Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Jim Bradley on March 01, 2023, 06:10:07 PM
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Does ayone know what time the players tend to arrive at VP before a 3pm KO? I'm taking my son and he's desperate to try to get some autographs. Let's hope it doesn't rain...
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Rain is not forecast. 7⁰C light cloud and light winds.
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So expect it to lash down after a mild tornado.
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Darren Woolley is a good source for this as he arrives early at the ground and has a big back catalogue of photos with players and staff.
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Does ayone know what time the players tend to arrive at VP before a 3pm KO? I'm taking my son and he's desperate to try to get some autographs. Let's hope it doesn't rain...
I was once told they are expected to arrive 90 minutes minimum before the kick off however I have never tested that.
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Does ayone know what time the players tend to arrive at VP before a 3pm KO? I'm taking my son and he's desperate to try to get some autographs. Let's hope it doesn't rain...
I was once told they are expected to arrive 90 minutes minimum before the kick off however I have never tested that.
I have tested that. They were all already in. Missed 'em.
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About midday I believe.
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The last game I went to, my mates lad, was disappointed. The security guard told us, the players turn up early in their cars. They then jump on a coach to Bodymoor. The coach eventually comes back, but parks so close to the entrance, the players just jump off and go straight in. Most of them with their headphones on and head down, a few will wave and acknowledge you, but not one player came over to the fence to see the fans.
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https://fb.watch/iMsE67wUTE/
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Thanks!
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I was going to say around 12.30 but I didn't realise they came in by coach now and go straight in, which is a shame for the young un's.
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https://fb.watch/iMsE67wUTE/
That is piss poor.
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https://fb.watch/iMsE67wUTE/
That is piss poor.
Really, really poor. I've just described (on the accounts thread) how they do it at Man City. Absolute night and day in terms of fan interaction, we're light years behind.
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Jesus Christ. Imagine waiting for those miserable twats. They make me look radiantly positive in comparison :D
Feel for the younger fans.
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You’d be better off taking your lad up to Bodymoor Heath in the week ( if you can) . When my kids were younger they met lots of the players and had autographs ( all be it from a car window).
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When I was a kid, which admittedly was 20 years ago, the players all used to arrive at different times in their individual cars and most would spend some time signing autographs and interacting with fans.
It's very sad that this generation of young Villa fans will never experience the thrill of obtaining Mark Kinsella and Oyvind Leonhardsen's autographs.
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https://fb.watch/iMsE67wUTE/
That is piss poor.
Really, really poor. I've just described (on the accounts thread) how they do it at Man City. Absolute night and day in terms of fan interaction, we're light years behind.
Ive seen your other post Risso, and i get the structured enjoyment experience that forms part of the overall corporatisation of top end premier league football. I get that Villa need to vastly improve the ‘match day experience’ both for our benefit as supporters/consumers and the purposes of increasing revenue on match days, but also global brand. Ive moaned about simple things like the piss poor service before k/o and at half time in the Holte, slowly improving i have to say with the recent self service innovations.
But i have to say all that bollocks blue smoke as the players arrive, high fiving all the kids with wealthy enough parents to pay their entry into whatever pre match zone it is, feck that. Ive been to the Etihad when we first came back up, as part of a group from my sons local football team, the kids were Villa, WBA, Blues even Man United fans, we were placed in one of their home ends opposite the away (Villa fans). I told my lad before we went in to keep calm if we had a chance as we would be surrounded by Man City. Hilarious, half of them arrived late, left early. It was 0-0 at half time and i went to the concourse to get us a drink, Sterling scored a few mins into the second half, their ‘fans’ on the concourse, raised half a look and carried on their conversations in their hundreds if not thousands.
Before the game, we were sent to a pre match zone, where there were loads of activities for the kids, that was ok to be fair, but the whole exercise was to indoctrinate tourists into the Man City culture. At one point some of the staff, gathered a group of the lads from my kids footie team, and tried to set up a photo opp with them and the three trophies Man City had won the year before, to this day and even though my now 13 year old doesn’t remember it, he automatically without thinking, said ‘nah no thanks I’m Villa’, i was so fecking proud!!
That video clip of our lot rushing into the ground is rubbish. If a word could be had about paying respect to the supporters and especially the kids before each match and if all the other service issues could be sorted, including pre match stuff, that would be enough, without the razzmatazz and extra payments for some claret and blue smoke and carpet.
I do realise, im swimming against the tide here.
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I never had any interest in that kind of thing as a kid. Met a few players of the time at a Panini Swap Shop in the leisure centre in about '87 and got some autographs, but I was more interested in actuallly geeting the stickers I needed and unloading my 13 copies of Lee Sinnot.
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To be fair to the Manager & Team, I see it as a way to have the players focused on the job at hand, without any distractions in the build-up to the game.
It's surprising how easy it is for someone to lose their focus, when they are being adored by the multitude.
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you can hardly do the man city grand entrance thing if you're anything less than top four. Doing the business away from home and then lose the next few at Villa Park the players would get slaughtered.
The investment needs to be on the pitch first. Quality players marquee signings high profile.
However that facebook video does seem to indicate a disconnect between players and the home support. The way they park the bus as a barrier so they can sneak in. Not right.
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To be fair to the Manager & Team, I see it as a way to have the players focused on the job at hand, without any distractions in the build-up to the game.
It's surprising how easy it is for someone to lose their focus, when they are being adored by the multitude.
Ummmm, I'd say that's very unlikely, and doesn't seem to have unduly bothered Man City players. It only takes about a minute. I think the point is overall, even if Villa didn't do similar it wouldn't take much effort to make it lot nicer for fans in some way or other. The kids are queuing up anyway whatever the form, and they're obviously not there to have a go at the players.
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Well, it's been brought in for a reason (I'm sure it was by Gerrard) and I'm sure we're not the only club to do it. It's a shame and hopefully the club may think again.
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To be fair to the Manager & Team, I see it as a way to have the players focused on the job at hand, without any distractions in the build-up to the game.
It's surprising how easy it is for someone to lose their focus, when they are being adored by the multitude.
Ummmm, I'd say that's very unlikely, and doesn't seem to have unduly bothered Man City players. It only takes about a minute. I think the point is overall, even if Villa didn't do similar it wouldn't take much effort to make it lot nicer for fans in some way or other. The kids are queuing up anyway whatever the form, and they're obviously not there to have a go at the players.
It was posted somewhat tongue in cheek - but who knows what the club Psychologists have advised.
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Does ayone know what time the players tend to arrive at VP before a 3pm KO? I'm taking my son and he's desperate to try to get some autographs. Let's hope it doesn't rain...
All the best. There's always an avenue of opportunity for selfie photos with them too given the right timing. Hope it all works out. (And the result!)
Up The Villa !
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Post only worth a yellow for me.
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Gerrard certainly had them on a coach before home games. Emery has continued this and the players and staff also stay in a hotel before home games. When I say staff I don't mean the tea lady and the stewards. Obvs.
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You’d be better off taking your lad up to Bodymoor Heath in the week ( if you can) . When my kids were younger they met lots of the players and had autographs ( all be it from a car window).
Think I last went to Bodymoor in 2009 when they still trained reasonably close to the entrance and car park but with all the redevelopment there I don't think that's been the case for a long time and another entrance has been created for the players so pretty remote chance of getting anything unless they still do competitions to meet players/manager.
Actually thought they just stayed at hotel the night before rather than driving in and getting a coach to go to Bodymoor which seems an odd way of doing things. Post match is probably better for autographs/selfies as they'll come out separately.
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Gerrard certainly had them on a coach before home games. Emery has continued this and the players and staff also stay in a hotel before home games. When I say staff I don't mean the tea lady and the stewards. Obvs.
I remember years back a few of the London teams used to stay at New Hall Hotel before playing us, SHA and West Brom so given I live five minutes away used to go and get some autographs before they went on the bus (Arsenal always got a police escort if they were playing SHA).
Nowadays pretty much all the teams just stay up Broad Street. Was walking back from watching us play Spurs on NYD and the Reading coach was just unloading by the Hyatt with the grand total of no-one wanting Paul Ince's autograph as he walked into reception. Hopefully he had a good night's sleep to ease the pain!
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Everton used to stay at the Hagley Road Marriott.
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You’d be better off taking your lad up to Bodymoor Heath in the week ( if you can) . When my kids were younger they met lots of the players and had autographs ( all be it from a car window).
Think I last went to Bodymoor in 2009 when they still trained reasonably close to the entrance and car park but with all the redevelopment there I don't think that's been the case for a long time and another entrance has been created for the players so pretty remote chance of getting anything unless they still do competitions to meet players/manager.
That’s right, the main entrance used to be on Bodymoor Heath Rd, where it was no hassle to wait for the players to come and go but it moved a number of years ago and I believe security it a lot tighter now.
It was a few decades ago when I used to ride up there on my bike to get a glimpse of the players.
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I never had any interest in that kind of thing as a kid. Met a few players of the time at a Panini Swap Shop in the leisure centre in about '87 and got some autographs, but I was more interested in actuallly geeting the stickers I needed and unloading my 13 copies of Lee Sinnot.
Who was Lee Sinnot? Sounds like a wrong'un from Corrie.
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He played for Watford notably in the 1984 Cup Final and was was from somewhere local but I can't remember where.
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Everton used to stay at the Hagley Road Marriott.
Villa used to eat there on match days under O'Neill. My mate was the head chef there and got to know the players a bit. He went Christmas shopping with John Carew one year. He also said Carew and Petrov had this weird arrangement where one of them would carry the tray for the other one as they made their way along the buffet queue. #ITK.
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I never had any interest in that kind of thing as a kid. Met a few players of the time at a Panini Swap Shop in the leisure centre in about '87 and got some autographs, but I was more interested in actuallly geeting the stickers I needed and unloading my 13 copies of Lee Sinnot.
Who was Lee Sinnot? Sounds like a wrong'un from Corrie.
Was a lower league manager. His son also a footballer and sadly lost his life in a stabbing a few years back.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-51534417
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The players didn’t travel to home games by coach last season. We hung around after the Palace game at the end of last season as my youngest lad wanted to get his shirt signed. The players came out one by one, to their cars. I’d say there was about a 50/50 split between those who gave up plenty of their time to sign and pose for a photo with pretty every one of the many fans who’d waited, and those who fucked straight off in their cars without signing a single thing. Gerrard didn’t even acknowledge a single fan.
Not sure about before the game. Deano used to get them there really early for a pre match meal in the corner flag. Not sure if that’s still being done.
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Everton used to stay at the Hagley Road Marriott.
Villa used to eat there on match days under O'Neill. My mate was the head chef there and got to know the players a bit. He went Christmas shopping with John Carew one year. He also said Carew and Petrov had this weird arrangement where one of them would carry the tray for the other one as they made their way along the buffet queue. #ITK.
That made me smile, I've never heard of or seen anyone doing that at a buffet.
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Normally 45 minutes after kick off.
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Does ayone know what time the players tend to arrive at VP before a 3pm KO? I'm taking my son and he's desperate to try to get some autographs. Let's hope it doesn't rain...
Let us know over course of weekend and all here how you went with the experience. Hope all works out.
Good Luck JB and son
Up the Villa!
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We decided not to go early after Si's helpful video from the Arsenal game. It's pretty sad that the players aren't allowed to sign autographs for 5 minutes before they go in but pretty much everything about modern football is rubbish. As for Bodymoor Heath, as a kid I could stand on the edge of the training pitches, retrieve the balls and chat to some of the players before getting pretty much all of the European Cup winning team to sign my autograph book and for Tony Morley to apologise to us for swearing on more than one occasion!!
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When I was a kid, which admittedly was 20 years ago, the players all used to arrive at different times in their individual cars and most would spend some time signing autographs and interacting with fans.
It's very sad that this generation of young Villa fans will never experience the thrill of obtaining Mark Kinsella and Oyvind Leonhardsen's autographs.
I take your Kinsella and Leonhardsen and raise you an Andy Comyn, in a long black coat looking like the Allo Allo gestapo :-)
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I got Ray Houghton's autograph when I was queuing up for League Cup 94 tickets. He arrived in a black cab, as he was banned from driving.
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I was talking to Darren outside the Trinity on Saturday and Jedinak walked past. Darren asked for a photo and Jedinak muttered something and posed with him for half a second before scuttling off. We were talking after about how friendly Gary Shaw was when we saw him a few weeks before. A mate was telling me about the time when Gary Shaw did a Q&A evening in a pub in Stourbridge. After the session, Shaw asked if anyone was going back to town and he jumped on the number 9 with a few delighted Villa fans. Imagine getting on the buz with a European champion…
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Yeah, how far removed players are from Joe Soap these days is a bit disheartening.
I'd rather something slick that relied on the players putting on a bit of an act like Risso describes the Man City set-up, instead of the sheepish/can't be arsed/half-arsed approach we get at the Villa Park gates.
For all of Grealish's flaws, his interactions with fans are unrivalled.
Players don't have to care about those kids for longer than the 30 seconds to 2 minutes they're asked to spend with them. And I think it's as much out of shyness and embarassment, being out of their comfort zone for one of the few times in their existence, that they don't make much effort. But if the club put in a smooth and consistent way of doing it, the players would feel less uncomfortable and who knows, might even enjoy the odd interaction?