first team. Four minutes to be precise when Firmani, a rare Italian in English football, tapped the ball over the line. Our disjointed front line struggled to make up the deficit and most of the 39,949 had nothing to look forward to besides cold turkey when Thompson won a race against Bartram and the footstamping in the Trinity Road stand – restarted in appreciation. If only to keep the feet warm. Six games without a win.

It was not snow which caused the postponement of the return at the Valley the following afternoon, but fog. I have no record as to what travelling problems befell the two teams. Position 19th. Played 21 F 25 A 31 Pts 18. We are in trouble!