Villa in WW1 Poetry

[sidcow]

I heard mention of a WW1 poem which mentioned Aston Villa which was published in Wipers Times, a kind of trenches fanzine. 

I tracked it down so here it is if you are interested:

The Burning Question

Three Tommies sat in a trench one day,

Discussing the war, in the usual way,

They talked of the mud, and they talked of the Hun,

Of what was to do, and what had been done,

They talked about rum, and – ’tis hard to believe –

They even found time to speak about leave.

But the point which they argued from post back to pillar,

Was whether Notts County could beat Aston Villa.

 

The night sped away, and zero drew nigh,

Equipment made ready, all lips getting dry,

And watches consulted with each passing minute

Till five more to go, then ‘twould find them all in it;

The word came along down the line to “get ready!”

The sergeants admonishing all to keep steady,

But out rang a voice getting shriller and shriller:

“I tell yer Notts County can beat Aston Villa!”

 

The Earth shook and swayed, and the barrage was on

As they leapt o’er the top with a rush and were gone

Away into Hunland, through mud and through wire,

Stabbing and dragging themselves through the mire,

No time to heed those who are falling en route

Till, stopped by a strong point, they lay down to shoot,

Then, through the din came a voice: “Say, Jack Miller!

I tell yer Notts County can beat Aston Villa!”

 

The strong point has gone, and forward they press

Towards their objective, in numbers grown less

They reach it at last, and prepare to resist

The counter-attack which will come through the mist

Of the rain falling steadily; dig and hang on,

The word for support back to H.Q. has gone,

The air, charge with moment, grows stiller and stiller –

“Notts County’s no earthly beside Aston Villa.”

 

Two “Blighties”, a struggle through mud to get back

To the old A.D.S. down a rough duck-board track,

A hasty field dressing, a ride in a car,

A wait in a C.C.S., then there they are:

Packed side by side in a clean Red Cross train,

Happy in hopes to see Blighty again,

Still, through the bandages, muffled, “Jack Miller,

I bet you Notts County can beat Aston Villa!”

 

Whilst looking for this I saw reference to another WW1 poem mentioning Villa Park, I'll maybe try find that one as well. 

They think the guy who wrote this was killed the day after the edition was printed. 

Shame for the guy who got injured, no way we would be losing to Notts County. Must have been shell shocked or summat. 

Edited February 6, 2018 by sidcow

[Chindie]

I believe there was also a trench called Aston Villa.

Allegedly the Germans would also shout across no man's land things like 'Hey Tommy, how's the Villa?!'

[TheAuthority]

I love my club 

[Mark Albrighton]

That’s great. I thought this was going to be about the the VP reference in that Phillip Larkin poem “MCMXIV” -

“Those long uneven lines
Standing as patiently
As if they were stretched outside
The Oval or Villa Park....”

[sidcow]

2 minutes ago, Shropshire Lad said:

That’s great. I thought this was going to be about the the VP reference in that Phillip Larkin poem “MCMXIV” -

“Those long uneven lines
Standing as patiently
As if they were stretched outside
The Oval or Villa Park....”

That's the other one I saw reference to. 

[S-Platt]

12 minutes ago, Chindie said:

I believe there was also a trench called Aston Villa.

Allegedly the Germans would also shout across no man's land things like 'Hey Tommy, how's the Villa?!'

2 Allied Trenches one named Aston one Villa.

[Chindie]

4 minutes ago, S-Platt said:

2 Allied Trenches one named Aston one Villa.

I knew it was something like that

[dont_do_it_doug.]

We must have easily been the most decorated football club in the world at the time. Strange huh.

[NurembergVillan]

2 hours ago, sidcow said:

I heard mention of a WW1 poem which mentioned Aston Villa which was published in Wipers Times, a kind of trenches fanzine. 

I tracked it down so here it is if you are interested:

The Burning Question

Three Tommies sat in a trench one day,

Discussing the war, in the usual way,

They talked of the mud, and they talked of the Hun,

Of what was to do, and what had been done,

They talked about rum, and – ’tis hard to believe –

They even found time to speak about leave.

But the point which they argued from post back to pillar,

Was whether Notts County could beat Aston Villa.

 

The night sped away, and zero drew nigh,

Equipment made ready, all lips getting dry,

And watches consulted with each passing minute

Till five more to go, then ‘twould find them all in it;

The word came along down the line to “get ready!”

The sergeants admonishing all to keep steady,

But out rang a voice getting shriller and shriller:

“I tell yer Notts County can beat Aston Villa!”

 

The Earth shook and swayed, and the barrage was on

As they leapt o’er the top with a rush and were gone

Away into Hunland, through mud and through wire,

Stabbing and dragging themselves through the mire,

No time to heed those who are falling en route

Till, stopped by a strong point, they lay down to shoot,

Then, through the din came a voice: “Say, Jack Miller!

I tell yer Notts County can beat Aston Villa!”

 

The strong point has gone, and forward they press

Towards their objective, in numbers grown less

They reach it at last, and prepare to resist

The counter-attack which will come through the mist

Of the rain falling steadily; dig and hang on,

The word for support back to H.Q. has gone,

The air, charge with moment, grows stiller and stiller –

“Notts County’s no earthly beside Aston Villa.”

 

Two “Blighties”, a struggle through mud to get back

To the old A.D.S. down a rough duck-board track,

A hasty field dressing, a ride in a car,

A wait in a C.C.S., then there they are:

Packed side by side in a clean Red Cross train,

Happy in hopes to see Blighty again,

Still, through the bandages, muffled, “Jack Miller,

I bet you Notts County can beat Aston Villa!”

 

Whilst looking for this I saw reference to another WW1 poem mentioning Villa Park, I'll maybe try find that one as well. 

They think the guy who wrote this was killed the day after the edition was printed. 

Shame for the guy who got injured, no way we would be losing to Notts County. Must have been shell shocked or summat. 

Notts County got absolutely slapped by Swansea tonight, so this poem just gives you an insight into the kind of people that were sent out as cannon fodder.

[sidcow]

I suppose in 1914 we would have still probably been considered the leading club in the country. 

Over the previous 40 years we had dominated English Football and although ironically that was pretty much the end of it people wouldn't have known that yet. 

[NIVillan]

I was in an English Class at an American University when I came across the Phillip Larkin reference to Villa Park.  I think my classmates were shocked by a sudden outburst

[VillaJ100]

We were by far and away the biggest and most successful club probably in the world at that point. 

[sidcow]

20 minutes ago, VillaJ100 said:

We were by far and away the biggest and most successful club probably in the world at that point. 

Still are mate 

[colhint]

Never has there been or will be again a club with the dominance that Aston Villa had. Sure clubs will have more money or more trophies. Will anyone of them ever be mentioned in literature, apart from a few journalists. Will any of them ever make a club change colours because how big they were. We may not be Apple or Microsoft, but we definitely are Alan Turing.

[alreadyexists]

15 hours ago, NIVillan said:

I was in an English Class at an American University when I came across the Phillip Larkin reference to Villa Park.  I think my classmates were shocked by a sudden outburst

Love Philip Larkin, such a bleak and brilliant poet. That’s one of his best too.

[Vincenzo]

Reading that brought a tear to my eye...

Proud to be British and a Villa fan

UTV!

[fightoffyour]

16 hours ago, colhint said:

Never has there been or will be again a club with the dominance that Aston Villa had. Sure clubs will have more money or more trophies. Will anyone of them ever be mentioned in literature, apart from a few journalists. Will any of them ever make a club change colours because how big they were. We may not be Apple or Microsoft, but we definitely are Alan Turing.

I'm cool with that, I work in the Alan Turing building.