[valpayne]

Val, what a great post, what great names, what a team ....... lived in Reading when mother remarried, a baggie from Dudley, the rest is history. I have attended one semi 78 ..... very long journey back, missed the league cup games against spuds and the FA cup games against Qpr and Portsmouth. Went to Wembley against port vale and derby. But no silverware ..... and that 70's team deserved silverware.

Thanks buddy. It was a great time for us. I was born in tamworth but I must confess I had an entire villa family dad brother uncle aunt so they used to take me to villa park as a kid for some bizarre reason I must have seen the baggies there when I was 6 or 7 and that was it for me much to the disappointment of my folks lol! I remember getting lost at villa park once the staff were really kind and looked after me took me to the offices and made an announcement over the tannoy that a little boy had been found and was now waching the game in a seat near the tunnel instead of stood in the holte end. You should have seen the stewards faces when they found me and were chatting away and said to me "how long have you supported villa then lad" my stern reply that "I'm a baggie" evoked a response of "OH dear perhaps we should lose you again then" lololol!

I must also admit I totally lost interest in football as I embarked on a music career in London it was the mid 80's the hooligan element had really put me off the sport plus the cost and my inability to cope with losing and to all intents and purposes looking back the 80's and 90's were not our finest anyway. 

I actually saw a bloke in a wba shirt walk past my parents in somerset a few years back and it turns out he actually played for us in the 90's and er wasn't that great ahem! anyway I digress not until Megson in 2000 did i start to take a real interest again and we all know what a roller coaster its been since. I still cannot tolerate losing but the sulking only lasts an hour or so and I blank it out these days.

I was actually working at wembley the week before the Derby final. My company were doing sound tests through a big PA to check noise levels outside the ground and I ignored the keep off the grass sign and put a foot in the goal mouth wished the baggies good luck and look what bloody well happened. Thats' why I know I'm a jinx lol!