I was at this game aged 17. Obviously I was gutted beyond words when we lost but went away from the ground realising that we'd been involved in one of the best cup ties ever!!! Still a great memory apart from the result!!
Greatest game I've ever seen at Villa Park. I went to the away leg also and remember thinking if Dalian Atkinsons late goal in the 3-1 defeat may be significant- it was
Match of the decade. I'd worked all night, then drove up from Cornwall. I was on my last legs and at one point I remember just about sinking g to my knees thinking we were out- I think my mind with tiredness and adrenalin couldn't think straight. Managed to get a ticket for the final against the Monstrosity too :) thanks to Steven Underhill & his cousin in Kingstanding Chris Salt, both now in Cornwall.
The greatest Villa game I ever went to!. Sure, we’ve had bigger days, but this game had it all, a weaker heart that day and I would have gone, I swear. I went to the first leg at Prenton Park and felt physically sick when we were 3 down. I think it was because we hadn’t been to Wembley for 17 years before we won this game. Thought we were coasting when Teale put us 2 up, only to be pegged back til the last minute when Dalian scored. On the pitch at the end, singing my head off with what voice I had left. Never gave a thought to a few weeks later, we’d beat Utd in the final. We had some great players in that team, a joy to have been there standing on the Holte in its last few years. God bless Dalian and Ugo!, UTV!
I was in the Holte End that day, great game, Big Ron, Deano, Dalian etc Those were the days! Dalian ran towards me when he scored at Wembley......wagging his finger......those were the days. I have the final on VHS...... doesn't fit into my BlueRay Play ..... Doh !
And then when Liam O'Brian missed i did what any other 14 year old Tranmere fan would have done, i cried like a little girl! i was so proud to have beaten at our ground such a brilliant Villa side
I was lucky enough to be in a box in the North Stand that night with my old man. It was the double one right behind the goal. When Richardson missed his pen the ball hit the glass right in front of my face! It was without a doubt the most tense game ive ever seen.
Absolutely it hit the glass on one of the boxes in the North Stand! I was standing in the Holte at the opposite end and I saw it smack the window! Then when Bosnich made that final save it just went crazy in the Holte, people behaving like animals pushing and climbing over each other trying to get on the pitch. Saw this young kid 10 years old on the floor getting trampled. Pretty scary actually..
i will remember this from the newspaper clipping my brother put on his bedroom door of Bosnich after his last penalty save, getting mobbed. has villa park been as electric since? what a goal that would have been if atkinson had gone all the way!? 0:08
What a debut season for bozzie Comes on against the blues, saves a pen instant cult hero just for that Makes a how the fuck did he save that save clawing one out the very top corner against Sunderland and saved about a billion shots as we done how won 4-1 Then saves three pens in the league cup semi final
How on earth Villa got through this is anyone's guess! 3-1 down from the 1st leg. Keeper nearly gets Sent off. Equalise the tie with just a few minutes to go. Nearly concede in stoppage time again. Then the Keeper saves the penalty that would have taken the opposition into the final, and they win in sudden death.
@hazbutler Just the once after (VP) when we beat Inter Milan (and holte End had been demolished) with World Cup stars a few months later without the help of the Holte End. Last time of great atmosphere at Villa Park. Not a great Villa side but BFR Claret and Blue Army had a great ring to it. We went into decline when we signed Liverpool reject Collymore in 97 and never really recovered.
Wrong on both counts, we were near the top of the championship at the time and pressing for a place in the top flight, hardly a small team and you didn't beat Bradford either...
