Why are the Media so Anti-Villa?

[pauliewalnuts]

It's nothing to do with the area or the city, and I think to suggest that makes us look like a load of chip on the shoulder provincials, which just feeds them.

In this case it is influenced by two things, I reckon.

Firstly, the fact that a good sector of the broadsheet press (who generally seem to be worse than the tabs on this) seem to be in love with MON. Henry Winter with his "he is in many ways too good a person for the game" or whatever it was, Paul Hayward with the "the chairman lost interest far before MON did" - that kind of stuff.

From the moment he joined us, there was always an air of "they're lucky to have him", which was true to a certain extent. The problem is that this then became him being bigger than the club, which seems to have been borne out by the way they have reacted since he has gone - they've all taken his side.

Secondly, it is as Dave and Chris said, pure fucking laziness. It's dead simple to jump on the "the chairman stopped supporting him" bandwagon, which is what most of them did. What is disappointing is that now, now that the chairman has provided an incredible level of financial support AGAIN, it has been twisted as "its a desperation buy' (which it clearly wasnt when Spurs bought him for just 1.5m less, three years ago, since when he's scored a hat full of goals) or "why on earth didn't they support MON like that?"

What is most worrying is that in relation to that last point, they can't even be arsed to give it some serious thought - ie the very idea that Martin might have had as much to do with his departure as Randy might even be a possibility.

[JUAN PABLO]

Ian Wright in the Sun today: "Some would argue that Villa are bigger than West Ham".  Who the fuck would argue that West Ham are bigger than Villa?!  Twat.

I noticed that wanker had us to finish 4th from bottom , 1 pt ablove relegation....   

[Greg N'Ash]

The mail was interesting today. 3 pages of pretty anti-villa stuff down to claiming he was the 3rd most inaccurate striker in the premiership* Neil moxley must be shagging MON, or at least wants to.






*the other two were drogba and rooney and they'd all scored at least 7 goals i think. Does Villadawg work for the mail

[Martyn Smith]

I maintain my oft repeated view that the core of it is owing to Birmingham never having sold a myth about itself to the world, like the NW, NE and London have done. Squeaky wheels get grease, meanwhile we just carry on quietly doing our thing. It's not in the Birmingham character to overmythologise itself, so the media have nothing that they can lazily and uncritically buy from us.

The best British myth IMV is Scousers having a great sense of humour. All the miserable tosspots from that most dismal city that I've met and spoken to must be the rare exceptions then...

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

The answer to the original question is pure jealousy. Never has there been a more perfect football club than Aston Villa. The colours, the tradition, the history and above all, when the rest of the football world continues in its hideously corrupt way, one team manages to conduct itself properly and concludes a transfer deal that is honest and open.Fuck them all. We are by far the greatest team the world has ever seen.

[Villa'Zawg]

Everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that all of the reporters left the press meetings with Randy in the summer with phrases like "sell-to-buy", "sustainable business" and "balancing  the books" in their notepads.

Did they all simply misunderstand Randy?

[pauliewalnuts]

Everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that all of the reporters left the press meetings with Randy in the summer with phrases like "sell-to-buy", "sustainable business" and "balancing  the books" in their notepads.

Did they all simply misunderstand Randy?

Which press meetings with Randy?

I remember one piece in the Independent, and him talking to a couple of journos over a meal at the HH once, but that's about it.

The person I remember speaking most about sell to buy was Martin O'Neill.

I also don't remember reading anytihng anywhere about "balancing the books"

[Villa'Zawg]

The mail was interesting today. 3 pages of pretty anti-villa stuff down to claiming he was the 3rd most inaccurate striker in the premiership* Neil moxley must be shagging MON, or at least wants to.






*the other two were drogba and rooney and they'd all scored at least 7 goals i think. Does Villadawg work for the mail

Are you sure you understood the stats? Bent, Rooney and Drogba are the 3 most inaccurate strikers in the Premier League?

[damon loves JT]

They will be concentrating their fire on Wrist Ham and King Kenny. Hopefully as we start to float up the league table. A couple of goals for DB to kill the 'pricetag' angle, and it will be back to nobody but us giving a shit.

[Greg N'Ash]

yeah.. it was bizarre really. And they drew a little picture to prove it. no offence mind :0)

[Sexual Ealing]

There definitely (in my opinion) is an anti-Birmingham sentiment that permeates through English society.  Maybe "anti-Birmingham" is too strong a term; there just seems to be the general opinion that Birmingham is the most dull, mediocre and turgid place that exists in England(!).  By association, Villa simply don't get a fair press, which is disappointing given the history, success and heritage of the club.  If Villa were a London club I have no doubt at all that the media would be giving the club the full recognition it deserves. 
If QPR get promoted next year compare the press they get to the likes of Wolves, West Brom or SHA.  I'm betting they will get far more coverage - despite West Brom and Wolves being far bigger, more historic clubs.

If there's one good thing about today's transfer it is that it might just get people outside of Birmingham sitting up and taking notice.

I bet they don't.

[cdbearsfan]

How long will it take before I read an article about Villa that doesn't mention M***** O'N****?

If Villa finish 15th in 2059/60 the Mirror will say, "serves them right, should have dug up the Blessed Martin".

I really hope he fucks off to the UAE, or some other place where nobody will ever care enough to mention him, sorry Him, again.

[Sexual Ealing]

I maintain my oft repeated view that the core of it is owing to Birmingham never having sold a myth about itself to the world, like the NW, NE and London have done. Squeaky wheels get grease, meanwhile we just carry on quietly doing our thing. It's not in the Birmingham character to overmythologise itself, so the media have nothing that they can lazily and uncritically buy from us.

The best British myth IMV is Scousers having a great sense of humour. All the miserable tosspots from that most dismal city that I've met and spoken to must be the rare exceptions then...

You rightly dismiss the ludicrousness of there being an innate Scouse sense of humour, but only after you've mentioned 'the Birmingham character'!

What on Earth is the Birmingham character? How did it come to exist, if it did (which it didn't)?

[DeKuip]

The English media has always had it in for Birmingham. This may be slightly OT, but take a look at the following link (scroll down to the Don Manuel Alvarez Espriella 1807 Letters from England). It's a long, but fascinating, and sometimes hilarious, account of a visit to Birmingham in 1802. It's written as though the author had been flung into the lowest level of hell. Probably spent too much time in Small Heath.

See if you can spot the quote that was used in the previous incarnation of the Bullring, which still survives in today's abomination. And who said Brum doesn't know how to promote itself?

http://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-p/pype-hayes/

Birmingham will never, ever be loved by England. Yet, unlike scousers and mancs in particular, Brummies tend to give a whole lot more back.

"in no other age or country was there ever so astonishing a display of human ingenuity"

[Sexual Ealing]

The teams that are doing well get a lot of positive media coverage.
The teams that were good once, but are struggling, get a lot of negative coverage.
The teams that are broadly performing to par don't get much coverage at all.

When something surprising happens it gets discussed.

We've been doing badly this season; now we've done something surprising.

People have opinions. Is Pauliewalnuts inherently anti-Man City because he said Dzeko was 'some Bosnian who's done alright in Germany'? Or is he just thinking out loud and giving an honest first impression?