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Author Topic: Away Support  (Read 17684 times)

Offline Darlo Dave

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #15 on: November 06, 2012, 01:36:27 PM »
I must admit to cringing a little, at some of the songs we sing. As has been mentioned earlier, "shit support", "empty seats" was particularly embarrassing at Sunderland last week. If rolls were reversed, we'd not have nearly as many as 41k at VP, against Sunderland at the moment, and you can bet they would have sold the full away section out. I often find myself singing an extra verse of "irony, my lord" in my head.

Offline villajk

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #16 on: November 06, 2012, 01:37:25 PM »
I also go to away games and I must say I don't think we are a nasty bunch of supporters we just enjoy ourselves thats all we do.

And we all know what your idea of enjoying yourself is. Bloody animal, that's what you are.

Ah, so Darren's the one.

Offline UK Redsox

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #17 on: November 06, 2012, 01:52:56 PM »
I also go to away games and I must say I don't think we are a nasty bunch of supporters we just enjoy ourselves thats all we do.

I disagree, I think that we definitely have a "nasty" element.

Over the past five seasons or so I've probably been to around half Villa's away game. Unfortunately we do have a significant (in terms of being visible and audible) quota of arseholes who seem more intent of winding up the opposition fans and/or partaking in inappropriate gestures/chants.

Recently at Fulham there were two guys in front of me whose aim seemed to be to wind the stewards up at every opportunity.

The worst behaviour as far as I'm concerned was at WBA last year where a group of blokes started singing "Let him die" as the medics were treating a WBA fan who'd apparently had a heart attack. They then got aggressive towards the Villa fans who tried to shut them up.

I'd be all in favour of having no alcohol on sale in away ends and having breath tests for all fans entering.

Offline Risso

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #18 on: November 06, 2012, 01:53:45 PM »
It's a shame if a few idiots spoil what has been pretty well complete admiration of our away fans by just about all other teams.  The 'empty seats' chant is pretty moronic, but mostly harmless and a more modern version of "my garden shed..." Tthe "no respect" rubbish is utterly shameful though, and a far bigger show of disrespect to Stan than away supporters not realising the significance of the 19th minute thing and not joining in.  The irony of which is probably lost on the brain dead idiots who sing it.

Offline Percy McCarthy

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #19 on: November 06, 2012, 01:58:58 PM »
I can't agree that we've got no original chants. Who else sings the 'No respect' bollocks and 'Holte Enders In The Sky'?

Offline Chico Hamilton III

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #20 on: November 06, 2012, 01:59:13 PM »
Quote
having breath tests for all fans entering

What? so you wouldn't let people into a ground with bad breath now? you'll be banning peole from arriving at the ground drunk next.

And you can't get a drink in the away end of quite a few grounds.

Offline pauliewalnuts

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #21 on: November 06, 2012, 02:04:26 PM »
By far the cringiest thing I hear our fans sing is that tiresome "you'll never work again" bollocks to Liverpool sides.

Utterly embarassing.

Offline PGW

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #22 on: November 06, 2012, 02:08:47 PM »
I go to around half of our away games (if on TV i dont bother) there are four of us me and my mate and our 2 sons - not kids late 20's - but whereever we go we make it a priority to ensure that we keep away from pubs housing the Villa away support due in a large part to the drunken, moronic behaviour shown towards our hosts and small heath and on occasion each other. We four like nothing more than to find a home pub and mix with the locals have a bit of playful banter....yeah we take the mick out of each other but we essentially have a good time and get invited back the following season. We have never had any hassle with any 'home fans' and i mean ever - i believe that they respect the fact that we actively seek out home pubs to talk football!!!!
It would be great if some of the younger element show similar respect to the opposition....it is all to often that a number of our supporters go to games just to get smashed.....they cant possibly rememember how 'good a day' they had judging by the state they are in.

Offline silhillvilla

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #23 on: November 06, 2012, 02:18:18 PM »
I wouldn't ever say we are a nasty bunch.   Drunken pisstaking jovial windup merchants yes,  but never nasty.

I saw a few nasty scenes outside St Mary's after the game but it was primarily pissed up chavs trying to take on Hampshire Police

Offline andrew08

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #24 on: November 06, 2012, 02:23:30 PM »
We're going to see how good our away support is the next few games. Norwich will sell out or get very close.QPR will sell out. Chelsea wont unless we have an influx of lottery winners in Birmingham soon. Man City will be better than we think in terms of numbers as will Liverpool. So the numbers will hold up at least.

I hope the Stan applause doesn't stop in this way. When he returns it will be one our clubs finest hours.

Offline astonvillan

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #25 on: November 06, 2012, 02:24:47 PM »
In fairness, to balance things up, here are some comments (Twitter) from opposing fans/neutrals at Craven Cottage the other week:

"Villa fans in full voice. 0-0. Story so far has been Fulham crowd's silence"

"After bright start, first half at Cottage became 3rd gear stuff at best. Villa fans in fine fettle, their team less impressive"

"Villa fans loudest at Craven Cottage this season..........until we scored that is!!"

"I've often been critical of the Villa fans especially at home, but they were superb today at #ffc #avfc"

"Did anyone see any sober Villa fans yesterday? Local pubs must enjoy their visit. Decent numbers and noise #FFC #avfc"

I also think that Bren'd made a very good point on the 'No Respect' thread, in relation to Sunderland fans; "I imagine if they had beaten us we'd have been seen as great fans." It's so very easy to praise a set of fans when they've turned up in OK numbers, sang a few positive songs about their team with no disparaging chants about the opposition, their players have rolled over, and they've left the ground without a murmur to return home. Sunderland, for me, was our best away atmosphere of the season. For 90 minutes we not just outsang their home support (which most away fans do at any ground) but we embarrassed them. We must have looked like a European outfit at times, bouncing along to "Paul Lambert's Claret & Blue Army" & "Ohhhhhhhhhh Christian Benteke" and borne out of that, coupled with being outplayed on the pitch, is frustration and jealousy from some. Paul Lambert certainly heard us, as did Mat Kendrick. The latter of whom had to apologise for once again waxing lyrical about our support. How many times has he given our away fans 'Man of the Match' over the past couple of seasons?!

Indeed, one joker on their RTG forum claimed that West Bromwich Albion take more fans away and make more noise. This is the team whose fans sit down at their away matches, don't sing, and very rarely take more than 1700 fans anywhere. But they're so unoffensive (read: boring) it's untrue. Hence why it's easy to praise them. In actual fact, they took 899 fans to Sunderland last season for a Saturday 3 o'clock kick off, whilst we took close to 2500 under Alex McLeish. So again, the claims that we "never take more than 2000 there" are false and, to coin a popular phrase this week, are a re-writing of history. Indeed, talk to a Sunderland fan and they'll gleefully mention the sub-1000 Villa took there in December '09, on a cold Tuesday night a week before Christmas (when crowds are traditionally lower) and sandwiched between an away match at Old Trafford (3000 Villa fans there) and Stoke at home the next weekend. However ask them about the 500 they brought to Villa in January 2011, or the 743 they took to Everton last season on a Saturday at 3pm and they'll glare at you all confused. Yes, our away following in terms of numbers should be better given the size of the club, the number of fans and our central location but, going off Saturday's 1500(??) following and the turnout in Dec '09 alone is very harsh. It's also important to remember that so far this season we've played 6 away games in 6 weeks, 7 in 9 weeks, or 8 in 11 weeks. That was always going to have an impact on the number of fans that went up to Sunderland. They certainly seem to have adopted that horrific Geordie "best fans in the world" mentality. Our support is far superior to theirs, vocally and numerically.

I'd absolutely agree though that the No Respect chant needs to stop, along with Shit Support and Empty Seats. I personally didn't hear Empty Seats being sung up at Sunderland but I heard it at Newcastle. 987 of us in a potential 2940 allocation. Embarrassing. Then again, we earned plaudits for our "Geordie Shore.....is effing shit" song and "The Premier League....is upside down, The Premier League....is upside down" and were far better vocally than we were at say, West Ham or Southampton with 2900 and 3100 of us, respectively.

Offline silhillvilla

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #26 on: November 06, 2012, 02:54:59 PM »
Wigan away last game of the season, hope there's nothing riding on that one.

Also re fulham, yes it was boozy but I saw no trouble. Oh and The 8 Bells "beer garden" out back has to be the smallest in the UK.

Offline SW9-VILLA

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #27 on: November 06, 2012, 04:00:10 PM »
By far the cringiest thing I hear our fans sing is that tiresome "you'll never work again" bollocks to Liverpool sides.

Utterly embarassing.

Yeah this one always grates. The West Mids has been as decimated by unemployment as anywhere. Unoriginal song as well to be honest. Must be pinched from Man U at a guess.

My mate who was at the Arsenal game in the FA Cup last season said our support were great too. Anyone who thinks we're a nasty club has obviously never seen the likes of Cardiff's away support (they actually booed during a minute of silence for a fan who died in a train crash at Reading when I went a while back.)

Offline andyaston

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #28 on: November 06, 2012, 04:04:17 PM »
I go to around half of our away games (if on TV i dont bother) there are four of us me and my mate and our 2 sons - not kids late 20's - but whereever we go we make it a priority to ensure that we keep away from pubs housing the Villa away support due in a large part to the drunken, moronic behaviour shown towards our hosts and small heath and on occasion each other. We four like nothing more than to find a home pub and mix with the locals have a bit of playful banter....yeah we take the mick out of each other but we essentially have a good time and get invited back the following season. We have never had any hassle with any 'home fans' and i mean ever - i believe that they respect the fact that we actively seek out home pubs to talk football!!!!
It would be great if some of the younger element show similar respect to the opposition....it is all to often that a number of our supporters go to games just to get smashed.....they cant possibly rememember how 'good a day' they had judging by the state they are in.
I've done what you do a few times and I think its a good way to do things. Sometimes, you don't want to put up with people watching the Villa away, as an excuse for a drunken day trip to another part of the country.

Also, you can banter and learn about oppositions support and culture especially if you have the decency not too take the piss.

Offline Percy McCarthy

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Re: Away Support
« Reply #29 on: November 06, 2012, 04:12:05 PM »
astonvillan: what a great post.

 


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