Raver50032

Been bored off my tits and very disappointed indeed at Villa Park, which for me, as a paying season ticket holder is where the Club has AGAIN let the fans down. Poor value for money. For that alone - I am out (given my ST to my mate for the rest of the season, for free). As an aside, I had asked the club to refund me as a result of ALL the bizarre fixture changes in March and was contacted personally by the club who said they couldn't refund me as the first match of the season had been played... whatever. To be fair, the lady who phoned me to explain all about how the Club really needed to obey the Sky/BT Sport TV obligations said how surprised even the Club itself were that AVFC had become 'so popular' with the TV broadcasters in March. When even the club say that, you know it's bad. Meh... Other things to spend my money on...

Well, even if he is having an off spell, he will still be player of the season by a country mile. Kind of tells you the season the team/squad is having as a whole. Keep going Bradley...

Don't blame you one bit. I'm sick of watching at home but to actually be in the stadium and pay for that dross must be incredibly frustrating. It is, and what's worse is I'm letting my son waste his time watching this garbage too. Something has to change. Yeah stay at home, best place for you :-) Yep, though I sense RJ's middle finger sarcasm, I can vouch for staying at home. I feel remarkably chilled about not having to endure that...

You lasted that long? Well, I woke up on Saturday and just couldn't be arsed. Something told me it was going to be a frustrating afternoon. This was backed up by discovering that Sunday's Goals On Sunday program was going to have John Hartson and Julian Dicks as guests. Like some kind of footballing conspiracy, Sunday was always going to be a Wet Spam jizz-fest. So, I gave my ticket to a mate of mine, and shrugged when Radio 5 seemingly reported 2 Hammers goals in two minutes. And I stayed in the warmth and dryness of my home. Glad I missed this one.

Number 10 please... Does that come with rice?

The amazing thing here is that, whatever happens, we as supporters can't really do anything about it. The debate either way is fascinating, but I can't help but feel a sense of helplessness in all this. But, if all else fails, and if claret and blue AVFC of Villa Park B6 Birmingham sudddenly disappears under new colours or name, we can all club together and form FC Villa of Aston etc. I'd come down and paint the white lines and peel the oranges for half time. I'd like to say exciting times at B6... But it's more nervy... uncertain... it feels damaged and sullied.

He could be like me and using the photo as a dart board. The bitter little man... (yes, the irony there is ironic... I really am bitter too). Actually, an example of just how bitter I can be (lol) was a few years back when we lost a League Cup semi-final to Bolton Wanderers when Square Head was in charge of them. After a horror show first leg away, we gave a good account of ourselves back home and very, very nearly turned it around. Anyway, such is my disdain for that very, very bad (nothing's ever his fault) loser Square Head, I used a full page sized photo of him (his smug, puffy cheeked grinning mug) taken on the build up to the final as published in one of the red tops and cellotaped it to one of the cupboards in my office at work. Each day, or at least when I was in need of venting my wrath, I would beat his photograph with a wooden ruler. So yeah, I hope Randolph does something similar...

All those games are winnable, even the game against Newcastle who have been severely weakened by losing their best player. They are winnable games Morph... We need an improvement for sure in this next run of winnables in comparison with our previous set of winnables pre-Christmas and over Christmas. This team is more than capable of winning games - they need to make sure they don't just flourish for a single 45 minutes and regularly. Let's hope we can pile some more misery on 'Square Head' this Saturday. Sorry for being childish but...

I'm a late-comer to this thread so have the benefit of hindsight for the Everton fixture. That said; Everton away - I thought we would be good enough to fight for a draw (1 point). West Ham home - My heart says Villa win, but my head is telling me that, Carroll or no Carroll, we are in for a frustrating afternoon. I just don't know what to expect at home any more. (1 point). Cardiff away - Like another has said, we have an uncanny knack of helping to end opponent's bad runs... I predict a difficult afternoon again. (1 point). Newcastle away - I'm always nervous about going up there. I predict a smug afternoon from Pards (loss). I would have predicted 3 points.

Keep the faith Big John - recent evidence suggests we can come good and improve. But crikey, we've had to endure... All the makings of toughened supporters... Up the Villa - go get a point tomorrow... You are more than capable. Even if you go three goals down...

Great stat to be fair. One of our huge problems over the last few seasons has been conceeding late goals (honestly, we seemed to do it every single game) but it looks like Lambert has worked on this massively. It might partly be why we've been as conservative r.e: attacking football this season, but the defence looks much more solid this season - even with Luna/Lowton as our full backs... ...granted, though, we now seem to conceed the first goal. At least that gives us time to score rather than having points stolen away from us, right? Building on the comment here about conceding late goals - a frustration dating back to MON days I might add... I also offer a crumb of comfort for those still looking over their shoulders to teams below us. Our goal difference is currently much better off than this time last year (I think) and appears much healithier than the majority below us. That's almost as good as an extra point right now IMO. Though we do have to go to Etihad stadium... No matter how good we've been over the last 3 weeks, I am shitting myself about going there. Big Chris - be ready for that.

Thanks for that Paul... Thank you very much... Good job team... good job... Recovering from a bit of stunned start... Full credit to you. More please... MOAR!!!!

Some great facts in that article - thanks for sharing.

We've still got the Falklands - so **** right off Kirchner...

Yep - in another thread, I was told quite plainly that cheating is now an accepted part of the game. This thread also shows me that it is no longer a family oriented game for the common man. See Liverpool'scrusade for cheaper tickets in the FA Cup at Arsenal and their possible kick off times. And Wayne Rooney on 250k a week possibly/allegedly. Yeah - screw it. **** it... I'm spending my ST money on something else next term. To hell with you Sky. And you words removed at BT Sport who are just pretending to be broadcasters, like that lot at ESPN etc. Nuneaton Town with the old chap... "That'll do for me pal" (as Tom Ross would say).

Sure - there is goalscorer Wes York of Nuneaton Town... My beloved Nuneaton Town... http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/Nuneaton-Town-forward-Wes-York-admits-transfer/story-20358528-detail/story.html

'Start spreading the news etc...' I loved that song and the player - until he turned to the dark side. 'They're going up, they're going down...' That was really funny, with all the hand/arm actions that went with it. Still, it's nearly come back to haunt us hasn't it... Better stay clear of dancing with the devil... 'Villa' - to the tune of Amazing Grace. Best drinking song ever. Simple and effective. 'Sit down you ginger tw*t' at Gordon Strachan.

Favourite - the Reebok 1995/96 shirt both home and away were really nice kits and of great, enduring quality. 2nd - the 1992/93 home shirt with the laces. We looked really good at VP in that, even Frank McAvennie... The Dalian Atkinson goal at Wimbledon...

Norwich have obviously been leaked our Hoolahan fan merchandising plan... the claret and blue hoola-hoop with holographic facial depiction of this player. The Aston Villa Wes Hoolahan Hoola-hoop... Never forgiven Norwich for doubling us in the 1992/93 season - those 6 points could have helped make all the difference. So, I can kind of understand why they are giving us the apprarent bird over Hoolahan. Still, I am just a fan, and they are a professional football club. If the player wants out and they get a 'decent' bid then they should sell - makes sense...

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but cheating became acceptable in football a loooooong time ago. Cheers, saving myself the best part of five hundred notes then from July this year ;-)

Super Tommy Johnson... I loved him... My enduring memory of him came at one of my most memorable away trips - November 1995 Upton Park. Aston Villa marginally won the first half 1-0, but we came out rampant in the second half. A delicious move culminated in Super Tom scoring a fine goal in front of the Villa fans. He came over to about 5 feet from me and did his little 'cheeky chappie' celebration... He f**king loved it... we f**king loved it... and I loved him even more after that. It's funny how magic moments like that can underline just how special a player can be in the eyes of one fan, and overlooked by others. Consolation goal for Hammers in the form of a thundered penalty from a certain Julian Dicks... Honorable mentions in that game to Marco Boogers (lol lol lol) and Alvin Martin? Final Score - West Ham 1 Aston Villa 4 (bonfire night - ish) My all time favourite away match experience (Wembley excepted). Followed closely by White Hart Lane 1994-95... the first night ever of the National Lottery.

manager John Gregory for me, mainly because he has been shite everywhere he has been apart from villa Interesting, and without trying to leap off topic too much. In the Premier League era (and arguably since the late 1970s, who has managed Villa and then gone on to actually better and brighter things? I would argue only Graham Taylor Mark 1. And even managing England, he got a very rough deal consiering the aging squad of players he had to choose from. I really felt sorry for him. Villa - poison chalice, and no mistake.

Get 'em on Splash... The day that cheating becomes acceptable in football - I stop paying and going... Cheating is not acceptable. Play to win... but **** play fair.

Yep - Paul McGrath, No. 5... he even sings a nice song too.

Good shouts there for little Alan Wright - perennial scorer of screamers from the edge of the box. Our midfield under BFR was quietly under-rated too - I would have said Ray Houghton. I am to this day still amazed that Liverpool sold Staunton, Houghton and Saunders to us for relatively cheap money. Certainly for the service they gave us. I really liked Andy Townsend... Though he's technically Irish (yeah, right), he was a lovable cockney - and not actually that many about imo. Somebody quoted Sean Teale - very under-rated in comparison with McGrath in that 91-94 time frame. Whatever happened to Dariuz Kubicki?