Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: TopDeck113 on September 14, 2011, 07:30:16 PM
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The latest lazy cliché that seems to have suddenly slipped into the lexicon of those who broadcast about the sport is ‘Manchester is the capital of football’.
As someone who lives in the environs of the city and spends his days having to listen such bollocks, please can we have a thread putting these upstarts in their place. If nothing else, it’ll make me feel better.
Today I had a Citeh colleague crowing that their Champions League debut tonight is only thirteen years after playing the likes of Bournemouth. When I pointed out that we won the bloody thing ten years after playing Bournemouth, including earning the right to the ‘Champions’ epithet en route, it was dismissed as of another era. When I then pointed out that their opponents were playing in the third-tier of Italian football seven years ago, this too was considered irrelevant.
Arrogant, the lot of them.
Forza Napoli!
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So taking you are at present based around the North Western regions, and then me, speaking to people pretty much everyday in the Manchester area, don't you find it strange how just about everybody up that way seem happy to big up anything about local football, Manchester based football players and anything football to do with Manchester, they rate a player even when he's crap, despite everybody else in the country thinking the opposite, and the press eat it up, and yet by comparison the local midland's press do nothing to up the status of our players and clubs when one of the midland's clubs are doing well or we have a real starlet coming through.
I find it that way and I could easily say the same for London clubs.
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Manchester, so much to answer for.
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Arrogant, the lot of them.
Never a truer word said.
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We're just jealous really, but it's only natural.
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Brian Cloughs won the European cup as many times in the last 40 years as the pair of them put together
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Arrogant, the lot of them.
Never a truer word said.
When I worked in Manchester, the City fans always used to be a decent bunch, with a sort of world-weary acceptance that they weren't, on the whole, very good. Now they're the equivalent of a chav lottery winner.
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I've noticed a change in the Man City fans on the few occasions i've been up there, since they started spening silly money on players they don't need. They're becoming like their neighbours
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i did hear this 13 year oppenent thing on radio 5 tonight. firstly city are a big club and like us and say 6 others should be playing CL so no it's no big deal really, secondly if man c had a achieved this without the massive spending then yes hands up massive achievement with the millions..........expected
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Both Risso and Clampy are bang on.
Not so long ago Citeh fans could be relied upon to be realistic as to their place in the overall scheme of things, indeed, to revel in their ability to cock it up. Not for nothing did Stuart Hall call Maine Road, The Theatre of Base Comedy.
For that reason, and for that reason alone, I was happy for those friends of mine who I know have endured the long haul, when they finally won a trophy in May.
However, when you hear comments such as, In a few years time we'll be bigger than Barcelona, you know how easily they'll become insufferable. They're going to become everything they once proclaimed to despise: they're going to become just like their neighbours.
And on that they note, they go a goal down to Napoli. Brilliant!
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Life's a lot easier once you accept that Manchester is the capital and/or spiritual home of everything.
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I never used to mind City, they were alright fans when they came down. I'd only seen 4 man city fans in my life outside football games.
Now there everywhere, loads of newbies in man city shirts, there as risso put it 'chavs who won the lottery'. There no better than their neighbours who were everything they hated...
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I think the city with the best two football teams is Milan
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Wouldn't exactly say I had a soft spot for Man City but like most I liked to watch them get one over on their neighbours and I remember with fondness the banner they had when visiting Villa Park towards the end of the 92/93 season along the lines of 'good luck Villa from the city of Manchester'. However, these days I despise them so much that I'd rather see them relegated than any other club.....and that includes Liverpool!!!
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I'm another one who has to live and work up here and to say it gets wearing sometimes is a bit of an understatement. I'm fortunate the team I work with all come from the wider region so we've only got one citeh fan and one united fan on our team. Neither of them go and tbh aren't that interested in football so the rest of us get an easy ride. Some of the Citeh fans I know outsdie of this are pretty much still OK, and the view I seem to get is that they want to make the most of the next few years before all the glory hunters get involved mainly to rub all their United mates noses in it. They all realise they've been very lucky and aren't overly arrogant BUT the odd comment has been made recently about how thye now expect success having just won their first trophy for 30 odd years, I've been calling them United fans with Sky Blue shirts ever since.
What really boils my piss at the moment though is how much the BBC are bigging up the new Salford Quays place. I don't think there's a day goes by without those ****** mentioning that this programme or that was coming from its new centre in Manchester. Oh just fuck off I don't care where its made.
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What really boils my piss at the moment though is how much the BBC are bigging up the new Salford Quays place. I don't think there's a day goes by without those c***s mentioning that this programme or that was coming from its new centre in Manchester. Oh just fuck off I don't care where its made.
I know exactly what you mean. The marketing team at Salford City Council must be delighted though. Their city has had more mentions as a distinct entity, as opposed to being simply lumped in with the rest of the metropolis called 'Manchester', than any time since Lowry's obituaries were published.
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On the Wednesday of Riot Week I was listening to Five Live and as soon as the Arndale got looted you could tell that was the moment they'd been waiting for and everything else was dropped.
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On the Wednesday of Riot Week I was listening to Five Live and as soon as the Arndale got looted you could tell that was the moment they'd been waiting for and everything else was dropped.
On the Monday night when Birmingham was getting smashed up the only mention of it you could find on TV was the guy with the handycam on channel 800-and-something. The main news channels were all showing London.
Within seconds of things kicking off in Manchester they had reporters scattered all over the city interviewing scallies and reporting every moment of it.
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Ive never been to manchester, england and have only met two manchester people but they were female.
I saw the rioting on the news and manchester seemed pretty hard core. There also seems to be alot of manc people on tv these days and i find their accent difficult to understand.
Regards football utd are biggest club in world city richest but the capital of football is in the country of brazil. Like this rugby is to new zealand. You have to live it and these areas do, manchester? from what i hear not so sure.
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Ive never been to manchester, england and have only met two manchester people but they were female.
I saw the rioting on the news and manchester seemed pretty hard core. There also seems to be alot of manc people on tv these days and i find their accent difficult to understand.
Regards football utd are biggest club in world city richest but the capital of football is in the country of brazil. Like this rugby is to new zealand. You have to live it and these areas do manchester from what i hear not so sure. Ive never been to manchester, england and have only met two manchester people but they were female.
I saw the rioting on the news and manchester seemed pretty hard core. There also seems to be alot of manc people on tv these days and i find their accent difficult to understand.
Regards football utd are biggest club in world city richest but the capital of football is in the country of brazil. Like this rugby is to new zealand. You have to live it and these areas do manchester from what i hear not so sure.
A Tale of Two Cities...
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On the Wednesday of Riot Week I was listening to Five Live and as soon as the Arndale got looted you could tell that was the moment they'd been waiting for and everything else was dropped.
On the Monday night when Birmingham was getting smashed up the only mention of it you could find on TV was the guy with the handycam on channel 800-and-something. The main news channels were all showing London.
Within seconds of things kicking off in Manchester they had reporters scattered all over the city interviewing scallies and reporting every moment of it.
Well now only London and the North ( as represented by Manchester) exist in the minds of BBC TV executives what do you expect? It seems as if the Midlands doesn't exist, its just some mass illusory prank being played on the rest of the country as they travel from the North to the South. I seem to recall a leader in The Times a couple of years ago bemoaning the fact that the first destination for HS2 would be Birmingham and postulated the view that Manchester then maybe Leeds should be the aim with no requirement for Birmingham or the Midlands to need High speed transport links. I haven't bought the paper since.
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Within five years ar so the BBC will start an underhand tactical withdrawal of Manchester when they realise that interviewing politicians or celebs down an ISDN line is not the same as having them in the studio.
Much as I dislike it, London is where these people either work or visit and thus it's easy to book them on to shows. The One Show started off at the Mailbox but soon upped sticks to the smoke.
As for the football, both clubs are unrecognisable from 20 years ago and are now the objects of desire for fans who behave like lovesick Japanese school girls.
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I spoke to a Man City fan a few months ago and asked him what it was like supporting the most disliked team in the country. It was meant in a jokey way but he wasn't having it claiming that most people were pleased for them as no club deserved it more than they did. That pissed me off so I told him the biggest impact of their money was that neutrals now had more time for Manu than them.
And, Mr TV commentators, I don't need to be told that they're doing the Poznan and why every time they do that wanky celebration.
Fuck off Man City, you'll win loads but won't have earned any of it.
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This is a debate that rears its head fairly regularly on H&V. Whilst I agree with most of the points, all I'll say is that there's nothing stopping Birmingham promoting itself a lot more effectively than it does now, and that starts with you lot who live there.
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This is a debate that rears its head fairly regularly on H&V. Whilst I agree with most of the points, all I'll say is that there's nothing stopping Birmingham promoting itself a lot more effectively than it does now, and that starts with you lot who live there.
And I don't think you'd find many people disagreeing with you Risso, except Birmingham doesn't seem to be able to get its act together on that one.
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This is a debate that rears its head fairly regularly on H&V. Whilst I agree with most of the points, all I'll say is that there's nothing stopping Birmingham promoting itself a lot more effectively than it does now, and that starts with you lot who live there.
And I don't think you'd find many people disagreeing with you Risso, except Birmingham doesn't seem to be able to get its act together on that one.
I had felt we'd been getting better at it given what Edgbaston have been doing with the new stand and the T20 finals but then the City Council go and bugger it up today by banning the Royal British Legion from collecting in the City Centre the weekend of Remembrance Sunday!!! The fact they've changed their mind since the national press told everyone about it doesn't repair the damage.
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This is a debate that rears its head fairly regularly on H&V. Whilst I agree with most of the points, all I'll say is that there's nothing stopping Birmingham promoting itself a lot more effectively than it does now, and that starts with you lot who live there.
And I don't think you'd find many people disagreeing with you Risso, except Birmingham doesn't seem to be able to get its act together on that one.
I had felt we'd been getting better at it given what Edgbaston have been doing with the new stand and the T20 finals but then the City Council go and bugger it up today by banning the Royal British Legion from collecting in the City Centre the weekend of Remembrance Sunday!!! The fact they've changed their mind since the national press told everyone about it doesn't repair the damage.
Ah Edgbaston, one thing that does piss all over manchester from a great height is the current standing of the two cricket grounds. Old Trafford CG is a shithole of the highest order. I go past it on the tram everyday and snigger at the paucity of its ambition.
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This is a debate that rears its head fairly regularly on H&V. Whilst I agree with most of the points, all I'll say is that there's nothing stopping Birmingham promoting itself a lot more effectively than it does now, and that starts with you lot who live there.
And I don't think you'd find many people disagreeing with you Risso, except Birmingham doesn't seem to be able to get its act together on that one.
I had felt we'd been getting better at it given what Edgbaston have been doing with the new stand and the T20 finals but then the City Council go and bugger it up today by banning the Royal British Legion from collecting in the City Centre the weekend of Remembrance Sunday!!! The fact they've changed their mind since the national press told everyone about it doesn't repair the damage.
As with just about every similar story, the whole truth is a bit different. By law they couldn't allow the RBL to collect unless the charities who had been granted permission withdrew their applications.
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Ah Edgbaston, one thing that does piss all over manchester from a great height is the current standing of the two cricket grounds. Old Trafford CG is a shithole of the highest order. I go past it on the tram everyday and snigger at the paucity of its ambition.
I have a client based next door to OTCCG and every time I get there I'm astonished someone signed off the design of that giant red shoebox. It's horrific, and slightly amusing that they decided to call it 'The Point' and thereby tee-up the obvious 'What's The Point?' comments.
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As with just about every similar story, the whole truth is a bit different. By law they couldn't allow the RBL to collect unless the charities who had been granted permission withdrew their applications.
It would only have been unlawful because they'd already given permission to someone else and their own licensing rules only allow one charity a licence per day. Rules they wrote.
Both giving permission to another charity for Remembrance weekend and coming up with that rule in the first place were pretty major cock-ups. Cock-ups they can't blame anyone else for.
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Ah Edgbaston, one thing that does piss all over manchester from a great height is the current standing of the two cricket grounds. Old Trafford CG is a shithole of the highest order. I go past it on the tram everyday and snigger at the paucity of its ambition.
I have a client based next door to OTCCG and every time I get there I'm astonished someone signed off the design of that giant red shoebox. It's horrific, and slightly amusing that they decided to call it 'The Point' and thereby tee-up the obvious 'What's The Point?' comments.
Try not to laugh but the plans for ground expansion I kid you not include another one of them!!! Laughable. Its like a really bad childs design version of the press box thing at Lords.
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Sadly, Birmingham is awful, absolutely awful at promoting itself in anything. Slightly off track, but any metal lovers out there will know of Birmingham's Heavy Metal legacy, yet only after 30 odd years are they starting to appreciate it.
Compare that to Madchester.
Virtually all US bands who play live hear make reference to Black Sabbath coming from Birmingham, which sadly most of the crowd don't seem to realise.
Birmingham spends to much time trying to feed off London, Manchester at least tries to forge it's own identity.
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As with just about every similar story, the whole truth is a bit different. By law they couldn't allow the RBL to collect unless the charities who had been granted permission withdrew their applications.
It would only have been unlawful because they'd already given permission to someone else and their own licensing rules only allow one charity a licence per day. Rules they wrote.
Both giving permission to another charity for Remembrance weekend and coming up with that rule in the first place were pretty major cock-ups. Cock-ups they can't blame anyone else for.
Or maybe they weren't cock ups in the first place. Maybe there were valid reasons for both.
Giv it another month and we'll have the first Winterval story.
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Birmingham does a terrible job of promoting itself. And it's a great shame, because it had rather a big impact on history, not only in Britain, but throughout the world. I recall seeing a piece in the Post & Mail reacting to Barack Obama's speech to parliament in the House Of Commons. He said the industrial revolution had started in Manchester. Of course, it didn't.
The P&M raised no more than a metaphorical eyebrow at the claim, rather than debunking it completely, as it should have. It could have pointed to the industrial activity in Ironbridge, or the fact that there was a 'modern' factory in Birmingham before there was one in Manchester. A great industrial city? By all means. The birthplace of the industrial revolution? No chance.
The fact is, neither Birmingham nor Manchester is where the industrial revolution started. But only one of those cities would ever claim it started there. I kind of like the fact that, as Brummies, we don't bullshit about what we are. But sometimes, through all that self-deprecation, we almost forget what an important city we were, are and can be. And in this age of rabid marketing and self-promotion, you have to shout over all the other voices before anybody will take you seriously. Guess who's got the loudest nasal whine?
And don't get me started about the city council. Families of inbred hicks have had more intelligent members through the generations. The damage they have done over the years is enough to make me weep.
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I wonder what do the hard core Manchester City think of their owners and manager and so many world class players but not A List World Class Players (Ha Ha)
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This is a debate that rears its head fairly regularly on H&V. Whilst I agree with most of the points, all I'll say is that there's nothing stopping Birmingham promoting itself a lot more effectively than it does now, and that starts with you lot who live there.
Totally agree Birmingham in the 80s seemed to get it's act together, Manchester moved up another gear in self promotion and with BBC, 2 successful football teams and level internal investment , Birmingham gonna struggle in comparison
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Sadly, Birmingham is awful, absolutely awful at promoting itself in anything. Slightly off track, but any metal lovers out there will know of Birmingham's Heavy Metal legacy, yet only after 30 odd years are they starting to appreciate it.
Compare that to Madchester.
Virtually all US bands who play live hear make reference to Black Sabbath coming from Birmingham, which sadly most of the crowd don't seem to realise.
Birmingham spends to much time trying to feed off London, Manchester at least tries to forge it's own identity.
Well said, whether you like Sabbath or not, and personally I am a big fan (only the Ozzy version mind) Birmingham is indeed the home of a genre of music that pretty much spread all over the world and influenced countless others. Look at the job Liverpool do in marketing their link with The Beatles, they are unashamed and proud of it.We should be the same, Sabbath invented heavy metal but because its not seen as a fashionable type of music , it gets ignored.
If you added the Midlands in general you would also include greats such as Led Zeppelin, ELO. Look at the influence we had with UB40,Steel Pulse and others too.Its like we are too frightened to blow our own trumpet.....always baffled me, then again, I would rather be like we are than a bunch of arrogant show offs like the cockneys and mancs.
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Rgards football tevez has no love for manchester, vidic too.
Modric ballack ronalindho ribery figo are just some players who had no intention of living in manchester.
Theres a certain world class inter player whos not interested in trading milan for manchester it totally doesnt compare.
No way is it a capital of football its over rated like the football teams.
I suggest dont get wound up by this manchester character you work with as really his views are biased and he would do well to experience life around world and also diversity of london.
On football level man city have only recently adopted lech poznan celebration - based on playing them not original and far from a leader when comes to football.
Hopefully manchester will come back to earth when olympics take place as they wont be able to take the london effect so well and realise there not capital of anything but the county.
Ps tell ur work mate who may not have heard of mark twain that the legend didnt rate manchester that will shut him rite up.
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How many Villa or Blues players actually live in Birmingham?
And how many Man U or Man City players actually live in Manchester?
I seen that Tevez lives in Prestbury, Chesire on BBC News today.
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Regards manchester exactly ! Who wants to live there!
I guess you're trying to make point that these players dont live in manchester itself.
Yet many cant stand the place
Never rains but it pours
ronaldo never use to leave his house had everything there
tevez doesnt like to leave house and gets zabelletta over for company
i think this place has overated itself and just trying to help the villa guy who first posted.
Anyway its not an issue they will never change climate or culture there.
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Yeah and ask that city fan why in their first ecl game they could nt get full house. 5,000 fans missing ??
Think he wont be able to say much esp after 1-1 draw first real test which they failed
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I find complete indifference to them winds them up... we have several plastic mancs (yes even some blue ones now) in the office.
Comments like 'Big night tonight' are met with 'You having spaghetti hoops for tea again then?'
'Youll never get into the champions league' with 'Good job I haven't watched it for the last 5 years I might have missed us play'
'Did you see yoo-naaaah-ted last night on the tv' with 'I didn't know Hereford were on Sky now, they have had an awfully poor start to the season'
'You are just jealous' with 'Maybe, but if we ever get there I do hope it doesn't turn me into a tw@t'.
I'll have a little fun today pretending I was watching Eastenders or shopping or something instead of watching the biggest event since the royal wedding...
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Lets face it...Birmingham is a shithole. There have been a few improvements in the city centre but its constantly mocked for being crap...because it is and has been for a long time. Its going to take years of positive spin, promotion and rebuilding to convince the media and everyone else in the country otherwise.
...and yes, it does help if you have 2 of the richest football teams representing the city rather than one historically great yet underchieving club, plus one of the most embarassing clubs in the country. It also doesnt help when the majority of Brummies interviewed by the media on the street look and sound like clueless idiots.
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Lets face it...Birmingham is a shithole. There have been a few improvements in the city centre but its constantly mocked for being crap...because it is and has been for a long time. Its going to take years of positive spin, promotion and rebuilding to convince the media and everyone else in the country otherwise.
...and yes, it does help if you have 2 of the richest football teams representing the city rather than one historically great yet underchieving club, plus one of the most embarassing clubs in the country. It also doesnt help when the majority of Brummies interviewed by the media on the street look and sound like clueless idiots.
I don't think Birmingham is a shithole. It's "constantly mocked" by arseholes who have usually never even been there.
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Let's face it...KRS clearly hasn't visited many places if he thinks Birmingham is any different to any other big city in having a mixture of good and bad.
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Today I had a Citeh colleague crowing that their Champions League debut tonight is only thirteen years after playing the likes of Bournemouth. When I pointed out that we won the bloody thing ten years after playing Bournemouth, including earning the right to the ‘Champions’ epithet en route, it was dismissed as of another era.
That's the ultimate put-down - I bet the twat had no idea. Champions League my arse, the biggest misnomer in the history of football. Yes, even more so than "Birmingham City".
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Compared to Birmingham, Manchester is a football mecca.
We've seen our opportunity to compete at the ManUre level pass us by, sadly.
UTV
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Lets face it...Birmingham is a shithole. There have been a few improvements in the city centre but its constantly mocked for being crap...because it is and has been for a long time. Its going to take years of positive spin, promotion and rebuilding to convince the media and everyone else in the country otherwise.
...and yes, it does help if you have 2 of the richest football teams representing the city rather than one historically great yet underchieving club, plus one of the most embarassing clubs in the country. It also doesnt help when the majority of Brummies interviewed by the media on the street look and sound like clueless idiots.
I don't think Birmingham is a shithole. It's "constantly mocked" by arseholes who have usually never even been there.
Exactly, I love Birmingham too
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Compared to Birmingham, Manchester is a football mecca.
We've seen our opportunity to compete at the ManUre level pass us by, sadly.
UTV
We were never going to be able to compete at a Manu level, how could we? All those fans from Berkshire and Bangcock mean they're always going to be several strata above us.
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Lets face it...Birmingham is a shithole. There have been a few improvements in the city centre but its constantly mocked for being crap...because it is and has been for a long time. Its going to take years of positive spin, promotion and rebuilding to convince the media and everyone else in the country otherwise.
...and yes, it does help if you have 2 of the richest football teams representing the city rather than one historically great yet underchieving club, plus one of the most embarassing clubs in the country. It also doesnt help when the majority of Brummies interviewed by the media on the street look and sound like clueless idiots.
I hope you are not a bit like the people who write letters to the newspapers constantly bemoaning the state of the country saying it is unrecognisable from when they were growing up.
It is usually more a commentary on their own failures in life than the society they are living in.
Birmingham is a fantastic city.
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Manchester is the capital of fuck all.
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Let's face it...KRS clearly hasn't visited many places if he thinks Birmingham is any different to any other big city in having a mixture of good and bad.
Indeed Chris. I've lived and worked in both cities, and in terms of the basics, they're actually very similar. The city centres are about the same size, with the same mix of shops and restaurants that you get in all big UK cities, and further out they've probably got roughly the same amount of rough and nicer areas. I tell you one thing though, Birmingham pisses all over Manchester when it comes to curries/baltis. Rusholme is absolutely terrible in comparison.
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Let's face it...KRS clearly hasn't visited many places if he thinks Birmingham is any different to any other big city in having a mixture of good and bad.
Indeed Chris. I've lived and worked in both cities, and in terms of the basics, they're actually very similar. The city centres are about the same size, with the same mix of shops and restaurants that you get in all big UK cities, and further out they've probably got roughly the same amount of rough and nicer areas. I tell you one thing though, Birmingham pisses all over Manchester when it comes to curries/baltis. Rusholme is absolutely terrible in comparison.
Very true. But Birmingham pisses over most cities outside of London when it comes to food. Not just balti, but Michelin star restaurants too. I know Glynn Purnell is a nose, but if he'd been a chirpy cockney or a swaggering manc, he'd be a big, big name in this country. His food is full of Birmingham references.
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It's similar to the totally and ridiculous bias towards hoping Lancashire winning the County Championship that the BBC especially have been spouting on the airwaves in the last few days. They would hate that 'minnows' Warwickshire might steal it from the mighty Lancashire and spoil the whole 'Freddy, Bumble' wankfest moment.
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Yoooooooooooooooooooooo Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrssssssssssssssss!!!!!
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And, Mr TV commentators, I don't need to be told that they're doing the Poznan and why every time they do that wanky celebration.
The most priceless moment was when I heard a commentator call it the "unique Poznan celebration". So unique that it's named after another club
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Yoooooooooooooooooooooo Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrssssssssssssssss!!!!!
Even though they are doing their best to lose it at the moment.
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Has anyone noticed how virtually every new drama or comedy in the last ten years seems to have been located in Manchester? It's like all the other cities in the UK do not exist.
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Yoooooooooooooooooooooo Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrssssssssssssssss!!!!!
Even though they are doing their best to lose it at the moment.
Once they break these two up (Carberry and McKenzie) they'll fall like a house of cards.
Then its time for cigars.
I've nothing against Lancashire as a county, but Manchester can get to fuck.
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Yoooooooooooooooooooooo Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrssssssssssssssss!!!!!
Even though they are doing their best to lose it at the moment.
Once they break these two up (Carberry and McKenzie) they'll fall like a house of cards.
Then its time for cigars.
I've nothing against Lancashire as a county, but Manchester can get to fuck.
There's not much left of the original Lancashire, and only really covers the bit from Preston to Burnley. All of the rest including the traditional Lancashire towns of Wigan, Bolton, Rochdale and Oldham etc has been swallowed up by Greater Manchester. Even the unitary authority name is arrogant!
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Yoooooooooooooooooooooo Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrssssssssssssssss!!!!!
Even though they are doing their best to lose it at the moment.
Once they break these two up (Carberry and McKenzie) they'll fall like a house of cards.
Then its time for cigars.
I've nothing against Lancashire as a county, but Manchester can get to fuck.
There's not much left of the original Lancashire, and only really covers the bit from Preston to Burnley. All of the rest including the traditional Lancashire towns of Wigan, Bolton, Rochdale and Oldham etc has been swallowed up by Greater Manchester. Even the unitary authority name is arrogant!
yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?
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This all goes back to them getting stick off Scousers calling Liverpool the European capital of football in the mid eighties. Let's hope this arrogance works as well for the Mancs as it did for them. Within a couple of months they'd got us banned from Europe and in the last twenty five years Liverpool have won the league twice and Everton have won a total of two trophies.
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Better still, let's hope some colossal alien spaceship hoists the entire metropolitan area into space.
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Has anyone noticed how virtually every new drama or comedy in the last ten years seems to have been located in Manchester? It's like all the other cities in the UK do not exist.
I was only wondering the other day when was the last time Birmingham featured in a TV drama. I'm sure there must have been some since "Gangsters", which must have been in the sixties(?) but I couldn't think of any.
Total lack of imagination. It's like the city doesn't exist to TV folk.
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There was a police TV series called something like 'Backup' that was set in Brum. Plus Hustle is filmed here.
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Was "Rockcliffe's (sp?) Babies" set in Brum? I'm sure I remember an episode of that filmed outside Villa Park. The plot revolved around a hooligan dust-up between Villa and Liverpool supporters during a fictional UEFA Cup semi final.
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They only used Manchester for Life on Mars and whatever that shit follow up was called because it was easier to make it look like 40/30 years ago.
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yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?
No. Greater Manchester as I say.
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Brum,
the little yellow car that wobbles about saving people
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That recent plague holocaust drama on BBC1 - the first series was shot in Manchester, the second in Birmingham. Nice and fair like.
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Was "Rockcliffe's (sp?) Babies" set in Brum? I'm sure I remember an episode of that filmed outside Villa Park. The plot revolved around a hooligan dust-up between Villa and Liverpool supporters during a fictional UEFA Cup semi final.
did we win ?
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Has anyone noticed how virtually every new drama or comedy in the last ten years seems to have been located in Manchester? It's like all the other cities in the UK do not exist.
I was only wondering the other day when was the last time Birmingham featured in a TV drama. I'm sure there must have been some since "Gangsters", which must have been in the sixties(?) but I couldn't think of any.
Total lack of imagination. It's like the city doesn't exist to TV folk.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_and_television_shows_set_in_Birmingham,_West_Midlands
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I once saw Brum being filmed. He was chasing a burglar in Victoria Square. It was ace.
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That 1 Day sounds a winner!
Budget £1.50
None of which was spent on coming up with character names
Dylan Duffus as Flash
Duncan Tobias as Dr Evil
Yohance Watson as mad Angel
Ohran Whyte as Pest
Chris Wilson as Prison Officer
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Another myth is how Manchester United are the biggest team in the world. Like Real Madrid never existed. Fools!
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For comparison sake:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_and_television_shows_set_in_Birmingham,_West_Midlands
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Television_shows_set_in_Manchester
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Was "Rockcliffe's (sp?) Babies" set in Brum? I'm sure I remember an episode of that filmed outside Villa Park. The plot revolved around a hooligan dust-up between Villa and Liverpool supporters during a fictional UEFA Cup semi final.
did we win ?
I'm sure we did.
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Was "Rockcliffe's (sp?) Babies" set in Brum? I'm sure I remember an episode of that filmed outside Villa Park. The plot revolved around a hooligan dust-up between Villa and Liverpool supporters during a fictional UEFA Cup semi final.
did we win ?
I'm sure we did.
It was Back-Up.
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Another myth is how Manchester United are the biggest team in the world. Like Real Madrid never existed. Fools!
They were saying this back in the 1980's when they had fewer trophies than us, Liverpool, Arsenal and Everton (let alone Real Madrid). I think they operate on the policy that if you repeat things enough times people will invariably start believing you. (Refer also to George Best/Duncan Edwards being the greatest players ever; Old Trafford being the Theatre of Dreams etc.)
They're top notch at P.R., I'll give that to them.
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Life's a lot easier once you accept that Manchester is the capital and/or spiritual home of everything.
I can just imagine Frank saying that !
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The sad thing is that Manchester United, on the back of the Premier League, now are the biggest.
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I reckon another 90 minutes and they'll be calling themselves 'Capital of Cricket', too. *Sigh*
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Was "Rockcliffe's (sp?) Babies" set in Brum? I'm sure I remember an episode of that filmed outside Villa Park. The plot revolved around a hooligan dust-up between Villa and Liverpool supporters during a fictional UEFA Cup semi final.
did we win ?
I'm sure we did.
fucking get in !! I needed something to brighten my afternoon !! :D
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Fucking Rose Bowl. If it was any flatter now they'd be bowling on Keira Knightley.
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Was "Rockcliffe's (sp?) Babies" set in Brum? I'm sure I remember an episode of that filmed outside Villa Park. The plot revolved around a hooligan dust-up between Villa and Liverpool supporters during a fictional UEFA Cup semi final.
did we win ?
I'm sure we did.
fucking get in !! I needed something to brighten my afternoon !! :D
I'll be honest with you Dr. Butler I've very little recollection of the episode! In my mind's eye we won (whatever it was we were supposed to be winning). It was a victory for Villa, for football AND for good, solid, fictional crime writing.
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Woof!, the kids programme about the ginger lad who turned into a dog, was filmed in Brum.
This all goes back to them getting stick off Scousers calling Liverpool the European capital of football in the mid eighties. Let's hope this arrogance works as well for the Mancs as it did for them. Within a couple of months they'd got us banned from Europe and in the last twenty five years Liverpool have won the league twice and Everton have won a total of two trophies.
Our only hope is that Small Heath and/or Stoke's fans get us banned for a decent length of time. The "big four" will then probably relocate elsewhere, Dubai, New York or wherever, and the rest of us can have our ball back.
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Fucking Rose Bowl. If it was any flatter now they'd be bowling on Keira Knightley.
I've had a terrible flash back to Easter Saturday 1993.
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The sad thing is that Manchester United, on the back of the Premier League, now are the biggest.
Not according to Deloitte. Whilst the PL brings in the cash, Real Madrid and Barca have their own individual broadcasting deals.
1. Real Madrid
2. Barcelona
3. Man United
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Newton Heath are the best in the world at self promotion, it was Bobby "fuckin" Charlton who coined the phrase Theatre of Dreams, the miserable looking baldy redneck. In a silly Russian hat.
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yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?
No. Greater Manchester as I say.
what so greater Manchester is the county, Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?
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The sad thing is that Manchester United, on the back of the Premier League, now are the biggest.
Not according to Deloitte. Whilst the PL brings in the cash, Real Madrid and Barca have their own individual broadcasting deals.
1. Real Madrid
2. Barcelona
3. Man United
It's a close run thing on Facebook:
Barcelona - 20,297,560 fans
Real Madrid - 19,569,912 fans
Man U - 19,166,353 fans
Aston Villa - 242,754 fans :D
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yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?
No. Greater Manchester as I say.
what so greater Manchester is the county, Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?
North West England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_West_England) - Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Chesire
Greater Manchester (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Manchester) - Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochadale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, Manchester, Salford
Old Trafford isn't in Manchester. It's in Trafford,
Only one team in Manchester ;D
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Fucking Rose Bowl. If it was any flatter now they'd be bowling on Keira Knightley.
I've had a terrible flash back to Easter Saturday 1993.
I'm feeling a bit like I did a few weeks later when we lost to Oldham and Man Utd consequently won their first Championship in years.
The following day - was it May Bank Holiday? - I met up with friends who were staying in Edale. My drive back through Manchester was a nightmare as all the pubs were suddenly bedecked in red and white and everything was in full party mode. Such was my mood, the fact that I'd been walking in the Dark Peak couldn't be more apposite.
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what so greater Manchester is the county, Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?
Until recently Blackburn was most definitely part of Lancashire. Politically it is now an unitary authority (not forgetting it's smaller sibling, Darwen).
To be fair to the good citizens of many of the places mentioned, they'd state most categorically that they're still Lancastrians. The local authority reforms of 1974 buggered a lot of people's heritage and Bury (where I live), Wigan and Bolton will never think of themselves as being part of anything other than Lancashire. Likewise people on the east side of 'Merseyside', in Warrington, north of the sands in Furness and, the greatest insult, the likes of Todmorden who found themselves in Yorkshire.
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The sad thing is that Manchester United, on the back of the Premier League, now are the biggest.
Not according to Deloitte. Whilst the PL brings in the cash, Real Madrid and Barca have their own individual broadcasting deals.
1. Real Madrid
2. Barcelona
3. Man United
It's a close run thing on Facebook:
Barcelona - 20,297,560 fans
Real Madrid - 19,569,912 fans
Man U - 19,166,353 fans
Aston Villa - 242,754 fans :D
But you get people like me who like Barca on facebook because they play such sexy football
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They only used Manchester for Life on Mars and whatever that shit follow up was called because it was easier to make it look like 40/30 years ago.
Maz thats bollocks they used 2 building in stockport,
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what so greater Manchester is the county, Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?
Until recently Blackburn was most definitely part of Lancashire. Politically it is now an unitary authority (not forgetting it's smaller sibling, Darwen).
To be fair to the good citizens of many of the places mentioned, they'd state most categorically that they're still Lancastrians. The local authority reforms of 1974 buggered a lot of people's heritage and Bury (where I live), Wigan and Bolton will never think of themselves as being part of anything other than Lancashire. Likewise people on the east side of 'Merseyside', in Warrington, north of the sands in Furness and, the greatest insult, the likes of Todmorden who found themselves in Yorkshire.
Blackburn definitely is in Lancashire along with Preston and Burnley
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Its all up North and all shit. But then Birmingham is also a bit shit. And London is a hole. So none of them have much to shout about.
Football Club wise, Manchester United have been brilliantly run, and have played on their prestige and history better than any club in the UK by miles. Real and Barca do the same. It is no consequence they are the 3 biggest clubs in the world in terms of fans and turnover, because their promotion of themselves is streets ahead of anyone else.
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I just knew my comment about Birmingham being a shithole would be warmly welcomed! :D
I've travelled a fair bit and yes there are worse places around the UK and Europe...but comparing it to other crap places doesnt make it any less crap! Personally I cant stand the place and try to avoid going near the city centre if I can...unless its going down the Villa or a night out which makes it unavoidable unfortunately.
I dont think any of us know what it will take for Birmingham to be seen in a better light but it does have to start with focusing on its good points, improving the bad points and reversing the media perception. May be if both Villa and Blues were competing in Champions League and Europa League on a regular basis could improve things as a great deal of media perception in based on sporting activities...in particular football. Whilst both clubs are a bit of a laughing stock in the eyes of the media then that reflects on the city in general.
Its easy to say "who gives a shit what the media think about our great city" but dont be complaining about the positive perception of others cities if we dont give a shit about the negative perception of Birmingham.
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Birmingham is officially the Second City of the UK is it not?
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Where do you live KRS?
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yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?
No. Greater Manchester as I say.
what so greater Manchester is the county, Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?
Spot on.
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yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?
No. Greater Manchester as I say.
what so greater Manchester is the county, Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?
Spot on.
Politically but spiritually they're still Lancs. I've got a mate from Ramsbottom (snigger) who hates the idea that he's officially from Manchester. It's the equivalent of claiming Tipton for Greater Birmingham.
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I dont think Manchester is anything special my friend who is from Manchester but lives down in London would rather be here than back home.
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In the 70's I was a student living in Manchester. I lived near the Kippax. I worked in the Central Library and in other less salubrious places like the Brook Street bureau. I have family living near Manchester. It's a city. I went back there last year for a work thing and was pleasantly surprised by the lovely railway station and then I went outside and it was still...Manchester.
It's still a city in search of a centre, and if you ask me, in search of a soul.
Birmingham has history, form, fortune and infinitely more soul than Manchester could ever dream of.
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I used to work at Maine Road, selling food underneath the stand when they were in what is now the Championship. Unbelievable how far they have come since those dark days.
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Birmingham has history, form, fortune and infinitely more soul than Manchester could ever dream of.
The areas of the city centre that have all the posh shops and restaurants are as soulless as any big city in the UK (including Brum), but it also has some great areas, a real northern charm about it, and isn't, in my experience, soulless at all.
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I've got a mate from Ramsbottom (snigger)
Is he going to the Festival (http://www.ramsbottomfestival.com/) this weekend?
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Where do you live KRS?
I lived in Birmingham for 13 years, but now reside in another shithole commonly known as Walsall...that being said, the area I live in now is much nicer with children able to play on the street without fear of getting mugged or abducted as opposed to parts of Erdington, Handsworth Wood, New Oscott and Solihull.
Are you looking for someone else to stalk now Greg has disappeared? :D
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I've got a mate from Ramsbottom (snigger)
Is he going to the Festival (http://www.ramsbottomfestival.com/) this weekend?
I doubt it, he doesn't live there anymore but he only really listens to the blues.
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Where do you live KRS?
I lived in Birmingham for 13 years, but now reside in another shithole commonly known as Walsall...that being said, the area I live in now is much nicer with children able to play on the street without fear of getting mugged or abducted as opposed to parts of Erdington, Handsworth Wood, New Oscott and Solihull.
Are you looking for someone else to stalk now Greg has disappeared? :D
Oooh yes, the crime hotspot that is...Solihull!
If you lived in Birmingham for 13 years and decided it was a shithole, why did you only move to Walsall?
And as you consider Walsall to be a shithole why do you live there now?
In fact, is there anywhere you wouldn't class as a shithole?
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Where do you live KRS?
I lived in Birmingham for 13 years, but now reside in another shithole commonly known as Walsall...that being said, the area I live in now is much nicer with children able to play on the street without fear of getting mugged or abducted as opposed to parts of Erdington, Handsworth Wood, New Oscott and Solihull.
Are you looking for someone else to stalk now Greg has disappeared? :D
Walsall - and you think you have the right to slag off Birmingham? ;-)
You seem to have a common small-town view that there are muggers and rapists on every corner. Guess what, kids can play out here too. I walked up my road earlier and I even stopped to talk to a neighbour and I didn't get attacked.
As I said there are dodgy areas, just as there are in Walsall, but to call the whole City a shit hole just because you're intimidated by it is just wrong. It's my home town and I think it's great.
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Birmingham has history, form, fortune and infinitely more soul than Manchester could ever dream of.
The areas of the city centre that have all the posh shops and restaurants are as soulless as any big city in the UK (including Brum), but it also has some great areas, a real northern charm about it, and isn't, in my experience, soulless at all.
Can't agree. Would like to, but. I've been back to Manchester and it has no centre. Lovely bits but no centre. I have to walk between bits of interest and architecturally unified areas which is the only way I know to explain it.
Birmingham is perfectly formed, compared. You don't have to walk through soulless bits of office buildings to do the city centre. It's all there. It's a fantastic city and Manchester doesn't come anywhere near it.
Liverpool is closer but still not there.
Sheffield is closest!
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yes but arnt all those towns mentioned still in Lancashire ?
No. Greater Manchester as I say.
what so greater Manchester is the county, Bolton, Blackburn and Manchester are no longer in Lancs ?
Spot on.
Politically but spiritually they're still Lancs. I've got a mate from Ramsbottom (snigger) who hates the idea that he's officially from Manchester. It's the equivalent of claiming Tipton for Greater Birmingham.
I'm surprised that the West Midlands county isn't called Greater Birmingham.
But I guess the Black Country folk would hate that :)
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Birmingham has history, form, fortune and infinitely more soul than Manchester could ever dream of.
The areas of the city centre that have all the posh shops and restaurants are as soulless as any big city in the UK (including Brum), but it also has some great areas, a real northern charm about it, and isn't, in my experience, soulless at all.
Can't agree. Would like to, but. I've been back to Manchester and it has no centre. Lovely bits but no centre. I have to walk between bits of interest and architecturally unified areas which is the only way I know to explain it.
Birmingham is perfectly formed, compared. You don't have to walk through soulless bits of office buildings to do the city centre. It's all there. It's a fantastic city and Manchester doesn't come anywhere near it.
What utter nonsense. I worked slap bang in Manchester City Centre for years, right opposite the beautiful town hall, and it's just as unified as Brum City Centre, perhaps even more so. From Deansgate up towards the extremely cosmopolitan Northern Quarter, you hardly pass any office blocks at all. Of course like any major city, it does have its offices, as does Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Bristol etc, but for me, there really isn't much to choose between say, Deansgate and New Street. Both are full of shops and restaurants, why is one more "soulful" than the other?
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Think we will have to agree to disagree. Birmingham is better in my opinion, having lived in both, just like you. You think otherwise. OK.
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I think you might have to accept that it's changed a bit in the 30 odd years since you lived there....
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Birmingham is fucking ace.
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Think we will have to agree to disagree. Birmingham is better in my opinion, having lived in both, just like you. You think otherwise. OK.
Oh and I didn't say that one was any better than the other, I just disagreed with your entirely inaccurate description of Manchester city centre, and with the bizarre statement that Birmingham is more "soulful", whatever that means. There are good and bad parts of both.
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The Mellotron comes from Birmingham and I love the Mellotron ..
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If only we were called Birmingham Villa...
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I think you might have to accept that it's changed a bit in the 30 odd years since you lived there....
I went there last year. It was a lot smarter than I remembered. But I go back to Birmingham more often. I still think it's better for the cohesion of the city centre.
C'mon Risso, I'm not going to agree with you although I totally appreciate that you love where you live! I just love Birmingham!
Where's the Manchester Floozie in the Jacuzzi? Although I really love the Whitworth.
And I still remember living in Hulme and visiting friends in Moss Side. When we got home from the pub there were insects all over the floor. I thought they were common or garden cockroaches, but we apparently were dealing with insects that only lived on the yeast from the Harp lager factory! (local folk myth.)
The story was that they were living in the walls of the council flats, which were made of pressed vegetable matter, and marched up the road to the factory every night to get their fix!
Manchester has a place in my heart.
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Oooh yes, the crime hotspot that is...Solihull!
If you lived in Birmingham for 13 years and decided it was a shithole, why did you only move to Walsall?
And as you consider Walsall to be a shithole why do you live there now?
In fact, is there anywhere you wouldn't class as a shithole?
I clearly stated that I thought Walsall is also a shithole but I happen to live in an area which isnt too bad. May be I should have been clearer when listing areas in which I have previously lived...Solihull was actually pretty nice and would live there again. As Chris mentioned, there is good and bad in all areas including Birmingham and Walsall, but that doesnt change the piss poor image the media and the rest of the country have of Birmingham. my decision of where to buy a house has absolutely nothing to do with this discussion...and yes, I happen to think most of England is a shithole and I wouldnt hesitate to move to a shithole abroad somewhere...at least it would be a hot shithole! :D
Walsall - and you think you have the right to slag off Birmingham? ;-)
You seem to have a common small-town view that there are muggers and rapists on every corner. Guess what, kids can play out here too. I walked up my road earlier and I even stopped to talk to a neighbour and I didn't get attacked.
As I said there are dodgy areas, just as there are in Walsall, but to call the whole City a shit hole just because you're intimidated by it is just wrong. It's my home town and I think it's great.
I've lived and worked in Birmingham for most of my life so I have every right to slag it off Chris...the same applies to Walsall. Thanks for jumping to conclusions and placing stereotypes on me personally, however I dont have a "small town mentality" and have never been or felt "intimidated" by any places where I have lived.
If you or anyone else are proud of and love Birmingham then fairplay to you...that is your choice as it is mine to dislike it. I just find it unfortunate that the football club we love just so happens to be located in Birmingham and I'll never join in "the city is ours"...they are welcome to the shithole!
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Either way, bham and manchester are nicer than Liverpool , that is a shit hole !
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Either way, bham and manchester are nicer than Liverpool , that is a shit hole !
I really like Liverpool as well...sorry! Just about most of it is a massive shit hole, but the city centre has some great pubs, and there's just a nice vibe about the place that's quite unique.
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KRS it's just coincidence then that many people from small towns like Walsall and Bromsgrove think of Birmingham as a place where your kids will get abducted if they play out. It's just complete and utter nonsense.
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Huge sweeping generalisation, I know, but most of the UK cities I've spent time in have a mix of good and not so good areas... and nowhere is the contrast more stark than glamorous London..!
Back to the football chat: the media have already set the agenda as City v United for the season, so we'd better get used to it. And to be fair, they do look the two outstanding teams this season, so it's understandable. I'm just pleased to see someone else trying to take United on. Especially when United fans play the 'not fair, they're buying the best players' line... as if that's not how United got to the top in the first place...
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I wouldn't be quick to write off Chelsea. I bet they don't mind that all the attention is on the two Manchester clubs.
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No, I bet AVB is happy enough about that. Chelsea I'm not sure about yet - but I do like that Villa Boas seems able to overlook the 'bigger' names and pick on merit (Sturridge coming in, for example), which could make them more dangerous.
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...and yes, I happen to think most of England is a shithole and I wouldnt hesitate to move to a shithole abroad somewhere...at least it would be a hot shithole! :D
If you or anyone else are proud of and love Birmingham then fairplay to you...that is your choice as it is mine to dislike it. I just find it unfortunate that the football club we love just so happens to be located in Birmingham and I'll never join in "the city is ours"...they are welcome to the shithole!
There's nothing like a bit of civic pride. If you're so convinced that where you chose to live is a 'shithole', then why don't you do something about it?
Just for the record, where would you say isn't a shithole? I grew up in a small rural community which a lot of people would consider a lovely area. However, I'd say the place is a shithole; no decent pubs, no nightlife, nothing for anyone to do, kids have nowhere to go, no decent public transport, expensive, ran by Tories, a parish council that will only give planning permission to hairdressers because they're terrified of changing anything...
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Sadly, under MON, because of his reputation in football, we did seem to be getting decent media coverage. Since then, the coverage is only an aside tinged with ridicule.
Perhaps though, in the media, it is perceived (or it could be true) that Villa doesn't sell papers or put bums on seats for TV. We are only picked for FA or League Cup coverage when playing minnows, as TV sport execs think there is going to be an upset; you have to be a virtual insomniac to catch Villa on MOTD; or if we ever get in the Europa League, our coverage will only be Ch5 or ITV4 at best as has usually been the case in the past.
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If we want Birmingham's football image to improve then we need Blues to get back up to the top-flight :P
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...and yes, I happen to think most of England is a shithole and I wouldnt hesitate to move to a shithole abroad somewhere...at least it would be a hot shithole! :D
What a thoroughly miserable outlook on life.
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'll never join in "the city is ours".
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I think that is probably the worst song we have ever had
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...and yes, I happen to think most of England is a shithole and I wouldnt hesitate to move to a shithole abroad somewhere...at least it would be a hot shithole! :D
What a thoroughly miserable outlook on life.
Indeed. I love England and think it is the best country in the world. Well, second maybe after the Isle of Man, which is skill.
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I quite enjoy singing "The city is ours".
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Love my hometown, especially town, Lozells, Aston, Handsworth, Newtown and Ladywood. Any excuse and I'm there.
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The Mellotron comes from Birmingham and I love the Mellotron ..
Amen brother.
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I quite enjoy singing "The city is ours".
Same here.
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"and yes, I happen to think most of England is a shithole and I wouldnt hesitate to move to a shithole abroad somewhere...at least it would be a hot shithole! :D"
You'd only moan about the humidity and that you couldn't find HP sauce in any of the shops.
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Portugal is hot but it still a shithole, can't leave your kids unattended without them getting abducted.
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Portugal is hot but it still a shithole, can't leave your kids unattended without them getting abducted.
Ace for burying in the sand though.
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Portugal is hot but it still a shithole, can't leave your kids unattended without them getting abducted.
What is the world coming to when a couple can't get bladdered out of their skulls with their mates while their kids are left alone in a strange hotel room next to a busy road at the age of two?
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Christ. Its looking like Walsall is the only place left if you want your kids to remain free from the threat of abduction!
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I used to always get into disagreements about the state of Birmingham with my mates when at college. I used to slag it off, they used to praise it. Yet, over a decade later, I think I'm the only one still living here. Odd that.
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Love my hometown, especially town, Lozells, Aston, Handsworth, Newtown and Ladywood. Any excuse and I'm there.
Surely every city has areas like this?
Even London as proved by the London Riots.
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TRS-T. I get the feeling you think I was being sarcastic. I can assure you I wasn't. I love inner-city Brummagem.
Altogether now 'Oh there ain't no snow in Snow 'ill'.
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Love my hometown, especially town, Lozells, Aston, Handsworth, Newtown and Ladywood. Any excuse and I'm there.
Surely every city has areas like this?
Even London as proved by the London Riots.
I'm pretty sure Percy genuinely does love those areas.
edit: as he's just explained.
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You know me so well Martin.
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Some great replies gents...one good thing about Birmingham (and Villa support in particular) is the great sense of humour! :D
As Merv has already said, the media agenda has been set for this season with the Manchester clubs in the spotlight. I've also noticed they've started to turn against their own with Arsenal and Spurs taking a bashing in recent weeks, but I guess thats all part of the media game and playing teams off of each other to maintain some level of interest. Whilst theres nothing much to report on or off the pitch down at the Villa, we'll continue to be patronised along with the rest of the average mid table teams with the occasional mention of "sleeping giant".
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KRS: who in particular has displayed a great sense of humour on this thread?
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The sad thing is that Manchester United, on the back of the Premier League, now are the biggest.
Not according to Deloitte. Whilst the PL brings in the cash, Real Madrid and Barca have their own individual broadcasting deals.
1. Real Madrid
2. Barcelona
3. Man United
It's a close run thing on Facebook:
Barcelona - 20,297,560 fans
Real Madrid - 19,569,912 fans
The sad thing is that Manchester United, on the back of the Premier League, now are the biggest.
Not according to Deloitte. Whilst the PL brings in the cash, Real Madrid and Barca have their own individual broadcasting deals.
1. Real Madrid
2. Barcelona
3. Man United
It's a close run thing on Facebook:
Barcelona - 20,297,560 fans
Real Madrid - 19,569,912 fans
Man U - 19,166,353 fans
Aston Villa - 242,754 fans :D
that's 1 in 3 of the population of the UK. Almost the same figure as the total Tory/lib Dem vote in the last election. Is this a coincidence or a conspiracy on an epic scale?
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I've had some time to think about it and I still think Birmingham is fucking ace, there's loads of stuff to do. I'm not the violent sort but I'd be tempted to tear the skin off someone's face who disagrees with me.
I'd probably make it into a doily of some kind, well, until the police come.
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Sorry but Manchester has far more going for it than Brum, better bars, more culture, frendlier people, better hotels, better food, more nighlife. Mancunians have more pride in thier city.
If i had the choice of living in either city I would choose Manchester
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Sorry but Manchester has far more going for it than Brum, better bars, more culture, frendlier people, better hotels, better food, more nighlife. Mancunians have more pride in thier city.
If i had the choice of living in either city I would choose Manchester
No, you are wrong and you're a grotesquely ugly freak.
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better food
Those two words alone tell me you're a wind-up merchant.
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Sorry but Manchester has far more going for it than Brum, better bars, more culture, frendlier people, better hotels, better food, more nighlife. Mancunians have more pride in thier city.
If i had the choice of living in either city I would choose Manchester
As usual you're spouting total bollocks. Mancs are gobbler and more precious about their city but that doesn't equate to more pride. Their little scrotes were running round smashing it up and setting fire to shops the other week just like ours. Brummies tend to be more down to earth and less pretentious, we don't need to go around shouting about the place.
As for friendlier, that really is rubbish, I've always found it a very insular city, not welcoming of outsiders.
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So taking you are at present based around the North Western regions, and then me, speaking to people pretty much everyday in the Manchester area, don't you find it strange how just about everybody up that way seem happy to big up anything about local football, Manchester based football players and anything football to do with Manchester, they rate a player even when he's crap, despite everybody else in the country thinking the opposite, and the press eat it up, and yet by comparison the local midland's press do nothing to up the status of our players and clubs when one of the midland's clubs are doing well or we have a real starlet coming through.
I find it that way and I could easily say the same for London clubs.
TBF, there's not been much to big up in the Mids for a while.
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Do not underestimate the impact that BBC Sport has just moved to Manchester.
So - guess what - Manchester is suddenly the capital of football because their lazy journalists cant be bothered to see it any other way.
On another point it beggars belief that the BBC moved to manchester - a city already awash with government agencies and cash when they could have injected money and jobs into Birmingham.
Birmingham is by far the better city in my opinion , much friendlier people (and btw I was born in Manchester for my sins) but it doesnt get a fair share of government spending unlike other big cities in the north and Scotland etc.
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Sorry but Manchester has far more going for it than Brum, better bars, more culture, frendlier people, better hotels, better food, more nighlife. Mancunians have more pride in thier city.
If i had the choice of living in either city I would choose Manchester
That has to be a wind up.
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To slightly misquote Ricky Tomlinson.........Manchester capital of football? My arse.
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Do not underestimate the impact that BBC Sport has just moved to Manchester.
You're not wrong. Although I would note that there is a certain irony insofar as when the BBC first announced the proposed move, the London-based press was damning in their criticism. Granted it was at the time of the unrest at the Glazer take over at United and City, as per usual, were just making up the numbers. The future of English football, they insisted, was to be found in the shape of Chelsea and Arsenal, and the BBC was proposing to move 200 miles from the seat of power...
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Sorry but Manchester has far more going for it than Brum, better bars, more culture, frendlier people, better hotels, better food, more nighlife. Mancunians have more pride in thier city.
If i had the choice of living in either city I would choose Manchester
What a load of shite.
And what's this 'if I had the choice' - last time I checked there were no restrictions on moving to Manchester so why don't you move there?
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Sorry but Manchester has far more going for it than Brum, better bars, more culture, frendlier people, better hotels, better food, more nighlife. Mancunians have more pride in thier city.
If i had the choice of living in either city I would choose Manchester
What a load of shite.
And what's this 'if I had the choice' - last time I checked there were no restrictions on moving to Manchester so why don't you move there?
Can we have a collection for his train fare?
I spent most of my working life away from our fair city, and each time I came back I used to be excited as we arrived at New St. Station and I started hearing that accent I knew I was home and among friends.
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Do not underestimate the impact that BBC Sport has just moved to Manchester.
So - guess what - Manchester is suddenly the capital of football because their lazy journalists cant be bothered to see it any other way.
I'm pretty sure that if Villa and West Brom were the top two in the country while playing the best football, with the best players then we would magically become of more interest to them.
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Sorry but Manchester has far more going for it than Brum, better bars, more culture, frendlier people, better hotels, better food, more nighlife. Mancunians have more pride in thier city.
If i had the choice of living in either city I would choose Manchester
I've worked all over the UK in loads of dodgy places and can honestly say the place I would never want to go back to was Manchester, shit-hole of the highest order, it had an oppressive atmosphere, it was the only place I feared for my safety while working there, and to top it all, it was the only place I had my van broken into and all my stuff stolen, in broad daylight, under CCTV cameras on a busy car park. I hate the place.
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Every time I go to Manchester I try to look at it objectively, and every time I end up thinking "Is that it?"
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so you think Brummies are friendly, well you only have to look at some of the comments on here.
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Sorry but Manchester has far more going for it than Brum, better bars, more culture, frendlier people, better hotels, better food, more nighlife. Mancunians have more pride in thier city.
If i had the choice of living in either city I would choose Manchester
What a load of shite.
And what's this 'if I had the choice' - last time I checked there were no restrictions on moving to Manchester so why don't you move there?
Our economics genius, maybe because I choose to live somewhere else.
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so you think Brummies are friendly, well you only have to look at some of the comments on here.
Funny, that, when you're rubbishing Birmingham on a Birmingham-based forum.
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so you think Brummies are friendly, well you only have to look at some of the comments on here.
[/quote
Funny, that, when you're rubbishing Birmingham on a Birmingham-based forum.
I thought it was an Aston Villa based forum
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And Aston Villa are based in?
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And Aston Villa are based in?
Aston
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Manchester gets so much media and sport coverage because they've got two sides, one of which has won the PL title most seasons in the last twenty years and is arguably one of the three or four biggest in the world, and the other has just won the lottery big style and is assembling a squad of world class players.
Anyone who doesn't think it'd be exactly the same for the city of Birmingham if we had a record of either success or investment like that needs to take a look at the gigantic chip on their shoulder.
It's like when people whinge about the football media concentrating on London and the North West and reeling out a load of spurious reasons whilst ignoring the fact that that is where all the trophies have gone for decades.
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On another point it beggars belief that the BBC moved to manchester - a city already awash with government agencies and cash when they could have injected money and jobs into Birmingham.
This is worth repeating. I read somewhere that Birmingham has had the least amount of private/public sector jobs created anywhere in the UK over the last ten years. This could be a massive problem soon, the city is twice the size of Manchester in terms of population. A lot of people already see it as 'fly-over' country, either on their way from London to the NW or vice-versa.
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I'm pretty sure that if Villa and West Brom were the top two in the country while playing the best football, with the best players then we would magically become of more interest to them.
Is the correct answer.
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On another point it beggars belief that the BBC moved to manchester - a city already awash with government agencies and cash when they could have injected money and jobs into Birmingham.
This is worth repeating. I read somewhere that Birmingham has had the least amount of private/public sector jobs created anywhere in the UK over the last ten years. This could be a massive problem soon, the city is twice the size of Manchester in terms of population. A lot of people already see it as 'fly-over' country, either on their way from London to the NW or vice-versa.
And the HS2 high speed railway will only make it worse. I can't help feeling that Manchester has been earmarked as England's other centre of power, outside of London, by the powers that be. HS2 is being built to bring London closer to Manchester.
The BBC's move to Salford will have profound effects, both culturally and economically. Manchester will be elevated to the status of some kind of sub-capital of England. Everywhere else will become even more provincial. When the BBC should have spread their operations around the country, and concentrated on representing all the cities, instead they have decided to base themselves mainly in two centres. In an age where the internet and smartphones enables more distant working, they have opted to bring their main operations together and consolidate in two centres of power.
As someone pointed out, when the riots hit Manchester the BBC reported the pants off it. It didn't matter that the situation in Birmingham was much worse, with kids firing guns at police in the streets. In Manchester, they'd smashed up the Arndale Centre - and that's not on. This distortion of reality is dangerous, but people are duped by what they see and hear in the media. They believe that shit. Hence hawkeye's skewed belief that Manchester has better food than Birmingham. The Michelin guide doesn't agree.
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Sorry but Manchester has far more going for it than Brum, better bars, more culture, frendlier people, better hotels, better food, more nighlife. Mancunians have more pride in thier city.
If i had the choice of living in either city I would choose Manchester
What a load of shite.
And what's this 'if I had the choice' - last time I checked there were no restrictions on moving to Manchester so why don't you move there?
Our economics genius, maybe because I choose to live somewhere else.
So please share with us the magical place you live that happens to be better than the Utopian-like place that is how you describe Manchester.
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As someone pointed out, when the riots hit Manchester the BBC reported the pants off it. It didn't matter that the situation in Birmingham was much worse, with kids firing guns at police in the streets. In Manchester, they'd smashed up the Arndale Centre - and that's not on.
It wasn't just that they reported it. They were blatantly waiting for it to happen so they could report it and drop everything else.
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Capital of football? Not this week at least!
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After tonight? ;D
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I've been working with BBC Sport on their move to Salford and there are more Villa fans working for BBC Sport than either of the Manc sides.
Mind you "Media City Salford" is a massive uninspiring hell hole that you can't get the irregular running tram out of fast enough... Pity anyone who has had to move to work there.
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I've been working with BBC Sport on their move to Salford and there are more Villa fans working for BBC Sport than either of the Manc sides.
Mind you "Media City Salford" is a massive uninspiring hell hole that you can't get the irregular running tram out of fast enough... Pity anyone who has had to move to work there.
Indeed, it's said that Tevez isn't the only one who feels that Manchester isn't what it says on the tin.
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http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-united-close-top-tier-8944119#rlabs=1%20rt$category%20p$3
Does that mean they are part time supporters now !
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Is this one of those threads about things we're accused of being obsessed about it aren't really? 🙄🙄
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If you support United, you do not need to leave your armchair, 90% + of there games are shown live on Sky / BT etc...
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Capital of Football ;D
Mancs will claim anything.
My top 3 Mancs: Jesus Christ, Da Vinci, Prophet Muhammad.
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Madrid. 2 teams contesting last years CL final and a couple of years ago too.
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Haven't they had every single one of their FA Cup ties televised for something like ten years in a row or something? No matter how shit the tie is?
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If you support United, you do not need to leave your armchair, 90% + of there games are shown live on Sky / BT etc...
If you support United you probably should stay in your armchair as the alternative is probably a two hundred mile round trip to actually go to the game.
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Haven't they had every single one of their FA Cup ties televised for something like ten years in a row or something? No matter how shit the tie is?
54 consecutive televised live FA Cup ties, including replays, going back to 2005.
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Haven't they had every single one of their FA Cup ties televised for something like ten years in a row or something? No matter how shit the tie is?
54 consecutive televised live FA Cup ties, including replays, going back to 2005.
So each of there last 54 FA cup games have been televised live? I always say nothing surprises me too much when it comes to football but seriously you have to be winding me up or got your figures wrong somewhere. That is F***ing unbelievable. Knowing you I am sure you have your facts right but you have absolutely staggered me with those figures.
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Thought so. Fucking amazing isn't it? Not surprising of course but still fucking amazing.
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Thought so. Fucking amazing isn't it? Not surprising of course but still fucking amazing.
I am literally still sat here shaking my head. I know they are probably the club who attract the biggest TV audience around the country but even so. To use my young daughter's phrase 'Totes Amazeballs'.
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Nope, it's true. From their 5th round tie at Shrewsbury last season. Add on the QF + replay, semi and final and you have 54.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35576165
The stats you need to know
Smalling scored his first ever FA Cup goal in what is his 20th appearance in the competition.
This was Smalling's 39th club appearance of the season (all competitions) - more than any other Premier League player.
Mata has had a hand in 16 goals (eight goals, nine assists) in 17 FA Cup appearances.
Mata scored his first direct free-kick for Manchester United since 2 December 2014.
United have lost just one of their last 46 FA Cup games against lower-league opposition, with that solitary defeat coming at home to Leeds in January 2010 (W38 D7 L1).
United have now won the last seven FA Cup fifth round ties that they have been involved in.
This was the 50th consecutive FA Cup match involving United to be broadcast live on English television. The last not to be was on 8 January 2005 versus Exeter City.
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Lay off Manchester United! Can I just point out that Manchester United are the biggest football club in the world and all the crap about them having glory hunting fans around the country is just a myth. Having drank with quite a few United fans in pubs in the West Midlands they all assured me they had an uncle from Manchester. As English football fans it is our duty to get behind them in Europe.
Although if you want to be a real glory hunter I suspect Manchester City are better. Ain't Karma a bitch!
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It's not surprising really when you consider the BBC obsession with all things Manchester. Even FC United got their own show ffs.
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Where ?? Ignore them and that other home of football Liverpool.
UTV
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It's not surprising really when you consider the BBC obsession with all things Manchester. Even FC United got their own show ffs.
Salford.
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I guess one over-hyped non-league club from Greater Manchester is very much like the other...
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Madrid may have a view on this, besides Citeh don't count because they bought every trophy they've won.
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Madrid may have a view on this, besides Citeh don't count because they bought every trophy they've won.
Unlike Real Madrid?
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Madrid may have a view on this, besides Citeh don't count because they bought every trophy they've won.
Unlike Real Madrid?
City had won virtually nothing until Mansoor threw Zillions at them, Madrid have been Footballing Aristocracy for - well - since Gods Dog was a puppy.
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Mainly because they were richer than everyone else even back in the 50s.
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Mainly because they were richer than everyone else even back in the 50s.
And they were the club of the country's Fascist dictator.
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Manchester still doesn't have a Michelin starred restaurant. They are baffled.
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Villa were the richest club in the country about 120 years ago.
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Manchester still doesn't have a Michelin starred restaurant. They are baffled.
They should be given one simply because they ARE the Capital of Football. It should go to Rusholme Chippy for their considerable Shawarma!
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Manchester still doesn't have a Michelin starred restaurant. They are baffled.
They should be given one simply because they ARE the Capital of Football. It should go to Rusholme Chippy for their considerable Shawarma!
I am easily impressed, but I would give one to Akbar's behind the old Granada studio for their giant naan that comes hanging from a sort of hatstand
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Manchester still doesn't have a Michelin starred restaurant. They are baffled.
They should be given one simply because they ARE the Capital of Football. It should go to Rusholme Chippy for their considerable Shawarma!
I am easily impressed, but I would give one to Akbar's behind the old Granada studio for their giant naan that comes hanging from a sort of hatstand
We used to have those in Balsall Heath in the 70s when the restaurants were called Sweet Shops.
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Manchester still doesn't have a Michelin starred restaurant. They are baffled.
They should be given one simply because they ARE the Capital of Football. It should go to Rusholme Chippy for their considerable Shawarma!
I am easily impressed, but I would give one to Akbar's behind the old Granada studio for their giant naan that comes hanging from a sort of hatstand
They were doing continental quilt sized Naans in Adil's on Stoney Lane back in the 80's. They were a thing of beauty. They've gone a bit posher these days. Still, glad to see the Mancs have upped their game in this respect even if it is 30 years later.
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Manchester so much to answer for!
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Manchester still doesn't have a Michelin starred restaurant. They are baffled.
Indeed.
Birmingham 5 Manchester 0 is the latest score on the Michelin Star scoreboard.
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Manchester still doesn't have a Michelin starred restaurant. They are baffled.
Indeed.
Birmingham 5 Manchester 0 is the latest score on the Michelin Star scoreboard.
Er, it's 6-0 now.
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Manchester still doesn't have a Michelin starred restaurant. They are baffled.
Indeed.
Birmingham 5 Manchester 0 is the latest score on the Michelin Star scoreboard.
Er, it's 6-0 now.
Turners, Simpsons, Purnell's, Carters, Adam's...which is the sixth?
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New one in Solihull, Peel's at Hampton Manor.
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Mancunians have no self awareness. That is their major flaw. Brummies are charming and self deprecating where Mancunians are brash and irritating.
They just don't get why anyone would think Manchester is shit.
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Manchester still doesn't have a Michelin starred restaurant. They are baffled.
Indeed.
Birmingham 5 Manchester 0 is the latest score on the Michelin Star scoreboard.
Er, it's 6-0 now.
Turners, Simpsons, Purnell's, Carters, Adam's...which is the sixth?
Mr Egg
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The Beeb's entirely unbiased article on the matter:
'Snubbed City'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-37542370 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-37542370)
Oh, and the Beeb have conveniently ignored Peels when begrudginlgy stating that Brum has 5 stars. I'm sure they'd have done the same if Salford had got a star.
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"Rivals" for Second City status?
Horse shit.
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Mancunians have no self awareness. That is their major flaw. Brummies are charming and self deprecating where Mancunians are brash and irritating.
They just don't get why anyone would think Manchester is shit.
I'm from Bham but have family up in the North West and I think Manchester is better. It has a better atmosphere, nightlife, and more of a thriving business culture in the centre than Brum does. That's without mentioning the two successful football teams and the extra trade for bars/hotels and the feelgood factor that brings.
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Mancunians have no self awareness. That is their major flaw. Brummies are charming and self deprecating where Mancunians are brash and irritating.
They just don't get why anyone would think Manchester is shit.
I'm from Bham but have family up in the North West and I think Manchester is better. It has a better atmosphere, nightlife, and more of a thriving business culture in the centre than Brum does. That's without mentioning the two successful football teams and the extra trade for bars/hotels and the feelgood factor that brings.
Pulls up chair, grabs popcorn.....
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'Nightlife'
Atmosphere innit. And err, culture.
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Mancunians have no self awareness. That is their major flaw. Brummies are charming and self deprecating where Mancunians are brash and irritating.
They just don't get why anyone would think Manchester is shit.
Probably the most accurate penning on this site. Ever.
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Mancunians have no self awareness. That is their major flaw. Brummies are charming and self deprecating where Mancunians are brash and irritating.
They just don't get why anyone would think Manchester is shit.
I'm from Bham but have family up in the North West and I think Manchester is better. It has a better atmosphere, nightlife, and more of a thriving business culture in the centre than Brum does. That's without mentioning the two successful football teams and the extra trade for bars/hotels and the feelgood factor that brings.
I'm just going to say that I prefer Brummies to Mancs, and leave it there.
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Birmingham can comfortably claim the title of second city when it starts acting its size.
Most of Birmingham's achievements come from its ordinary people, individuals that work hard and achieve great things off their own bat. Our Michelin star restaurants are testament to that.
There's some inbuilt entrepreneurism and ingenuity about the people here, which ensures Birmingham keeps going despite all the shit thrown at it by the UK media and governments of all stripes. Its resilience is undeniable.
When it comes to civic leadership, however, it is sadly lost, and has been for a number of years. This might explain why Manchester, a city half Birmingham's size, has better public transport, museums, venues, facilities etc., and will be hosting the official Olympic Parade while Birmingham has to wait for the launch of the Michelin guide each year to get its moment in the sun.
Once we get the leadership right and the city begins to act its size, like a city of over 1 million people (and growing), then we'll be unstoppable. In order to get there, we must recognise those shortcomings in leadership.
Give the people of Birmingham the city they deserve and they will repay that city with their unbridled creativity and enterprise, not bluster and self-important blather like the Mancs.
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I like both places and the people from both cities immensely, and I don't subscribe to the stereotypes associated with them. They have more in common than they realise.
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I like both places and the people from both cities immensely, and I don't subscribe to the stereotypes associated with them. They have more in common than they realise.
Ain't that the truth.
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The Beeb's entirely unbiased article on the matter:
'Snubbed City'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-37542370 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-37542370)
Oh, and the Beeb have conveniently ignored Peels when begrudginlgy stating that Brum has 5 stars. I'm sure they'd have done the same if Salford had got a star.
"I don't know what they see in Birmingham that they don't see in Manchester," he whined.
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I don't think anyone needs to justify preferring one place to another.
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New one in Solihull, Peel's at Hampton Manor.
That's good to hear, had my wedding reception there and it's probably the best meal I've ever eaten.
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The Beeb's entirely unbiased article on the matter:
'Snubbed City'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-37542370 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-37542370)
Oh, and the Beeb have conveniently ignored Peels when begrudginlgy stating that Brum has 5 stars. I'm sure they'd have done the same if Salford had got a star.
"I don't know what they see in Birmingham that they don't see in Manchester," he whined.
Also ' to most people Manchester is the second city' ******
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Manchester is the capital of a post-truth society.
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To be fair to Manchester it's got some fucking great record shops.
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To be fair to Manchester it's got some fucking great record shops.
Yep. I can only think of Swordfish that is decent now, in Brum, and that's hidden down a city centre cul-de-sac.
There were loads more only 15 years ago. I wonder where the business went that meant they had to close.
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To be fair to Manchester it's got some fucking great record shops.
Yep. I can only think of Swordfish that is decent now, in Brum, and that's hidden down a city centre cul-de-sac.
There were loads more only 15 years ago. I wonder where the business went that meant they had to close.
Indeed. Wonder Where Went.
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I like both places and the people from both cities immensely, and I don't subscribe to the stereotypes associated with them. They have more in common than they realise.
Me too. But I generally have preferred Scousers to Mancs- much to the dismay of my Manc friends (and ex)