LancsVillan

moved onto Inspiral Carpets - The Peel Sessions sorting out these CDs has been a good afternoon

Electronic - Forbidden City and I'd forgotten how good it is might not sell after all....

do you still play on Thursdays?

'Other' as I would spend it on the same thing that I'd spend the rest on- family.

Hi General - I like the away kit too and will be asking for it for Christmas off my dad - Lancsvillan - and as this is my first post on your thread - thanks for posting as often as you do. Are you watching the game today?

a wwe entrance music

I like both though, my first post was to show how much I liked having a decent camera and being out with Bicks made me realise that some of the ideas I had for pics were not as stupid as my missus and others think....

Know what you mean Tony, but given the places we were what did you expect? more of this sort of thing....

OK then here for critical discussion are my first attempts with Bicks' D70 I've borrowed. No PS or anything and one things for sure I like them.

And what he did at Porto to get that chance?

no surprise there in those always knew the refs hated us

Cheers Scott as always, nice hiding of the score too ;-) Good to hear that Toby and Ozzy shone through last night too.

it seems like longer but who didn't rejoice (me I opened arather nice bottle of Champagne) when they saw: "Douglas Ellis OBE, the Executive Chairman of Aston Villa.....(has) resigned from the board of directors of Aston Villa with effect from today" Announcement to the LSE, September 19th 2006 Yes my fellow Villans one year ago today saw the official end of Herbert's reign. Rather than go on about everything that has gone on I think I'll leave it to you to post your single biggest change you've seen in the last year in the Messageboard thread linked below. Suffice to say that what I have seen above everything else is a return of the belief and hope that we Aston Villa are looking to challenge, we are planning for a prosperous future and that those employed by the club are now experts in their field and are supported from the very top in everything they do. I am lucky to be in regular contact with a few people at the club and was recently allowed a private tour of Bodymoor Heath and Villa Park and the changes so far are immense, everyone is smiling, everyone is saying how it a much better place to be working. As fans we ask that the players perform and get us three points every week, but as oft been said on the message boards of this and other fansites this was never going to happen overnight, last week was a reality check for us all. Let's remember though we are Aston Villa and as Villans we are proud of all it stands for. Proud History : Bright Future indeed.

Was at the West Ham game that - standing in the Witton and even the cockneys thought it looked fantastic. What a great idea it is to get this back.

Ah first day at 'big' school - bless!!

Tip of the hat, dear Sir. Hill being the operative word, having gone to that game I still remember just how sloped the pitch and stands were - bizarre.

Gabby Gabby Gabby Gabby Gabby Agbonlahor He's fast as **** He loves to scoooooooore Eh? Im sure i heard this on Sunday! It was heard on the net for sure. First heard it at Blackburn and it seems to be catching on. Much prefer the version I heard there: Gabby Gabby Gabby Gabby Gabby Agbonlahor He's bound to score He's bound to scoooooooore especially as it's a play on the old Gary Shaw song, which could have been converted I'm sure

By OutByEaster Reserve team football returned to Villa Park this evening, and can there be a better way to while away a sunny late summer evening than at Villa Park. With Marlon Harewood. I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to this (Well, I could tell you, but you’d be bored, and you’d mock me.) the reserves back at Villa Park for our second game of the season and they didn’t disappoint, hammering Fulham 4-1. A couple of surprises in the line up, Villa playing with a 4-4-2 that featured Bevan in goal, a back four from left to right of Earls, O’Halloran, Lowry and Herd, with a midfield of Stieber, Hogg, Osbourne, and Damian Bellon, and up front Tobias Mikaelsson and Marvellous Marlon Harewood. Sadly, no place in tonights fifteen for Barry Bannan or Marc Albrighton, and perhaps more surprisingly no game for Eric Lund. Fulham actually started the brighter and looked lively coming forward as we settled in at the back, they struggled to create a meaningful chance though, and Harewood almost made them pay after good work from Stieber, shooting just wide. Having warmed up with that he played a part in our first goal of the evening and what a peach it was. A ball was played through the middle for Harewood to chase; he ran past it and backheeled it into the path of Hogg whose first time ball found Stieber darting down the left. A touch past the fullback and a thumping shot later and we were one nil up with Stieber celebrating. That sparked us into life and we started to play some very reasonable football. Taking over after one of many foul throws on the night, we attacked quickly and Harewood had the first of two chances in a couple of minutes, this one going just over and the second well saved by the keeper. In between them a particularly high tackle by Wayne Brown on Hogg caused an argument that briefly threatened to boil over. Osbourne was by now dictating the tempo, driving through midfield and keeping possession of the ball in a way I can only describe as Barry-esque. Fulham were under pressure and it showed when Moncur went over the top of the ball and raked his studs right down the back of the sliding Lowry. The Captain; big Marlon wasn’t in the least bit impressed and charged over to let Moncur know all about it. I think it’s fair to say he was nervous. At this point the trainer decided that the only way to administer treatment was to pull Lowry’s shorts right up over waist height and apply an ointment to the wounded area. I like many in tonight’s crowd was forced to look away. No one wants to see that. As the other moon rose over Villa Park, A brief flurry of activity saw us through to half time, first an excellent save by Bevan (the ref gave a goal kick!) then Harewood shooting wide with a volley after Stieber had opened them up again. Mikaelsson had the last word with an excellent effort forcing Fulham’s keeper into a great one handed save. Fulham opened the second half with a conscious effort to push men forward, it wasn’t the best of idea’s though as we looked very happy to attack them on the counter. On the break Stieber’s inventiveness, vision and first touch were a joy to behold, a great little combination with Earls and Hogg an indicator of Villa finding their sharpness. It was no surprise then when our second goal of the game arrived. Stieber found some space on the right and played a wonderful flighted cross to the far post where Mikaelsson’s knock-down evaded Harewood but ran straight in to the path of Damian Bellon who hammered home his first goal for the reserves from 10 yards out. A third followed shortly afterwards, Osbourne starting a move that via Hogg and Stieber came out to Earls on the left, his ball into the box deflected into the air where Mikaelsson brought it down nicely and stubbed it passed the keeper. His reward, a giant hug from Marlon Harewood. A clash of heads between O’Halloran and Lowry forced Villa into a change as the battling Irishman came off with an ice pack held to his cheek. Osbourne was also substituted and Yago Bellon and young Nathan Delfouneso entered the fray. Hogg went to right back and the versatile Herd moved over to centre half. This caused a fair bit of confusion for five minutes, during which Fulham first missed an absolute sitter from 8 yards then scored from the resulting corner. It was played to the corner of the box from where a rasping shot came in that Bevan could only parry into the air for Adam Watts to head home from underneath the bar. Fulham rushed to get the ball back to the half way line sensing a comeback. We scored immediately. It was another beauty. Stieber was everywhere, coming in from the right and dribbling across the front of their defence. A ball to Mikaelsson was controlled with a touch of his right foot before he deftly played it behind his left leg for Earls rushing up from behind him on the overlap to smash home. A belter. By now Villa were rampant with chief tormentor Stieber ably assisted by the two Bellon’s the football we were playing was bright, lively and at times dazzling. Young Zoltan was thoroughly deserving of the Captains armband handed to him by Harewood as Collins replaced him. He almost capped his display with the goal of the night, cutting inside a defender to hit a fierce weaving drive that found the keepers post and bounced away to safety. Four-one the final result and a thoroughly happy crowd departed into the night having been well entertained. Some ratings; Bevan (6) Did okay, pulling off one excellent save and marshalling the defence, needs a bit of work on collecting crosses, but did fairly well. Herd (7) A midfielder at right back (tut!) did very well and got forward as often as possible to help out. Didn’t let anyone down when he was moved over to centre half either. Lowry (7) Another no nonsense performance from the rugged centre half, Fulham’s strikers never really got going. Marshalled the line well alongside… O’Halloran (7) Who dominated in the air and looked calm and organised throughout. I hope he’s okay; I suspect he’s got a big old headache. Danny Earls (9) You know how some players look knackered all the time, Chris Waddle for example, well I reckon Danny Earls looks knackered getting off the bus. He never tucks his shirt in, and with legs so bandy he’d struggle to stop a pig in an alley he’s a footballing Steptoe. But what a player! He ran all night, tackled like a tiger, scored a blinding goal, set one up and even had time to show us a few stepovers. I think I like him. Osbourne (8.) A mature display, he made a number of good runs at Fulham’s defence, broke up their play well and kept it simple when we had it; Quietly impressive. D Bellon (7) Decent display in a wider position, was neat and tidy but sometimes looked like he wanted one touch too many. Took his goal well and looked like he really enjoyed it. Hogg (8.) Another non-stop display from Hoggy, he never backs down, chases everything and passes the ball well. Did okay when he was moved to right back too. Stieber (10) For the final half hour there were two Bellon’s on the pitch; it seemed like there were about half a dozen Stiebers. He never makes a bad decision, his first touch is near perfect, his passing is excellent, his vision and reading of a game is first class and he was a danger throughout. This is as good a performance as I’ve seen him have. I thought he was absolutely superb and it’s a shame his late strike didn’t go in. Mikaelsson (8.) The enigma did well tonight, showing his aerial ability, and his neat hold up play. Still looks a little bit ungainly at times, but he played some very good stuff and deserved his goal. Harewood (8.) I don’t know think anyone enjoyed it more than Harewood, he looked a threat and bothered Fulham from the off. Every time Harewood made a run, three would go with him and the space he created helped us immensely. Could have had one for himself and can consider himself unlucky not to have got it. He deserves praise and credit for his encouragement and motivation of our young team, I didn’t have him down as a leader, but he lead from the front. Subs Y Bellon (8.) Nice cameo from Yago, he supported Stieber nicely and helped cut Fulham open on more than one occasion. Delfouneso (6) Struggled a bit to get into it, but he carries a threat, came close to turning the last man a couple of times and looks like a player with a real interest in scoring goals. Entertained at half time with a display of ball skill that left me frankly baffled. James Collins (6) Ran hard but couldn’t get as involved as he’d like, one excellent cross did show his promise though. A very good start and the next game for us is on the 18th September when we’ll be taking on Derby County at Villa Park. If you weren’t there tonight, maybe you can make up for it then?

Excellent report, seems to be the match I as watching from the similar pre-match reservations through the player reviews and the point about the next match being equally as important, if only as a measure of being able to build in a consistency of performance.

Excellent point - having priced up the shirts I note that to get one from the club costs roughly £20 MORE than getting it with the name and number from JJB. Which regardless of the amounts going to the club is such a difference as to make it far more likely for parents to go to other outlets. Add in the P&P for those not local enough and it gets worse, I believe JJB will order a kit in for free. Also whilst out at lunch today in Manchester I never saw 1 single Villa shirt in JJB / JD Sports or Sports Direct, plenty of other non-local Prem teams but NO Villa, surely this was / is one of the things our new links with Nike should be addressing from day one?

Chester Zoo or Knowlsey I bet :-) And the Meerkat and Koala pics are superb oh bickster

she has to do something when you're online.... ;-) Congrats

I reckon three more permanent signings and possibly a loan.

New Villa Season Tickets (Cards) - FAQs after reading some of the queries on here, we contacted the club and they have been working on the questions raised. So here is the newly issued Frequently Asked Questions document for the new Season Card from the club. The term we below refers to Aston Villa Football Club and not this site or it's members thanks to the club for addressing the concerns of our members, the Villa fans. Season cards – FAQ’s For season 2007/2008, all season ticket admission to Villa Park will be via the use of season cards. Advice on “HOW TO USE YOUR CARD” to gain admittance has been detailed in the pack received with your card, as well as the “SEASON TICKET CONDITIONS OF ISSUE”. We strongly advise that you read and familiarise yourself with these guidelines prior to using your card for the first time. As with any “new” venture, the decision to introduce season cards has raised questions regarding a number of issues. With this in mind, we are pleased to provide answers to the questions most frequently asked regarding season cards. How will the club deal with adults using junior tickets? At each turnstile, there is a season card reader in the turnstile to which you present your card. The card activates a “traffic light system”, which indicates to the Turnstile Operator what type of concession card (for eg under 21, over 65 etc) is being presented. For example, if an adult is in possession of a junior card, the individual will be refused entry to the stadium. In addition to the light system at the turnstile, there is also a light system at each turnstile inside the stadium, which will be monitored by club personnel. This again will indicate the type of concession card being presented at the turnstile, giving us the opportunity to double check that the season ticket holder in possession of the card is a valid concession. Any attempt to fraudulently enter the stadium with a concession season card will be deemed as a deliberate misuse of the season card, which may lead to the cancellation and withdrawal of the season ticket (terms and conditions of issue). What happens when my children cannot attend a match and I wish to upgrade the season card for an adult to use their seat? Please contact the Consumer Sales Department who will “upgrade” your seat for that particular match. You will be charged the difference in cost from the concession season card to an adult ticket. Please note that you will not be issued with a ticket. We will “enable” the concession card to be used by the adult. This means that we do not need the card at the ticket office to do it, as it can be done automatically. Season ticket holders no longer have to send in or bring down a voucher to upgrade, it can now be done over the phone. Once this transaction is completed, the card will register as an adult when presented at the Turnstile, so entry will automatically be allowed. What happens if I cannot attend a match and I want a member of my family or a friend to use my card? On occasions when you are unable to use your card please contact the Consumer Sales Department. Your card will be deactivated and a match ticket will be issued for your seat for you to pass on to your guests. What happens when I want to exchange my season seat to sit with friends I am purchasing additional match tickets for? When you exchange your seat for a match, irrespective of where you move your seat to, you will still use your card. When you move your seat, we will inform you of the block, row and seat number you will use for that game. If you move to another area of the stadium, you will still use your card. If you are in the Holte Lower “L”, and you exchange to lower tier “M” for a match, your card will only work at “M” block turnstiles. You will be issued match tickets for your guests. We appreciate that when you do this, the seat details on your card will not match the block, row and seat you are using for this match. Therefore, it is vitally important that you attend the match with your allocated seat details written down or stored in your mobile phone - YOU need to know exactly where you are supposed to be sitting. As a season card holder, will I be issued with a ticket for Inter Milan / cup matches or will I use my card? Every time you purchase your own seat for a cup match, you simply use your card as you would for a League match. If you forget to renew your seat, your card will not work at the Turnstiles. If you purchase a different seat nearby your League seat or anywhere else in the stadium for cup / friendly matches, you will still enter the stadium using your season card. If you move seats for a cup / friendly match to another stand, your card will only work at the turnstiles for the block you have moved to. Again, as with exchanging seats for cup matches, we appreciate that when you do this, the seat details on your card will not match the block, row and seat you are using for this match. Therefore, it is vitally important that you attend the match with your allocated seat details written down or stored in your mobile phone - YOU need to know exactly where you are supposed to be sitting. How will the club deal with the confusion caused by season ticket holders using seats that do not correspond to the details printed on the card? For one off exchanges, cup matches or friendly matches, where season ticket holders will be allocated a different seat at the time of purchase to that printed on the card, our advice is very simple – when you attend the match, make sure you bring your block, row and seat details with you!! You will always have your seat details confirmed at the time of your transaction. Write them down or store the details in your mobile phone. If you lose your details, simply contact Consumer Sales prior to the match and we will happily furnish you with the details again. Confusion will only be caused if supporters attend the matches without the knowledge of the block, row and seat number they are in (if they are not allocated their usual season seat). The readers at the turnstiles will know exactly where your seat is for the game, and you will not gain entry if you present your card at the wrong block of turnstiles. Please note that the club may deem any deliberate attempt to mislead other fans / club personnel to the location of a seat as an act of deliberate misuse of the season card, which may lead to the cancellation and withdrawal of the season ticket (terms and conditions of issue). What should I do if I have any questions relating to my season card? Please contact Consumer Sales immediately and we will be happy to help answer any questions or concerns you may have. What should I do if I encounter problems on Matchdays? If you have any problems outside the Turnstiles, please contact your nearest Turnstile Supervisor who will be able to assist with your enquiry. If you encounter any problems within the seated areas please contact your nearest steward who will be happy to assist. Summary of FAQ’s The season card system we have chosen has already been proven to work at Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle, Reading, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and many more. At some grounds, such as the Madejski Stadium, supporters even the use the same card to watch Reading play Football and London Irish play Rugby! As we are not the first to use season cards, we have the benefit of the lessons learnt by other clubs, and our colleagues at these clubs have been instrumental in helping us identify what the problems have been so we can work out our procedures. We are safe in the knowledge that the system works. We understand that season ticket holders, employees and everyone connected with the club will need time to familiarise themselves with smart cards. We are convinced that in a short space of time, this familiarity will bring an understanding that we made the right decision. A friendly warning to the small minority!! Some of the questions raised demonstrate a lack of confidence towards the season cards, and the potential for the system to be abused (For example, adults using junior cards, season card holders not sitting in the right seats etc). Anyone looking to defraud the club in any way should understand the following: [*:0dd25380ce]We do not need the card in our possession to prevent its use. We have the ability to stop cards at the push of a button. [*:0dd25380ce]Cards can only be presented once – we will know exactly what turnstile a card has been used at and at exactly what time. [*:0dd25380ce]There are now two opportunities for the club to monitor concessions abuse, both at the stile and inside. [*:0dd25380ce]If someone tries to enter the stadium with a stolen card they will not get in. We understand that 99.9% of supporters attending the matches will be doing so in accordance with the terms and conditions. It is for you we have introduced season cards so we can start to enhance your Matchday experience. You can be confident that we are ready to deal with the 0.01% who may see season cards as an opportunity to defraud the club. We look forward to the help and cooperation of season ticket holders and supporters over the coming season and beyond. A big help to the Club, particularly in the early stages of the season as we get used to season cards is ARRIVE EARLY. An early arrival for Inter Milan and Liverpool would greatly assist the bedding down of the new system. Consumer Sales 0800 612 0970

I like this a lot, as that is one thing that we all have shown over this last couple of days, nothing seems to be more emotive than Villa, which I feel is good.