blandy Posted March 16, 2007 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2007 A very welcome brief return from Pete Bosworth with a heartwarming tale of a conversion on the road to Bristol. The Holte End, Wednesday 14th March 2007. This is where I discovered the fundamental truth about today’s Aston Villa - the pride is back. No-one who was there could have failed to have been really moved by the Holte back into its glory, back into the way it was when I first fell in love with the Villa. The Holte was proud of its team, proud of the magnificent effort and commitment that was put in against a vastly superior team. The Holte didn’t give two figs for statistics, for League position, for the semantics of team selection. No, instead the Holte roared, sucking the ball towards the goalmouth in front of that mighty historic stand in a way that I haven’t witnessed in many a long and dire year as the young lads who wore the claret and blue fought for every ball, covered every blade of grass and gave everything they had and more for the cause. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up in sheer awe of that magnificent spectacle. There is nothing on this earth as beautiful as the Holte End like this, like 20,000 caged tigers, fierce, proud, unbelievably noisy. It was, quite literally, awesome. 20,000 fanatical Aston Villa supporters, supporting their team in the way their fathers and grandfathers did before them. I bet you could hear it at St Andrews. I can feel the fear from there already. They know what is coming for them next season. I had forgotten that this is what being a football supporter is all about. Roaring on MY team, on OUR home patch (yes, Villa Park actually felt like home for the first time since the ground was vandalized seven years ago) and feeling the pride, the sense of belonging, that sense of the Holte being one mighty organism, the love of the game, the love of the claret and blue. God I have missed that so badly. What a feeling to have it back again! My ten-year-old son had come along for a treat, to watch Arsenal. I wondered as he dozed in the car on the way home what he had made of that. Last night I found out. I went into his room, and he said “Look Dadâ€. There on the wall, replacing the posters of Ronaldinho and Totti, were posters of Gareth Barry, John Carew and Olof Mellberg. So my friends, before I leave you again, I will share this thought with you. You can take your grim statistics, your moaning and your grumbling and you can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. THIS is football, this is what its all about - the passion, the belief, the faith, one little boy changing the posters in his bedroom 120 miles away from his new Mecca. You ask what Martin, the General and Randy have done for Aston Villa? This is what they have done. They have made Aston Villa into a football club again. Proud, loud and very much back. For that, I thank them from the bottom of my heart, a heart still filled with pride, with the hairs on my neck still standing on end when I think of Wednesday night, and my eyes still welling up a little at the thought of my little lad feeling it too. Thank You gentlemen, you have my 100% support, and as we say in our house: “Up the Villa!†Have fun, enjoy your football, and see you all again soon perhaps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted March 16, 2007 Author Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2007 the fundamental truth about today’s Aston Villa - the pride is back. sums it up nicely, Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eholm Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Absolutely superb post Pete! The hairs on MY neck stood up reading it. Makes petty infantile posts on other forums pale into insignificance..... Ell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odowdk5 Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 i agree with the previous comment. the same v liverpool will do nicely, especially if Carew opens the scoring into the Holte End. Up the Villa!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonnieD Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 You ask what Martin, the General and Randy have done for Aston Villa? This is what they have done. They have made Aston Villa into a football club again. Proud, loud and very much back. For that, I thank them from the bottom of my heart, a heart still filled with pride, with the hairs on my neck still standing on end when I think of Wednesday night, and my eyes still welling up a little at the thought of my little lad feeling it too. Thank You gentlemen, you have my 100% support, and as we say in our house: Well put PB, says it all far more eloquently than I could have done. Keep the faith. Villa forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 16, 2007 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2007 Great post Pete, it's good to have you back albeit all too briefly. It does put some things into perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pablopicasso Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 fantastic article.... as you so brilliantly put, "we are a football club again".. i think i have just found a new sig... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted March 16, 2007 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2007 A quite brilliant piece. It's good sometimes to remember what it's all about. I hope your boy has made the right choice, and I for one am starting to believe he has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfcinwales Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Just imagine what your son will be doing when we are top 5 in the Premiership PB, when the fruits of what has been started bear fruit. I wonder how old he'll be then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Just imagine what your son will be doing when we are top 5 in the Premiership PB, when the fruits of what has been started bear fruit. I wonder how old he'll be then 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Zen Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Thanks for that, PB, a great read that saved my otherwise very quiet day at work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Straggler Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 I liked that very much. It's good to have a positive vibe back on th front page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Great post PB. we have our football club back and boy am I proud to bea small part of it. I hope that little Boy sees many more days just like Wednesday, and i'm sure he will! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villain Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Thank you for a post full of enthusiasm, it is about time we all stood up for the Villa and stopped the moaning, the good times will return we just need a bit of patience. And Pete you must be so proud of your son. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted March 16, 2007 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2007 Totally agree PB, I felt the same myself on Wednesday, 1-0 down for large parts of the game against a top 4 side Did the team stop playing - no they tried harfder and harder, the effort & commitment was there for all to see Did the Crowd stop singing? Nope - the second half had much less quiet moments compared to the singing ones, the crowd were behind the team None of this would have happened last year Top Post PB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 16, 2007 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2007 It was distinctly evident to me that the team realise the fans deserve a result, and hearteningly they wanted one too - almost as much for us as for themselves. The performance and heart was there and against a lesser team they'd have got it. Hopefully that lesser team (albeit fractionally) will be turning up on Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted March 16, 2007 VT Supporter Share Posted March 16, 2007 Yes. Just.... yes. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeMoore Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Love that post PB Thankfully i think the majority of villa fans feel just like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddy Posted March 16, 2007 Share Posted March 16, 2007 Fantastic article, I did have to read this bit that sense of the Holte being one mighty organism a couple of times though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted March 16, 2007 Moderator Share Posted March 16, 2007 Yeah Paddy, if we'd scored it might have read differently :shock: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts