Away grounds part 2 - Villa Park and my encounters with Paul Merson

IN the last episode I looked back on my visits to Hillsborough, and it is another famous old British stadium I revisit this time. Villa Park has always been one of the best and most historic grounds in England and it is one I have always enjoyed visiting, even if it hasn't exactly been a happy hunting ground for me. In fact since my first visit in 1983, I have been to the famous old ground a total of 23 times and seen Arsenal win on just six occasions.

The famous facade to the Holte End

My first visit was for an FA Cup semi-final meeting with Manchester United back in April 1983. I was 14 at the time and it was my first season travelling to away games. This was easily the biggest game I had been to and I remember having to queue for tickets after our home match with Coventry the week before. I was thrilled to be on the Holte End too and what an impressive stand it was. The biggest terrace in the country. Unfortunately the day did not go to plan. Things started well enough as we led at half time thanks to a goal from Tony Woodcock - touching home a shot from Stewart Robson - and I was dreaming of Wembley while listening to Nick Heyward on the PA during the interval. But United spoilt the party with two goals in the second half - from Norman Whiteside and Bryan Robson - and to top off a great day, the lunatic United fans chased us all the way back to New Street Station.

I did not let that put me off however, and returned to Villa Park a month later for our league meeting with Aston Villa. It was the last match of the season and I stood on the Witton Lane Terrace for the first time with what must have only been about 500 away fans.  Paul Davis scored for us but it could not prevent another 2-1 defeat as we finished 10th in the old First Division.

My next visit was in November 1983, and what a day that turned out to be. In an incredible game, Tony Woodcock scored 5 times as we won 6-2, the first player to do so in the top flight for over 20 years. Incredibly, on the same day, Ian Rush did likewise for Liverpool against Luton.  Brian McDermott, who would later take Reading to the Premier League as a manger and who is currently trying to do the same with Leeds United, scored our other goal. It remains the biggest away win I have ever seen, matched by a 6-2 win at Derby County in 2008.

Fortunately I missed the 0-0 draw at Villa Park the following 1984-85 season so my next trip was for a League Cup quarter-final tie in January 1986. Arsenal took over 6,000 fans to Villa Park that night and in a cracking atmosphere it was a match we should have won. However, despite dominating throughout and hitting the woodwork on several occasions, we had to settle for a 1-1 draw - Charlie Nicholas scoring for us - and we lost the replay 2-1. With only Oxford and Norwich lying in wait, it was a missed opportunity to win some long-awaited silverware.

Like many of the 6,000, I did not return for the league meeting a few weeks later which finished in a 4-1 victory, and I missed our 4-0 success the following 1986-87 season as well, a campaign which ended with Villa being relegated to Division Two and Arsenal winning the League Cup. But that would be the last Arsenal match at Villa Park I would miss for the best part of 14 years.



As I remember it; Villa Park in the 1980s

My next visit was in October 1988 for the final of a one-off competition, the Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy, again against Manchester United. This was the first time I had sat in the lower tier of the old Trinity Road Stand and in the pouring rain we won 2-1 to lift the trophy created to celebrate the League's centenary year - Michael Thomas and Paul Davis scoring the all-important goals. This trophy has been all but forgotten about now but it meant a lot to me at the time as, having missed our 1987 League Cup final success, this was the first trophy I had ever seen Arsenal win.

I was back at Villa Park the following month for a League Cup 3rd round replay against Liverpool. Having drawn 1-1 at Anfield and 0-0 at Highbury, the third replay was staged at Aston Villa on a cold Wednesday night in November 1988. I was in the seats behind the dug-outs in the Trinity Road Stand and when Paul Merson scored to give us a half time lead, I, along with a few others, jumped over the barrier and onto the pitch to celebrate with him. That was not the last time I would get up close and personal with Merse on the Villa Park pitch either, but more of that later. The fun did not last however, as Liverpool scored twice in the second half to go through.

I made my third trip to Villa Park in a little over two months for our league visit in the December. Back on the Witton Lane Terrace, I saw us win 3-0 on the way to our first title for 18 years. The highlight was a magnificent 30 yard chip at the Holte End from my hero Rocky.

My next visit was exactly a year later and was our last match of the 1980's. It ended in a 2-1 defeat. Villa scored a dodgy offside goal meaning Tony Adams' last minute effort came too late to even raise a cheer from the away end.

We returned to Villa Park for the third December in a row in 1990 and drew 0-0 on our way to another title. The match was screened live on ITV but was memorable only for a great save from David Seaman to deny David Platt in the second half and for the fact it was our first match after Adams had been sent to prison for drink-driving. On a day of firsts it was also the first time we sat in the new seats at the Witton Lane End, and it was the first away match outside London I had driven to. I parked in the housing estate just off the motorway and it was first time I had heard the words 'a quid to look after your car, mister' from one of the local chavs. It was a phrase I would become familiar with over the years.

We were back in those seats at the Witton Lane End at the start of the following season as defending champions, but it was another disappointing game that resulted in a 3-1 defeat. Alan Smith equalised at our end just before half time, but Villa were awarded a dodgy penalty when Nigel Winterburn's foul on Mark Walters was committed outside the box. That proved to be the turning point as we lost for the second time in three days, having been beaten just once in the whole of the previous campaign.

The first year of the Premier League saw Villa challenge for the title (I know, I had to double check) and we lost at Villa Park again, this time 1-0 in December. Again shown live on TV, it was a terrible game in the freezing cold but it was the first time we had visited The Yew Tree pub which became our 'regular' pre-match watering hole for the next few years.

Our next visit was not until April 1994 and in bright spring sunshine a brace from Ian Wright saw us win 2-1. In those days you could buy tickets on the day so we decided to sit in the new Doug Ellis Stand lower tier instead of behind the goal, and the match stands out for two reasons. Firstly, Wrighty was given stick from the Holte End all day for the booking he had picked up the previous midweek meaning he would be suspended for our upcoming Cup Winners Cup final appearance, and secondly, for his celebration in front of the Holte End after his last minute winner. That will teach them! For the record, Andy Townsend scored for Villa that day. It may seem hard to believe now after listening to his nonsense on ITV, but he did used to be a professional footballer.

Villa Park in the 1990's

The following 1994-95 season was a difficult one for Arsenal. Paul Merson was in rehab, George Graham was sacked for 'taking a bung' and we were in a relegation dogfight. However, a 4-0 win at Villa Park on Easter Monday all but ensured our safety. Wrighty scored another two, including a superb solo effort, running half the length of the pitch, while John Hartson scored the other two. In a stressful season, this was a rare good day out.

The trip in November 1995 was significant only for David Platt's emotional return to Villa Park in Arsenal colours. Inevitably he scored for us with a diving header but it was only enough to give us a 1-1 draw. The match was so bad I can actually remember nothing about it apart from Platt's goal. That was the first of two visits to Villa Park that season however, as we returned in February 1996 for a League Cup semi final.

Having drawn 2-2 at Highbury in the first leg - Dennis Bergkamp and Dwight Yorke scoring twice each - we needed to win the second leg to reach the final. The match was fairly uneventful and finished 0-0 after extra time to send us out on away goals, but that was only half the story. As the final whistle blew, hundreds of Villa fans ran onto the pitch to celebrate and came towards the Arsenal section. We were in the Doug Ellis Stand lower tier again and Paul Merson was right in front of us. The Arsenal fans behind the goal, and some in our section, ran onto the pitch as well and all manner of mayhem ensured. With Merson unable to get to the tunnel, which was at the other side of the pitch, I found myself chatting to him on the touchline as it was all kicking off around us. As surreal a moment as I have ever experienced at football. After the match it all kicked off again at The Yew Tree and my mate Paul (not Merson I may add) was glassed so we ended the night in A&E getting him stitched up.

The trip in early 1996-97 was far more serene off the pitch, while on it we came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 thanks to a last minute goal from Andy Linighan. It was particularly memorable for me as I appeared on the DVD celebrating the goal in the Witton Lane End with other happy Gooners. I am easy to spot as I was wearing a bright yellow Adidas tracksuit top!

1997-98 saw us travel to Villa Park for another FA Cup semi final. Wolves, then in Division One (equivalent to the Championship now), were the opponents and we were high up in the Holte End. An early goal from Christopher Wreh (remember him?) gave us a 1-0 win on our way to the double, although I recall Wolves missing a great chance to equalise late on.

The league visit that season was on the final day and we had already wrapped up the title. In a party atmosphere from the away fans, the match was significant only for being Ian Wright's final appearance for the club, as we lost 1-0 to a chipped penalty from Yorke.



The new Trinity Road Stand

1998-99 saw us visit Villa Park three times. The first, in the league in December, was an incredible game. We were cruising at half time as two goals from Bergkamp gave us a 2-0 lead, but the second half was delayed for half an hour when a parachutist crashed into the roof of the Trinity Road Stand and an ambulance was driven onto the pitch to assist him. The delay seemed to affect us as Villa came back to win 3-2. That remains the last time they have beaten us at Villa Park.

But 1998-99 will always be remembered for the epic FA Cup semi-final clashes with Manchester United. The first meeting may have ended goalless but it was thrilling stuff. We were reduced to ten men when Nelson Vivas (remember him??) was sent off but we could have nicked it at the end through Freddie Ljungberg. We were sat in the Trinity Road lower tier at the Holte End corner and the atmosphere was incredible.

The replay three days later was probably the best game of football I have ever seen. Quite literally, it had everything. We were in the Holte End this time, not far from the barrier dividing us from the United fans, and to say the atmosphere was tense would be an understatement. David Beckham put United ahead in the first half but Bergkamp brought us level midway through the second period with the help of a deflection. Cue delirium in our section. We should then have won it as Roy Keane was sent off for a foul on Marc Overmars and Nickolas Anelka had a goal harshly ruled out for offside. In fact it took us a good five minutes to realise it had been disallowed as we had been too busy celebrating and berating the United fans to our right. Then in stoppage time, Phil Neville brought down Ray Parlour in the penalty area and we had the chance to deny them the treble. However, Peter Schmichael saved Bergkamp's weak effort and it went to extra time. Of course that will now always be remembered for THAT goal from Ryan Giggs, although I maintain to this day it was more down to a lack of any real challenge from our defence as any great skill from Giggs. And David Seaman should have saved it. At the end it all kicked again but it could not overshadow what had been a magnificent game of football despite the result. A great way to bring the curtain down on FA Cup semi-final replays.

As the 1990's gave way to the new Millennium, I moved 'oop narth' so my visits to Villa Park became less frequent. In fact since that semi-final replay, I have been back just three times.

The first, in April 2003, saw a late Kolo Toure own goal deny us the win we needed to keep the pressure on leaders United. Our title defence was already beginning to unravel and after working hard to go in front through Ljungberg, Toure's late intervention handed the title initiative back to United. That trip was also significant for being the last time we would sit in the Witton Lane End as away fans had been moved to the Doug Ellis Stand by the time of my next visit, in January 2010.

With Arsenal top of the league (yes, I had to double check), that proved to be another frustrating evening. We hit the woodwork twice, through Cesc Fabregas and Tomas Rosicky, but that was as near to a goal as we came in a disappointing 0-0 draw, played in arctic conditions.

That proved to be score again on my last visit in November 2012. It was another frustrating game in which nothing of note happened, although it was Emerson's first visit and the first time I had been in the upper tier of the Doug Ellis Stand. The view, I have to say, was magnificent even if the concourse area is far too narrow for the number of people inside.

So there you have it, my 23 trips to Villa Park. I have not seen us win there since April 1995 and not even seen us score there for over 10 years, but it is a wonderful football arena and I look forward to visiting again soon.

Coming up next time, I look back on my visits to a ground no longer in existence, The Dell, Southampton.