Villa Park

[robbo1874]

why can't we win any games at home?

I first started going as a young kid around '79. Admittedly I didn't go to every game, but I just used to take for granted we'd win at home. I think it was about 1984 I first saw us lose at home and the feeling was one of utter disbelief!

A young kid going to villa these days would more likely than not see us lose.

What's gone wrong at home for Villa?

[brian green]

It is cumulative.   Games at home have become steadily poorer in quality and failure breeds failure.   It is a vicious circle.   The crowd, today being a typical example, will be on edge and it gets to the players who start to freeze.  I think it started with all seater stadiums.   Back in the day when 60,000 plus were rammed into Villa Park the atmosphere was unbelievable.   You could hear the crowd from Brum city centre.   Villa Park is a very tame place these days.   The last time it showed its mettle was when McLeish got his marching orders.

[peter w]

This 'back in the day' is all well and good but we haven't benn getting regular massive attendances since the 40s. I agree with seating being the big problem but an angry crowd is an angry crowd. We seem to be labelled as being quiet - see Heskey - but I disagree with that. i think that's just something he expereinced. i remember reading either on an SHA thread or letters from one of our lot bemoaning their lack of action a few years back and saying that (and I'm paraphrasing), "The might be a bunch of fannies but would you see this happening at Villa. They criticise all the time when things aren't going well and get things changed."

To a point I agree with that. Pound signs, Leighton flags, McLeish chants...when we've turned we turn and I don't think that has much to do with seats. I think it's just a bigger bubble of apathy at the moment because we wanted and expected this to be better. Plus we don't want more turmoil and don't trust lerner to appoint well. But, the bubble will pop and it could very well be today. A 1-1 draw is not going to help either way.. A win and we'll see where we go from there, a bad defeat and it will be ugly.

[dave.woodhall]

why can't we win any games at home?

I first started going as a young kid around '79. Admittedly I didn't go to every game, but I just used to take for granted we'd win at home. I think it was about 1984 I first saw us lose at home and the feeling was one of utter disbelief!

A young kid going to villa these days would more likely than not see us lose.

What's gone wrong at home for Villa?

It's always been the same. Our home form has outperformed our league position about six times in forty years.

[peter w]

Didn't we finish 6th around 83 or 84 with an away record of something like 3 wins?

[Charlie8182]

I first went in 1979 as well, I went to a fair amount of home games but whenever we happened to lose at Villa Park I wasn't there.  I saw us lose at home to Dynamo Berlin but we went through on away goals so it didn't quite count. Then at Xmas 1982 I saw us lose 4-2 at home to an excellent Liverpool side and it felt like the end of the world!

BTW, in 1982/83, despite us only finishing 6th and that great Villa side were on the slide, we still won 17 out of our 21 home league matches.
The opposite is now true where we'll lose or not win the majority and very occasionally win.

[Phil from the upper holte]

I wonder if teams enjoy playing at Villa park too much,it's better than Wembley. Big classy ground might spur them on. Oh and actually showing attacking intent

[dave.woodhall]

I wonder if teams enjoy playing at Villa park too much,it's better than Wembley. Big classy ground might spur them on. Oh and actually showing attacking intent

Yes. Look at how many players say they love playing there.

[brian green]

In me and my contemporaries you have eye witnesses to what Villa Park is like now and what it was like pre Taylor.
It was awesome, even in the 50s and 60s on occasion.   I was home on leave from the forces so it would be about 57-58 we had a game against Man U which ended 3-3.   Full house, electrifying stuff.   That was the game I got a photo of Villa fans climbing the outside of the Holte End to get in.

[peter w]

To be fair there are many occasions in the 50s and 60s when there wasn't a ground crammed full of supporters. Sitting down may have changed the atmosphere but I don't think it has changed the hostility towards managers. maybe tempered it, but just as sitting down may quieten people then standing may present faux rage.

[PeterWithesShin]

Our home form has rarely gone above average in my time.

Working backwards this is our number of home wins each season (yes i'm bored).

6 (2013/14)
5
4
8
8
7
10
7
6
8
9
11 (SGT2)
8
8
8
10
9
11
11 (95/96)
6 (all below are from 21 home games)
8
13 (start of PL)
13
7 (19 games)
13 (19 games)
7 (19 games)
9 (Div 2 22 games)
7 (21 games from here down)
7
10
14
17
9 (1982)
16 (1981)
11
8
11
17 (1977)
11

[robbo1874]

Great yarn Brian.

These days you'd probably get a photo of villa fans trying to climb out of the holte end unfortunately.

[dave.woodhall]

In me and my contemporaries you have eye witnesses to what Villa Park is like now and what it was like pre Taylor.
It was awesome, even in the 50s and 60s on occasion.   I was home on leave from the forces so it would be about 57-58 we had a game against Man U which ended 3-3.   Full house, electrifying stuff.   That was the game I got a photo of Villa fans climbing the outside of the Holte End to get in.

In 1956-57 we lost 2- 1 to them in front of 42,530. In 1958-59 we lost by the same score on Boxing Day and the crowd was 63,098. In the season between, we beat them 3-1. The gate, with the cup-winners versus league champions factor, a few weeks after Munich, was 16,631. I don't know about  other clubs but our crowds even then went up and down on a regular basis.

[PeterWithesShin]

In me and my contemporaries you have eye witnesses to what Villa Park is like now and what it was like pre Taylor.
It was awesome, even in the 50s and 60s on occasion.   I was home on leave from the forces so it would be about 57-58 we had a game against Man U which ended 3-3.   Full house, electrifying stuff.   That was the game I got a photo of Villa fans climbing the outside of the Holte End to get in.

In my time pre-Taylor, VP was often well over half empty with no atmosphere. And sometimes it was pretty rammed with a great atmosphere.

[peter w]

I've never agreed with the old maxim that promoted teams and those fighting relegation must "win your home games". As seen with that list above and over the seasons clubs home records are usually quite similar. Winning your away  games is far more important. You get 6 or 7 of them minimum a season and you shouldn't be going down.