When Aston Villa fans staged the "most violent" protest at Villa Park

On November 10 1968 the Sunday Mercury reported on an Aston Villa fans' protest described by police as the "most violent" at Villa Park.

Villa's 1-0 home defeat to Preston the previous day left them at the bottom of the old Second Division and proved to be the tipping point for hundreds of spectators.

Fans protested against the board at the ground and later that evening outside the Sunday Mercury offices in Colmore Circus in birmingham-city-centre>Birmingham City centre.

Manager Tommy Cummings paid for Villa's sorry start to the season - nine defeats, seven draws and two wins - with his job and he was replaced by Tommy Docherty.

Here is how the November 10 1968 edition of the Sunday Mercury reported the previous days events.

Hundreds of protesting football fans marched on Birmingham city centre last night after Aston Villa had plunged to a new low at the bottom of the Second Division.

The mass demonstration followed Villa’s humiliating 1-0 defeat by an “own goal” to Preston, watched by the lowest crowd of the season, 13,374.

In the final minutes of the game jeering fans chanted "The board must go” at directors sitting in the main stand.

Eye-witnesses said police on horseback advanced on the crowd as they began a sit-down protest.

Chief Superintendent Arthur Brannigan, in charge of the police on special duty at Villa Park, later described the demonstration as “the most violent of its kind I have seen at the ground.”

Four people will appear before Birmingham magistrates tomorrow following incidents at the ground and later in the city centre.

The “Board must go” demonstration started by a group of young fans behind the Holte End goal in the second half, spread into the main stand.

A few minutes before the end of the match the majority of spectators in the stand got to their feet and turned towards the directors’ box. They booed, slow handclapped and took up the chant started by the younger spectators.

Chief Superintendent Brannigan said last night: “I went into the directors’ box because of the strong feeling and the things that were happening.

"About five minutes before the match ended, between 800 and 1,000 assembled in the paddock and started shouting and demonstrating violently towards the board.

"Just before the end about a dozen policemen and three mounted men were put in the paddock in case of trouble.

“The crowd tried to stage a sit-down protest at the foot of the stand. This would have been dangerous to many people who wanted to leave the ground and was stopped.”

Chief Superintendent Brannigan added: “I don’t know whether the policemen on horseback rode into the crowd. But if a mass of people were making their way towards the staircase I would expect my men to do so to prevent them sitting down and blocking the exit.

"If there are any complaints to us they will be fully investigated and inquired into.”

The Chief Superintendent said there were seven mounted police at the ground, which was normal.

He went on: “I saw police officers doing their job in the normal manner, ushering people out of the paddock and stopping them sitting down as a lot wanted to do.”

One Villa supporter who witnessed the whole incident said: “People had to fling themselves out of the way of the horses. I had to dodge one myself. I am writing to the Chief Constable to complain about the way the police acted, and I know a lot of others who feel similarly.”

Another Villa supporter, Mr Michael Starr, of Streetly, said: “There were children in the way who were very nearly bowled over.

“The crowd surged back to avoid the horses. They were shouting about something they all feel very strongly about.”

Later in Colmore Circus, Birmingham, more than 200 youths ran from roads leading to the circus and stood in a mass on the steps outside the Sunday Mercury offices chanting “Villa board must go” and “Resign”.

They shouted and jeered for several minutes until police on foot and motor cycle advanced on them.

The teenagers scattered and were chased past the police H.Q. in Steelhouse Lane before finally being dispersed.

One youth said afterwards: “I have been a Villa supporter for four years and am fed up with the way they have been playing.

“We don’t want to hurt anybody and we haven’t broken anything.”

The only damage reported by police was to a shop window in Park Road, near the Villa ground.

Villa’s chairman Mr Norman Smith did not see the demonstration against his board. He had left the match at half-time to travel to London, where he attended a dinner at Highbury.