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Thanks to a telling quirk of timing, Villa’s high-stakes survival clash with Hull will coincide with a campaign to restore the famous Holte End atmosphere to its former fervour.

The supporter-driven Get The Holte End Back appeal has been planned for months for this weekend to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Holte’s Last Stand, the final match before the grand old edifice was razed to the ground 20 years ago.

Dwight Yorke, a second-half substitute, memorably scored a winning double in front of 19,200 delirious Holte Enders to cancel out Robbie Fowler’s first-half opener and complete a 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, May 7, 1994.

And when supporters decided to actively encourage the claret and blue fanbase to do their bit to generate that partisan passion of yesteryear, few could have realised how much a heaving Holte End would be needed this Saturday.

“Remember the old Holte End?” asks a poster promoting the plan for Holte Enders to produce a party atmosphere against the Tigers.

“Decked in claret and blue, the banners, flags, scarves, streamers, the balloon craze, left side, right side, the gap, Holte End sway, turning your mate upside down with legs in the air, making V shapes, the floodlights.

“Hull City, May 3, our last home game coincides with the closest date to mark the 20th anniversary of the knocking down of the greatest terrace in football. Bring all your banners, scarves, flags, balloons, streamers, inflatable toys, the whole old Holte experience.

“Let’s show the younger generation how the old Holte End was. Young, old, everyone get involved. Everybody has a story or memories of the Holte End. Bring it all together and bring back the Holte End.”

Mat Kendrick on the defeat to Swansea

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Surprisingly, it is a member of the younger generation of Villa fans, 23-year-old Andy Bishop, who has spearheaded the campaign. Andy, from Chelmsley Wood, was only three when the old Holte End was bulldozed and thus never stood on the famous terrace. But the L2 season-ticket holder has been so enchanted by dad Barry’s stories of supporting Villa from the imposing stand, and so disenchanted by the flat feeling and football at Villa Park in recent seasons, that he is calling on his fellow Holte Enders to crank up the atmosphere this weekend.

Although the mass surges to celebrate goals are rightly a thing of the past, Andy would love to hear more classic chants from his dad’s era.

“I’ve grown up listening to stories from my old man about watching Villa standing on the Holte and I love the history and nostalgia,” explained Andy.

“The old Holte End terrace unfortunately was a place I never got to stand on. I’ve heard stories from games like Bournemouth in 1972 and the League Cup semi-final against Manchester United in 1970.

“It all added up to making me want the Holte End to at least resemble its glory years, even if the football can’t.

“Everybody has stories to tell. Young kids wish they’d seen the old Holte, old fans get a sense of nostalgia and memories flood back. ‘Knees up Mother Brown’ and ‘left side, right side’ chants and all that.”

Villa have suffered a record ten league defeats at Villa Park this season and Andy is appealing to Holte Enders to generate their own excitement and raise the roof this weekend.

He desperately wanted Villa to have banished their relegation woes long before Saturday, but admits a fanatical Holte End can play a part in helping the claret and blues get the point – or three – needed to secure Premier League safety. He said: “We haven’t had a lot to celebrate lately and with it being 20 years since the Holte’s Last Stand it seemed like a perfect reason, although I had hoped we wouldn’t need to win against Hull and that we would be safe by now.

“I expect there to be fans who put a downer on this, but all I’d say to them is just think of your favourite memories of Villa Park and the Holte. I dare them not to get nostalgic and wish for Saturday afternoons in B6 to be reminiscent of the glory days when the Holte was regarded as the greatest stand in football.”

The Holte End can still be a formidable force of nature.

Andi Weimann, arms out-stretched, savouring the delight of the Holte, after his late winner against Manchester City, is an enduring image of a largely forgettable season.

And Match Of The Day commentator Guy Mowbray captured the enthralling experience of Villa’s hardcore at their bounciest when he followed Fabian Delph’s decisive strike in the win over Chelsea with the words ‘Look at the Holte End, listen to the Holte End’.

Andy reckons Saturday’s Get The Holte End Back vibe should be about fans celebrating their love for Villa and, although it is focused on one stand, he would welcome the Trinity Road, Witton Lane and North Stand supporters getting involved.

Like most of the claret and blue faithful, Andy has been left disillusioned by another season of battling relegation, but he believes frustrations should be put on hold until the final whistle of the Hull match.

“Fans should bring anything, toilet rolls, beach balls, anything,” he added. “It’s a celebration of the Holte End, not the football we have had to endure this season.

“At the end of the game I fully expect the crowd to let the club know our feelings but during it let’s make it as fun and supportive as we possibly can.

“Hopefully we will be safe, but we have a lot of changes to make in the summer, from top to bottom.”

Memories

* We asked Villa fans on Twitter their memories of the old Holte End.

@rubyshaker taking in a milk crate down the front in the late 80s so I could see better. Right hand side.

@The_Warlock The left side! Remember a Boxing Day v Man Utd 3-0 as a kid, due to height and so jammed didn’t see a single goal :) still see no goals but now have a decent view #holteenders

@scottymurrell Standing on the foot of the left side floodlight so I could see

@mrpwharrison Chants of, “The Left Side” countering “The Right Side” & Let’s all have a disco + getting crushed on barrier celebrating a goal

@richywatson85 It’s only the present that matters. Fed up of fans talking about ‘old days’

@susiebarn Rangers fans taking over the Holte and my husband standing there trying to look cool: crash helmet in hand just in case needed!

@DeanoB24 A bloke in the Holte always looked like he was riding a horse when we attacked

@danbardell all I know is it needs to be buzzing Saturday like it used to be back then. #avfc #utv

@davidsummers64 #RightSide. Holte was at its best in the 70s. 51k v West Ham Boxing day 75, Mortimer’s debut, balloons everywhere

@Cundalini The pre-match burning of opposition scarf over the rear steelwork. Dead hard. #TheLeftSide

* To find out more about the Get The Holte End Back campaign for this Saturday’s match against Hull, follow @BruceRioch4 on Twitter or visit www.facebook.com/GetTheHolteEndBack