FLVillan

I see where you're coming from on this, and agree with what you say to a point. On the flip side though, I think the new Holte was built the way it was to essentially become the new focal point after Ellis butchered the Trinity Rd, hence the architecture. From a viewing standpoint, the Holte is the most visible stand when approaching the ground, as two sides (Witton Lane and Witton End) are both hemmed in by housing and other infrastructure. Space around the ground is very limited and (I think) most designing is done with interior space, capacity and comfort in mind. I think we would all love to see a facade similar to the Holte on all four sides of the ground, but not necessarily at the expense of capacity and comfort. After all, it is inside the ground where all of us spend more of our time..... I think if the surrounding area had more open space, then it would be far more feasible to have grand brick facade and outside stairs leading up (like the Holte), but on the Witton side/end there just isn't the space to do it. Given the choice between a compromise in stand design/capacity or relocation to a more spacious plot of land, there is no discussion to be had among 99% of Villa fans. I for one am grateful to our last three owners (even the fraud Xia) that discussion about relocation to a shiny new 60,000-seat stadium somewhere outside Aston has never been raised.

I have my tickets. It's the 26th of July. 7:00pm local time.

Based on the above I think I'm older than you, so I present: (I've gone for players who all, at some time or another, played at a decent level but were a complete waste of a shirt at Villa.......) 1. Les Sealey (RIP) 2. Habib Beye 3. Noel Blake 4. Joleon Lescott 5. David Unsworth 6. Steve Hodge 7. Tommy Craig 11 Sasa Curcic 8. Robert Hopkins 9. Tony Cascarino 10. Nigel Callahan Subs: GK: Mervyn Day. ST: Frank Macavennie, Chris Sutton, Grant "proper man" Holt, Bosko Balaban. MF: Djemba Twins, Leandro "Champions League" Bacuna. DF: Kieran Richardson, Steve Foster, Honorable Mentions to: Richard Dunne/James Collins (both were OK for a year but then disgraced themselves by disrespecting a club legend).

Going to Spuds as an assistant is great move for anyone looking to raise their profile in coaching. Good chance he'll be a caretaker manager within 6 months....

We do have a "history" when it comes to needing to kick on, and I share your ingrained pessimism on the subject! There were a few times when we did do it, the most notable of course being the acquisition of a certain Peter Withe for a club record fee in 1980. The Dean Saunders purchase in 1991 and Collymore in 1997 were also similar moments, with the latter being a spectacular failure. However, for the most part the club (Doug Ellis) always has failed to recognize the need and opportunity, or be willing to "speculate to accumulate" and take the required risk.... We bought Cascarino when Sheringham was the answer. We bottled the deal for Juninho. We bought Heskey and Harewood when there were plenty of better options. Having said all that, I believe we are in a completely different moment in our history with this ownership and manager. It is a more measured, calculated, and well-planned approach to improvement, which may not be accompanied by that marquee signing, but more the addition of players to fit into a very specific framework. We shall see!

Allan Evans springs to mind. Joined from Dunfermiline in 1977, left (I think) in 1988-89.

Ah yes, but I did enjoy a pint of Davenports once, and me mum drove a Rover...

I've been wondering that myself. Maybe they'll come out with a commemorative third kit in the new year?

My Top Three Home....

I grew up in Solihull and was definitely outnumbered by Small Heath fans growing up in the 70s and 80s - although the balance changed quite a bit in the early 80's when we were Kings of Europe. Slightly off the topic here, but I now work as ground agent at the airport here in Melbourne, Florida (close to Orlando) and we get about 15 TUI charter flights a week from Birmingham, Newcastle, Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow (one a week from Bristol too!). Always interesting to see the footy shirts as people deplane. Birmingham Flights - about 50% Villa with the other 50% a mix of Small Heath, Baggies, Wolves, Forest, Cov, Leicester and Stoke. Manchester - 50% Citeh, 20% ManUre 20% Bin Dippers and 10% others like Everton, Bolton Gatwick - mixture of most of the London clubs and Brighton. High number of West Ham this week. Newcastle - 90% Newcastle and 10% Sunderland/Middlesborough Glasgow - 80% Rangers/Celtic with a few Hibs and some occasional others. Met a nice family last year all decked out in St Mirren shirts. Turned out they were friends of the Super McGinn family - nothing but nice things to say about the family. Bristol - mostly scarecrows and a few Cardiff supporters.

I think his radio silence is two-fold - one because he was off on holiday with his family as soon as the season ended. If he's like me, when going holiday he will switch off completely and focus on a nice mental break while focussing on his family... And two, because perhaps he doesn't feel unfairly treated at all and is not going to make public statements to jeopardize his prospects of a short-term deal elsewhere to finish off his career

Pure speculation, but.... I honestly think the decision was made based on whether we made it into Europe or not. If we had not, it's potentially 10-15 games less next year, and they probably saw Young as adequate cover for 40-45 domestic games. Now that we are in Europe, it's more games, more travel, and requires different tactics. It's also entirely possible that Unai was promised funding for a new fullback if we made Europe..... As we are not privy to conversations between club/player/agent, we could also speculate that he was demanding to stay on top-level wages while accepting a diminished on-pitch role. We can recall that Alan Hutton took a significant pay cut to stay. Maybe Young wasn't willing to do the same? We will probably never know... I honestly do not believe that the club deliberately did something to avoid giving him a "send off." After all, we witnessed a brilliant video and on-pitch send-off for a goalkeeper who played about 10% of first team games over a ten year period, most of which were in the lower division. If the club does that for Jed, then no reason to think they wouldn't have done something similar for Ashley. Downing was/is a word-removed, so no comparison for me.... 99% of players are loyal - to playing at the highest level they can, to their families, and to securing their financial futures.

Great Post. Couldn't have put it any better....

I'll take what "career-over-at-25" Reo Coker says with a pinch of salt.... Trying to look at this from a neutral/logical perspective, I saw a significant decline in James Milner at the Dippers this year - looking very much off-the-pace and out of place when he's been called upon. Almost felt bad for him a few times (except he played for the dippers so that's not an option).... I'd hate to see that happen to Young here at Villa, and as such he'll be remembered well for his performances, still able to put in top performances, rather than being rolled out as a desperate measure and being seen as a liability. I imagine he (Young) was on very good money, and Lange/Unai will look at things from a financial standpoint and know that we can bring in someone 10-15 years younger, on similar or lower money.... Professional sports is a business whether we like it or not...

I'd be surprised if we sold Dendoncker to be honest. He's a very versatile player with experience and has not let us down (except arguably the single mistake against Stevenage). Great option off the bench and/or to cover injuries in midfield and in defence.

This is the most overlooked and perhaps shocking thing in this transfer. Rare to get a player of this quality at this age on a free. Plenty of over-30 types run down contracts and always a good number of academy "rejects" but to get a proven international with (potentially) his best years still to come is real coup in my mind...

Scott Hogan and Danny Ings... I'll see myself out...

Played six seasons in the Premier League, playing 166 premier league games including runners-up in 92-3, league cup winners in 1994 and again in the 1996 league cup winning team (had to have an injection in his shoulder before kick-off). Premier league Player of the Season in 92-3. He was a regular in the Villa team until the end of 95-96 season. Part of a back-three that included Southgate and Ugo under Brian Little after partnering Shaun Teale under BFR.. Played on at Derby in 1996-97 season.

How ironic that you ended that rant with.... uneducated.... And you stayed 8 1/2 years???? But you're right, the millions of transplants from the northeast and midwest to the fastest-growing state in the country are all mental rednecks. All of them. Not a solitary educated person among them. Wow.

Agree that Miami has a good amount of crap areas (just like every city in the US including Denver), but that's one hell of a broad brush to paint the entire state with mate. How long did you live in the state?

Being in Rotterdam, 41 years on, still ranks as the most memorable day of my life. Just don't tell the wife that!

Every team in the midlands region (west and east) have bitterness/jealousy towards Villa. Stoke, Notts, Derby, Leicester, Coventry etc etc. We are, by far, the biggest and most successful club in the region. That region extends all the way down to the Watford gap and all the way up to the M56.

Agree 100% on this. As he got older he started to become one of my favourite characters. Really doesn't care what people think, knows how good he is/was. Always made me chuckle. I was fortunate to see him play for Sweden in Stockholm in a world cup qualifier against Portugal. Sweden lost 3-2 and Ronaldo scored a couple - but he was on a different planet to every other player on the pitch that day. I always knew he was an exceptional player, but until that day I didn't realize just how good he was....

That coaching team was an ideal mix. Three Villa men in Little, Gregory and Evans - all with very different personalities that combined to get the very best out of the team and give us that edge that only can come from Villa men in charge.

First of all, brilliant idea for a thread, and the initial post I would agree with 100%. Especially that Leicester game that propelled them to the title and us to the championship. I have a two games to add, both involving Derby County.... 1990 we sign Cascarino mid-season (terrible purchase because Ellis refused to pay the extra ten quid for Sheringham). Cascarino makes his away debut at the baseball ground and midway through the first half plants a bullet header that was destined for the bottom corner, until a world-class save from Peter Shilton. If that had gone in perhaps his Villa career would have taken off and he'd have scored the goals to get us the title. Instead he was a poor man's Ian Olney and a complete waste of money. 2019 Grealish makes his comeback from injury at home to Derby, having been handed the captaincy by new manager Dean Smith. He scores a worldy in a 4-0 hammering of the Rams to spark a ten-game winning streak and send us into the play-offs. Ironically we would then beat Derby 2-1 in the final to seal promotion and an aggregate score of 9-1 against Fat Frank's Derby in three games that season.