Birmingham City: Ian Atkins recalls Blues' League Cup nightmare at the hands of Aston Villa

Nov 30 2010 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

IT WAS, as Ian Atkins remarks, ‘‘scary’’ the difference between Villa and Blues when they met for the first time in the League Cup since the 1963 final.

Atkins was an old, experienced head in a team of callow youths.

And it pains him to recall the return leg tie in the 1988 second round.

Villa ran away with it 5-0 – and that was after they had eased up at 4-0 with only 17 minutes gone.

“I can still see, as clear as day, Simon Sturridge picking up Derek Mountfield at a corner,” says Atkins, shaking his head.

“They got five goals, but it could have been more. We might as well have played it at Edgbaston the way it looked the score was going to go.”

Blues had lost 2-0 at St Andrew’s but were blown away right from the start at Villa Park.

Mountfield headed in a Gordon Cowans’ cross after only 45 seconds and 18-year-old goalkeeper Tony Elliott had a night to forget on his first – and last – senior appearance.

“We had actually played very well in the first leg,” recalls Atkins, who was in defence.

“I remember Ronnie Morris was on the wing and was exciting and we had other young lads in as well.

“But Villa were very strong then, they had some big players and the momentum of the club was going again.

“Graham Taylor set up his teams to put you under pressure, they always went for the forward ball.

“And there was no way he was not going to play anything other than his strongest side.