Villa Park Atmosphere

[Guest av1]

1 minute ago, mikeyp102 said:

Agreed that the atmosphere wasn’t great last night, 

To be honest mate I thought the atmosphere was great at the start of the game, it only started to go the other way once United started hammering us. 

[mikeyp102]

19 minutes ago, av1 said:

To be honest mate I thought the atmosphere was great at the start of the game, it only started to go the other way once United started hammering us. 

Well yes I agree, but at 0-2 it was a terrible atmosphere, but that came from the lack of effort from the players which then irked the fans.

[Zatman]

21 hours ago, mikeyp102 said:

Agreed that the atmosphere wasn’t great last night, but the sub par performance played a huge part in that. I think this happens at most grounds; I was at Camp Nou last week, Barca were 0-2 down, and there was jeering by the fans went passed went astray. Even second half at 2-2, when Barca lost the ball there were exasperated shouts at some of the players. 

They were probably shouting in Catalan to stop with the tippy tappy football and launch it

[Spoony]

I don’t think VP is necessarily any better or worse than any home ground. Away support is always louder and better but that’s just the nature of the people who put the commitment into going to away games.

I go to a lot of games in London and home atmosphere is always quiet or, if the team is doing badly, toxic. I imagine those that don’t get the chance to go too many games are ready to be angry if they’re witnessing tripe because it’s a rare opportunity to see their team.

Having said all that, I was at VP for the first time in years against Sheffield United and I think our home support is comparatively good. It’s never going to be amazing and it understandably died when we were getting battered at home by a pretty scummy team.

[blunther]

Absolutely vile today 

Forget turning on the players, that’s long gone. We’ve turned on ourself now. I think everyone at the back/centre of the lower holte hates everyone  else. Could get scrappy very easily. 

[Xela]

Much respect to the fans who go down and watch this shite. I'd rather cut out the middleman and set fire to the money instead. 

[Mark Albrighton]

Just now, Xela said:

Much respect to the fans who go down and watch this shite. I'd rather cut out the middleman and set fire to the money instead. 

You’d at least benefit from the warmth.

[Mark Albrighton]

I really don’t believe we’re worse than the average set of supporters when things aren’t going well. 

Look at West Ham fans last season when they confronted the directors box. Going back further, Liverpool fans basically hounded out Roy Hodgson. Man Utd fans were prevented from tearing down the Moyes banner when they had the embarrassment of finishing 7th in the Premier League. Towards the end of his tenure, Arsenal supporters were continually on Wenger’s back despite several cup wins. There are plenty of other examples.

I read one particularly patronising comment somewhere from a Wolves supporter about us saying something along the lines of Villa fans haven’t experienced anything particularly bad times in recent years so we don’t know how to deal with it. Overlooking the embarrassment that Villa have been on the national stage in various ways over the past ten years, I wonder whether that supporter was one of the Wolves fans who ran onto their pitch to trash their dugout when they were on their way to successive relegations. 

As a kind of comparison, when Villa were relegated having had one of the worst seasons ever, how did the supporters react at the final home game? A carnival atmosphere.

Yes there are dickheads and yes it can turn miserable when things are bad. But it happens everywhere. In that regard, we’re not unique. We’re currently just having to put up with it longer than most.

[Dr_Pangloss]

Not impressed whenever I've been down this season. Sitting in the Holte I'm amazed at the amount of people who are constantly getting up and going somewhere during the half, as if they can't wait to get something to eat or do whatever the **** they're there to do, cos it sure as hell isn't to watch the game. Then the stadium visibly empties around 85 minutes so people can beat the traffic or have a slightly smaller queue for the train. Garbage experience.

[newhavenhibby]

43 minutes ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

Not impressed whenever I've been down this season. Sitting in the Holte I'm amazed at the amount of people who are constantly getting up and going somewhere during the half, as if they can't wait to get something to eat or do whatever the **** they're there to do, cos it sure as hell isn't to watch the game. Then the stadium visibly empties around 85 minutes so people can beat the traffic or have a slightly smaller queue for the train. Garbage experience.

Same at all grounds I am afraid..........................same thread being talked about on Hibs.net as we speak where half our fans had left at 85 mins.............Its just the way it is  

I like it when like last week against Sheff United many would have left by the time you scored one let alone three. Well done  to the fans who stayed and encouraged the side to get two more for a point.

[AvfcRigo82]

I am sure I read yesterday on here that someone reported fighting in the upper North Stand??

I though that's where all the family's with children would normally go.

Correct me if I am wrong as that is the only stand I have never sat in with all my years going to Villa Park but was sure it's the "family stand". (However I did sit in the private boxes in the stand at the game Cahill scored an overhead screamer vs Blues)

But back on topic, the atmosphere appears to be getting more toxic as the season goes on.

From people smoking and snorting in the toilets to arguments and fights breaking out in the stands.

It's like something off of Green Street/The Football Factory.

Cringing and embarrassing.

[Davkaus]

The family area is in the Trinity next to the North. Around the tunnel.

[blunther]

4 hours ago, Dr_Pangloss said:

Not impressed whenever I've been down this season. Sitting in the Holte I'm amazed at the amount of people who are constantly getting up and going somewhere during the half, as if they can't wait to get something to eat or do whatever the **** they're there to do, cos it sure as hell isn't to watch the game. Then the stadium visibly empties around 85 minutes so people can beat the traffic or have a slightly smaller queue for the train. Garbage experience.

Sitting where I sit I’m one of the last out the ground if I wait till the final whistle. If im on the train leaving at 85 mins means I get home an hour earlier. That’s either bathtime and bedtime for the kid if I leave at 85 or I don’t see them if I leave at full time. Not much of an incentive to stay when you’re 2-0 down and half the crowd are busy arguing and fighting with each other. Quite why me leaving five minutes early affects your experience I don’t know. 

 

If public transport or traffic was any better then I’d be tempted to stay anyway, but that’s another discussion. 

Edited February 17, 2019 by blunther

[markavfc40]

I thought the atmosphere was okay yesterday up until the point we let in 2 goals in 3 minutes then it did get toxic until half time and fans especially got on Hourihanes back. I don't know if that makes us a poor fan base though as I'd imagine on the kind of run we are on to ship two goals in quick succession against local rivals a lot of fans of a lot of clubs would be pissed off and show that frustration.

Second half I didn't think it was toxic at all. There was almost a resignation we were going to lose though.

At this level I don't think it is wrong for us as a fan base to have high expectations. Us sitting mid table in the championship is like Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City sitting below 12th in the Premier League then see how their fans would react.

Edited February 17, 2019 by markavfc40

[PompeyVillan]

Thing is with Villa is we get decent crowds. Which when things are good, is a really positive experience for players, but equally having that many people angry with you when things are not so good also has an impact. 

Either way, I'm not the sort that believes that because I've paid to buy a ticket I have the right to verbally abuse anyone. That sort of thing doesn't make me feel any better, I know for a fact it rarely helps a player. It's okay to show frustration when we give the ball away. That sort of thing is natural it's the specific targeted abuse that I find uncomfortable. 

Either way, it happens everywhere and more often at Villa than other places, because we're underperforming. 

If we played a bit better, it wouldn't happen.

 

[Rugeley Villa]

I heard of fights breaking out yesterday among our own supporters  and also a glass bottle getting lobbed into the Albion fans which luckily missed. On Friday night Sunderland fans were fighting among themselves, and a few near the dug out had an heated exchange with the management team. They have a thread on their forum about the toxic atmosphere at the Stadium Of Light. They are doing well enough, but not playing well, a bit like we were under Bruce. 

Just been up my grandads and I mentioned how bad things are getting with the negative atmosphere. He said, son, it’s always been the same at the Villa, Expectations are always high and it can create a negative environment when things aren’t going well. 

[Rugeley Villa]

3 hours ago, blunther said:

Sitting where I sit I’m one of the last out the ground if I wait till the final whistle. If im on the train leaving at 85 mins means I get home an hour earlier. That’s either bathtime and bedtime for the kid if I leave at 85 or I don’t see them if I leave at full time. Not much of an incentive to stay when you’re 2-0 down and half the crowd are busy arguing and fighting with each other. Quite why me leaving five minutes early affects your experience I don’t know. 

 

If public transport or traffic was any better then I’d be tempted to stay anyway, but that’s another discussion. 

I leave on 85 minutes for the same reason. It enables me to get that early train and get back in an hour earlier. It’s a long and tiring day anyway, especially if I’ve got my son with me who by this point has had enough. The only time I stay until the end is if I’m with mates and we are on the piss, and end up going the pub after the game anyway. What I don’t get is that people spend their money to watch the game, but spend most of the game under the stand watching the game on the TVs and just drinking. 

[mottaloo]

3 hours ago, blunther said:

Quite why me leaving five minutes early affects your experience I don’t know.  

It clearly means you aren't a loyal supporter, you probably don't "sing your heart out for the lads" (lads who are on £30k+ a week) and you obviously don't fight for the badge. Shame on you. It winds me the fck up !!

(I'm not being serious by the way.)

[lexicon]

It's desperately sad and entitled at the moment. 

'Give me something to cheer for then' - the most ridiculous, counter-productive argument going. Whatever happened to sticking with your team through thick and thin? What happened to giving Smith the time and a chance to create something at the club? What good does booing players and the manager do? Any idiot can point out problems, it doesn't make them special. If the fans are showing such a catastrophic lack of loyalty to the players, do you think they'll really want to play their hearts out for them? Hell no. 

Those fans need to stop pointing fingers and do their part. They can't be enjoying what we're going through, yet can't seem to see that they might be part of the problem too. 

Turning up to bitch, moan and boo means you might as well be cheering for the opposition. 

Edited February 17, 2019 by lexicon

[Rugeley Villa]

I never got the “ Give me summat to cheer and sing about”. Your team is your team whether you’re shit, average or good. It’s counter productive to go to a game and moan, boo, and just get on the players backs. Better off not going.