But there was no cause for expressions of discontent when Manchester City arrived on the first Saturday in December. 25,093 was now the regular sort of congregation for such middling encounters especially as on this occasion they got rather wet getting there. Earning the club a few extra pennies as fans paid the 6d transfer charge to seek shelter under what covering there was along the side.

Get there early, indeed. Wylie had a ‘goal’ disallowed for offside in the very first minute only for Denis Law to be controversially allowed a goal in similar circumstances (5).

But putting this setback aside we overcame the conditions and our persistent attacking was rewarded with a splendid conversion by O’Neill (19). Hitchens (34) ensured we were clapped off at the break. Ten minutes on and when he was tripped Hotchens got up to convert his first penalty (55). City were now in disarray and a corner soon led to McParland making it 4-1 (58). We went ‘nap’ when Wylie (74) completed a thoroughly satisfying afternoon.

Nottingham Forest are twenty-first. Surely a chance for a rare win at their ground by the Trent. But beware the desperate. New Street 10.39 Castle Bromwich 10,50 Nottingham 12.30 (fare 8/6 42p). Kick-off 2.15

What a difference a week makes. No floodlights! Perhaps we were blinded by the dark. A free kick taken by McDonald – Sims dived, Quigley stretched (47) 0-1. Taken aback it was left to Vowden, later ‘one of us’ – we often bought players who had scored against us – (53) to cheer up the 23,349 as we otherwise continued to fall foul of their offside trap. Two plus hours to waste before the train home at 6.35 Was there a more convenient Midland Red X99?

Football League Cup 4th round Aston Villa 3 Plymouth Argyle 3.

Destination Chelsea. There are now regular cheap fares from New Street to London on Wed, Thurs & Sat plus there is an excursion from Snow Hill. Fare either route 25/6 (£1.27). I opt for Stechford dep 7.32 Euston arr 10.11.

After the poor performance at Nottingham and the failure to beat second division Plymouth expectations are not high as to our beating the Pensioners. Especially as they have Jimmy Greaves – with 23 goals by far the division’s leading poacher. The fact that he ended the game with 25 cannot detract from our splendid showing.

It was all started in the ninth minute by MacEwan when he weaved his way goal wards. But Greaves was having none of this and instantly responded with goal number 24 (10) But 23,805 were completely taken aback when Wylie replicated what MacEwan had done (18).

Sillett could have made the scores level bang on the interval but he sent his penalty straight into the arms of a grateful Sims. Then Thomson who had come in for the injured O’Neill had a purple minute when he scored not one but two goals (56 & 57). We were not going to throw this game away although Greaves (76) did his utmost despite the enthusiastic attention of Deakin, back at left-half.

4-2, a result marred by an injury to Sims. Now with a choice of three trains home from Euston I caught the 6.50. Stechford arr 10.01.

Football League Cup 4th round replay Plymouth Argyle 0 Aston Villa 0 abandoned 90 min.

Christmas Eve, a Saturday, can mean only one thing. Wolverhampton Wanderers at home. They were in second place but ten points behind Tottenham. 49,088 had already done their Christmas shopping but the majority may wish that they had not done so.

Hoping for a repeat of Manchester City or Cardiff City they were to be, not so much disappointed, but furious at the utterly incompetent performance from the home team. It was quite simply men against boys as we lay down and surrendered to ten men – Flowers limped throughout most of the game – who could not believe they could have things so easy.

The goals came from Farmer (18) and Durandt (21) and the wonder is there were not many more but perhaps Wolves took their foot off the gas. Puny is to overstate our contribution.

Those who went to Wolverhampton on Boxing Day did so with no thoughts other than the fear of another debacle. And they is exactly what the 43,558 witnessed for the better (or worse) of over an hour. Clamp (7), Farmer (65) scored at will and when Winton thought he was opening his Christmas presents and handled, up steps Murray (78 pen).

It seemed that the pantomime season had opened a few hours early. Then, to everyone’s amazement the Villa team arrived. Or in particular arch-villain Gerry Hitchens. For ten minutes he commanded the stage with a headline virtuosoic performance. (80 & 85). I would like to be able to tell you about another famous comeback but this is no fairy tale. 2-3.

Doubtless the disappointing performances against Wolverhampton led to ‘only’ 31,145 turning up to see Stanley Matthews again but possibly it was also because he was now playing for a team in twenty-first place and so we thought we knew what to expect. Playing for the team still in sixth place, perhaps because there was no other choice was Fred Potter, the most unlikely centre-forward cum goalkeeper ever to appear in green.

I risk derision by recording that Fred is a hero of mine. Sixty years on his save at Plymouth (as described in The Name on the Cup) still remains the most sensational I have ever seen. Hitchens opened our account (8) whereupon things were going our way and we sat back expecting more. But more did not come until just as the murmurings were gaining strength – two-nil, Hitchens (42).

Lowly teams are often more dangerous when they detect a weakness in their opponents and Parry (46) detected a weakness when we mistakenly assumed the aged Matthews as being of no danger. He continued to remain a threat such that Parry was left free again (88). A poor game in the mud, 2-2.

The FA Cup 3rd round saw us head again to the Greyhound Racing track which was Eastville Stadium. We were again directed into Stapleton Road Station. Snow Hill dep 10.15 arr 12.55 (fare 16/6 82p). Success was not the foregone conclusion it might have been when the draw was made. Or the success it should have been after half an hour of total domination.

Frustration had its inevitable conclusion when Biggs ventured where no Bristol Rovers player had been before and 0-1 (40). When Thomson slid by two defenders and set the record straight (48) it seemed to be the precursor to the anticipated outcome but in true second division style stalemate ensued. No waiting around afterwards. Dep 5.15. Snow Hill 8.00.

We had already been drawn to play at newcomers Peterborough United when the draw was made ahead if the replay. The ‘Monday ploy’ almost guaranteed that Rovers would be too tired to pull the same defensive trick twice and so it proved. No time to print a proper Villa News just a collectors item 2d team sheet.

Only goalkeeper Radford kept the same down to manageable lengths. At least for the 26,582 the goals were well worth the money as Thomson (16 & 30) and Hitchens (48 & 62) ran amok.

The nearer we got to Merseyside the thicker the fog. Such than when we reached Edge Hill the game was on the verge of being postponed. A fact which upset manager Mercer because he thought there was always the possibility of a refreshing breeze and he thought the decision was premature. Suddenly I had an inspired thought. What about the programmes? I went into the club offices and persuaded a secretary to open a box and surprised her by buying a dozen.

Whereupon I went outside and sold them at cost to fellow supporters who, like me, now had what I believed to be very rare collector’s item. No weather problems in Birmingham. Villa Reserves 2 Everton Reserves 2. We arrived back at New Street on a normal service train when we might only just have been leaving Lime Street.

Still sixth we were required to host mid-table Blackburn Rovers. Potter keeps his place in preference to Keelan (What do mangers know about goalkeeping?). It would be unfair to suggest that he could only stand and stare when Douglas, England’s current answer to Matthews, weaved his way through twice (14 & 19) and the 31,113 are getting restless.

But Dugdale caused Dougan to seek refuge on the left wing indirectly allowing Hitchens more freedom to exploit the mud and he took advantage (24 & 30). But no more. 2-2.

Re-election to the Football League of the clubs which finished bottom of the third divisions was always a given, not least because for years Villa had organised a cartel to ensure that Walsall survived umpteen re-elections in the fifties. But there was a call for fresh blood such that the claims of Midland League champions Peterborough United could not be ignored and Gateshead became the fall guys.

Boro were already riding high in the fourth division on their debut. A cup tie against the famous Aston Villa was seen as their reward and given our recent form the nation half-expected a sensational result. A factor which led to our man at BR putting on two excursion trains from New Street. I caught the second, 9.55 arr 12.40 (Fare 15/6, 77p).

28,266 squashed themselves into the compact London Road ground. All went to script until at half past three Neal was tricked leading to Hails steering the ball beyond Potter. The crowd erupted! But it was this very eruption which led to our instant response.

In his excitement Banham took his eye off the ball or more accurately the ball hit in in the eye for a remarkable own goal. It was then tooth and nail right to the final whistle. As tension mounted both defences held out. 1-1.

We had to wait until Wednesday for the replay. Whereupon it is fair to say the police panicked. The first game had attracted the attention of the nation and thousands wanted to find out what it was about these newcomers.

With massive queues at the turnstiles the police closed the ground with only 64,531 inside and thousands on the hill in Aston Park trying to snatch what little they could see through the gap between the stands or take their cue from the roars because there was no shortage of excitement.

It took a touch of McParland magic (50) to break the deadlock. And a great volley (62) to negate the equaliser which Smith had snatched only a minute earlier. A memorable night in Aston but too close for comfort. And we already knew or felt that it was all in vain. We had to play Tottenham Hotspur next – and they always win at Villa Park – and we play them on consecutive Saturdays.

But not before a sojourn at Old Trafford, or so we hoped. Potter had clearly been nervous throughout the Peterborough game and Sims was back notwithstanding the fact that we had just signed Sidebottom from Wolverhampton Wanderers. There was a further touch of irony in that in goal for United was a former Villa favourite, Mike Pinner. An amateur free to offer his services to any club in any emergency.

There was further irony in that I came close to not being there. Until the last minute I had had difficulty in finding a replacement to take over my Saturday morning duties. Not normally a problem. But New Street dep 9.10 Piccadilly arr 11.42 (Fare 19/- 95p).

Fortunately I did not miss seeing Thomson silence the 33,484 with a little bit of help from Pinner (47). We then withstood whatever United had to offer until, controversially, Bobby Charlton equalised when offside, or not, thought referee Dixon. A point but five league games without a win

Football League Cup 4th round (2nd) replay Plymouth Argyle 3 Aston Villa 5.

Based on history alone there was no great cause for optimism when it came to having to face Tottenham Hotspur on consecutive Saturdays. The league match came first. 50,786 came to see if Spurs were as good as the league table suggested.

It has to be said that they were nothing exceptional. We certainly had our moments and generally kept them at bay until those who had not yet got back to their seats after the free tea and cakes missed seeing Smith nod a simple goal (46) and we already knew the game was up.

Ten minutes later and Dyson easily converted another centre (56) to confirm the worst. But Spurs needlessly stood in the way of Thomsom and the resulting Lynn penalty (63) caused a few hearts to flutter but Robert Dennis Blanchflower was not to be flustered. 1-2.

Our performance had not been so bad such that there was still a glimmer of hope that we could turn the tables the following Saturday. But Spurs too had learnt much from the first game and were more than ready. Anyone who doubts the popularity of the FA Cup only needs to read that 69,672 made their way to Villa Park. A whole other game full.

Sidebottom is chosen to make his debut – a baptism of fire! But in effect from his own player when Neal (17) had the misfortune to deflect a shot destined to be a routine save and the rues were already written if they had not already been written beforehand. We never really got a look in and the second goal, when Jones put the ball between the legs of the disconsolate Neal before hammering it home had an air of inevitability about it. We tried.

Football League Cup 5th round Aston Villa 3 Wrexham 0.

Off to Geordieland next and that interminable journey by service train due to arrive back in New Street at 01.59 – if we are lucky! Not to mention the appalling weather. Newcastle were twentieth so we had hopes of helping to send them to rejoin Sunderland one floor below. Despite a surfeit of corners, not for the first time, we failed to convert any of them.

And we paid the penalty when White lobbed Sidebottom (38) and set off 21,275 in the direction of Blaydon. Then (58) and White eluded Dugdale to add to our suffering. We then received a touch of good fortune when a shot by McParland (61) was deflected but luck like that rarely happens twice and it is a long time until the train home at 7 pm.

Seven clubs were involved in a convoluted semi-final draw. One of the matches would be at Villa Park.
Arsenal, one place below us, are also perceived to be struggling, at least by their standards. 34,722 wondered, could they provide the much needed fillip?

After twenty minutes the answer was a definitive No. Haverty (8) and Barnwell (20) had set off the foot stamping in the Trinity Road stand. Sometimes there was nothing like that sound to inspire a bit of effort. Perhaps that is the hope, as much as the intent. Enter McParland who headed a centre by MacEwan beyond the arm-waving Kelsey.

It took until minute seventy-three before MacEwan got a reward of his own when Kelsey mishandled. We nearly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat but nearly was not sufficient. Better fortune at St. Andrews, perhaps.

FA Youth Cup 4th round Aston Villa Youth 0 Stoke City Youth 2.

Not a good idea to go by bike to St. Andrews. 39 bus from Witton, number 8 from Aston Cross, alight at Bordesley Green then a stroll along Cattell Road. No chance of a player’s complimentary ticket. Part with 2/- (10p) instead to stand at the Tilton Road end. 41,656.

Odds are even, but could we reprise the 6-2 from October? We couldn’t. Hitchens scored a superb goal (7) the omens looked good. We contained any threat offered by lovely Birmingham but without adding to our own total despite having the better of things.

We thought that Blues had just about reached the end of the road when, against the run of play their supporters, who were starting to ease towards the exits, got to sing a different song. The hitherto anonymous Jimmy Singer (87) denied us our first league win since before Christmas. Nine games in all.