Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: andyh on August 17, 2016, 01:00:35 PM
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Two home matches in and I must say that the atmosphere in and around the ground, before and after the games 'feels' much friendlier than it has done for a long,long time.
Away fans seem to want to chat in the pub before the game, on the approach to the ground, and surprisingly after the game walking away from VP.
Maybe its just my perception, but its definitely an improvement on previous years.
I sure it'll all be just as personable when the 'Rags' and 'Dingles' come to play ;)
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Bristol City away will be interesting!
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Two home matches in and I must say that the atmosphere in and around the ground, before and after the games 'feels' much friendlier than it has done for a long,long time.
Away fans seem to want to chat in the pub before the game, on the approach to the ground, and surprisingly after the game walking away from VP.
Maybe its just my perception, but its definitely an improvement on previous years.
I sure it'll all be just as personable when the 'Rags' and 'Dingles' come to play ;)
Not to sound patronising, but I'm sure it's a big day out for some of the teams' fans which probably helps to make it more of a fun event.
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The likes of Leedz, Toon, Bloose and Wolves should take care of all that. Agree generally though; the dumb hype of the Premier League and the wall pissing rivalry ante will probably be largely absent. Let's hope we're not in it long enough to develop any enduring new rivalries.
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The weather has helped! Nice to be at a night match in a t-shirt and feeling hot...
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Met some Rotherham fans after the game on Saturday. Decent lads. One of them was in a right strop though and said Villa Park was a shit hole! His mates soon put him right and one had quite a detailed knowledge of our ground including how many semi finals we had held and how his grandad came here in the 60s and got drunk with some villa fans in the old "rat pan" and missed his bus home.
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I had the feeling it was going to be like a whole season of early home rounds in the League Cup but the big attendances have helped to generate a much better than expected atmosphere.
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Two home matches in and I must say that the atmosphere in and around the ground, before and after the games 'feels' much friendlier than it has done for a long,long time.
Away fans seem to want to chat in the pub before the game, on the approach to the ground, and surprisingly after the game walking away from VP.
Maybe its just my perception, but its definitely an improvement on previous years.
I sure it'll all be just as personable when the 'Rags' and 'Dingles' come to play ;)
Not to sound patronising, but I'm sure it's a big day out for some of the teams' fans which probably helps to make it more of a fun event.
I've never seen so many away fans taking photo's of the ground as I did last night.
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I had the feeling it was going to be like a whole season of early home rounds in the League Cup but the big attendances have helped to generate a much better than expected atmosphere.
I was also concerned about smaller crowds and a poor atmosphere due to a hangover from last season. The atmosphere has been excellent at both home games. Put it this way, I don't think Dr T will have to do a half time Delia to whip us up. Sitting towards the bottom of the Holte with most of the noise coming from behind has been great and my son has been buzzing. We had spent the last six years in the lower North mainly listening to gloating away fans.
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Bristol City away will be interesting!
Why?
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Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.
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Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.
The City fans have been fine whenever I've been to Aston Gate. Can't remember seeing any trouble.
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Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.
The City fans have been fine whenever I've been to Aston Gate. Can't remember seeing any trouble.
There should be a statue of me outside Ashton Gate. I spent thirty seasons managing them on Championship manager 2000, taking them from the bottom division to the top flight and winning more Premier League titles and Champions League titles than Alex Ferguson. My main man was a free transfer striker from Spurs by the name of Dave McEwan who I picked up as a youngster for free. I must Google him as I have never heard of him in the real football world. Obviously he couldn't do it in the real football world.
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Loved Bristol City when I went there with Preston and found it really friendly and fun.
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Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.
The City fans have been fine whenever I've been to Aston Gate. Can't remember seeing any trouble.
There should be a statue of me outside Ashton Gate. I spent thirty seasons managing them on Championship manager 2000, taking them from the bottom division to the top flight and winning more Premier League titles and Champions League titles than Alex Ferguson. My main man was a free transfer striker from Spurs by the name of Dave McEwan who I picked up as a youngster for free. I must Google him as I have never heard of him in the real football world. Obviously he couldn't do it in the real football world.
are the players not all automatically generated by the time you are 30 saesons in?!!
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Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.
The City fans have been fine whenever I've been to Aston Gate. Can't remember seeing any trouble.
There should be a statue of me outside Ashton Gate. I spent thirty seasons managing them on Championship manager 2000, taking them from the bottom division to the top flight and winning more Premier League titles and Champions League titles than Alex Ferguson. My main man was a free transfer striker from Spurs by the name of Dave McEwan who I picked up as a youngster for free. I must Google him as I have never heard of him in the real football world. Obviously he couldn't do it in the real football world.
are the players not all automatically generated by the time you are 30 saesons in?!!
Yes, but Dave McEwan was a youngster who 'played for me' from my first season (on loan at first - and yes I am aware how sad I am in remembering that!) for over a decade and scored as many goals per game in a season, every season as Christiano Ronaldo does in Spain.
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I will admit it took a while for the penny to drop but I salute you. Brilliant.
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Two home matches in and I must say that the atmosphere in and around the ground, before and after the games 'feels' much friendlier than it has done for a long,long time.
Away fans seem to want to chat in the pub before the game, on the approach to the ground, and surprisingly after the game walking away from VP.
Maybe its just my perception, but its definitely an improvement on previous years.
I sure it'll all be just as personable when the 'Rags' and 'Dingles' come to play ;)
I've been thinking the same. I've never seen so many away fans proudly displaying their colours around Villa Park, and thankfully I've not heard them get any grief.
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I fell asleep watching them at the Odeon...
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Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.
I remember my first ever visit there would be the year they came up 78? Well I think we either drew or lost but outside some fella was wanting to practice his kung foo moves on me and I was only a 16 year old. Couldn't agree more that they fancy themselves that way.
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The weather has helped! Nice to be at a night match in a t-shirt and feeling hot...
Can even go full kit! agreed hope stays good till mid december when get to play in qpr london matches but doubt it!
Maybe that's why the demographic . Friendly northern folk. From smaller regional teams. (And not London ) or the more glamour clubs. I do wonder how Cardiff and Leeds fans are like always seem quite wild too me
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well sha seem to make friends everywhere they go.
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Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.
I remember my first ever visit there would be the year they came up 78? Well I think we either drew or lost but outside some fella was wanting to practice his kung foo moves on me and I was only a 16 year old. Couldn't agree more that they fancy themselves that way.
I was there. Lost 1-0, much trouble in the streets outside. Think a young Gary Shaw came on as sub, might have been his debut?
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I was at an Albion game about 15 or 16 years ago when they decided they'd had enough and jumped the barrier in the Smethwick End to give the Stripey Tatters a bit of hiding.
They're a rough bunch and I agree that a minority of their fans have the mind set that they see themselves as being handy, so it means they must prove it. Like Leeds and knobbers of that ilk only smaller. The end result is they all have to catch a coach for their local derby with Cardiff.
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Works both ways as I don't hate most of the Championship sides, whereas I dislike nearly all the teams in the Premier League.
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Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.
The City fans have been fine whenever I've been to Aston Gate. Can't remember seeing any trouble.
Went there once on crutches late 70's- after a few drinks had to use a public toilet near the ground (across from the notorious park) and became aware that there was group "mobbing up" in there - they sussed me and a couple moved in for the kill only to be pulled off by a weedy little fecker who berated them for their cowardly behaviour and slapped me on the back for having the balls to turn up injured - I hobbled off somewhat relieved - we drew 1-1.
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I was at an Albion game about 15 or 16 years ago when they decided they'd had enough and jumped the barrier in the Smethwick End to give the Stripey Tatters a bit of hiding.
They're a rough bunch and I agree that a minority of their fans have the mind set that they see themselves as being handy, so it means they must prove it. Like Leeds and knobbers of that ilk only smaller. The end result is they all have to catch a coach for their local derby with Cardiff.
Aren't they the lot who "took it to" a Millwall pub when they weren't playing them? Lobbed a pub sign through the window on Thursday night or similar?
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Loved Bristol City when I went there with Preston and found it really friendly and fun.
Bristol is a great place - I've lived here for 30 years, though Brum is still 'home' - but some City supporters are horrible, and that is the description used by a mate who has a season ticket there.
Most are fine and I've lots of mates who go there regularly and the club is well run, good academy etc. but some of there fans are, well, 'horrible' - not especially violent, just gobby and trying all the time to look and act threatening. A bit of a throwback really.
Which could make it entertaining as presently I can't get a ticket for the Villa section so most likely will end up in with City supporters and could well be spotted by someone who knows me as a Villa fan.
Rovers are the opposite - other than when they play City.
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Probably with less money being thrown about and a bit of more chance of more than a few teams being able to compete then chances are there would be a friendlier atmosphere at least at some grounds. I think with a change in culture and so much importance being placed on winning football matches and being part of an elite group than fans do take football too seriously nowadays and as a result you tend to get a negative atmosphere and a bunch of idoits who often are not true supporters. Sure it still happens in the Championship with certain clubs but maybe not as much.
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well sha seem to make friends everywhere they go.
Very popular in Bolton, understand.
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well sha seem to make friends everywhere they go.
Very popular in Bolton, understand.
Creative literary appreciation? ;-)
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Not the most friendliest of fans, as anyone who has been there will tell you.
I remember my first ever visit there would be the year they came up 78? Well I think we either drew or lost but outside some fella was wanting to practice his kung foo moves on me and I was only a 16 year old. Couldn't agree more that they fancy themselves that way.
I was there. Lost 1-0, much trouble in the streets outside. Think a young Gary Shaw came on as sub, might have been his debut?
We beat them 1-0 in an FA Cup game early in 1982 and there was some trouble. A lad I knew in the C Crew told me how a few of them sneaked into their end before the game but were sussed before they grouped together and took a kicking.
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Outside of decent TV coverage I really do not miss the PL at all right now. It ground me down being the underdog for the majority of our games in the PL. Hee we are not the underdog to anybody. We expect to have a good chance of winning every game. I like that.
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Same here, ciggiesnbeer. I know as Aston Villa we should be competing at the highest level, and I was pretty gutted when we finally dropped after circling the plughole for four years, but, if I'm honest, I just don't like the Premier League. It represents all that's bad about modern football - sullen, selectively myopic managers paying ludicrous transfer fees, wages and agents cuts, for molly coddled players with silly hair cuts, funded by TV money which sees supporters as mere extras to add to the 'product' for armchairs around the world. Leicester broke the mould last season but the iron law of oligarchy seems to be re-establishing the normal culprits at the top this year and it's a case of who has the most money to buy the title, with other teams just making up the numbers. Obviously I hope we get back up and compete for a maybe unattainable goal, but if I'm honest I'm actually enjoying going down the Villa again for the first time in years and enjoying life in the Championship.
*dons tin hat and runs for cover*
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Same here, ciggiesnbeer. I know as Aston Villa we should be competing at the highest level, and I was pretty gutted when we finally dropped after circling the plughole for four years, but, if I'm honest, I just don't like the Premier League. It represents all that's bad about modern football - sullen, selectively myopic managers paying ludicrous transfer fees, wages and agents cuts, for molly coddled players with silly hair cuts, funded by TV money which sees supporters as mere extras to add to the 'product' for armchairs around the world. Leicester broke the mould last season but the iron law of oligarchy seems to be re-establishing the normal culprits at the top this year and it's a case of who has the most money to buy the title, with other teams just making up the numbers. Obviously I hope we get back up and compete for a maybe unattainable goal, but if I'm honest I'm actually enjoying going down the Villa again for the first time in years and enjoying life in the Championship.
*dons tin hat and runs for cover*
I agree.
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As much as I agree with the above if we have 3 + years of Championship football, we will be hoping / praying for a return to the Premier League
The thought of playing the likes of Rotherham for next few seasons does not appeal to me
Dr Xia would not agree with the above, he wants an immediate return to the promised land
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No need for donning any tin hat. No need at all.
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Bristol City is just that, a city club so it's bound to have a decent share of idiots.
Last time I went in 1982 it was a bit lively however back then I wouldn't walk down Green Street in a Villa shirt but I have in the last few years.
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Preferring the Championship is definitely Small Heath territory. It's their home, after all.
We're a top flight club and that's where we should be playing football. One or two seasons of the Championship, and the novelty will soon wear off.
Also, the underperforming city of Birmingham needs a proper Premier League club, not a rag-tag bunch of bitter birds.
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The Premier League didn't seem like such a bad place when we were a good side with a genuine chance of getting a Champions League place and playing in semi-finals/finals. The last few years have been enough to dampen anybody's thoughts but if Xia can guide us back up to those giddy heights, the fun times would be back.
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Preferring the Championship is definitely Small Heath territory. It's their home, after all.
We're a top flight club and that's where we should be playing football. One or two seasons of the Championship, and the novelty will soon wear off.
Also, the underperforming city of Birmingham needs a proper Premier League club, not a rag-tag bunch of bitter birds.
Hear hear!
If we don't go up this season all hell will break loose and the feel good factor will be long gone. It's small time to suggest it's better in the lower leagues and the sort of shite Small Heath fans would come out with to be honest. Also it's one thing complaining about ridiculous transfer fees paid in the PL when we've just gone out and spent £12m on a striker who's never played outside of the Championship.
Aston Villa are a PL club and the sooner we get back there the better.
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I didn't say I wanted to spend years in the lower leagues, or that lower leagues are better - if you read my original post I said 'obviously i hope we get back up', so I resent being called small time for something I haven't suggested. My main point remains though that the PL has become a monstrous money bag of a league which I just don't like for many reasons, and after 4 years of non-stop dross football, this season is like a breath of fresh air and I'm enjoying it for what it is.
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I looked at the first set of fixtures and there were so many drab games in the premier league: Hull-Leicester, Burnley-Swansea, Palace-WBA, Boro-Stoke, Southampton-Watford. Loads of nothing teams.
Whereas the championship seems to have more interesting clubs (to me anyway): Newcastle, Wolves, Derby, Forest, Ipswich, Sheffield W, QPR, Fulham. And with a local derby thrown in there has never been a better time to be a bit rubbish.
I wish we weren't here and desperately want us to go back up but I'm enjoying it so far. The football may not be better but it has a more positive feel to it. More teams striving to win and believing they can.
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Friendlier maybe, based on seeing Derby and Wednesday supposedly being top teams in this league, the football is pretty shit.
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There were fisty cuffs outside the away end going in on Saturday.
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I hate not being in the top tier. We belong in there as most other fans would agree. But after 5 years of humiliation being dumped on our great football club a season or two of licking our wounds and rebuilding things might be what we need right now. We will be back and you never know Aston Villa mark 2 might be able to pay back a few of our sneering critics. That would be sweet revenge.
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There were fisty cuffs outside the away end going in on Saturday.
I didn't notice any problems. Still I had positioned myself in such a way that I could leave bang on the final whistle so may have missed the shenanigans.
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It was before the game. Nothing much mind.
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There were fisty cuffs outside the away end going in on Saturday.
Surprised by that...Derby fans only get worked up about playing Forest although suppose the late kick off didn't help.
We weren't loudly decreeing Derby as a s***hole by any chance and then acting all surprised when it got a bit of reaction from home fans?
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I hate not being in the top tier. We belong in there as most other fans would agree. But after 5 years of humiliation being dumped on our great football club a season or two of licking our wounds and rebuilding things might be what we need right now. We will be back and you never know Aston Villa mark 2 might be able to pay back a few of our sneering critics. That would be sweet revenge.
Generally speaking I think that the media and football fans in general have said that Villa and Newcastle belong on the top flight, But you have to prove that you belong and clearly neither of us did that last season.
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I saw no problems before or after the Derby game.
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There were fisty cuffs outside the away end going in on Saturday.
Surprised by that...Derby fans only get worked up about playing Forest although suppose the late kick off didn't help.
We weren't loudly decreeing Derby as a s***hole by any chance and then acting all surprised when it got a bit of reaction from home fans?
No. Some Derby Stone Islanders were giving it the shit on the Villa as they walked past the away end turnstiles and down the side. They bumped into some rather large Villa fans and barged into them. This attracted a reaction more serious reaction than they wanted by the looks of things. Over in a flash.
I thought the Derby fans were bordering on Coventry inside on the left towatds the back. No coins or tea mind.
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There were fisty cuffs outside the away end going in on Saturday.
Surprised by that...Derby fans only get worked up about playing Forest although suppose the late kick off didn't help.
We weren't loudly decreeing Derby as a s***hole by any chance and then acting all surprised when it got a bit of reaction from home fans?
Are you suggesting that singing nasty songs is a sufficient reason to start fighting? On that basis there would be fights at every match.
FWIW, I think that song is shit and don't join it with it. If I did though, I wouldn't expect to receive a punch in the mouth anymore than I'd be tempted to provide one if an opposition fan sang anti-Brummie songs.
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There were fisty cuffs outside the away end going in on Saturday.
Surprised by that...Derby fans only get worked up about playing Forest although suppose the late kick off didn't help.
We weren't loudly decreeing Derby as a s***hole by any chance and then acting all surprised when it got a bit of reaction from home fans?
Are you suggesting that singing nasty songs is a sufficient reason to start fighting? On that basis there would be fights at every match.
FWIW, I think that song is shit and don't join it with it. If I did though, I wouldn't expect to receive a punch in the mouth anymore than I'd be tempted to provide one if an opposition fan sang anti-Brummie songs.
But similarly, if you don't want a punch in the mouth, don't sing a song which is designed to antagonise a complete stranger, when you have no idea how he's going to react.
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There were fisty cuffs outside the away end going in on Saturday.
Surprised by that...Derby fans only get worked up about playing Forest although suppose the late kick off didn't help.
We weren't loudly decreeing Derby as a s***hole by any chance and then acting all surprised when it got a bit of reaction from home fans?
Are you suggesting that singing nasty songs is a sufficient reason to start fighting? On that basis there would be fights at every match.
FWIW, I think that song is shit and don't join it with it. If I did though, I wouldn't expect to receive a punch in the mouth anymore than I'd be tempted to provide one if an opposition fan sang anti-Brummie songs.
Not at all, just don't be surprised if other fans take offence particularly if you're singing it at the top of your voice outside the ground where fans are mixing on the way in. It actually reminds me of the infamous 03/03/03 night...walking past Witton station just as hundreds of SHA fans came down singing SOTV at the top of their voices. Thought it would kick off there and then...they were still singing it as they approached the away end and then the bottles flew through the night's sky at them...
I think our away fans are great, good numbers and backing but wish we'd have a few more pro villa chants now and again rather than trying to belittle the opposition. Most of whom have no problem with us, I doubt likes of Rotherham and Huddersfield care much about european cups.
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Have you won the Johnstone Paint Cup?
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https://www.facebook.com/awaydaybible/videos/590580111103075/
I just saw this - I was watching the Ritchie De Laet AVTC interview on Facebook, and then it rolled straight into this video. Not the best PR in the world for Villa. I was thinking of starting a thread, but I'll just 'The Mighty Reds YNWA' it in here... What are peoples thoughts? It's still a bit fresh and raw, and it's people boozed up a bit at a football game, but was this inappropriate?
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Unfortunately we have a significant number of away fans who act like complete bellends. Not that we're unique in that.
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The championship is standing friendly, they not concerned about visual perception unlike the premiership.
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Forest performed like a gang of Italians from the 70's rolling around, cynical fouls and time wasting.
If you call that friendly well.