delboy54 Posted October 9, 2023 Share Posted October 9, 2023 In the 1960's my Dad bought my sister a bag from the Villa "shop" (a small hut), with this character printed in blue on a claret background. That bag is probably worth a fortune now......or maybe not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted October 9, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2023 Re: the 'darkie' mascot. A Google search repeatedly brings up that photograph, but a couple of years ago I saw a picture of an old cigarette card, from a set illustrating English club mascots, with a 'blackface' cartoon version of the character. Damned if I can find it now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted October 9, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted October 9, 2023 3 hours ago, NurembergVillan said: Wow, I have some googling to do, that looks like 50s maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted October 10, 2023 Author VT Supporter Share Posted October 10, 2023 13 hours ago, mjmooney said: Re: the 'darkie' mascot. A Google search repeatedly brings up that photograph, but a couple of years ago I saw a picture of an old cigarette card, from a set illustrating English club mascots, with a 'blackface' cartoon version of the character. Damned if I can find it now. So it was more likely a cigarette advertising campaign than an actual Villa Mascot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted October 10, 2023 Author VT Supporter Share Posted October 10, 2023 (edited) 14 hours ago, NurembergVillan said: Of course the real outrage here is a WOMAN in the crowd. What on earth was going on? Probably even went to pubs unaccompanied too. Women..... Know your limits. Edited October 10, 2023 by sidcow 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted October 10, 2023 Author VT Supporter Share Posted October 10, 2023 And look at those fences. It's a miracle masses of people weren't impaled after a goal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic09 Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 14 hours ago, NurembergVillan said: It's the imperial Britain, 19th century style. On an unrelated note, I often like to think how inappropriate and out of bounds we will seem to the future generations - and how progressive people of 1900 thought they were compared to their grandparents! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 4 hours ago, sidcow said: So it was more likely a cigarette advertising campaign than an actual Villa Mascot. Having inherited a quite a few of these collections and you'll probably know yourself the cigarette cards were created of various different things, sport, transport, nature etc. one of the sets they released as @mjmooney alludes, would have been focused/dedicated to 'mascots of football teams' (Obviously enough of them to make a card series). The Villa mascot (in question) was chosen to feature in that card series release alongside the other mascots at the other clubs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 (edited) Here's a cigarette card from 1933 from the collection released by Ogden's Cigarettes which was focused on 'Club Nicknames' and features the 'Villa Villain'. The one representing the 'Sty' in the same collection is quite the eyebrow raiser. Edited October 10, 2023 by AvfcRigo82 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 On 08/10/2023 at 17:04, nepal_villan said: Feel we should have an alternate AV or V logo that would appear on the back of shirts, hats, etc. Believe a Villan mascot would be fun too - certainly pretty unique in the footballing world. Would be in line with " V Sports "global brand as well i guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic09 Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 19 minutes ago, AvfcRigo82 said: Get this man to mischievously run on the big screens when we score a goal. It could be a great marketing tool. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted October 10, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted October 10, 2023 6 hours ago, Mic09 said: It's the imperial Britain, 19th century style. On an unrelated note, I often like to think how inappropriate and out of bounds we will seem to the future generations - and how progressive people of 1900 thought they were compared to their grandparents! Darkie is from the 50s though mate, that photo is mid/late 50s, which is exactly the same time that people in the Caribbean were being courted with very tempting "public information" films about how awesome it would be for them to come to England and become doctors and lawyers and have their every dream fulfilled in the "motherland" of Empire. Only to be greeted by Darkie and a "No dogs, No Irish, No blacks" sign when looking for somewhere to stay... As for the Villa Villan, I don't like it in terms of it being part of a future official brand, Might work if being hinted at to promote something merchandise related but not anything strictly football related or club identity or anything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBlack Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 1 minute ago, romavillan said: Darkie is from the 50s though mate, that photo is mid/late 50s, which is exactly the same time that people in the Caribbean were being courted with very tempting "public information" films about how awesome it would be for them to come to England and become doctors and lawyers and have their every dream fulfilled in the "motherland" of Empire. Only to be greeted by Darkie and a "No dogs, No Irish, No blacks" sign when looking for somewhere to stay... As for the Villa Villan, I don't like it in terms of it being part of a future official brand, Might work if being hinted at to promote something merchandise related but not anything strictly football related or club identity or anything. Early 50's given Danny Blanchflower is in the pic and he left us in 54. But still, entirely correct to call out the hypocrisy going on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Follyfoot Posted October 10, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted October 10, 2023 3 hours ago, AvfcRigo82 said: Here's a cigarette card from 1933 from the collection released by Ogden's Cigarettes which was focused on 'Club Nicknames' and features the 'Villa Villain'. The one representing the 'Sty' in the same collection is quite the eyebrow raiser. Just looked and spat out my coffee, Jesus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunarsea Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 On 07/10/2023 at 21:51, sidcow said: You know.... this guy: What do people think of him? Hmmm? I can't work out what it is he is holding in his right (or possibly left) handish trotter thing ..... and why he is trying to attach it to his hat brim? .... or why his moustache is so high up his face? Is he a cyclops? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic09 Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 1 hour ago, romavillan said: Darkie is from the 50s though mate, that photo is mid/late 50s, which is exactly the same time that people in the Caribbean were being courted with very tempting "public information" films about how awesome it would be for them to come to England and become doctors and lawyers and have their every dream fulfilled in the "motherland" of Empire. Only to be greeted by Darkie and a "No dogs, No Irish, No blacks" sign when looking for somewhere to stay... Thanks, I thought it was earlier (1910s20s), or worst case pre 2nd world war, which was the beginning of the end of the imperial era. Many historians argue that mentally and politically 19th century ended in 1918-19 so I assumed it was from that era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterSw Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 I wonder if you could cartoon the image up a bit and make it more of a children's character and market it for the under age groups Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NurembergVillan Posted October 10, 2023 Moderator Share Posted October 10, 2023 5 hours ago, Mic09 said: Get this man to mischievously run on the big screens when we score a goal. It could be a great marketing tool. Be better if that happened when the opposition had a goal disallowed to VAR 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted October 10, 2023 VT Supporter Share Posted October 10, 2023 OK, scrub my earlier post about cigarette cards. It was the small heath one that I'd seen, and misremembered (due to the Villa 'darkie' thing). At least ours didn't carry a razor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robby b Posted October 20, 2023 Share Posted October 20, 2023 On 08/10/2023 at 08:25, ferguson1 said: I never knew Guy Fawkes was a Villa fan? Are you sure that's Guy Fawkes? I think it might be Dick Dastardly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts