As the 2022/23 Premier League season reached its denouement on Sunday, the stakes at Villa Park were clear for all to see. A win would catapult Villa into an unprecedented European campaign – a position unthinkable just months previously.
Many fans still erred on the side of caution, opting for the ‘whatever happens it has been a great season’ type narrative. But arriving at Villa Park on Sunday lunchtime the atmosphere already underway gave lie to that sentiment – this was a huge game and the impact of a positive result was obvious. There was no ‘it’s been a good season either way’ sentiment anymore.
Around 2.30pm crowds began to gather around the access routes at the back of the North Stand. What began as a smattering of fans soon turned into a sea of claret and blue, ‘Allez Allez’ ringing out raucously through ebbing flare mists.
The club had encouraged fans to welcome the first team coach as it arrived at the ground but seemed unprepared for the scale of those who would arrive to do so. This felt different to anything I have seen in B6 in significant time – a collective harnessing of the identity of being a Villa supporter, united for a singular cause on this given Sunday. It was a timely reminder of the power of identification with your club and as our own Editor has pointed out, it ‘set the tone’ for what was to come on the pitch and in the stands.
Pictured – Stage set in Villa Park
Inside the ground, the noise was spectacular – I’d argue, in recent times, only on a par with the European Cup celebrations at the end of last season. That comparison is interesting in itself – a wild outpouring of nostalgic gratitude for a key moment of Villa’s past versus a sense of hope and looking forward that Sunday enabled (and Emery has harnessed all year).
The atmosphere and fandom during and after the seventh-securing win against Brighton felt transitional – perhaps the proud history, bright future tag line of the Lerner years finally had its truest realisation. Don’t get me wrong we are all deeply embedded in our club, and for many it defines the shape and flow of lives and existences but Sunday felt different.
With this in mind, it seemed pertinent to recall some other great personal Villa Park moments when things felt similar – certainly in that collective sense. I have been going to Villa Park for 33 years so this selection is limited but I’d like to think would be a good moment to reflect on personal emotion and memory that our club has brought us.
League Cup Semi Final 2nd Leg – v Tranmere (February 1994)
This is a real standout for a generation of Villa fans, made more memorably so after we had made a truly horrendous mess of the first leg on Merseyside with only a late Dalian Atkinson goal saving some face in a 3-1 loss. The loss also galvanised Villa Park that day into a tangible sense of belief that it could be turned around Wembley achieved.
Like the Sunday just gone, it felt transitional – a win would see the forward movement of Atkinson’s side continue, a loss would be a delaying bump in the road. A second placed League position in 92/93 was a sterling effort, but the club wanted more and this was the moment of truth.
Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’ – common at VP in this era – was used to add to the atmosphere in the ground and Dean Saunders and Shaun Teale harnessed that to draw level on aggregate after just 24 minutes. Teale’s goal particularly sparked wild celebrations on and of the pitch. Positivity was vindicated – Wembley was back in sight.
The take had some more twists however as Tranmere scored – jubilation became infused with nerves and the seeds of doubt returned. As in the first leg, however, that man Dalian Atkinson popped up in the 88th minute to level the tie again on aggregate.
Pictured – Shaun Teale is mobbed by Dalian Atkinson and Tony Daley
After some dicey moments we would be reduced to penalties, with Mark Bosnich the hero as Villa finally won the day. Bosnich’s penalty saves prompted the type of delirium I had never witnessed before in a football stadium and will stay with me for ever. It is saying something that Sunday came close to that.
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UEFA Cup Quarter Final 2nd Leg – v Atletico Madrid (March 1998)
A 1-0 loss in Madrid in the first leg might not have been ideal for Villa, but they went back to Villa Park confident that a result could be achieved. The Holte End was lively under the lights as the excitement of European ties was all encompassing – won’t it be great having those back, by the way. The bubble was burst before half an hour as Madrid got their away goal and John Gregory’s men were staring down the barrel of a 2-0 aggregate loss.
Considering this piece is about heady atmospheres at Villa, what immediately followed was far removed from that. There was a frustration – verging on resignation – on and off the pitch. That changed spectacularly after 71 minutes when Ian Taylor slammed home to re-spark everyone’s hope and imagination.
The next 20 or so minutes rank up there with the best personal moments of my Villa history. It started with, of all things, Alan Wright being penalised for a foul when he clearly won the ball. Villa Park erupted with indignation and all four sides of the ground fed what happened next. Fernando Nelson won a free kick in front of the dug outs and Gregory urged the side forward. Lee Hendrie picked up a loose ball and scampered forward. A cute ball left Stanley Victor Collymore with work to do as he drove towards the penalty area before unleashing a rising strike past Molina in the Madrid goal. 2-1 on the night.
Pictured – Stanley Victor channels the Holte End after scoring against Atletico
At that point I had never seen a goal celebrated like that at Villa Park but it certainly echoed the pure, delirious outpouring of Bosnich’s penalty saves four years previously. Again, the reaction to Luiz’s opener against Brighton on Sunday came close underlining how pivotal a game it was. Collymore’s goal wouldn’t prove enough for Villa and they would depart the competition on away goals. But Villa Park had witnessed a collective will to win that would stand out in my own personal annals.
Premier League – v Watford (January 2020)
Some might see this as strange game to single out, but for me this is up there with Tranmere, Madrid and Sunday in terms of visceral reactions to what is going on in front of you. Villa went into the game in the relegation zone, with the first season back in the top flight not going well. Watford – a direct competitor for relegation – represented a pivotal moment for the club. Wins had been scarce but if they could conjure a home one against a direct rival the picture might just look a little brighter.
So, when Villa limped in at half time 1-0 down to a – of course – Troy Deeney strike frustration was festering in the concourses. The reaction was sparked by key moments that, like Alan Wright in the Madrid game, demonstrates that it’s not just goals that change games and ignite atmospheres. Firstly, Pepe Reina rolled back the years with a super double save and then Tyrone Mings handballed near the halfway line and Watford’s players swamped the referee demanding a red card.
With Villa Park suitably riled up enter Douglas Luiz – again nice synergy with Sunday – who rocketed home the equaliser after nice work from Targett and Grealish (not for the first time) down the left. As Dougie threw himself into the Holte VP united in a new sense of hope. In that moment it seemed relegation could be avoided after all.
Pictured – Dougie scores against Watford and heads to the Holte
When Ezri Konsa, via Tyrone Mings’ outstretched boot, lashed in a winner deep into injury time that word used across Sunday, Tranmere and Madrid was omnipresent again – pure unadulterated delirium. As Villa leaped to the heady heights of 16th, we could be positive again buoyed by that atmosphere and shared experience of Villa Park. Obviously, that didn’t quite last and Villa failed to win again before lockdown set in and hope generally was scarce.
I think my main point here is that Sunday’s atmosphere and collective sense of identity felt important. It sparked memories of heady times at Villa Park such as the three mentioned here but equally felt different to those in terms of potential next steps. It also shows the power of that collective will to win and the influence the crowd can have on footballers – at Villa there is a passionate and dedicated fan base that continue to push forward into an exciting and challenging 23/24 season.
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AUTHOR | IVAN MCDOUALL
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