What the Villa mean to me

[villa `cross the mersey]

Following the passing of two Villa stalwarts (John Deakin and Nigel Sims- from the era when I started following the Villa) and the surrender of our most recent cup tie, I have reflected over the weekend on what the club, and football in general, now mean to me.
Like many other posters of my age group we have witnessed leaner times (believe it or not) but there was always hope and ambition – culminating from the depths of the third tier in English football to European Champions within 11 years – a monumental rise that was not fully appreciated in all quarters – chiefly the English media at the time.
It’s not the fact we are in the second division (I refuse to call it the Championship) as we have been here before, but the dumbing down of our ambitions  - i.e. appearing to accept the best we can do is reach a playoff position come May, offer little resistance to a lower league team at home in the FA Cup . Again the apparent acceptance within the club that we can no longer compete (at this time) with the likes of Bournemouth, Huddersfield, Swansea, Burnley, Watford, Brighton et al  - for goodness sake we left most of these clubs in our wake on our rise to becoming European Champions.
I recall someone posting that there is a “nasty smell” around the club at the minute – maybe it is the smell of a decaying hopes, ambitions and pride of thousands of fans who expect more. The mismanagement of the club in the late 1960`s was shocking as it failed to modernise its way of running a big football club – Ellis and Matthews “came to the rescue” and things did change, albeit after the club reached rock bottom on and off the pitch.
I disliked Ellis`s style (his huge ego and megalomaniacal business ways principally) but despite his “corner shop mentality” we were again respected as a club throughout the game. The Lerner era, after an initial exciting start faltered and placed us on a downward spiral once again – another foreign owner on board and still we fail to see “light at the end of the tunnel”

Where does that leave me as a “fan”? I am no longer a “supporter” of the club as my season ticket was not renewed following the Cup Final defeat to Arsenal - Like many I follow from afar (Merseyside), however the following is now chiefly through this site – I no longer come to Villa Park due to ongoing health issues, nor watch live streams/broadcasts or listen to the radio…. I find it a painful experience primarily as the football on offer is so bereft of quality or even spirit/ambition.
Again due to my ill health I am no longer working so am spared the banter from colleagues, however when I do get out and talk with other football fans (from a wide range of clubs, not just  “the big clubs”) their views on the Villa are interesting….. Ranging from pity to total disdain with a bit of bewilderment in between.

I still care passionately about “my club” and always will – as the tag line went – “it’s in the blood”
I am the third generation of Villans and it hurts me to see the club seemingly with little or no ambition – yes the game has changed beyond recognition since SKY and the inception of the Premier League – it is all about the money now and the weekend deal sealed between Liverpool and Barcelona sums it all up  - Power, money and greed .

What saddens me more than anything is that recent generations of young Villa fans have had so little to shout about or even be proud of …. VCTM jnr has accompanied me to a few  games that can be reminisced about – Cup Semi against Liverpool, Qtr final against the Baggies, League Cup Semi against Blackburn and the great game at Goodison when Ashley Young scored late on ….but even  jnr has lost faith recently .

I shall always be a Villa fan and consider them a great club but we are no longer a “big club” – cue endless posts on what constitutes a “big club” – well, one attribute is Ambition, something we sadly lack       

[FranzBiberkopf]

Heartfelt and so true. Hope your health issues improve VCTM.

I'm in a similar position. Exiled from Brum due to work which certainly doesn't help. But I've lost the battle in handing it down to my kids. I've tried - I've taken them to games (under MoN, Lambert, Sherwood, Houllier and Bruce). But now they're a bit older they look at me and ask "Why would I want to go and watch them Dad?". And I'm stumped for an answer.

I've tried the "historical" tack that its a direct line back to me, my Dad, my Nan and that seat over there in the Witton Lane Lower was where your great grandad sat for donkey's years with his scarf, his flask, his blanket and a bag of sweets.

I've tried the "elitist" tack that we're Aston Villa, we founded the football league, we play (or should play) in glorious claret and blue colours that shine like a beacon in a sea of red and blue kits, that our ground is (or was) beautiful and not like other grounds around the country, our name is unique, that we try to do things 'properly'.

I've tried the "this is only a phase" tack that we've been lower before, but came back and won things that the likes of Arsenal have still never won.

Perhaps I'm just old. And society has changed too much. And its not about Aston Villa anymore.

[old man villa fan]

I do not go back quite so far as you but I became a supporter as we slid down from the First Division. I came to dislike Ellis as his power grew but he brought a business attitude to the Club that saw us modernise.

My gripe with the way things are now is that when we were relegated we had an opportunity to modernise again and we have thrown it away. The structure should have been broken up as this was the only way we were ever likely to get back near the top of the game.

If we get promoted the increased revenue will never be enough to strengthen the squad sufficiently to stay up. We may be better to do a Burnley and pocket the cash, accept relegation and then rebuild to come back stronger. Radical but we need a different approach.

[Ads]

I get asked what I intend to do with Max and "if he wants to watch some [insert northern shit house club here] and not the Villa". I personally think he'll love it with the sweets and iPad in the back for a film, visit to nan and granddads etc. He wont really get what's going on with the football for a few years anyway. I intend to take him to his first towards the end of the season after his third birthday. Derby is what I'm thinking.

But if he does support [insert northern shit house club here] I guess that's fine, but he will never have their shirt in my house and I will never take him to a single game or allow him to be chaperoned by others to a game. So he's got one shot really. Be miserable or take up another hobby on a Saturday. I'll get his mom to take him shopping as well.

That sort of approach may be different if I didn't go to the games, but there's a culture in our family for going to them and that's been the way for a few generations, so he'd be missing out on a bit of a family past time really.

[Legion]

Great post. I do, however, still consider us a big club, just not a rich one that is capable of competing at the highest level at the moment.

[Risso]

Well said Clive!  Hope to see you at a game this season mate. 

[darren woolley]

Great post I'm the same exiled from home I travel up to watch the games I came up on Saturday Aston Villa mean a awful lot to me I've had some bad times and the Villa have been the one thing I always turn to even when we are bad just being at Villa Park is therapeutic so I would be lost without my beloved Aston Villa.

[Lucky Eddie]

I still have a season ticket, though I rarely use it due to Saturday League commitments.

I feel completely disconnected from the players nowadays. I think this might be down to the ever changing over inflated squads of players who's backgrounds I've become out of touch with.

This has grown over several seasons and I'm not sure if I'll be able to 'reconnect' with the players following an enforced break.

I wonder if it's even possible?

Still love the club, the colours, the ground and the tradition of match day as much as anyone I know - but I do miss having an in depth knowledge of a stable squad.

[Brend'Watkins]

I somehow don't think we would have seen this topic had Bruce put out a team that would have been pretty much a continuation of Bristol game with Terry included at the expense of Chester.  Had we done so and played in a similar pattern we would have won the game quite easily.  Even if we hadn't we would have looked like we were having a go and that is something the fans for most part would have accepted. 

The game was as much about keeping the fans enthused and positive as it was about the team's momentum with some 'Pride' restored and the 4th round draw to look forward to.  Two wins in a row and confidence is up whithin the squad and increased optimism amongst the fans.  Instead, we have 1 step forward and two steps back which is all down to Bruce.  If we lose on Saturday against Forest the fingers will be quite rightly pointing at him and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he was turfed out, he'd deserve it too.   

Anyway, we are a big club and I wish those within it would realise that.

[wittonwarrior]

Still feel attachment to the villa. Some real highs and lots of lows. I am resigned to the fact that it will never be as good as the 70’s / early 80’s

Nothing to do with the game is the same but after family, swimming and sometimes squash villa is up there in my life

[Chico Hamilton III]

Squash?

[Meanwood Villa]

It shouldn't matter but it does.

The joy I get from a Villa win is so driectly out of proportion to what it really represents in the scheme of life, the universe and everything that some people would probably have me certified. I have tried to temper the flipside of getting too down after a defeat, we've had enough practice on this one the last few years, but it does piss me off at least temporarily when we do. For whatever reason the fortunes of the club are deeply ingrained in my psyche and I can't imagine life without it. Even when I think I don't care my reaction to the next match confirms that I do. It's difficult to explain to people who haven't got the bug but I know I'm talking to fellow travellers on this site.

[tomd2103]

Still go to Villa Park regularly and still get that same buzz walking to the ground as I did as a child.  Yes, the last five or so years have been bad, but I can console myself with the memories of watching some very good Villa teams and players over the years.  Fans on many clubs won't get anywhere near the highs we have had, so although we currently find ourselves at a low, I do feel fortunate in some ways. 

As for the futue, well I think we'll have to wait and see what happens when / if we do make it back into the top flight.  The owner has revealed some grand plans for the club, but they are reliant on us being in the Premier League and I guess we will see the validity of those claims when that happens.

[Percy McCarthy]

It shouldn't matter but it does.

The joy I get from a Villa win is so driectly out of proportion to what it really represents in the scheme of life, the universe and everything that some people would probably have me certified. I have tried to temper the flipside of getting too down after a defeat, we've had enough practice on this one the last few years, but it does piss me off at least temporarily when we do. For whatever reason the fortunes of the club are deeply ingrained in my psyche and I can't imagine life without it. Even when I think I don't care my reaction to the next match confirms that I do. It's difficult to explain to people who haven't got the bug but I know I'm talking to fellow travellers on this site.

That’s me.

Get well soon Clive.

[luke95]

I no longer see us as a big club & havnt for some time . (big clubs are always there or there abouts when the trophies are being handed out.)
But I'll always be there every other Saturday as the Villa are my Salvation !, a visit always makes life seem a little better even if it is only for 90mins or so .