How big a derby is Coventry for us Villa fans?

[islingtonclaret]

Who are this Coventry then?

There's a fan at the pub quiz I go to. He rants and rants....

I don't react of course, because Coventry only register on my football radar as a club that we happened to send down years ago and haven't thought of since.

[Demitri_C]

The sky blose are vermin and its a better for the clean that that filth remains in the lower tiers were they belong. They do hate us but we are not bothered about them.

[VillaAndLoyal]

It's not. If we drew them away in a cup or something I'd class it as a cheaper away day. The same way that Stoke isn't one but media still call it one.

In whos eyes yours? you look about 18??? the last time villa played Coventry id guess you was 9/10????

Coventry through 80's 90's was fierce......on and off the pitch...always a

good derby is Coventry.

This. Of course it's a derby - and a bigger one than Albion in my opinion, making it only second to Blues. It goes without saying that most Villa fans, myself included, have forgotton about them by now and it is true to say they really are a nothing club.

But then what does that mean in the context of whether we have a local rivalry? Nothing. Blues are the biggest joke of a club since records began yet I'd say our derby game with them is one of the most fierce in the UK. It is naive, in my opinion, for people to dismiss this clash simply because we haven't played them for such a long time.

As in all derby games, Blues included, when you don't play them for years the rivalry simmers untill the next meeting. Coventry was always a big derby game in the 80's/90's and when we relegated them in 2000 I remember the atmosphere was white hot - and not just from Coventry fans either. There was untold trouble before and after that game, also in VP. They obviously hate us FAR more than we even think about them - but the city is the same distance from Brum as Wolverhampton is and make no mistakes about it - it is a rivalry. Quite a fierce one too in my opinion.

[Adam2003]

Really dont even think of them. I was very young when they got relegated but remember the older villa fans i knew at the time didnt see it as a real derby. It was just the closest we had to a real derby at the time..

I always just thought they hated us for taking Dublin and Boateng, never really thought of it as a derby at all.

I know the players did though - I remember David James writing in his Guardian column that it was great to relegate local rivals!

[Biskitt]

My old man is a Cov fan and my grandad used to play for them too ( he actually got sent off at villa park too... haha...! ). By rights, I should be a cov fan but I had wisdom beyond my years at 6 years old and made the right choice

Even now my old man still comes up with " shit on the villa " talk now and then but can't say they really register with us anymore. If they were to get promoted or the unthinkable happens, I think the rivalry would be pretty fierce though.

[ClarrieBlue]

It's not. If we drew them away in a cup or something I'd class it as a cheaper away day. The same way that Stoke isn't one but media still call it one.

In whos eyes yours? you look about 18??? the last time villa played Coventry id guess you was 9/10????

Coventry through 80's 90's was fierce......on and off the pitch...always a

good derby is Coventry.

This. Of course it's a derby - and a bigger one than Albion in my opinion, making it only second to Blues. It goes without saying that most Villa fans, myself included, have forgotton about them by now and it is true to say they really are a nothing club.

But then what does that mean in the context of whether we have a local rivalry? Nothing. Blues are the biggest joke of a club since records began yet I'd say our derby game with them is one of the most fierce in the UK. It is naive, in my opinion, for people to dismiss this clash simply because we haven't played them for such a long time.

As in all derby games, Blues included, when you don't play them for years the rivalry simmers untill the next meeting. Coventry was always a big derby game in the 80's/90's and when we relegated them in 2000 I remember the atmosphere was white hot - and not just from Coventry fans either. There was untold trouble before and after that game, also in VP. They obviously hate us FAR more than we even think about them - but the city is the same distance from Brum as Wolverhampton is and make no mistakes about it - it is a rivalry. Quite a fierce one too in my opinion.

Villa Park to Wolves is 14.3 miles and to Coventry is 21.8 miles. In the 45 years I've supported Villa Coventry was always the lesser derby than SHA, Albion and Wolves.

[Richard]

Vermin felcher fans are horrible inbred scrotes

This

I hate Coventry and had one of the most enjoyable games of my life at VP when we relegated them, especially as they were 2-0 up and thought they were safe.

[VillaAndLoyal]

It's not. If we drew them away in a cup or something I'd class it as a cheaper away day. The same way that Stoke isn't one but media still call it one.

In whos eyes yours? you look about 18??? the last time villa played Coventry id guess you was 9/10????

Coventry through 80's 90's was fierce......on and off the pitch...always a

good derby is Coventry.

This. Of course it's a derby - and a bigger one than Albion in my opinion, making it only second to Blues. It goes without saying that most Villa fans, myself included, have forgotton about them by now and it is true to say they really are a nothing club.

But then what does that mean in the context of whether we have a local rivalry? Nothing. Blues are the biggest joke of a club since records began yet I'd say our derby game with them is one of the most fierce in the UK. It is naive, in my opinion, for people to dismiss this clash simply because we haven't played them for such a long time.

As in all derby games, Blues included, when you don't play them for years the rivalry simmers untill the next meeting. Coventry was always a big derby game in the 80's/90's and when we relegated them in 2000 I remember the atmosphere was white hot - and not just from Coventry fans either. There was untold trouble before and after that game, also in VP. They obviously hate us FAR more than we even think about them - but the city is the same distance from Brum as Wolverhampton is and make no mistakes about it - it is a rivalry. Quite a fierce one too in my opinion.

Villa Park to Wolves is 14.3 miles and to Coventry is 21.8 miles. In the 45 years I've supported Villa Coventry was always the lesser derby than SHA, Albion and Wolves.

Note I said the city, not Villa Park. The reason being many Villa fans live in south Brum which is far closer to Coventry than Wolves.

[03butpau]

Am only 21 so to me coventry are a bit of non entity to me. Blues is far superior

[chappy]

My first time on the Holte that day we relegated them, what a day.

[TRS-T]

i was at the SHA v Cov cup game earlier in the season, never seen so much villa abuse in my life. i think the cov fans sang sotv more than the scum.

I wonder if when the Cov fans sang "Everybody shit on the Villa, cuz their a load of shiteeeee" the Blues fan joined in and there was a joint version of SOTV from both Blues and Cov fans?

I wonder who hate us more, Blues or Cov?

[Stephen65]

This 2003 survey is interesting:

http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf

Basically it shows that even back then the serious Midland rivalries were exclusively among Villa, SHA, WBA and Wolves. Each of those teams sees the other three as their main rivals with Villa v SHA and WBA v Wolves obviously being the primary pairings. Nobody rated Coventry as a rival.

Despite being ignored by the other four teams Coventry rated Villa as their #1 opponent and SHA as their #3.

SHA are the only rivals I really actively dislike. I have nothing against Wolves and I quite like WBA. Coventry on the other hand just never enter my consciousness.

[TRS-T]

It's not. If we drew them away in a cup or something I'd class it as a cheaper away day. The same way that Stoke isn't one but media still call it one.

In whos eyes yours? you look about 18??? the last time villa played Coventry id guess you was 9/10????

Coventry through 80's 90's was fierce......on and off the pitch...always a

good derby is Coventry.

This. Of course it's a derby - and a bigger one than Albion in my opinion, making it only second to Blues. It goes without saying that most Villa fans, myself included, have forgotton about them by now and it is true to say they really are a nothing club.

But then what does that mean in the context of whether we have a local rivalry? Nothing. Blues are the biggest joke of a club since records began yet I'd say our derby game with them is one of the most fierce in the UK. It is naive, in my opinion, for people to dismiss this clash simply because we haven't played them for such a long time.

As in all derby games, Blues included, when you don't play them for years the rivalry simmers untill the next meeting. Coventry was always a big derby game in the 80's/90's and when we relegated them in 2000 I remember the atmosphere was white hot - and not just from Coventry fans either. There was untold trouble before and after that game, also in VP. They obviously hate us FAR more than we even think about them - but the city is the same distance from Brum as Wolverhampton is and make no mistakes about it - it is a rivalry. Quite a fierce one too in my opinion.

This.

From what I gather:

Blues hate us.

Albion hate Wolves, but only really dislike us.

Wolves are indifferent to us.

Walsall - pre-season friendly

Stoke - not a real derby

East Midland teams (Forest, Derby, Leicester) - not a real derby

Cov hate us.

So surely the fact that Cov fans hate us so much, means that we hate them a least a bit back.

Surely any Villa-hater (Blues or Cov) is an enemy to us Villa fans?

[theunderstudy]

Cov. Because they're insanely jealous of us, and SHA hate Wolves almost as much as us as well!

[TRS-T]

This 2003 survey is interesting:

http://www.footballfanscensus.com/issueresults/Club_Rivalries_Uncovered_Results.pdf

Basically it shows that even back then the serious Midland rivalries were exclusively among Villa, SHA, WBA and Wolves. Each of those teams sees the other three as their main rivals with Villa v SHA and WBA v Wolves obviously being the primary pairings. Nobody rated Coventry as a rival.

Despite being ignored by the other four teams Coventry rated Villa as their #1 opponent and SHA as their #3.

SHA are the only rivals I really actively dislike. I have nothing against Wolves and I quite like WBA. Coventry on the other hand just never enter my consciousness.

Would this change if Cov were in the Prem, and Wolves were in the Championship.

Would Cov replace Wolves as our #3 rival?

[Stephen65]

So surely the fact that Cov fans hate us so much, means that we hate them a least a bit back.

Surely any Villa-hater (Blues or Cov) is an enemy to us Villa fans?

Two thoughts:

- isn't it more likely to enrage them that we can't even be bothered to hate them back?

- does this mean Leicester have to be our friends?

[bickster]

Surely any Villa-hater (Blues or Cov) is an enemy to us Villa fans?

erm No not really, I find it far far funnier to be hated by a bunch of fans that really are meaningless to us .

I suspect It winds them up on a different level to other rivalries too, its very amusing.

[Oaks]

...ended up playing poker in the casino next to a "Coventry legend".

Was it the "handsomest man in football"?

Nope i would have recognised him, this dude was black.

[1968]

I have lived in nuneaton for the last 20 years so have a lot of experience of cov fans.

shitty little club , shithole of a city , they dont like anyone but no one else cares , used to have lots of industry now just have ikea , love winding them up over villa complete lack of interest in them , they hate us we dont care , when mesre sent them down it felt like we had won the cup .

shower of absolute gobshites.

lots of villa in nuneaton so easy to take the piss out of them.

[ClarrieBlue]

It's not. If we drew them away in a cup or something I'd class it as a cheaper away day. The same way that Stoke isn't one but media still call it one.

In whos eyes yours? you look about 18??? the last time villa played Coventry id guess you was 9/10????

Coventry through 80's 90's was fierce......on and off the pitch...always a

good derby is Coventry.

This. Of course it's a derby - and a bigger one than Albion in my opinion, making it only second to Blues. It goes without saying that most Villa fans, myself included, have forgotton about them by now and it is true to say they really are a nothing club.

But then what does that mean in the context of whether we have a local rivalry? Nothing. Blues are the biggest joke of a club since records began yet I'd say our derby game with them is one of the most fierce in the UK. It is naive, in my opinion, for people to dismiss this clash simply because we haven't played them for such a long time.

As in all derby games, Blues included, when you don't play them for years the rivalry simmers untill the next meeting. Coventry was always a big derby game in the 80's/90's and when we relegated them in 2000 I remember the atmosphere was white hot - and not just from Coventry fans either. There was untold trouble before and after that game, also in VP. They obviously hate us FAR more than we even think about them - but the city is the same distance from Brum as Wolverhampton is and make no mistakes about it - it is a rivalry. Quite a fierce one too in my opinion.

Villa Park to Wolves is 14.3 miles and to Coventry is 21.8 miles. In the 45 years I've supported Villa Coventry was always the lesser derby than SHA, Albion and Wolves.

Note I said the city, not Villa Park. The reason being many Villa fans live in south Brum which is far closer to Coventry than Wolves.

It's still the lesser deby of the 4.