Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Wednesday December 6 2006
Time: 8:42AM
UK time is: 08:56:43
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Aston Villa Memory Lane 2
Aston Villa Memory Lane
THE DAY VILLA UPSET HITLER
MAY 13TH 1938.
After 48 consecutive years of First Division Football Villa were relegated to Division Two in 1935-36. Villa won only 13 games this season and conceded a staggering 110 goals of which 56 of them were at Villa Park.
Villa had lost their Invincibility at home as WBA & Arsenal put 7 goals past them in front of their home crowd. :(
Villa did record wins against the champions elect Sunderland and runners up Derby County. Such games proved of little value as the club faced relegation just the same.
In 1937-38 Villa dominated the Second Division and romped to the title four points clear of Manchester United.
I know some people are Interested in crowds and this years cup run saw Villa playing before crowds of over 75,000 against Charlton Athletic and Man City.
So I hear you say where’s Adolph Hitler come into it…. read on…
In the Summer of 1938 Villa toured Germany where they created International headlines by refusing flatly to give the Nazi salute, unlike the England team of the time who had complied with DEMANDS to do so. The England team who played in Berlin lost 6-3 to the German National Team.
The Villa players just walked the field of play…
It was an episode that rekindled pride in British Independence and made Villa many friends. The Incident caused much Embarrassment to the British Government who were trying to appease the German Dictator. In England Villas gesture was generally applauded and made the club many friends.
P.S. A year later appeasement had failed; Great Britain was a war with Germany.
By Col8
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Your Comments
thats a good bit of history col8, makes you proud to be an englishman and a villain.
bobbyfett
I don't like Germans..they bombed our chippie
jonah
Excellent! I never knew about that, so you are basically saying Aston Villa caused World War II? ;)
DeanoVilla
Well you know Brummies Deano, always up for a good scrap!!
jonah
According to my Villa history book, in May 1938 Villa beat a German Select XI 3-2 in front of 110,000 in the Reichssportfield. During the tour Villa also won 2-1 in Stuttgart before 70,000 and lost 1-0 in Dusseldorf before 50,000 spectators. Villa's regular line up for 1937-38 included: Alex Massie, Bob Iverson, Tommy Cummings, Frank Broome, Jimmy Allen, Eric Houghton, and "Mush" Callaghan. Jimmy Hogan was manager. I must say, I'm surprised the Nazis went to war after meeting Callaghan and Cummings, two of the meanest looking full backs ever to grace a footy pitch!
pongogidman
So that's two tyrannical dictators that have been involved with Villa. Difference is, we've only just got shot of one! (no pun intended!)
Geordie_Villa
Good article AGAIN col. I'd heard told before that Hitler wasn't a Villa fan, yet I couldn't quite understand why. Now I know.
glensider
yes GV, two tyrannical dictators, one caused disaster and misery wherever he went, the other was Chancellor of Germany.
jonah
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