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Author Topic: The Club and The Fans  (Read 17325 times)

Offline brian green

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The Club and The Fans
« on: January 10, 2013, 05:19:28 AM »
Because I have seen more change than many others I probably feel it more acutely but the present malaise through the club from the owner right down to the performances on the pitch seems rooted in the relationship which the club now has with its supporters.

Most areas of leisure and entertainment have been affected by american style marketing, detrimentally in my opinion.   Football is no different and I think Villa is probably more typical than most of the effects of marketing of the game as a"product" because we are owned by an American and the people he has chosen to run the club reflect his ideas and his business background.

In short, we, the fans, have become regarded as a crop to be harvested.   Money was put into the club by the present owner when he bought it from his predecessor and that capital investment was it.   A farmer spends money on seed corn and fertilizer then stands back and awaits results.   If the crop is patchy, he puts down a bit more seed or a bit more fertilizer and awaits the harvest.

Everything I see at Villa these days makes me feel less like a lifelong fan and more like a unit of consumption.   I hate the endless mail shots to my home trying to sell me over priced tat.   I hate the cost of the drinks.   I hate cost of the food and its quality.   I hate the cost of the programme and its banal content.   I hate the volume of the public address system.   I hate the stupid music played on the public address system.   I do not want a flag.   I do not want a scarf.   I hate the stupid, deafening demands over the public address system to "get behind the lads in claret and blue". I hate the bloody stupid flag waving over the players. I hate the daft and meaningless giant plastic ball racing at half time. I hate the instant public address system at the full time whistle advertising programmes for sale or upcoming games when I want to cheer or applaud players who have done well. I hate the boring cliches which we are fed by successive managers about bad performances. I hate players who are playing badly feeding puffs to the tabloids in order to polish their own tarnished reputations on the advice of their agents. I hate the wall of silence which surrounds the club on matters which really are important to us like are we going to buy in players or not, what exactly is wrong with Richard Dunne, why is Ron Vlaar out for twelve games and counting, what is happening to Makoun, why did we roll over and let Martin O'Neill take us to the cleaners, why does Paul Lambert look so bored every time we take a battering.   The list of things a loyal fans wants to know goes on and on but all we get are free flags and adverts for upcoming games.

I want to get back to the way it used to be when we were a family, a tribe, an army of claret and blue who just wanted to see games of football on our ground in Aston.   A family with an unbreakable, unshakeable bond with each other and the club, not a herd of flag waving, brain dead consumers to be sold rubbish (including the football) and to keep coming back regardless of how we feel about the treatment we get.

Offline bones.

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2013, 05:26:53 AM »
Its not the Villa its society in general, people accept it because they expect it. Its normal to be treated as a consumer these days and soon, if not already, kids will grow up knowing no different. The past isnt coming back. What you need is a tardis. If you find one will you give me a shout please.

Offline spk

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2013, 05:27:26 AM »
Bang on the nail this,any chance you could forward it to the club?

Offline Villafirst

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2013, 07:21:16 AM »
Very good article - forward it to Lerner...

Online Nev

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2013, 07:24:42 AM »
I couldn't agree more. That's why I don't go anymore.

Offline Dave Clark Five

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2013, 07:32:23 AM »
I'm surprised that you don't like the programme. It has excellent content, is well produced and is highly rated in the whole of English football. Can't see what is wrong with the giant plastic balls either. It is a far cry from the days of the band that used to play at Highbury at half time, I know, but they are trying to create some interest. Last week, for example, they had a Villa supporter in one ball and an Ipswich fan in the other.

However, the wall of silence that you refer to with regard to the fitness of certain players and many other things really gets my goat. How many times do you find yourself talking to someone and saying 'does xxx still play for us?' Somebody is paying these people. Look how the Poison Dwarf was so evil that he spent so much money then didn't select players because he had fallen out with them over petty matters. I am beginning to think Lambert is no better. Gregory managed to devalue Stan Collymore from £7m to nothing by not promoting him
after he didn't turn up for that Fulham game. That is our resources they are messing about with. They are supposed to be managers and that should have a capital M. Manage the situation.

The fact that Lerner never speaks up totally pisses me off and always has. I believe in the
 motto 'beware the silent man and the dog that doesn't bark.'.

The prices that we pay to get in are also a major issue with me.

If you take the price of a game at, say, £30 (and that is cheaper than most games) and add up what you spend you get £1350 over a 45 game season. Multiply that by 40 seasons as an
example. You get £54000. Over that period you have managed to pay one month's EDIT one week's wages for one player. Now see how insignificant you are!
« Last Edit: January 10, 2013, 03:12:41 PM by Dave Clark Five »

Offline ROBBO

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2013, 07:40:54 AM »
Showing your age Brian because i think i might beat you on the time clock, i hear our wonderful away supporters and wonder what drives them on because it certainly isn't entertainment. Sometimes i think it might be better if gates dropped away dramatically to indicate to Lerner that even loyal fans can turn off. Sixty three years since i attended my first game and Ray Graydons penalty at wembley and Peter Mac and J Dixon lifting the cup are my highlights, i was over here when we conquered Europe.

Offline Ron Manager

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #7 on: January 10, 2013, 09:22:06 AM »
I started in early 57 and agree with almost everything you have typed Brian. I did not like, for instance ,the way the club treated John Lerwill
just because he had an opinion which differed from their point of view. I would hate to work for that type of administration although I have had to in the past before I took early retirement.

Its different for the younger supporters because they have been brought up on this way of doing things and it will not be changing in the future as far as I can see. And as many of them spend the whole 90mins playing with their mobile phones without watching the match do they really care?

Regarding your third paragraph Aston Villa as it is now could be compared to Erskine Caldwells great novel Tobacco Road. Each season we expect a good harvest to keep us interested and fulfilled.

But it doesnt happen.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2013, 09:42:22 AM by Ron Manager »

Offline Virgil Caine

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2013, 09:24:15 AM »
Brian, I will write the following with the understanding that as someone of the same generation as you it is done respectfully and with the knowledge that you are fully entitled to your opinion. When you get to a certain age,attacks of Victor Meldrewisms become more regular and it is therefore easy to view 'the old days' through rose tinted glasses. As a counter to your litany of hatreds may I reflect on match day experiences as they were?
Standing on  terracing exposed to passive smoking, the elements and poor viability of the pitch, catering that was at best basic and at worse unfit for human consumption, non existent pre match hospitality, being treated generally not as a valued customer but as an inconvenient by-product of a football match, the threat of hooliganism ( albeit a rare occurrence at Villa Park), no contact at all from the football club save from a ghost written message from the Manager in the programme.

I go to the Villa because I am a supporter, not a follower, and for me, it is an extension of a family tradition as my long departed Dad took me. My son,who has been a season ticket holder since he was 6, enjoys the pre match lunch in the Holte Suite whilst watching the televised live game, is able to enjoy the match in safety and comfort and likes ( as every 13 year old would) the fact he gets an autographed Christmas card from his heroes. For me, I like the fact that the ticket office staff are engaging and genuinely interested if I renew my season ticket and I know my feedback, when things have not being right,has been acted upon. If, and this is always the constant, performances on the pitch were better then I would say my match day experience would be very good value for money.

I would agree Brian that there is a malaise around Villa Park but I do think that this is correlated with results. Irritating details are forgiven if the team is 4 - 0 up and playing well.

Here's hoping you have not completely lost your Villa mojo Brian and that the Victor that is part of all of us over 50's is soon sitting in the comfortable chair in the garden shed of happiness.


Online PaulWinch again

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2013, 09:32:02 AM »
Good read Brian. I find the lack of information around Vlaar particularly galling myself, this is the information that relates to what we really care about, the team.

Offline Oscar Arce

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2013, 09:32:40 AM »
Great post Brian.
Some great points in there but I agree most with the 'wall of silence' regarding obvious issues with players we are paying a kings ransom to sit on their fat backsides and our owner's apparent indifference to all of us.
This is the first season I haven't had a season ticket in 35 years, last season did me in and there seems a deep-rooted terminal problem with our football club now that no manager can seem to get to the bottom of, whatever playing policy he chooses as his 'project'. (god I hate that term)!!!!
What hurts me most of all is that my beloved Aston Villa have become somewhat of a joke in the wider football world of today (rewind the media from yesterday and the reaction from Bradford) and so totally insignificant that the days of 'proud history, bright future' seem a lifetime ago.

Online maidstonevillain

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #11 on: January 10, 2013, 09:37:10 AM »
Brian, I will write the following with the understanding that as someone of the same generation as you it is done respectfully and with the knowledge that you are fully entitled to your opinion. When you get to a certain age,attacks of Victor Meldrewisms become more regular and it is therefore easy to view 'the old days' through rose tinted glasses. As a counter to your litany of hatreds may I reflect on match day experiences as they were?
Standing on  terracing exposed to passive smoking, the elements and poor viability of the pitch, catering that was at best basic and at worse unfit for human consumption, non existent pre match hospitality, being treated generally not as a valued customer but as an inconvenient by-product of a football match, the threat of hooliganism ( albeit a rare occurrence at Villa Park), no contact at all from the football club save from a ghost written message from the Manager in the programme.

I go to the Villa because I am a supporter, not a follower, and for me, it is an extension of a family tradition as my long departed Dad took me. My son,who has been a season ticket holder since he was 6, enjoys the pre match lunch in the Holte Suite whilst watching the televised live game, is able to enjoy the match in safety and comfort and likes ( as every 13 year old would) the fact he gets an autographed Christmas card from his heroes. For me, I like the fact that the ticket office staff are engaging and genuinely interested if I renew my season ticket and I know my feedback, when things have not being right,has been acted upon. If, and this is always the constant, performances on the pitch were better then I would say my match day experience would be very good value for money.

I would agree Brian that there is a malaise around Villa Park but I do think that this is correlated with results. Irritating details are forgiven if the team is 4 - 0 up and playing well.

Here's hoping you have not completely lost your Villa mojo Brian and that the Victor that is part of all of us over 50's is soon sitting in the comfortable chair in the garden shed of happiness.



Very well argued, and an interesting read from both of you. I think I am planted firmly mid-way between the two viewpoints.

Offline N'ZMAV

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2013, 09:56:41 AM »
If you take the price of a game at, say, £30 (and that is cheaper than most games) and add up what you spend you get £1350 over a 45 game season. Multiply that by 40 seasons as an example. You get £54000. Over that period you have managed to pay one month's wages for one player. Now see how insignificant you are!
shit, that point has really hit home how they're overpaid and how we're just consumers now, if we leave, then the club don't care, as long as someone else shows up.

Offline N'ZMAV

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2013, 09:59:58 AM »
I still love the Villa, more than I love my missus. But, I lost my appitite for it all when MON fucked about in Moscow. That showed the club doesn't give a fuck about the fans.

Offline onje_villa

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Re: The Club and The Fans
« Reply #14 on: January 10, 2013, 10:00:20 AM »
Weirdly I agree with both of you in many ways, Brian and My Left Foot.
Thanks for an interesting read.

 


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