VillaAndLoyal

This. Far too many are getting teary eyed about his return on this thread for my liking. He was a good player for us, and I have warmed to his petulance over time, but as Paul says he is now on the opposition. He was business-like about his move to United, and we should be business-like with our response to him. I can't help but think the Aston Villa mentality of recent years sums this situation up - what other fans would seem positively excited about welcoming a former player back to us? Let's hope our players don't show him so much respect otherwise we'll get raped. A polite clap if he acknowledges us at the start is fair enough, but christ some people are making out he was some sort of Villa legend.

--------------------- Arriva Bus ---------------------- Cuellar --- Collins --- Clark --- Dunne --- Warnock ------- Hutton ------------------------- Heskey ------- ------------------------ Petrov -------------------------- ------ Gabby -------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------- Bent --------------------------- That's the team I think we'll line-up with.

+1 +2

I'm wearing a crash helmet for his return; seeing as his corners and free-kicks can land anywhere in the stand.

So what? Bryn Law was cajoled into it by Sky? He did it for ratings/kudos? What? Maybe, just maybe, he was talking about his mate who just hung himself so we can get a better understanding of just how shocking this is. Not only that, but what a top bloke Speed was. You can't believe what you're saying. This is not the kind of thread to troll mate. Here **** here. How anyone can watch that Bryn Law video and not feel anything but utter sadness is completely beyond me. I for one had tears in my eyes, he deserves a medal for even going into work under the circumstances.

That's great to read and I echo the comments. Our fans were fantastic yesterday, as were Swansea's.

So, so very sad. I've never experienced such a surreal atmosphere in an away pub as I did at Swansea yesterday. People walking in laughing and joking, glancing at the TV and within minutes a bustling pub had been reduced to an eerie silence. Rarely have I seen such a collective outpouring of grief nationwide and for good reason. He was one of the few good guys left in football, never a bad word said about him. The Villa fans were a credit for leading the minutes of applause and chanting of his name, which was quite literally a spine tingling moment. Football has lost a class act in a classless era. RIP Gary.

Firstly, huge credit to all the Villa fans who orchestrated the minute of applause for Gary Speed and the spine tingling "there's only one Gary Speed" chant which spread across all four sides of the ground. Definitely the most harrowing yet fantastic tribute I have been a part of at a football match. Shay Given deserves a 10/10 purely for stepping out on to that turf, true man who did his mate proud. RIP Gary. In terms of the match, these are precisely the kind of results we could really regret come the end of the season. Swansea offered very little in the way of chances or coming forward and we won't have many better chances to win an away game. It was definitely two points dropped, particularly with the run of games we have coming up. A more attacking, positive Villa side would have won that game, and comfortably in my opinion. A side with Jenas and Bannan in would have made that possible. McNegative picked the wrong team yet again, to have Heskey man-marking a Swansea City player says it all really. As has already been said, McNegative relegated Small Heath because he couldn't win enough games. Results like Spurs shouldn't worry us per se (although the performance and tactics should) but results and performances like Swansea should worry us deeply. If we can't take a game like that by the scruff of the neck, then when can we? In the second half a group of Villa fans behind the goal started fighting with each other and one bloke got nutted straight in the face. Fans were also arguing with each other and the negativity and frustration on the pitch is clearly translating off it. It is hideous to see.

The only time I've been to Swansea was with Shrewsbury Town for the last ever game at the Vetch Field. My memories of it were locals pelting the supporters coaches with stones, one small floor-to-roof netting dividing the two sets of fans and a pitch invasion at the end of the game where Swansea tried to get into Shrewsbury's end. Oh and a very annoying PA guy who tried everything in the book to gee the home fans up. There were also more terraced houses round by that ground than Anfield. I'm sure their new ground is far different. Seemed an incredibly moody place, and they generally don't seem to like the English in my experience. All that said, I quite enjoyed it. Looking forward to going back this Sunday.

I won't have slept for more than 24 hours whilst at this game, so for christ sake McLeish please don't send me to sleep for once!

But best of all, a Villa fan in a wheelchair made what seemed to be a decent attempt to get at McLeish. He just casually rolled out of the lower tier by the corner flag and got halfway to the dugout before the stewards realised what was going on and trundled him back. That was pretty much the most passionate act by anyone in claret and blue all night. I'm so glad somebody mentioned this. It was the single funniest moment I have ever witnessed at a football game, and certainly brought a smile to my face after watching that dross on the pitch. The man, who was stationed right in front of me throughout the game, wheeled his way towards the exit and when the mob (an accurate description) of stewards had turned away he just sped up the touchline like a 100m racer in the London 2012 Paralympics. It was a magical moment, and the fastest movement down the line from a member of the Villa contingent all night *cough* Heskey *cough*... The head steward raced after him like a scene from Little Britain and after a bit of resistance, the Villa fan was spun back round half-way to the dugouts and wheeled back towards our end where he received nothing less than a hero’s welcome. We laughed out of shock and pure comedy value but also because we completely shared his utter frustration. Why is this one incident so significant? Because, in the space of 60 (amusing) seconds, that loyal Villa fan showed more passion for this club than any of the so-called players or management staff did for the entire night. Why would I talk about that dross on the pitch when I can talk about this guy? He may have had a moment of madness, which was harmless in reality, but who can blame him after being treated to such a shambolic display all night. The over-zealous stewards, who were horrific again, last night - to the point of watching people have a jimmy riddle in the toilets, gathered round the bloke. The head steward, probably furious at being made to look like a fool as he chased after him, proceeded to take out a notepad (a lot like a traffic warden would do) take the man's ticket off him and jot down his details. Will this Claret & Blue brother be banned from certain/all games now? One would guess, if those stewards had their way, that the answer would be yes. The more petty of you might say 'good, he deserved it' but I highly doubt you'd be saying that if you saw what I saw, and what 1,200-odd others saw at the end of a thoroughly depressing evening. It was a moment of enthusiasm in a sea of mediocrity. If the 11 Villa players on that pitch had half the passion (and speed) this man had, we might have picked up something from the game, or even resembled something that looked like a Premier League football team. Well done sir, I salute you.

Good job I'm not trying to endear myself to them then.

It is hugely depressing reading all of the comments on here. Anyone would think we're playing Barcelona with our youth team. Unfortunately though I tend to agree that if our heads drop and we stop competing we could be on the end of a tonking! A draw would be a valuable point. Prediction, however, is: 3-1 Spurs.

Yeah the stewards at the synagogue are as bad as the Mafia at the Stadium of Light. Jobsworth's the lot of them!

Alan Green is a cock. End of discussion.

Spurs is shit for away pubs. Tottenham is just full of kebab shops and synagogue's :winkold:

Me and two others are going. So that's at least 3 in the away end then

Oh dear, VamosMiAstonVilla's feeble attempt to belittle my post seems to have backfired? If you'd like to constructively tell me why my assertion is ridiculous after I've explained my reasoning then be my guest. No "wankfest" here as you so maturely put it; I've always been a massive fan of Gabby and with good reason.

Massive win, the three points are crucial with the run of fixtures we have coming up. Bent did well to score two, but should have scored five on another day. N'Zogbia is looking more lively but really needs to learn, and quick, that he's not the star of the show anymore (like he was at Wigan) and should play in his teammates instead of being selfish on the ball. He could have had two or three assists if he'd have released the ball at the right time. Warnock seems to love living up to his tag of being a liability. I actually thought he played quite well generally but he's always prone to at least one major ****-up per game and, had Norwich been more clinical, it could have cost us. Also lost his man for their second. I must have been watching a different game because how the hell did Hutton look better yesterday? He's one of the worst right-backs we've had at this club in recent years in my opinion. He gave away the free-kick for their opener and Norwich were deliberately playing down that wing in the first half to exploit our main weakness (Hutton). I fear he will get battered at WHL against their quick attacking players. Herd and Petrov looked good and seem to be forming a partnership with each other which is positive. Jenas looked very sharp when he came on and I'm excited about what he can bring to our midfield. Gabby was unplayable and is in the form of his career. There's nothing this boy can't do at the moment. It's great that he and Bent are proving they can play together at last.

This all day long. Absolute hero. I like Gabby, but i would carry him to Barcelona in exchange for Messi. Messi is perhaps one of the greatest to ever play the game, undoubtedly. But Gabby is not only transforming into an invaluable player for us, but he is also completely loyal to our Claret & Blue cause. This, of course, stems from the fact he is one of us. Play him in his correct position (unlike Mr Houllier did last season) and I think Gabby will stay here for life. That is pretty rare in today's game, as Villa fans know more than most. Loyalty and passion is priceless in my opinion. So that's why I wouldn't swap him with any other player, even if they are (far) better.

To Aston Villa, Gabby is priceless. I honestly wouldn't swap him with Messi. My favourite Villa player since Merson and I cannot praise him highly enough. OBE hit the nail on the head. He used to just have raw pace and a decent finish but every season he has added somnething else to his game through hard work on the training ground. If he could improve his consistancy and further improve his touch and vision, the sky is the limit for him. And he's Villa, just like all of us.

Yes. Best atmosphere in the ground by far. I sat up in the Witton Lane Stand for the WBA game and it was crap. In your opinion, not mine. The Holte upper will always be where the traditional singers congregate and there are far more in voice in that section than in the lower north, imo. the upper holte is gash this season. there are too many empty seats and the atmosphere is rubbish compared to previous years The atmosphere at Villa Park is rubbish in general, and not just this season. The singing in the upper Holte is no less than any of the previous few seasons. Empty seats are far worse a problem in the lower holte, than the upper.

Yes. Best atmosphere in the ground by far. I sat up in the Witton Lane Stand for the WBA game and it was crap. In your opinion, not mine. The Holte upper will always be where the traditional singers congregate and there are far more in voice in that section than in the lower north, imo.

Hmmm, talking from experience are we? (Yes, I feel like Sherlock Holmes) 8)

He swerves to the left, he swerves to the riiiiight, That boy Barry Bannan, His driving is sh*te! Simple, but comical.