When I were a lad, well 21 there was a game that lives long in all memories of those that were there and the whole game is still so fresh in my mind. It is then good on the eve of a league cup semi final to remember the events of the 27th February 1994.

Of course the game I refer to is the league cup semi final 2nd leg against Tranmere. It was on the back of a disaster of a first leg and little did those of us there on the open terrace at Prenton Park know what was to come and how important Dalian Atkinson’s goal was to be, nothing more than mere consolation so we thought.

So for the 2nd leg we rolled up to Villa Park, I had just been on a night shift, on the back of 2 hours sleep and 5 pints I walked up to my normal spot on the right side of the Holte three quarters of the way up and really did not expect that much.

Well after 2 and half hours of total ecstasy and a game that simply twisted and turned at every beat, a game that Kevin Keegan co-commentating called the best atmosphere ever, a game that even had the Witton Lane rocking. So every moment was a gem

- Saunders goal which started the belief

- Teale rocketing a header in

- a Tranmere penalty for a Bosnich challenge which he should have been sent off for

- 60 minutes of nervous tension until the explosion that greeted Atkinson’s goal but he never knew what it meant !

- The sound of the ball hitting the inside of a post from a Liam O’Brien free kick and what seemed like a lifetime before we could all breathe again

- Extra time flying by and Atkinson nearly sealed it with a wonder goal

- then the penalties, you knew who would score, no way was Teale missing, what was Richardson doing ?

- Then Bosnich becoming the hero and the pitch invasion with the realisation of 17 years passing without a final

No matter what happens Wednesday or in my future Villa years that will NEVER be beaten it had everything and more.

One final thought though, the crowd attendance was 40593, at the end of the season the Holte’s ‘Last Stand’ pink suit and all was 45347. so just where was the 5000 extra spaces, never known the Holte so packed, not a single seat empty, yet 5000 missing, yep something went missing !

The final was another great game and hopefully we can reminisce on that closer to the end of February.