norton65ca

well, for better or worse, I've booked my ticket, K4, row 5, seat 99, who's by me?

My first ever Villa match!!!!! I am so stoked, can't wait, and on Guy Fawkes as well! Gonna be a heck of a day methinks... I've picked my pubs for the day's events, (Barton's, Villa Tavern, Addies, Swan & Mitre and maybe King Edwards if there's anything left of me) so excited for this. UTV!!!!

cheers, Gary from BC

Thanks for all the tips lads, just downloaded a map of the area and I'm pinning all the pubs onto it ;-), this is going to be superb. I could not be more excited, put yourself in my shoes, a Villan for some time now and never seen a match. I'm stoked. It may only be Norwich but I care not. VILLAVILLAVILLA!!!!!!!!

Where should I sit? I'm coming alone to watch The Villa against Norwich, I order my ticket this coming Friday...Where is a good place to sit, and more importantly, is there anyone here who might be inclined to have a foreigner hang out with them. I want atmosphere and noise, and I would like to go to a pub or two before and after, I was thinking Bartons Arms...

I am 48, born in the UK but have been in Canada for 38 years. Work in hitech industry, like motorcycles and good ale... I have never seen the Villa play a game, this is my first chance and I am looking forward to it immensely.

I wouldn't mind watching the game by myself, but if there's a fan or two who know of an empty seat nearby, I could strategically book that seat or in the area. Holte End?

Anyone?

cheers, Gary from Victoria BC

bit of a moot point isn't it? If we had kept Monsieur Houlliier, we would have had a great European manager to be sure, but a dead one.

He didn't get The Villa.

He alienated important players, practically kissed the badge of a hated rival, talked down about our storied club and destroyed our team morale.

and he had health problems which would have seen his tenure abbreviated prematurely anyways.

dead issue and likely dead manager had he stayed. get over it, McLeish is far more the manager we need at this point in our history. Not the perfect one, but far better than Houllier would ever have been. For one, the players seem to enjoy working with him, which can't be said for the majority of the playing staff under Houllier.

I echo the earlier comments about "Randy" in Canada, very common name here, no-one bats an eyelid about it, Canadians use Horny rather than randy when referring to a flushed condition with localized swelling...

The best one I can remember is working with a 50+ year old hippy at a bakery here in Victoria years ago, he had his last name changed by the equivalent of deed poll to Rafael Sunshine, he named his daughter Blueberry Sunshine. I kid you not.

this^^^^^^^

why I outta....

Port Orford Oregon, and yes, it's some view.

;-)

the sheer volume of both remakes and sequels in the offerings from the mainstream of Hollywood, these days, shows in effect how lacking in ideas and imagination the great movie machine is.

none of the films listed in the poll warrant a remake, IMHO. I think they are really too good in their original form to be subjected to that. I can't think of too many remakes that have really done it for me to be honest, but there are possibilities. I echo the earlier calls for a new version of the Battle of Britain, as it really cries out for the full special effects treatment (even though Flyboys wasn't a great movie, the aerial scenes of the Laffayette Escadrille were fantastic, as were those in films like Pearl Harbour.) Historical epics I think are really among the best candidates for another look after some time has passed, however there are so many great tales from many periods that haven't had one treatment yet, without having to remake classics. In the case of the polled films, they are absolute classics and really it would be a crime to consider remaking, for example, Casablanca. Tsk tsk for even contemplating the idea...

...

when she starts first kick.

http://tinyurl.com/3vntjsw

more on this topic, the NAACP has announced it's support for ending the war on drugs.

oh, and before anyone pipes up and condemns me for supporting Asian gangs, drug lords from Latin American countries or the underworld at large, I might add that my source is actually a little old lady who may or may not live on an island not far from here and grows organic outdoor in her garden. Ahh, life in Beautiful British Columbia.

I'm 48 years old, my wife and I have been using cannabis socially and during non work hours since we were teens. I have a 26 year old son who is a manager at a sheet metal fabrication plant and I work in hitech. We have two beautiful grandchildren and a house we bought ten years ago in the most expensive real estate market in Canada. I guess you could say we're stable, sound, working tax paying citizens.

I have never stopped using because of prohibition. I have taken breaks when it suited me. I also enjoy drinking fine craftbrewed ale (you guys would call it "Real Ale" I guess. I see, personally, no difference in "impact" between the two, provided each are used in sensible moderation. That being said, I do have some observations based on over thirty years of use.

For young people, especially those looking to have a successful life career wise, they should monitor their use carefully for signs of it affecting their performance in school and on the job. Chronic marijuana use seems to reduce essential drive and motivation in SOME people. I warned my son when he experimented with this some years ago that it might affect his performance. People who suffer from anxiety, self image problems, insecurity or mental instability should avoid it to be honest, as it could be a trigger provoking paranoia and other problems. Inhaling smoke of any kind is NOT a good thing. Cannabis seems to me to be slightly less "clogging" to the chest that tobacco, and I've used both and I'm asthmatic, and have noticed the difference. I have realised that I should confine it's use to weekend fun, evening hours and non critical times, for social fun basically and nothing more.

Regarding the practice of drinking a fair few pints THEN having a spliff, I do this a fair bit and I do find I'm within five minutes of having a long nap... unless I'm busy and socialising. The worst thing to do is to get absolutely schnockered THEN blow the reefer. It'll knock you right out 99% of the time. Blow the doob first before the drink flows too quickly...

I'm not condoning anything here, I realise it's one of my vices, it's no panacea and comes with risks, like most pleasurable activities that involve stimulants. I do support the decriminalisation of this natural plant, combined with education and counselling for the young and for those who may have overindulged. I do think the amount of resources and time spent fighting the losing battle against this weed ludicrous and counter productive. The human race has spent thousands of years discovering plants that alter perception and it isn't about to stop any time soon, it's a natural human desire to be "altered". To criminalise the youth for the simple reason that they indulge in a little smoke once in a while is in itself criminal in my mind, but then, I'm an old stoner I guess...

This particular tragedy has shaken me. It is devastating as the details of the young people senselessly slaughtered by this cold hearted individual come out, the talents, dreams and hope in their lives cut off. There are no more words for this appalling loss of young lives.

RIP, prayers for the Norwegian people and especially the families and friends of the lost.

Last night I saw a game involving an English team live for the first time in almost twenty five years.

This will indicate how bloody far from anything we are out here.

A record crowd turned out (1300 +/-) turned out at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria BC to watch the Victoria Highlanders play Port Vale FC. (pre season friendly)

Vale thumped us 0-5 on our ground, I guess League Two is a fair step up in quality from the USL Premier Development League... banter between our lot and the Vale keeper was great though. (Name not in the programme: "You're an unknown trialist...Bampabampampa bam" "One day you'll get yer name in the programme" ...and of course "Who are you? Ooh ooh ooh ooh we really wanna know who are you??")

Great fun, sunny evening, cold beer and football. No, it isn't the Premier League, but we have fun nonetheless..

cheers, G

Like Fiorentina's colours, but waaay too many adverts for my liking, that's the issue with a lot of European leagues and jerseys, the number of commercial endorsements is way over the top. make's the shirt look cheap. (and the team) some of the Scandinavian sides, Swiss, Austrian, they've got four or five sponsors on the shoulders, shorts, socks, it gets a bit ridiculous.

I think I've got TRS-T sussed.

He's not just a Blues fan after all. He's a fan of ALL the midlands clubs. He's one of the small group of football fans that has a "group" of clubs , all from one area. I'd be willing to bet he follows WBA, Wolves, shit, Villa and Cov in equal measure. Not certain but the more I read his posts the more convinced I am. Had him pegged as a nose for a while but then things didn't quite add up.

Bizarre, but I'll bet it's the truth.

General, new(ish) fan here, born in the UK, raised in Canada. Coming to hopefully see The Villla for the first time this fall. I'm 48, wife, son, two grandkids. Employed in the technology sector. I've been following The Villa now since MON arrived and around the time the new ownership took over. Lots of good developments indeed and improvements.

I'm new to The Villa but been following English football as a neutral since before I left the UK in 1973.

Obviously, as with most here, I am shocked by the rashness and apparent panic of this managerial appointment and the brinkmanship it demonstrates to the customer base of the business. I am concerned that this appointment seems to reveal an almost catastrophic misunderstanding of English football culture. I heartily encourage the board to reconsider the sources of some of the advice they are receiving, and begin to consider surrounding themselves with advisors who are more familiar with the game as it has always been in England. I realise that it would be easy for you to answer me with an indication that obviously you are surrounded by knowledgeable people with their hearts in the game, but this astonishing appointment of Mr. McLeish for this club indicates the weakness of your defence.

My question for you then, Mr. Krulak, is as follows.

Since Martin O'Neill left Villa Park, a great number of awful and, for the large part avoidable, incidents have occurred involving managerial departures, arrivals, managers with their affections firmly tied to other clubs, bust-ups with senior playing staff, gaffes and a seemingly amateur and in some ways naive way of conducting matters. Will you now, after this abysmal and embarrassing turn of events, consider giving Mr. Faulkner the sack, as he should be the one held responsible for many of the sad and, in this last case, horrendously divisive and unprecedented decision.

yours sincerely, Gary J Parker, Victoria BC Canada

Up The Villa

PS: I continue to cheer for my team and will support this manager as he commences his duties and as long as I see him being beneficial to Aston Villa's success. This decision, though, flying in the face of everything logical and sensible, has critically shaken a previously rock solid faith in what the board has attempted to accomplish since taking over the reins. We seem to have surely taken a significant step backwards and the fanbase has been further divided and shaken.

and yes, we Canadians, unfortunately, do hooliganism quite well apparently, downtown Vancouver is a freaking mess... what a bunch of tools. Disgracing the Canucks and the city in general. Bad night out, sad for real fans.

...and as if it couldn't get any worse, I just endured watching Boston beat the Canucks 4-0 in Vancouver in game seven of the Stanley Cup Final. Gutted. What a terrible day. I'm just hoping against all reasonable hope now that McLeish's interview is simply one of a string of interviews involving prospective managerial candidates from all sorts of places who may still be on holidays. One can only pray.

^^^ This. One interview does not an appointment make. Let's wait and see, the papers are loving this, so are the bookies.

only the one interview? hmmmm.

So Martinez says no before any interview, Ancelotti never gave it a moments thought, Hughes can't be interviewed, and Moyes hasn't been approached. Forest hired McLaren before we had a chance to interview him.

so it all boils down to ONE interview? I don't believe it. Patience please

I think people are reading waaaaaaaaaay too much into the gens post. He's merely stating something obvious to anyone who has gone through puberty.

1)McLeish isn't a terrible manager regardless of the track record of his last club

2)Writing off a guy simply because he runs the rivals is retarded.

3)IF McLeish was to be appointed mgr of AVFC, we have considerably greater resources at our disposal to support said mgr.

4) The board is looking at all sorts of issues, they are aware of fan feelings, but ultimately they will make a decision based on what' best for AVFC, not what the fans want.

It's not at all obvious to me that what the Gen is saying is implying McLeish is a shoe in. Not at all.

I am not at all concerned about this tempest in a teapot, to be honest.

Tweeting will hopefully go the way of Napster one of these days, how utterly tiresome, navel-gazing and narcissistic. I refuse to have anything to do with it. I think I'll send a telegram to complain.

I hope not, but beating the Bruins in Boston in Game Six will be the biggest test for the Canucks, by far, in this entire series. For me, it's a must do to be honest, the last time we went to Game Seven in the Stanley Cup Finals, things didn't go so well, I want us to try to wrap it up. Monday's game will be INTENSE!!!!

Go Canucks Go!!!