Is the Championship friendlier ?

[Sexual Ealing]

well sha seem to make friends everywhere they go.

Very popular in Bolton, understand.

[Witton Warrior]

well sha seem to make friends everywhere they go.

Very popular in Bolton, understand.

Creative literary appreciation?  ;-)

[Pat McMahon]

Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.

I remember my first ever visit there would be the year they came up 78?  Well I think we either drew or lost but outside some fella was wanting to practice his kung foo moves on me and I was only a 16 year old.  Couldn't agree more that they fancy themselves that way.

I was there. Lost 1-0, much trouble in the streets outside. Think a young Gary Shaw came on as sub, might have been his debut?

We beat them 1-0 in an FA Cup game early in 1982 and there was some trouble.  A lad I knew in the C Crew told me how a few of them sneaked into their end before the game but were sussed before they grouped together and took a kicking.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Outside of decent TV coverage I really do not miss the PL at all right now. It ground me down being the underdog for the majority of our games in the PL. Hee we are not the underdog to anybody. We expect to have a good chance of winning every game. I like that.

[CJ]

Same here, ciggiesnbeer. I know as Aston Villa we should be competing at the highest level, and I was pretty gutted when we finally dropped after circling the plughole for four years, but, if I'm honest, I just don't like the Premier League. It represents all that's bad about modern football - sullen, selectively myopic managers paying ludicrous transfer fees, wages and agents cuts, for molly coddled players with silly hair cuts, funded by TV money which sees supporters as mere extras to add to the 'product' for armchairs around the world. Leicester broke the mould last season but the iron law of oligarchy seems to be re-establishing the normal culprits at the top this year and it's a case of who has the most money to buy the title, with other teams just making up the numbers. Obviously I hope we get back up and compete for a maybe unattainable goal, but if I'm honest I'm actually enjoying going down the Villa again for the first time in years and enjoying life in the Championship.

*dons tin hat and runs for cover*

[Tugby Villain]

Same here, ciggiesnbeer. I know as Aston Villa we should be competing at the highest level, and I was pretty gutted when we finally dropped after circling the plughole for four years, but, if I'm honest, I just don't like the Premier League. It represents all that's bad about modern football - sullen, selectively myopic managers paying ludicrous transfer fees, wages and agents cuts, for molly coddled players with silly hair cuts, funded by TV money which sees supporters as mere extras to add to the 'product' for armchairs around the world. Leicester broke the mould last season but the iron law of oligarchy seems to be re-establishing the normal culprits at the top this year and it's a case of who has the most money to buy the title, with other teams just making up the numbers. Obviously I hope we get back up and compete for a maybe unattainable goal, but if I'm honest I'm actually enjoying going down the Villa again for the first time in years and enjoying life in the Championship.

*dons tin hat and runs for cover*

I agree.

[sid1964]

As much as I agree with the above if we have 3 + years of Championship football, we will be hoping / praying for a return to the Premier League

The thought of playing the likes of Rotherham for next few seasons does not appeal to me

Dr Xia would not agree with the above, he wants an immediate return to the promised land

[eamonn]

No need for donning any tin hat. No need at all.

[appyarryampton]

Bristol City is just that, a city club so it's bound to have a decent share of idiots.
Last time I went in 1982 it was a bit lively however back then I wouldn't walk down Green Street in a Villa shirt but I have in the last few years.

[Jimbo]

Preferring the Championship is definitely Small Heath territory. It's their home, after all.

We're a top flight club and that's where we should be playing football. One or two seasons of the Championship, and the novelty will soon wear off.

Also, the underperforming city of Birmingham needs a proper Premier League club, not a rag-tag bunch of bitter birds.

[OCD]

The Premier League didn't seem like such a bad place when we were a good side with a genuine chance of getting a Champions League place and playing in semi-finals/finals. The last few years have been enough to dampen anybody's thoughts but if Xia can guide us back up to those giddy heights, the fun times would be back.

[saunders_heroes]

Preferring the Championship is definitely Small Heath territory. It's their home, after all.

We're a top flight club and that's where we should be playing football. One or two seasons of the Championship, and the novelty will soon wear off.

Also, the underperforming city of Birmingham needs a proper Premier League club, not a rag-tag bunch of bitter birds.

Hear hear!
If we don't go up this season all hell will break loose and the feel good factor will be long gone. It's small time to suggest it's better in the lower leagues and the sort of shite Small Heath fans would come out with to be honest. Also it's one thing complaining about ridiculous transfer fees paid in the PL when we've just gone out and spent £12m on a striker who's never played outside of the Championship.
Aston Villa are a PL club and the sooner we get back there the better.

[CJ]

I didn't say I wanted to spend years in the lower leagues, or that lower leagues are better - if you read my original post I said 'obviously i hope we get back up', so I resent being called small time for something I haven't suggested. My main point remains though that the PL has become  a monstrous money bag of a league which I just don't like for many reasons, and after 4 years of non-stop dross football, this season is like a breath of fresh air and I'm enjoying it for what it is.

[stuart r]

I looked at the first set of fixtures and there were so many drab games in the premier league: Hull-Leicester, Burnley-Swansea, Palace-WBA, Boro-Stoke, Southampton-Watford. Loads of nothing teams.

Whereas the championship seems to have more interesting clubs (to me anyway): Newcastle, Wolves, Derby, Forest, Ipswich, Sheffield W, QPR, Fulham. And with a local derby thrown in there has never been a better time to be a bit rubbish.

I wish we weren't here and desperately want us to go back up but I'm enjoying it so far. The football may not be better but it has a more positive feel to it. More teams striving to win and believing they can.

[ChicagoLion]

Friendlier maybe, based on seeing Derby and Wednesday supposedly being top teams in this league, the football is pretty shit.