Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Ads on August 03, 2020, 12:58:23 PM
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Inspired by the off topic conversation about random Birmingham places, I must confess I find the geography of God's own back garden pretty intriguing. I've been to random islands in Thailand but was in my 30s before I'd heard of Stockland Green.
So I'm penning this thread with a bit of a census in mind to find out what is "ours". Where are you from in Brum or the West Mids, where have you lived and whats the anecdotal split of Villa?
I'll start with Halesowen. Parents live up Lapal way. I'd say Halesowen is a pretty even split between Villa and Albion, with more Stripey Filth towards Cradley.
Quinton I'd say was largely Villa, but with a Nose problem. 60/40 Villa I'd say. Can only remember 2 from Primary School.
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Solihull is just as much Villa as Small Heath.
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My parents were both from Sutton Coldfield/Mere Green. My paternal grandparents, both big Villa fans, lived in Erdington and Perry Common before that.
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Erdington and Sutton Coldfield is very Villa
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Poll added too.
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Warstock/Solihull Lodge
Mainly blues
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Yardley Massive all my life except for a brief exile in AG. Probably more Blose than Villa in each, but it's a lot closer than they'd like to admit.
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Poll needs to be amended;
I'm from Sou'sou' west by west Birmingham ... Weoley Castle.
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Erdington, Villa stronghold. Previously Yardley, mixed between Villa and rags with possibly slightly more rags.
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Shard End until 1976-97, reputedly one of their main areas but I'd say it's another of their myths. Growing up it was mainly Villa although Blues definitely had a presence.
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I've been in Halesowen now for nigh on 20 years and it's a fairly even split between Villa and Sangwell, if either is doing better than the other it tends to flex in that direction so next season should be interesting.
You get a few Wolves knocking about and the odd 'nose, the inevitable Glory Hunters and the strange ones who follow West Ham or Tranmere.
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Yardley Massive all my life except for a brief exile in AG. Probably more Blose than Villa in each, but it's a lot closer than they'd like to admit.
That's my experience too. Drank in the Bill and Bull and the Yew Tree for years and there was always just as much Villa. Head towards Acocks Green and shit hole pubs like the Spread Eagle and it's definitely more Rags territory.
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Yardley Massive all my life except for a brief exile in AG. Probably more Blose than Villa in each, but it's a lot closer than they'd like to admit.
Its always been my belief that both those places are pretty much the Nose hives and about as Nose stronghold as you get in Brum.
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
The amount who get the train that way speaks testament to that.
Which part of Halesowen you reside in Nev?
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
It certainly is at ten to three on matchday.
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I live in Nechells. Split about 50/50 I'd say but the more unfriendly/twattish types usually noses.
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I’d say Villa slightly ahead of Albion in Aldridge. A smattering of Wolves , Blues and Walsall.
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
I would say my old local in Damson Wood Solihull was 60/40 in Villa's favour.
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Walsall where I'm from originally massively Villa and I used to feel slightly guilty on match days when they were more on the train going to VP rather than the Bescot. Wolves are 2nd best probably ahead of West Brom. I went to school in Aldridge and there were only 2 Small Heath fans there..
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I'm from Stechford/Yardley (we lived near the police station so we were right on the edge). I don't remember anyone claiming to be a Blues fan when I was in primary school, it was all Villa fans and plastic scousers. I'd say it was 93/94 when the blues fans started coming out of the woodwork by me. Now I have loads of contacts on Facebook who claim to be 'lifelong blue' that I remember having Panini stickers of Ian Rush on their school books.
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Born and grew up in Great Barr. Now live in Walsall.
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Grew up in Stirchley Which was a pretty even split
Been in Northfield for the past 12 years. You do see a fair amount of blues tops
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Walsall (South part) where it was mainly Villa - it was quicker to get to VP on the 51 (walk from Perry Barr) than to get to Bescot. After Villa it would have been Albion/Wolves/Walsall. Only one Nose at primary school and none at secondary (well I did get into the grammar school so no surprise there!!)
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Kings Heath has always had a large Villa base, Kings Norton more blue with some Villa.
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Born and grew up in Handsworth. Mainly Villa, a few Baggies, no Noses.
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Live in Kings Norton now and it’s a two to one Villa Blues split. This is based on the fact that we have a Nose next door but another Villa fan the other side of him.
I grew up in Rubery which back in the 70s was definitely more Blues including a few real nasty bastards.
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Grew up in Shard End, then Hall Green and Shirley when I got a bit older. My dads family (Villa fans) lived in Shard End and my moms family lived in Kingshurst (blues fans), all of which get touted as mostly blues but I'd say it's more Villa (certainly was when I was at school anyway).
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I'm from the shires and live in London. I'm who they're talking about.
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Northfield. Mostly Villa, a few noses and occasional Wolves and Albion shirts.
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Born and bred in Sutton, dad from Hockley and mom's family from Erdington, all Villa in the family.
When I was at school here 70s/80s, mainly Villa with a fair few plastic scousers. Local wise my gang of mates were all Villa with a couple of Albion and Wolves, no noses.
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Moved to Northfield in 1963, got the impression people think this side and surrounding areas are more Birmingham then anywhere else, worked for Birmingham council housing department since 1975, believe me they were load of Villa from the area and and surrounding areas, the only time you see them is when they are signing on or having there yearly at Northfield baths
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I am from Great Barr. Dad from Great Barr, mom from Aston.
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I was actually born in Kidderminster but my family moved to Erdington about two weeks after I was born. Family moved south in the eighties and have been down here ever since except fkr a three year spell in Milton Keynes and Redditch. I have lived in Horsham since 1992 and I see quite a few Villa shirts down here - and they are always exiled Brummies for the most part. I was impressed how many Villa fans had come up from the coast when I boarded the train up to London for the 2018 play off final - again the ones I spoke to were all with roots in the second city. As for Blues only living in Birmingham, I can confirm I always saw more of their shirts than ours in and around Redditch when I lived there.
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I was actually born in Kidderminster but my family moved to Erdington about two weeks after I was born. Family moved south in the eighties and have been down here ever since except fkr a three year spell in Milton Keynes and Redditch. I have lived in Horsham since 1992 and I see quite a few Villa shirts down here - and they are always exiled Brummies for the most part. I was impressed how many Villa fans had come up from the coast when I boarded the train up to London for the 2018 play off final - again the ones I spoke to were all with roots in the second city. As for Blues only living in Birmingham itself , I can confirm I always saw more of their shirts than ours in and around Redditch when I lived there.
Only ever seen one Blues shirt round here, I do know 2 Albion fans and 1 Wolves fan. And of course I bow before Horsham’s most famous Villa fan - Frank!
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Born and bought up in East Mercia then lived in Lichfield from 86-92 then moved North. First nose I met was at work in 1987. Lichfield and South Staffs is a Villa stronghold as per most of the area either side of the Cross city line with a smattering of Albion and the odd nose.
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From Great Barr, family mostly in Kingstanding and Erdington. All Villa growing up, apart from one or two noses who were sound. Went to school in Handsworth, where it was mainly plastics but a few Villa.
Now live in Worcester, where there is a staggering number of casual Albion supporters. None of them ever go to games, but wear the clobber and pipe up when they're doing well.
Never known or, to my knowledge, even seen a Wolves fan. Anywhere.
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Mom & Dad from Witton & Kingstanding, both loyal Villa with me. Wemoved to Druids Heath where there seemed to be nothing but blues fans everywhere & my brother & sisters all became infected with the blue malady.
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Blues love to go on about how so much of our support is from Tamworth then flog that stupid myth that only 30% of our support has a Birmingham postcode.... but Tamworth HAS a Birmingham postcode! They don’t think these things through do they.
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You let them get to you too much, mate.
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You let them get to you too much, mate.
No I honestly think it’s hilarious
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Grew up in Erdington with 90% Villa fans, 5% glory hunters and 5% noses. I think the split is now 80% Villa, 10 % noses and 10% Glory Hunters when I'm around there. The Nose fraternity tend to be lone Wolves don't have any friends and seem to have a sole purpose to annoy everyone else. Around Boldmere/Sutton it's 85% Villa, 10% Albion and 5% noses. The Nose fraternity tend to be lone Wolves don't have many friends and seem to have a sole purpose to annoy everyone else. Sheldon area where my other half is from is 20% Villa and 80% Nose. The most Nose region of Birmingham in my experience. They're all C***s!
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Smerrick, mainly West Brom and villa 70:30 in the 70s I reckon.
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There's some maps (PWS?) that WM travel did about 10 years ago which show we dominate pretty much every facet of the city and large tracts beyond.
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Great Barr, Kingstanding, Streetley when I was growing up. These are all mainly Villa with a small element of Nose.
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Shirley. I would guess around 50/50 with Blues probably edging it slightly.
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Mom from Witton, Dad from Pype Hayes. I grew up in Erdington then we moved to Sutton. Since leaving home I've always been around Erdington or Sutton.
Hence all of my family and virtually all friends have been Villa.
Albion fans vaguely register in my work or social circle. I've only ever really known one Blues fan and I know he stopped going and I haven't really seen or heard from him in the last few years.
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I'm from Worcester, which is definitely more Villa than Blues, but grew up in Wolverhampton, before moving to Brum (where I lived in plenty of different places). The old boy is from Alcester and me mom's from Worcester way. Alcester must be more Villa than Blues as it feels as though half the people living there are my relations and my family is 99% Villa.
I've mentioned before that I went to a big state comprehensive school on the edge of Wolvo and that there were more of us that went to the Villa on the 19-minute train than went to Molineux on a weekend (I could count that lot on one hand). Of course, when Jack Hayward took over they were all dyed in the wool, etc., but they were all Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal fans up until then.
That's all a long time ago though, as I've not lived in the UK for nearly 20 years. I can confirm that Pisa is a Villa hotspot, thanks to me and my lad. Plenty of both my mates and his have Villa tops and there's a good chance that, if you are ever walking along the river you'll see him playing behind the library with Mings 40 on his back.
No Blues here, although there is, famously, a West Brom fan. He's a local bloke who works on the local radio - even does an Anglo Calcio programme on a Thursday evening - when they go through the divisions and look at the results. They go all the way down to non-league. It's pretty impressive, as is his knowledge of English football in general. He's a Baggie, but he's a cracking lad to be fair. Him and the other chap who present it said some lovely stuff about big Cyrille and Ugo when they passed away.
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Inspired by the off topic conversation about random Birmingham places, I must confess I find the geography of God's own back garden pretty intriguing. I've been to random islands in Thailand but was in my 30s before I'd heard of Stockland Green.
Haha where is this Ads? I remember years ago I was in town waiting for a bus back to my North Brum enclave, saw one was going to Weoley Castle, wondered where the hell that was so started a thread in OT asking if everyone had been and other random suburbs od Brum and think we got to about 45 pages in the end!
Anyway Walmley/Sutton. Loads of Villa here, the odd WBA/SHA floating around. Strangely last week on a walk up to Wylde Green I saw three people wearing various Arsenal kits from the last 20 years.
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I didn't know any blues fans at school in Sutton until a friend 'came out' after those derby defeats in the early 2000s. I have a uncle I didn't know was a blue nose until a few years ago too, kept it quite for 30 odd years! They're like those rugby fans who only talk football to mock your team when they lose, insufferable.
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
Was driving in Kings Norton once with my Nan. Stopped off just up from the station for a quick pub lunch and on entrance to my horror they had a massive team picture of SHA on the wall.
Chris Smith might disagree with me but I'd say Kings Norton/Longbridge/Northfield part is most SHA area of the city given how close it is to their training ground and then they get the out of towners from likes of Redditch that they think just applies to us.
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Inspired by the off topic conversation about random Birmingham places, I must confess I find the geography of God's own back garden pretty intriguing. I've been to random islands in Thailand but was in my 30s before I'd heard of Stockland Green.
Haha where is this Ads? I remember years ago I was in town waiting for a bus back to my North Brum enclave, saw one was going to Weoley Castle, wondered where the hell that was so started a thread in OT asking if everyone had been and other random suburbs od Brum and think we got to about 45 pages in the end!
Anyway Walmley/Sutton. Loads of Villa here, the odd WBA/SHA floating around. Strangely last week on a walk up to Wylde Green I saw three people wearing various Arsenal kits from the last 20 years.
Think the 002 white bus way back in the day went to Weoley Castle. Its a bit beyond Quinton I think. Never been there mind, or so I thought.
Parents produced a baby picture of me the other week that they'd had done professionally and it turns out it was my best mates dad who did it, when they lived there. 1987. Yikes.
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I was born in Great Barr and now I'm close to Lichfield. Mum was born in Aston in 1920 and used to 'mind' the cars for the Villa fans on match days.
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I went to primary school in Bournville '71-77, and I'd say it was undoubtedly more nose. Secondary school in Selly Oak and tbh I don't really remember football supporting being a 'thing' there, far more likely to get into a heated debate about music.
I spent the first 40 years of my life in and around Bournville, Cotteridge, Stirchley, Kings Norton and Kings Heath, and I'd say all more nose than Villa.
Now in Smethwick/Bearwood area, and I've got three Villa near-neighbours, but no sign of a stripe. The only time I notice them out is if they're on the telly in the pub. A solitary nose, too, but he never goes and only mentions football in passing if we've not had an optimal result. At our boy's school there's not much supporting apparent. One of his best mates comes from a solid baggies household and goes to their soccer school, but other than him I don't think there's much club interest amongst the kids, sadly.
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I live in Nechells. Split about 50/50 I'd say but the more unfriendly/twattish types usually noses.
Obviously Nechells has gone downhill. In my day it was solid Villa.
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Anybody on here from Hollywood and California?
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What about Lozells? I reckon that’s Villa mainly.
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Anybody on here from Hollywood and California?
Such a lovely place.
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
Was driving in Kings Norton once with my Nan. Stopped off just up from the station for a quick pub lunch and on entrance to my horror they had a massive team picture of SHA on the wall.
Chris Smith might disagree with me but I'd say Kings Norton/Longbridge/Northfield part is most SHA area of the city given how close it is to their training ground and then they get the out of towners from likes of Redditch that they think just applies to us.
You need to go further East for the major Bluenose areas I think. The Turves Green side of Longbridge is probably more them but Northfield and Kings Norton are more mixed. Would it be The Camp you were in? Not been in for years but it wouldn’t surprise me, I don’t use it but the others in close proximity didn’t have posters up when I’ve been in.
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I went to primary school in Bournville '71-77, and I'd say it was undoubtedly more nose. Secondary school in Selly Oak and tbh I don't really remember football supporting being a 'thing' there, far more likely to get into a heated debate about music.
I spent the first 40 years of my life in and around Bournville, Cotteridge, Stirchley, Kings Norton and Kings Heath, and I'd say all more nose than Villa.
Now in Smethwick/Bearwood area, and I've got three Villa near-neighbours, but no sign of a stripe. The only time I notice them out is if they're on the telly in the pub. A solitary nose, too, but he never goes and only mentions football in passing if we've not had an optimal result. At our boy's school there's not much supporting apparent. One of his best mates comes from a solid baggies household and goes to their soccer school, but other than him I don't think there's much club interest amongst the kids, sadly.
I went to Bournville junior from 77 and then Damo and lived around Selly Oak till I went to uni. It's a long time ago now but it was pretty split then between Blues and Villa, probably more Villa, hardly any Albion and the normal contingent of Liverpool glory hunters and for a while Forest.
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I live in Nechells. Split about 50/50 I'd say but the more unfriendly/twattish types usually noses.
Obviously Nechells has gone downhill. In my day it was solid Villa.
It's still just as salubrious as it's always been.
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Aston/Kingstanding. Growing up, I never met a nose until I started work in the Jewellery Quarter.
There were a few baggies in Kingstanding, but you mainly found them towards the Scot Arms/Bar Beacon areas.
From speaking with some family members who still live in the area there are now a fair few noses in Kingstanding. You could never envision that when I was a kid.
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
Was driving in Kings Norton once with my Nan. Stopped off just up from the station for a quick pub lunch and on entrance to my horror they had a massive team picture of SHA on the wall.
Chris Smith might disagree with me but I'd say Kings Norton/Longbridge/Northfield part is most SHA area of the city given how close it is to their training ground and then they get the out of towners from likes of Redditch that they think just applies to us.
I’d tend to agree, mate, and you can add West Heath, too.
You’ve got the Man on the Moon pub, which you wouldn’t wear Villa colours to.
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
Was driving in Kings Norton once with my Nan. Stopped off just up from the station for a quick pub lunch and on entrance to my horror they had a massive team picture of SHA on the wall.
Chris Smith might disagree with me but I'd say Kings Norton/Longbridge/Northfield part is most SHA area of the city given how close it is to their training ground and then they get the out of towners from likes of Redditch that they think just applies to us.
I’d tend to agree, mate, and you can add West Heath, too.
You’ve got the Man on the Moon pub, which you wouldn’t wear Villa colours to.
Yeah I was going to stop there for the mentioned pub meal but it's just across the road from Wast Hill so decided against. Kept on driving along A441 and got to the Bulls Head on the green and that's the one that has the SHA picture in the lounge area of the pub.
The Navigation was another dive just across the island but that closed down about a year ago.
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
Was driving in Kings Norton once with my Nan. Stopped off just up from the station for a quick pub lunch and on entrance to my horror they had a massive team picture of SHA on the wall.
Chris Smith might disagree with me but I'd say Kings Norton/Longbridge/Northfield part is most SHA area of the city given how close it is to their training ground and then they get the out of towners from likes of Redditch that they think just applies to us.
You need to go further East for the major Bluenose areas I think. The Turves Green side of Longbridge is probably more them but Northfield and Kings Norton are more mixed. Would it be The Camp you were in? Not been in for years but it wouldn’t surprise me, I don’t use it but the others in close proximity didn’t have posters up when I’ve been in.
Went to the Jolly Fitter many years ago with a nose mate.
This guy who he knew started harping on about the Villa. I opened my mouth to say something and my mate kicked me and told me we had to leave. He told me that guy was a massive blues thug and he’d have kicked the shite out of me there and then had he known I was Villa.
The Dukes in Northfield was the same
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Based mainly on places I have drank on a regular/semi-regular basis, I reckon Solihull is the biggest Blose stronghold.
Was driving in Kings Norton once with my Nan. Stopped off just up from the station for a quick pub lunch and on entrance to my horror they had a massive team picture of SHA on the wall.
Chris Smith might disagree with me but I'd say Kings Norton/Longbridge/Northfield part is most SHA area of the city given how close it is to their training ground and then they get the out of towners from likes of Redditch that they think just applies to us.
I’d tend to agree, mate, and you can add West Heath, too.
You’ve got the Man on the Moon pub, which you wouldn’t wear Villa colours to.
Yeah I was going to stop there for the mentioned pub meal but it's just across the road from Wast Hill so decided against. Kept on driving along A441 and got to the Bulls Head on the green and that's the one that has the SHA picture in the lounge area of the pub.
The Navigation was another dive just across the island but that closed down about a year ago.
The Navigation used to be a decent pub when it was Davenports.
Both it and the Bull went down hill when the pubs in Druids Heath and Hawksley closed
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I lived in Perry Common until I was 7 when we moved to Castle Bromwich, which is where I first became aware of their existance. The first ever altercation I ever had with one, I remember it vividly, had my list of what we'd won countered with "at least we aint bin in da fird division". That was soon rectified.
I always think of Castle Brom as the borderlands, Castle Vale Villa only one side, Shard End rags the other, pretty split with the older boys more Blues but their sons are mostly Villa.
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Moon, Fordrough, Cofton, Fitter. All really, really not Villa.
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Kingshurst
I would say it was a 50/50 split
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I class Bromsgrove as my home town even though we only moved there when I was 9 and I left when I was 19, but those ages are when you start discovering stuff in life. Those years covered the 80s and it was very much Villa back then, probably assorted Man Utd/Liverpool glory hunters second, then sha then the bitters. Over the last 10-20 years more sha have apparently appeared but it's still a Villa town.
Also lived in Sparkill (pretty even split in the 90s), Bartley Green (also a split), and Edgbaston (Villa).
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Im born and bred in Stourbridge, but followed Villa because of my Grandad, who was born on Witton Lane
Where I am now is a mixture of Villa, Wolves and bitters, though only seen Wolves fans in last two years mind 🤔
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Moon, Fordrough, Cofton, Fitter. All really, really not Villa.
And, unsurprisingly, all shitholes. Anyone else old enough to remember when it was the Man in the Moon? They changed it after the moon landing. The Fitter was knocked down years ago. Not sure the Cofton hasn’t gone too.
My recollection when I lived in Kings Norton (60s to 80s) and visited family in Northfield and Longbridge was that it was mostly Blues but when I go back to visit family, there seems to be more kids in Villa tops than anything.
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Moon, Fordrough, Cofton, Fitter. All really, really not Villa.
And, unsurprisingly, all shitholes. Anyone else old enough to remember when it was the Man in the Moon? They changed it after the moon landing. The Fitter was knocked down years ago. Not sure the Cofton hasn’t gone too.
My recollection when I lived in Kings Norton (60s to 80s) and visited family in Northfield and Longbridge was that it was mostly Blues but when I go back to visit family, there seems to be more kids in Villa tops than anything.
The Man on/in the Moon is the only one of those left.
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There was a Brummie duo of flower sellers in Horsham market up until a year or so ago, don’t think they still come down here now although one of their relatives may run the stall now. They were Villa fans from Castle Bromwich. Most of the people around me in the Liquor Station on Wembley High St in 2018 were Castle Bromwich Brummies too.
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Originally from Lichfield, now live in North Wales. My dad's from the Cotswolds, as was my grandad (also a lifelong Villa supporter). I don't drink in town. I'm exactly the sort of person the noses talk about.
Mostly Villa around there, just a handful of Baggies and Noses. See the odd Villa shirt around Wrexham, but it's mostly Liverpool/Man Utd/Wrexham.
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I've moved about a fair bit in my lifetime and this my take on stuff
:lived in Hall Green until I was 11 - mostly Blue Nose
Worcester until 1972 - plenty of Villa, Chelsea,Leeds, Man ure
Bournville until early 80s - 50/50 split - Northfield had a few Blue Noses but we had the Leyhill Mob
Edgbaston - didn't meet many footy fans
Rednal - Blue Nose
Formby -I know of at least 5 mad keen Villa fans - no Blue noses
Merseyside - A fair sprinkling across Merseyside
North West - as Merseyside
The majority have links to the Villa through family or upbringing but I am meeting more who have Prince William syndrome and wanted to support someone other than Liverpool or Everton
Junior was born in Southport, schooled in Formby and now working in skelmersdale - proud to be Villa and respected for that by Reds and Blues, as am I
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Grew up in Stirchley Which was a pretty even split
Been in Northfield for the past 12 years. You do see a fair amount of blues tops
you see a lot of Blues tops up Northfield at 3pm on a Saturday when they're playing at home.
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Great Barr -Villa majority but strongly Albion in the Sandwell parts of Great Barr. The WBA supporters club was once based in the old Kings Cabaret club (the old Hamstead Mine baths) in the area. It was adorned by a golden Throstle which was repainted and relocated to the Hawthorns, Woodman Corner when the supporters club closed in the 1970s.
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I was bought up in Selly Oak area and left the area around 10 years ago - it was a pretty even split between Villa and Blues
I now live in Blakedown Worcestershire - there's all sorts round here, Villa and Liverpool are a few of the tops I see about.
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On the Bromford, strangely not very football orientated.
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Born and brought up in Great Barr until 1981. Villa majority followed by baggies then noses and the obligatory plastics.
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On the Bromford, strangely not very football orientated.
I knew loads of lads off the Bromford and it was a mixed bag.
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Mom was born in Aston and moved to Great Barr when she was 6. Dad was born in Nottinghamshire but moved to Great Barr as a baby. I've lived in Great Barr (Pheasey) for most of my life, apart from 6 months in New Zealand and 7 years in Kingstanding.
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Dudley (Gornal) growing up, mainly dog heads with a few Villa and Boggies. Moved down south 20 years ago and there a few Villa lads here in Newbury, one of them is know for a lot of content on the Jokes thread.
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I've moved about a fair bit in my lifetime and this my take on stuff
:lived in Hall Green until I was 11 - mostly Blue Nose
Worcester until 1972 - plenty of Villa, Chelsea,Leeds, Man ure
Bournville until early 80s - 50/50 split - Northfield had a few Blue Noses but we had the Leyhill Mob
Edgbaston - didn't meet many footy fans
Rednal - Blue Nose
Formby -I know of at least 5 mad keen Villa fans - no Blue noses
Merseyside - A fair sprinkling across Merseyside
North West - as Merseyside
The majority have links to the Villa through family or upbringing but I am meeting more who have Prince William syndrome and wanted to support someone other than Liverpool or Everton
Junior was born in Southport, schooled in Formby and now working in skelmersdale - proud to be Villa and respected for that by Reds and Blues, as am I
Your boy sounds like he's had a good Villa upbringing like my daughter, born in Chester, lives in Ellesmere Port and is schooled in West Kirby, the only Villa mad season ticket holder at her school 😊
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Born and raised on the Beeches Great Barr, mainly Villa although my then best mate was the filth, been in Melbourne for over forty years, at my golf club happy to say there are three born and bred Aussies that support Villa apart from myself, a couple Wet Spam, one Spurs, one Arsenal and a couple Man U.
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Born and brought up in Shirley / Hall Green / Solihull.
Surrounded by them; but with a significant influence from the Elmdon Reds who used to drink the Solihull pubs I frequented. Reasonable Villa presence from Knowle / Dorridge (Ken Spires being one) and they would certainly see off both Bluenoses and Manure at local pubs and 'discos' (as they were called back in the 70's)
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Like ads said in op about not knowing other areas of Brum. As I was from south Brum, I had no idea about stockland green and pheasey. Sounded very exotic.
Weren’t many Villa fans in Warstock. My Dad told me it’s where we are from.
Did the family tree few years ago and my grandad and subsequent rellies were all from Aston or Neachells back to 1820s
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Born and bred in sunny Ladywood (option for city centre?). Mainly Villa when i was a kid but I don’t know what’s its like now but i suspect its much the same.
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Mom was born in Aston and moved to Great Barr when she was 6. Dad was born in Nottinghamshire but moved to Great Barr as a baby. I've lived in Great Barr (Pheasey) for most of my life, apart from 6 months in New Zealand and 7 years in Kingstanding.
And thank you for shining a light on another Birmingham bus mysterious destination for me!
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The Man on the Moon has more than it's fair share of Villa fans using it.
Also in the early 90's there was a coach that picked up at the Fitter & the Woodpecker for away games as did the Travellers in Northfield.
West Heath/Northfield I'd say was & still is 50/50.
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Born in West Heath and when I was at school in the 70’s/early 80’s there were definitely more noses than Villa. I echo the comments about the pubs in the area too, packed to the rafters with noses when they’re playing at home.
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Grew up in Kings Norton, went to school in Turves Green. Even split. Even my bunch of mates is split 50/50 with the Villa fans going to games and the bluesnoses posting about the Villa on facebook when we lose, but rarely going to a game.
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Lived in Edgbaston from 0-11. Northfield from 11-21 and for the last 30 years Rubery. Went to Shenley Court Comprehensive 80-85 and probably due to our League and European Cup successes it was full of Villa. Worked at the Austin 1990-2005 had a good mix of fans from all the Midlands clubs with mainly good banter. Plenty of Villa fans in Rubery whatever the noses might think.
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I was brought up in Oldbury (near the Londonderry referred to on another thread) in the '60s and '70s, and there were very few Villa fans around the area then. It was almost all Albion, and at times it was pretty unpleasant to be singled out as a Villa fan, especially in and around school in the mid '70s.
I now live in Oxfordshire, where I know as many Villa fans and see as many people out and about sporting Villa shirts as ever I did in Oldbury in the '70s.
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Mom was born in Aston and moved to Great Barr when she was 6. Dad was born in Nottinghamshire but moved to Great Barr as a baby. I've lived in Great Barr (Pheasey) for most of my life, apart from 6 months in New Zealand and 7 years in Kingstanding.
And thank you for shining a light on another Birmingham bus mysterious destination for me!
That'll be the old number 90 'Pheasey Estate via Kingstanding' used to catch that every day! Pheasey was quite exotic by North Brum standards at one time. It's houses were the base for American replacement troops during the war meaning that some Great Barr homes were very well supplied with food, there was a high incidence of arrests for soliciting in the area and many of the locals were well kitted out with US army surplus clothing into the fifties! Despite having lived in the area I only chanced upon that info by picking up an old book from Walsall library!
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Mom was born in Aston and moved to Great Barr when she was 6. Dad was born in Nottinghamshire but moved to Great Barr as a baby. I've lived in Great Barr (Pheasey) for most of my life, apart from 6 months in New Zealand and 7 years in Kingstanding.
And thank you for shining a light on another Birmingham bus mysterious destination for me!
That'll be the old number 90 'Pheasey Estate via Kingstanding' used to catch that every day! Pheasey was quite exotic by North Brum standards at one time. It's houses were the base for American replacement troops during the war meaning that some Great Barr homes were very well supplied with food, there was a high incidence of arrests for soliciting in the area and many of the locals were well kitted out with US army surplus clothing into the fifties! Despite having lived in the area I only chanced upon that info by picking up an old book from Walsall library!
My Grandma lived on Aldridge Rd right opposite Pheasey. Think it was the 33 bus when I was little. And the 997.
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Both Villa and blues older lads used the Travellers and Dukes in Northfield and never had any trouble between them really same with younger ones who came through,use to meet up sometimes with them after derby games in the old varsity tavern selly oak, now called the goose
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Both Villa and blues older lads used the Travellers and Dukes in Northfield and never had any trouble between them really same with younger ones who came through,use to meet up sometimes with them after derby games in the old varsity tavern selly oak, now called the goose
Is that the place with a mosaic of 'I came, I saw, I vomited' in Latin on the wall?
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We lived in Winson Green when I was born, and then shuffled out to Chasetown via Aston for a few years, then Newtown. The next spell was Great Barr - another one from Pheasey, and I consider that is where I was brought up as it was my formative years from 10-18, and my longest spell in one place.
Back in the 70s and 80s Great Barr had Villa as the largest fan base, with Albion second. Blues a distant third, though a good minority came out of the woodwork in the early 80s from 2-3 school years below me, plus plastics of various shades of red. My cousins were by the Scott Arms / Hamsted and that seemed to be evenly split between Villa and Albion. One of my schools was in Aldridge and there were a good number of Wolves and Albion fans there, with the Villa fans being largely represented by us Pheasey boys. A smattering of Leeds fans too, as they were big in the early 70s.
Other family were in Kingstanding and Perry Barr and they seemed purely Villa. All this is ancient history so things may have changed.
I was in Cannock for the lockdown and Wolves shirts easily the majority, followed by Villa and then seemingly Liverpool and Albion.
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Yardley Massive all my life except for a brief exile in AG. Probably more Blose than Villa in each, but it's a lot closer than they'd like to admit.
That's my experience too. Drank in the Bill and Bull and the Yew Tree for years and there was always just as much Villa. Head towards Acocks Green and shit hole pubs like the Spread Eagle and it's definitely more Rags territory.
Moved to Yardley from Bromford Estate when 11, Yardley predominantly Blues which you’d expect as it’s a mile from their Sty.Yew Tree always has been a Blues pub but plenty of Villa used to get off the No 11 bus when we played . I have mates in South Brum who say Blues outnumber us 2:1 on the South Side where as we outnumber them 10:1 in North Birmingham. Nothing scientific mind but it certainly feels like that living in Sutton for 30 years and my kids playing footie in Erdington.
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We lived in Winson Green when I was born, and then shuffled out to Chasetown via Aston for a few years, then Newtown. The next spell was Great Barr - another one from Pheasey, and I consider that is where I was brought up as it was my formative years from 10-18, and my longest spell in one place.
Back in the 70s and 80s Great Barr had Villa as the largest fan base, with Albion second. Blues a distant third, though a good minority came out of the woodwork in the early 80s from 2-3 school years below me, plus plastics of various shades of red. My cousins were by the Scott Arms / Hamsted and that seemed to be evenly split between Villa and Albion. One of my schools was in Aldridge and there were a good number of Wolves and Albion fans there, with the Villa fans being largely represented by us Pheasey boys. A smattering of Leeds fans too, as they were big in the early 70s.
Other family were in Kingstanding and Perry Barr and they seemed purely Villa. All this is ancient history so things may have changed.
I was in Cannock for the lockdown and Wolves shirts easily the majority, followed by Villa and then seemingly Liverpool and Albion.
You were born in prison? Blimey! Remind me never to fall out with you.
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Brought up in Priory Road, Aston.
Went to Manor Park School until I went to secondary School (Duddeston Manor, Nechells).
I wasn’t ever going to support anyone else, was I?
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Born Perry Barr, lived mostly Great Barr/Kingstanding/Erdington, but worked amongst other places in Solihull & Redditch with the former especially infested with the d@gshit.
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Born and bred in sunny Ladywood (option for city centre?). Mainly Villa when i was a kid but I don’t know what’s its like now but i suspect its much the same.
Went to college there and it was pretty much all Villa, with a couple of token glory-hunting types. Onviously, not everyone at the college lived there.
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Was it Pheasey the 33 went to back in the late 80s/early 90s? Seemed to be a 33 bus every other minute back then.
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Born Heathfield Road. Have that!
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Walsall born and (in) bred.
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Born Heathfield Road. Have that!
Although born at the Salvation Army Hospital for Fallen Women which I think was situated in Heathfield Road, lived at 19 Villa Road for the first 7 years of my life before moving to the leafy lanes of Olton, Solihull.
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I lived on Crompton road, Handsworth before moving to leafy Chelmsley Wood,area 5 in 1969.
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Nuneaton for me, so from the Shires. Never owned a Range Rover though. At school it was mainly split pretty evenly Villa / Cov / Redshirts. Never saw a blues or Albion shirt once.
When we went down in 87 I went to a lot of the Villa matches on the Lloyds bus, which was usually pretty full. There was also the Wainfleet that would go to Leicester and was always less full. First time I saw a baggies shirt was when I worked at a pub in town around 1990. Big fat lad called Beanie. First blues shirts I saw would’ve been early 2000’s after Nuneaton had gone downhill a bit (!).
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Kings Norton, Longbridge as a kid, Redditch through teens until 22 - then London (Croydon, Bermondsey). Redditch back in the 80's/90's was either Villa or assorted red shirts with the odd stripey, hardly any Blues at all really. Early 90's Blues emerged more but still outnumbered by the Villa fairly comfortably in my experience. I'd say after the Villa the next best supported were the usual assorted red shirted glory hunters unfortunately. Lived in a Palace area down the smoke so Palace or Chelsea mainly. Oz for 15 years and it's all utterly clueless Liverpool fans depressingly.
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From East London, lived in Chasetown in the mid seventies and then back to London after two years.
Now reside in Lincoln, just outside Christchurch in New Zealand.
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Yardley/AG in the 70s. Pretty mixed but I have a theory that the closer you lived to a number 11 bus stop, the more likely you were to be a Villa fan.
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Born and brought up in Shirley / Hall Green / Solihull.
Surrounded by them; but with a significant influence from the Elmdon Reds who used to drink the Solihull pubs I frequented. Reasonable Villa presence from Knowle / Dorridge (Ken Spires being one) and they would certainly see off both Bluenoses and Manure at local pubs and 'discos' (as they were called back in the 70's)
I found out about 15 years' ago that my father's family heralded from the Aston area. in the mid 1800's we apparently owned 3-4 pubs - one in Ladywood called "The Why Not"; another, "The Quinton Arms" - and my great-grandfather got married at Aston Church. A distant cousin of my father got to play for the Villa in the mid-to-late '50's - Billy Evans.
None this influenced my supportership of the club: that came from my best mate's dad bringing us to VP in 1967 to see Villa lose 4-2 to Everton sealing our relegation; didn't matter, I was hooked from the get-go.
At the other end of the spectrum, my son is a born-and-bred Yorkshire lad ... and is 100% Villa.
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Was it Pheasey the 33 went to back in the late 80s/early 90s? Seemed to be a 33 bus every other minute back then.
Yes, I was born and bred in Pheasey which was probably 80-90% Villa in the 80s and 90s. You’d get a few Albion over the other end of Great Barr, beyond the Scott Arms. There were a few Noses, especially in the Old Horns or Cat and Fiddle.
I’ve lived in Knowle for 12 years now where I’d say Villa outnumber Blues however there’s not a huge majority for any one team as you get a lot of people who have moved to the area from elsewhere, meaning I know Spurs, Aberdeen, Sheffield Wednesday fans etc plus the usual smatterings of glory hunters.
Solihull itself possibly has more Blues than Villa however if you’d seen the size of the queues at Solihull station when we’re at Wembley then you’d realise how well represented Villa are.
I see more Villa players in Knowle and Dorridge than Albion or Wolves fans.
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West Bromwich in the seventies/eighties was as you'd imagine, a hotbed of Stripey injustice, and growing up there could have given any right-thinking and fully-functioning human deep psychological scars. Luckily I was left with no feelings of bitterness or resentment.
There were no Wolves or Small Heath around and I got to know a handful of Villa in Tipton - no more than half a dozen of us would be waiting for the 74 after the match. Then by about 1994 we suddenly had a claret & blue explosion and you'd see as many Villa as that lot. It didn't last long but apparently there's still a few of us there now.
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Yardley/AG in the 70s. Pretty mixed but I have a theory that the closer you lived to a number 11 bus stop, the more likely you were to be a Villa fan.
Lived in Sheldon near the Coventry Road in the 1960s. Started going to alternate games at age 9 and my Mom wanted me to go to the dark side with the big boys over the road as it only involved one bus. My Dad had seen our 1957 cup run and told me we were, and always would be, the bigger club and the die was cast, mercifully. Consequently it was a bit of a walk up to the Swan in Yardley but then so many happy days on the outer circle route.
The lad I used to go with (r.i.p.) even bought me a model of the Number 11 for my 50th with the headboard proudly announcing Witton as its destination. So many great memories. And thank you, Dad!
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Was it Pheasey the 33 went to back in the late 80s/early 90s? Seemed to be a 33 bus every other minute back then.
Yes, they changed the 33 bus route around that time to include the Pheasey Estate. Prior to that the bus terminated on Finchley Rd, Kingstanding.
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Born London and lived various places, went to school in Slough where rugger was the thing. Lots of Chelsea, I was the only Villa.
Then St Andrews Scotland, met a nice chick, got married and spent some time in Anglesey, mainly populated by sheep and red Scouse. Never saw a blose or Stripy shirt until I was in my twenties.
VTID, SOTC, UTV.
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My Grandad was born in Lozells and my Dad is from Sutton Coldfield so I was never destined to support anyone else although it helped that my Dad worked for a club supplier from the late 60s to the early 80s. I grew up in Hollywood where Villa appeared to be the best supported single club with a spread of various glory hunters, as it was the eighties most notably Liverpool. Lots of these became dyed-in-wool Noses whenever they were getting promoted though. They were also the times when Blues fans were more noticeable although there never seemed to be that many of them.
After a few years in the Cheshire badlands where there were more Villa fans than I ever thought possible. I ended up in Olton which I expected to be bluenose central but the road I live on is 8-1 Villa. I only really noticed this on New Years Day a couple of years ago when we all left to go to the game accidentally simultaneously. When I lived about a mile away though a Barry Lose clone rented the house across the road.
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I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
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West Bromwich in the seventies/eighties was as you'd imagine, a hotbed of Stripey injustice, and growing up there could have given any right-thinking and fully-functioning human deep psychological scars. Luckily I was left with no feelings of bitterness or resentment.
There were no Wolves or Small Heath around and I got to know a handful of Villa in Tipton - no more than half a dozen of us would be waiting for the 74 after the match. Then by about 1994 we suddenly had a claret & blue explosion and you'd see as many Villa as that lot. It didn't last long but apparently there's still a few of us there now.
That 'explosion' in our Black Country support in about 1994 is exactly what I recall - I vividly remember travelling up to my parents' house from Bristol one day around that time (I think it was the day of a game v Sheffield Wednesday), seeing the number of Villa shirts being worn on the streets, and thinking 'blimey, what's been going on around here?'
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I actually think that's part of the problem, is that explosion means the Stripey Filth are sharing perceived strongholds "wiv them Seals".
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I actually think that's part of the problem, is that explosion means the Stripey Filth are sharing perceived strongholds "wiv them Seals".
They've always hated us, and they can't handle the fact that we're over there but they hardly register here.
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Born and raised in Doncaster. My family (including 4 older sisters) are from the Black Country, Warley/Oldbury to be exact. Apparently my dad's uncles were all Albion fans but my grandad was blessed with taste and a stubborn desire to be different.
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Grew up in Sheldon in 70s/80s and it was roughly half and half as was Acocks Green where I went to school. Supposed Blues strongholds.
I went to matches in 90s with friends from Perry Barr and Erdington and they said the Blues fans in their areas were miniscule
Moved away in 90s and came back 5 years ago or so and surprise was how many more Villa shirts you see (yes I know pet hate Mr Woodhall) than Blues in Castle Brom, Chelmsley Wood, Sheldon and Kingshurst
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Since it's just been mentioned, what's the origin of the seals thing?
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Lived around B29-30-31 most my life, 45+ years.
Always been majority Villa around these parts.
Northfield early 80s may have been slightly more blue but as a whole this part of Brum is Villa always has been
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I actually think that's part of the problem, is that explosion means the Stripey Filth are sharing perceived strongholds "wiv them Seals".
They've always hated us, and they can't handle the fact that we're over there but they hardly register here.
True enough. I remember reading that back in the 1890s they planned a train journey back after an FA Cup final to avoid going via Brum, so the trophy wouldn't go there, but ended up losing anyway. Bitterness appears to have always been in their DNA.
But I think this is a more modern reason they hate us, our tanks being well and truly parked on their lawn. I went to 6th Form in Stourbridge and found as many Villa as Albion, quite a few out Kingswinford way. Tae fair.
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Since it's just been mentioned, what's the origin of the seals thing?
Albion nickname for us, as we clap a lot, I guess? A nickname because we're supportive. As opposed to them that want their manager out every 3 games.
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It would be fascinating to read a similar thread on a Blues forum - and I am sure they must do this every so often as well - to see if they agree with the sentiments and how honest they would be, would you get people saying that places like Erdington or Kingstanding were actually Blue. Some of them must believe it if they think there are no Villa in the city. To the guy on that twitter who said no Villa in the city you wonder if it’s a case of sheer bloody minded ignorance that he actually believes or whether he’s ever actually ventured to areas of Brum (particularly north of the centre) other than his own Blues “hot bed”. I would definitely agree most of Castle Bromwich is Villa. Most Villa fans I meet on my travels down here usually seem to come from there.
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It would be fascinating to read a similar thread on a Blues forum - and I am sure they must do this every so often as well - to see if they agree with the sentiments and how honest they would be, would you get people saying that places like Erdington or Kingstanding were actually Blue. Some of them must believe it if they think there are no Villa in the city. To the guy on that twitter who said no Villa in the city you wonder if it’s a case of sheer bloody minded ignorance that he actually believes or whether he’s ever actually ventured to areas of Brum (particularly north of the centre) other than his own Blues “hot bed”. I would definitely agree most of Castle Bromwich is Villa. Most Villa fans I meet on my travels down here usually seem to come from there.
Here is what they would say
There are 20000 Villa fans who live in Brum and the rest don't.
There are a million Blues fans who live in Brum which is why the city is named after us.
We hate the Vile
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It would be fascinating to read a similar thread on a Blues forum - and I am sure they must do this every so often as well - to see if they agree with the sentiments and how honest they would be, would you get people saying that places like Erdington or Kingstanding were actually Blue. Some of them must believe it if they think there are no Villa in the city. To the guy on that twitter who said no Villa in the city you wonder if it’s a case of sheer bloody minded ignorance that he actually believes or whether he’s ever actually ventured to areas of Brum (particularly north of the centre) other than his own Blues “hot bed”. I would definitely agree most of Castle Bromwich is Villa. Most Villa fans I meet on my travels down here usually seem to come from there.
Here is what they would say
There are 20000 Villa fans who live in Brum and the rest don't.
There are a million Blues fans who live in Brum which is why the city is named after us.
We hate the Vile
The Meaning Evil doing it's favourite shit stirring best printed a headline a few years ago which ranted "It's official! Survey shows that Birmingham is 70% Blue 30% Claret & Blue" I think it was in the lead up to their cup final v Arsenal. Anyone who knows the City and has at last 2 brain cells to knock together would know what utter bollocks that is but the rabid vile hating element (about 99% of them)* quoted it as a fact for a long time afterwards and I'm still having to educate some the more mentally challenged among them to this day.
*fact checked by asking a few mates down the pub
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My Mom was born in Aston within sight of Villa Park. She was one of 7 kids and said they used to get in for free at half time. My Nan on that side was staunch Villa.
My Dad was born in a back to back within sight of the sty. My Nan used to tell stories of making rope during the war and hanging it out to dry on their terraces. Thankfully, neither of them were into football. My Granddad's family go back generations in Smethwick. He was a stripey but also a lovely bloke. They were living with my Great Nan and my uncle in that house when my Granddad won the pools. He used the winnings to buy a house in Hodge Hill, a 4 man tent and a Hillman Hunter estate that he had until he died in the 90's.
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It would be fascinating to read a similar thread on a Blues forum - and I am sure they must do this every so often as well - to see if they agree with the sentiments and how honest they would be, would you get people saying that places like Erdington or Kingstanding were actually Blue. Some of them must believe it if they think there are no Villa in the city. To the guy on that twitter who said no Villa in the city you wonder if it’s a case of sheer bloody minded ignorance that he actually believes or whether he’s ever actually ventured to areas of Brum (particularly north of the centre) other than his own Blues “hot bed”. I would definitely agree most of Castle Bromwich is Villa. Most Villa fans I meet on my travels down here usually seem to come from there.
Here is what they would say
There are 20000 Villa fans who live in Brum and the rest don't.
There are a million Blues fans who live in Brum which is why the city is named after us.
We hate the Vile
The Meaning Evil doing it's favourite shit stirring best printed a headline a few years ago which ranted "It's official! Survey shows that Birmingham is 70% Blue 30% Claret & Blue" I think it was in the lead up to their cup final v Arsenal. Anyone who knows the City and has at last 2 brain cells to knock together would know what utter bollocks that is but the rabid vile hating element (about 99% of them)* quoted it as a fact for a long time afterwards and I'm still having to educate some the more mentally challenged among them to this day.
*fact checked by asking a few mates down the pub
What did they base that on?
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It would be fascinating to read a similar thread on a Blues forum - and I am sure they must do this every so often as well - to see if they agree with the sentiments and how honest they would be, would you get people saying that places like Erdington or Kingstanding were actually Blue. Some of them must believe it if they think there are no Villa in the city. To the guy on that twitter who said no Villa in the city you wonder if it’s a case of sheer bloody minded ignorance that he actually believes or whether he’s ever actually ventured to areas of Brum (particularly north of the centre) other than his own Blues “hot bed”. I would definitely agree most of Castle Bromwich is Villa. Most Villa fans I meet on my travels down here usually seem to come from there.
Here is what they would say
There are 20000 Villa fans who live in Brum and the rest don't.
There are a million Blues fans who live in Brum which is why the city is named after us.
We hate the Vile
The Meaning Evil doing it's favourite shit stirring best printed a headline a few years ago which ranted "It's official! Survey shows that Birmingham is 70% Blue 30% Claret & Blue" I think it was in the lead up to their cup final v Arsenal. Anyone who knows the City and has at last 2 brain cells to knock together would know what utter bollocks that is but the rabid vile hating element (about 99% of them)* quoted it as a fact for a long time afterwards and I'm still having to educate some the more mentally challenged among them to this day.
*fact checked by asking a few mates down the pub
What did they base that on?
Nothing.
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It would be fascinating to read a similar thread on a Blues forum - and I am sure they must do this every so often as well - to see if they agree with the sentiments and how honest they would be, would you get people saying that places like Erdington or Kingstanding were actually Blue. Some of them must believe it if they think there are no Villa in the city. To the guy on that twitter who said no Villa in the city you wonder if it’s a case of sheer bloody minded ignorance that he actually believes or whether he’s ever actually ventured to areas of Brum (particularly north of the centre) other than his own Blues “hot bed”. I would definitely agree most of Castle Bromwich is Villa. Most Villa fans I meet on my travels down here usually seem to come from there.
Here is what they would say
There are 20000 Villa fans who live in Brum and the rest don't.
There are a million Blues fans who live in Brum which is why the city is named after us.
We hate the Vile
The Meaning Evil doing it's favourite shit stirring best printed a headline a few years ago which ranted "It's official! Survey shows that Birmingham is 70% Blue 30% Claret & Blue" I think it was in the lead up to their cup final v Arsenal. Anyone who knows the City and has at last 2 brain cells to knock together would know what utter bollocks that is but the rabid vile hating element (about 99% of them)* quoted it as a fact for a long time afterwards and I'm still having to educate some the more mentally challenged among them to this day.
*fact checked by asking a few mates down the pub
What did they base that on?
It was the result of a survey of the ten staff in their club shop.
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I actually think that's part of the problem, is that explosion means the Stripey Filth are sharing perceived strongholds "wiv them Seals".
They've always hated us, and they can't handle the fact that we're over there but they hardly register here.
True enough. I remember reading that back in the 1890s they planned a train journey back after an FA Cup final to avoid going via Brum, so the trophy wouldn't go there, but ended up losing anyway. Bitterness appears to have always been in their DNA.
But I think this is a more modern reason they hate us, our tanks being well and truly parked on their lawn. I went to 6th Form in Stourbridge and found as many Villa as Albion, quite a few out Kingswinford way. Tae fair.
The thing about the train and the FA Cup was their plan after the 1887 final when they planned to take it back via Worcester to avoid going through Birmingham. The flaw for them was their superiors rendered their plan completely unnecessary. Mr Woodhall will be able to explain more fully.
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Lived in Edgbaston from 0-11. Northfield from 11-21 and for the last 30 years Rubery. Went to Shenley Court Comprehensive 80-85 and probably due to our League and European Cup successes it was full of Villa. Worked at the Austin 1990-2005 had a good mix of fans from all the Midlands clubs with mainly good banter. Plenty of Villa fans in Rubery whatever the noses might think.
I too was also at Shenley 80-85
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I actually think that's part of the problem, is that explosion means the Stripey Filth are sharing perceived strongholds "wiv them Seals".
They've always hated us, and they can't handle the fact that we're over there but they hardly register here.
True enough. I remember reading that back in the 1890s they planned a train journey back after an FA Cup final to avoid going via Brum, so the trophy wouldn't go there, but ended up losing anyway. Bitterness appears to have always been in their DNA.
But I think this is a more modern reason they hate us, our tanks being well and truly parked on their lawn. I went to 6th Form in Stourbridge and found as many Villa as Albion, quite a few out Kingswinford way. Tae fair.
The thing about the train and the FA Cup was their plan after the 1887 final when they planned to take it back via Worcester to avoid going through Birmingham. The flaw for them was their superiors rendered their plan completely unnecessary. Mr Woodhall will be able to explain more fully.
Was he there?
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I actually think that's part of the problem, is that explosion means the Stripey Filth are sharing perceived strongholds "wiv them Seals".
They've always hated us, and they can't handle the fact that we're over there but they hardly register here.
True enough. I remember reading that back in the 1890s they planned a train journey back after an FA Cup final to avoid going via Brum, so the trophy wouldn't go there, but ended up losing anyway. Bitterness appears to have always been in their DNA.
But I think this is a more modern reason they hate us, our tanks being well and truly parked on their lawn. I went to 6th Form in Stourbridge and found as many Villa as Albion, quite a few out Kingswinford way. Tae fair.
The thing about the train and the FA Cup was their plan after the 1887 final when they planned to take it back via Worcester to avoid going through Birmingham. The flaw for them was their superiors rendered their plan completely unnecessary. Mr Woodhall will be able to explain more fully.
That's about right. From then until the sixties they were it big rivals, then due to a lot of factors they began to disappear off our radar.
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I was at school in Castle Brom and it was a pretty even split between us, even the Chemlsley teams I played for were 50/50.
Since moving to Sutton Villa dominate but there are a lot more Albion fans here than SHA, most of whom seem to originate from Great Barr and Hampstead, hardly any Blues.
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I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
That's my view as well.
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It would be fascinating to read a similar thread on a Blues forum - and I am sure they must do this every so often as well - to see if they agree with the sentiments and how honest they would be, would you get people saying that places like Erdington or Kingstanding were actually Blue. Some of them must believe it if they think there are no Villa in the city. To the guy on that twitter who said no Villa in the city you wonder if it’s a case of sheer bloody minded ignorance that he actually believes or whether he’s ever actually ventured to areas of Brum (particularly north of the centre) other than his own Blues “hot bed”. I would definitely agree most of Castle Bromwich is Villa. Most Villa fans I meet on my travels down here usually seem to come from there.
Here is what they would say
There are 20000 Villa fans who live in Brum and the rest don't.
There are a million Blues fans who live in Brum which is why the city is named after us.
We hate the Vile
The Meaning Evil doing it's favourite shit stirring best printed a headline a few years ago which ranted "It's official! Survey shows that Birmingham is 70% Blue 30% Claret & Blue" I think it was in the lead up to their cup final v Arsenal. Anyone who knows the City and has at last 2 brain cells to knock together would know what utter bollocks that is but the rabid vile hating element (about 99% of them)* quoted it as a fact for a long time afterwards and I'm still having to educate some the more mentally challenged among them to this day.
*fact checked by asking a few mates down the pub
What did they base that on?
It was the result of a survey of the ten staff in their club shop.
I remember they did a 'best midfield enforcer' and best various other votes when there were several midlands clubs in the PL. Since, fans were always going to vote for their own player even if the opposition had Messi, Ronaldo and Stanley Matthews in the team, the fact that Villa won them all by a crushing majority was as indicative of the relative levels of support for the teams as that Gavin McCann was a midfield legend.
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Mom was born in Aston and moved to Great Barr when she was 6. Dad was born in Nottinghamshire but moved to Great Barr as a baby. I've lived in Great Barr (Pheasey) for most of my life, apart from 6 months in New Zealand and 7 years in Kingstanding.
My Grandma lived on Aldridge Rd right opposite Pheasey. Think it was the 33 bus when I was little. And the 997.
Yes both still run to or through Pheasey
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Grew up in Kingstanding and Erdington in the 80s.
Nearly everyone was a Villa fan or a gloryhunter. There was the odd (very odd) Albion fan, but never knew an admitted Bluenose during my entire schoolage years.
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Belfast born & bred. Uncle & Aunt lived in Erdington, visits at Christmas, Villa park over the festive season; the rest is history.
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Born in small heath pretty much all blues as you would expect, moved to bordesley green when I was twelve,a lot more Villa there than you would imagine.
Now in West of Scotland and have met a fair few Villa and one baggie, some fans of the local team Greenock Morton , run a coach to Villa Park on occasion
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Having live in Knowle and Solihull I would state that the large proportion of Birmingham 'supporters' there have little to no interest in their own club or even football but just hate the Villa with every fibre of their pathetic being. Villa is the first result they look for, the first story they read in the paper, the only reason why they participate in radio phone ins, why they hang on for the last game on Match of the Day like its a cup final; Villa is the first club they teach their kids to sing about, a Villa loss is their Christmas, birthday and New Years Eve wrapped into one - their encyclopedic knowledge of our football club knows no bounds. They obsess and fret and worry and seethe about our existence but could not live if we weren't there.
Simple as that; without us, they are nothing.
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I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
This isn't meant to be facetious, but has there ever been a time they were well run?
Earliest memories are of the song about a circus in the town Terry Cooper being the clown etc. Seems they were owned by the Kumars(?) Scrap metal bods? Songs about Altrincham and Kiddie beating them in the cup.
They apoear, at least on the face of it, to have been the biggest and longest running farce in English football.
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Newcastle run them close. They're like a Small Heath with table manners.
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I have a friend who is from Birmingham and supports Chelsea. He hates Villa with a passion, because his dad is a Blues fan. How sad is that? Influenced by his dad to hate the Villa, but not enough to support the Blues.
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I reckon in their history they had one chance to really kick on and it was those few years early-mid 70s when they were actually well supported, 4th highest average in the country one year, and had a few decent players. In true sha fashion they bollocksed it up and the support vanished as quickly it appeared.
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Having live in Knowle and Solihull I would state that the large proportion of Birmingham 'supporters' there have little to no interest in their own club or even football but just hate the Villa with every fibre of their pathetic being. Villa is the first result they look for, the first story they read in the paper, the only reason why they participate in radio phone ins, why they hang on for the last game on Match of the Day like its a cup final; Villa is the first club they teach their kids to sing about, a Villa loss is their Christmas, birthday and New Years Eve wrapped into one - their encyclopedic knowledge of our football club knows no bounds. They obsess and fret and worry and seethe about our existence but could not live if we weren't there.
Simple as that; without us, they are nothing.
Indeed - say what you like about the Bitters and the Dogheads, both have their own history of success, the Rags have Nothing. Nothing of their own - just a life long permanent hatred of Villa and a hollow boast about having the name of the City (which wasn't a city when they were originally formed).
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I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
This isn't meant to be facetious, but has there ever been a time they were well run?
Earliest memories are of the song about a circus in the town Terry Cooper being the clown etc. Seems they were owned by the Kumars(?) Scrap metal bods? Songs about Altrincham and Kiddie beating them in the cup.
They apoear, at least on the face of it, to have been the biggest and longest running farce in English football.
I think the Kumars were in the rag trade aptly enough, they owned the Mark-One brand. It was Ken Wheldon who was the tat man.
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I have a friend who is from Birmingham and supports Chelsea. He hates Villa with a passion, because his dad is a Blues fan. How sad is that? Influenced by his dad to hate the Villa, but not enough to support the Blues.
That's far from unusual, most fans of non-local teams are noses who dont have the stomach for the endless, pitiless monotony of failure.
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I have a friend who is from Birmingham and supports Chelsea. He hates Villa with a passion, because his dad is a Blues fan. How sad is that? Influenced by his dad to hate the Villa, but not enough to support the Blues.
That’s definitely not an isolated case either. They tend to normally be Man U fans from my experience though. The lowest of the low in football supporting terms IMO.
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Yardley/AG in the 70s. Pretty mixed but I have a theory that the closer you lived to a number 11 bus stop, the more likely you were to be a Villa fan.
Tony Robinson is looking at a new TV series Around the World by Bus. He'll cover half of it on the No 11 outercircle.
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I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
This isn't meant to be facetious, but has there ever been a time they were well run?
Earliest memories are of the song about a circus in the town Terry Cooper being the clown etc. Seems they were owned by the Kumars(?) Scrap metal bods? Songs about Altrincham and Kiddie beating them in the cup.
They apoear, at least on the face of it, to have been the biggest and longest running farce in English football.
I think the Kumars were in the rag trade aptly enough, they owned the Mark-One brand. It was Ken Wheldon who was the tat man.
I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
This isn't meant to be facetious, but has there ever been a time they were well run?
Earliest memories are of the song about a circus in the town Terry Cooper being the clown etc. Seems they were owned by the Kumars(?) Scrap metal bods? Songs about Altrincham and Kiddie beating them in the cup.
They apoear, at least on the face of it, to have been the biggest and longest running farce in English football.
Around the time when Francis came through in the 70s they were doing well at a time we were really struggling. I remember their car stickers saying “Members of the First Division” obviously to emphasise the point that we weren’t.
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Hamstead Int the 80s as a kid ( which growing up was 60/40 Villa to Stripey filth) then more Streetly as an adult - defo all Villa!
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I have a friend who is from Birmingham and supports Chelsea. He hates Villa with a passion, because his dad is a Blues fan. How sad is that? Influenced by his dad to hate the Villa, but not enough to support the Blues.
That’s definitely not an isolated case either. They tend to normally be Man U fans from my experience though. The lowest of the low in football supporting terms IMO.
There’s loads of those types in Brum, I used to work with a Brummie Everton fan who was from a Blues family so hated Villa. Come to think of it, I’ve just remembered a Liverpool version too.
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I find the easiest way to silence a Nose giving it the “all Villa fans are from outside Birmingham” horseshit is to say ok then, you’ve got a City with a population of 1m+ yet only average 20k home crowds. Blackburn for example average a similar home crowd from a population of 100,000. Therefore, as a percentage of population you must be one of the worst supported clubs in the world and can only dream of having support as large as Blackburn’s.
Usually met by silence and a blank, open mouthed stare.
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I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
This isn't meant to be facetious, but has there ever been a time they were well run?
Earliest memories are of the song about a circus in the town Terry Cooper being the clown etc. Seems they were owned by the Kumars(?) Scrap metal bods? Songs about Altrincham and Kiddie beating them in the cup.
They apoear, at least on the face of it, to have been the biggest and longest running farce in English football.
I think the Kumars were in the rag trade aptly enough, they owned the Mark-One brand. It was Ken Wheldon who was the tat man.
I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
This isn't meant to be facetious, but has there ever been a time they were well run?
Earliest memories are of the song about a circus in the town Terry Cooper being the clown etc. Seems they were owned by the Kumars(?) Scrap metal bods? Songs about Altrincham and Kiddie beating them in the cup.
They apoear, at least on the face of it, to have been the biggest and longest running farce in English football.
Around the time when Francis came through in the 70s they were doing well at a time we were really struggling. I remember their car stickers saying “Members of the First Division” obviously to emphasise the point that we weren’t.
And their boast was always that at least they had never been in the third division. Which then went the same way as our we've won the FA Cup the most times
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I have a friend who is from Birmingham and supports Chelsea. He hates Villa with a passion, because his dad is a Blues fan. How sad is that? Influenced by his dad to hate the Villa, but not enough to support the Blues.
Have known plenty like that. Usually Man U or Liverpool rather than Chelsea, admittedly. Combining the saddest elements of Nosery with glory hunting twatdom.
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I’ve found all fans of none Midland clubs who reside in Brum have exactly the same attitude towards us.
I know a cretinous Watford fan ( from Watford ) who lives in Brum and for years has stated he hates us but doesn’t know why - I do, and I have to say I get a buzz from his hatred!
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I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
This isn't meant to be facetious, but has there ever been a time they were well run?
Earliest memories are of the song about a circus in the town Terry Cooper being the clown etc. Seems they were owned by the Kumars(?) Scrap metal bods? Songs about Altrincham and Kiddie beating them in the cup.
They apoear, at least on the face of it, to have been the biggest and longest running farce in English football.
I think the Kumars were in the rag trade aptly enough, they owned the Mark-One brand. It was Ken Wheldon who was the tat man.
I think what this thread shows is that if you go back thirty years the demarcation between support in various areas of Brum was much clearer but increased social mobility has eroded that to a large extent. I also think the long running and ongoing mismanagement at Blues has seen a decline in their fan base overall.
This isn't meant to be facetious, but has there ever been a time they were well run?
Earliest memories are of the song about a circus in the town Terry Cooper being the clown etc. Seems they were owned by the Kumars(?) Scrap metal bods? Songs about Altrincham and Kiddie beating them in the cup.
They apoear, at least on the face of it, to have been the biggest and longest running farce in English football.
Around the time when Francis came through in the 70s they were doing well at a time we were really struggling. I remember their car stickers saying “Members of the First Division” obviously to emphasise the point that we weren’t.
My Dad refused to let me pick a local team, said I should support them all. So I do have memories of watching Francis, Latchford, Hateley and I think that’s probably the one time they were pretty good. Also got to see Astle and that pretty good West Brom team. He never took me to Wolves, probably couldn’t be arsed driving that far. He was fading away over the play offs last season. Me and my sister were following the semi final on our mobiles and she asked him who he wanted to win (bearing in mind the two of them had been season ticket holders in the Holte for years and his answer was... it doesn’t matter, they’re both West Midlands teams. I gave up the chance to be at the semi to nurse him the ingrate.
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Grew up in Balsall Common, CV postcode, but sort of in between Solihull and Coventry (closer to Cov, mind). The vast majority of football supporters are Villa fans in Balsall, then Cov, then blues, although there was one weird family there that supported Albion that never seemed to venture outside of their house.
I went to Heart of England school and as the catchment area was so wide, we would have kids from Marston Green (Brum side) and Eastern Green (Cov side), so I knew a fair few noses back then and some Cov fans were my best mates. As it was the 90's though, Villa were utterly dominant and it was fairly easy pickings. The 94 league cup final was a particular highlight. I don't remember any Man U fans around apart from a couple of girls that had posters of Ryan Giggs in their art folders because they fancied him.
I moved to Leamington Spa when I was 22 and that place is a major Villa stronghold, as is Warwick. I think the Warwick and Leam lions are still the biggest Villa supporters club around, too; they run coaches to every home and away game, as far as I know. Went to Uni in Cov and copped a bit of banter from random locals for wearing my Villa scarf, but would would have a go back and usually got on (I never went to the Tudor Rose though). Having said that, I was told to leave the old Yates's on the High St in Cov because wearing a Villa shirt on a Saturday evening when Cov had just lost at Highfield Road was asking for trouble.
For my sins, I married a lady from Stourbridge (who is a Villa fan - Jane of this parish) and we lived there for about three years. Having not met pretty much any Albion fans before in my life (and I was 33 by this point), they appeared to hate us a lot more than blues fans do which has really stuck in my mind, especially over the 'Support Stan' stuff. Bellends.
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Lived in Edgbaston from 0-11. Northfield from 11-21 and for the last 30 years Rubery. Went to Shenley Court Comprehensive 80-85 and probably due to our League and European Cup successes it was full of Villa. Worked at the Austin 1990-2005 had a good mix of fans from all the Midlands clubs with mainly good banter. Plenty of Villa fans in Rubery whatever the noses might think.
I too was also at Shenley 80-85
Early 1980's I lived a short while with my grandparents in Weoley Castle before moving to Bournville...I was at Kings Norton Boys school and had to get off the bus at Northfield and catch another down Shenley Lane - getting off outside Shenley school each day dressed in my Kngs uniform - I got legged or battered most days - even by the girls !!!
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When I lived in Selly Oak between 1991 and 1994 while at university, it was mainly full of students, but the local shirts you did see were all Villa. Apart from when Man U won their first title in 20 odd years then the scum sucking Brummie Reds seemed to fill every single pub to the rafters.
The bit of Northants I've just moved from had a strong Villa contingent. When I got the train from Kettering to London for the play off final last year the station was absolutely heaving with Villa fans. Obviously the biggest team in Northants is Northampton Town who have been division 4 for most of the last however many years. Leicester would be the closest Premier League team to them, but there's quite a big rivalry between the two counties, so they're out.
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What about South Wales way? Used to park near the Manor Tavern for years and there was always a coach or two from Wales parked on there.
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We lived in Winson Green when I was born, and then shuffled out to Chasetown via Aston for a few years, then Newtown. The next spell was Great Barr - another one from Pheasey, and I consider that is where I was brought up as it was my formative years from 10-18, and my longest spell in one place.
Back in the 70s and 80s Great Barr had Villa as the largest fan base, with Albion second. Blues a distant third, though a good minority came out of the woodwork in the early 80s from 2-3 school years below me, plus plastics of various shades of red. My cousins were by the Scott Arms / Hamsted and that seemed to be evenly split between Villa and Albion. One of my schools was in Aldridge and there were a good number of Wolves and Albion fans there, with the Villa fans being largely represented by us Pheasey boys. A smattering of Leeds fans too, as they were big in the early 70s.
Other family were in Kingstanding and Perry Barr and they seemed purely Villa. All this is ancient history so things may have changed.
I was in Cannock for the lockdown and Wolves shirts easily the majority, followed by Villa and then seemingly Liverpool and Albion.
You were born in prison? Blimey! Remind me never to fall out with you.
Fear not, as those on here who know me can testify, I’m a foppish member of the metropolitan elite now. Those early years running the gummy bears racket on D wing set me up for life.
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Just remembered, and I've posted about this before on here, but when I was at uni in Cov I lived in Earlsdon. Down the Albany Road was a small sports shop and one day I saw in their window the home and away Villa tops from 1995/96 - the AST Computer tops. This was in 2011/12. They were on display, stretched out, for weeks. I wish I could have afforded to buy them!
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I'm from Lichfield and was 10 in 1980 - prob 75% supported Villa at school. Rest mainy followed their Dad's team. Only knew two Blues fans at school. Moved to London when I was 18 and was surrouned by Liverpool/Man Utd fans.
Moved back up here about 10 ish years ago - live in Balsall Common which is majority Villa then Cov and Blues.
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Just remembered, and I've posted about this before on here, but when I was at uni in Cov I lived in Earlsdon. Down the Albany Road was a small sports shop and one day I saw in their window the home and away Villa tops from 1995/96 - the AST Computer tops. This was in 2011/12. They were on display, stretched out, for weeks. I wish I could have afforded to buy them!
I live just round the corner from there. The sports shop has gone unfortunately but I am surprised that one of the slack jawed locals didn't put the window in.
I occasionally see the claret and blue been worn by kids playing footie down the park and yell out 'c'mon the Villa' when I'm passing. Frightens the life out of them.
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‘My Dads family are all B’lose so I hate Villa’ has been a conversation stopper for many decades when talking to first Liverpool, then Man U, Chelsea and now City fans. Even if these people are still known to me I have no need to ever discuss footy with them. Although every four years I may go with the old ‘your dad’s an England fan so you support Germany or Brazil I take it?’ Always good for a reminder of their glory hunting status. Some actually do as well!
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Born in Edgbaston, raised in Smethwick now in Four Oaks. At school there were quite a few Villa, one Wolves fan and one Blues fan. The rest were either ManYew plastics or claimed to be Albion, but a lot of them never went to games. Rough guess of those who expressed any allegiance I'd say about 25% were Villa, 30% plastics, and the rest boggies. But quite a high proportion didn't seem that interested. Sutton seems to be about 95% Villa.
When living away from Brum I encountered more noses than stripeys or wolves fans. Most were ok but one of them, who was from Sutton, was the biggest nastiest tosser you could wish to meet.
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‘My Dads family are all B’lose so I hate Villa’ has been a conversation stopper for many decades when talking to first Liverpool, then Man U, Chelsea and now City fans. Even if these people are still known to me I have no need to ever discuss footy with them. Although every four years I may go with the old ‘your dad’s an England fan so you support Germany or Brazil I take it?’ Always good for a reminder of their glory hunting status. Some actually do as well!
I love that argument. Been using it for decades.
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In my experience the majority of Brummie Red Man Utd fans are of Small Heath origin and moved to Utd because Blues were so bad. Hence the needle between Villa fans and Brummie Reds (at least in the late 80s and early 90s).
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My dad's family are all blose, and I don't hate the Villa*. It's not obligatory, the weak-willed excuse-making nauseating twats.
*not 100% true 100% of the time.
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In my experience the majority of Brummie Red Man Utd fans are of Small Heath origin and moved to Utd because Blues were so bad. Hence the needle between Villa fans and Brummie Reds (at least in the late 80s and early 90s).
Correct. An even sadder and more pathetic bunch one could never meet.
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‘My Dads family are all B’lose so I hate Villa’ has been a conversation stopper for many decades when talking to first Liverpool, then Man U, Chelsea and now City fans. Even if these people are still known to me I have no need to ever discuss footy with them. Although every four years I may go with the old ‘your dad’s an England fan so you support Germany or Brazil I take it?’ Always good for a reminder of their glory hunting status. Some actually do as well!
The only time I've ever been involved in a fight over football was after the England/Brazil game at the 2002 World Cup. I don't follow international football now, but I was a kid back then and was disgusted when walking into school to see the number of lads - all glory hunting plastic twats when it came to domestic football - wearing Brazil shirts, draped in Brazil flags, you name it. A lot of them had spent the previous three years wearing France gear.
We all watched the match in our form room and there was some fierce stick towards us outnumbered lads supporting England, and it all got nasty after Brazil's second and towards FT.
I'm still dismayed by it, to be honest, but it opened my eyes to the psyche of plastics. The lack of loyalty and the extent to which their self-worth is dependent upon the continuing success of a side they have chosen purely on the basis of them being successful. It must be a meaningless, grim and empty existence.
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The Russon roadshow has hit the following towns and cities since inception, fifty years now -
Streetly,Sutton,Aberdeen,Stonehaven,Walsall,Perry Barr,Erdington,Halesowen,Tamworth,Aldridge,Auchenblae,Laurencekirk and now Stonehaven again. I’ve moved 31 times in my life, Villa on tour and no mistake!
I’m often impressed by the number of Villains from Gloucestershire/Forest of Dean kind of area. Ok so we’re the closest big club but they could have plumped for others.
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I'm from Walsall originally and I was christened in West Heath.
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I'm from Redditch and lived here all my life. I would say the blues quota is pushed up here due to the influx of families from South Birmingham in the 70's, as my parents did, but I'd say there is more Villa overall. It's just bloody annoying that my local (The Oast House) is the home of the Redditch branch of the blues supporters club.
Not many albion or wolves and far too many Liverpool and Man U.
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Inspired by the off topic conversation about random Birmingham places, I must confess I find the geography of God's own back garden pretty intriguing. I've been to random islands in Thailand but was in my 30s before I'd heard of Stockland Green.
So I'm penning this thread with a bit of a census in mind to find out what is "ours". Where are you from in Brum or the West Mids, where have you lived and whats the anecdotal split of Villa?
I'll start with Halesowen. Parents live up Lapal way. I'd say Halesowen is a pretty even split between Villa and Albion, with more Stripey Filth towards Cradley.
Quinton I'd say was largely Villa, but with a Nose problem. 60/40 Villa I'd say. Can only remember 2 from Primary School.
There was a bar on Koh Samui that was owned by a Villa fan - you weren’t allowed in if you were a nose.
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Inspired by the off topic conversation about random Birmingham places, I must confess I find the geography of God's own back garden pretty intriguing. I've been to random islands in Thailand but was in my 30s before I'd heard of Stockland Green.
So I'm penning this thread with a bit of a census in mind to find out what is "ours". Where are you from in Brum or the West Mids, where have you lived and whats the anecdotal split of Villa?
I'll start with Halesowen. Parents live up Lapal way. I'd say Halesowen is a pretty even split between Villa and Albion, with more Stripey Filth towards Cradley.
Quinton I'd say was largely Villa, but with a Nose problem. 60/40 Villa I'd say. Can only remember 2 from Primary School.
There was a bar on Koh Samui that was owned by a Villa fan - you weren’t allowed in if you were a nose.
Do you know who owned it?
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Ronnie Pickering?
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Sorry, couldn't resist.
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Inspired by the off topic conversation about random Birmingham places, I must confess I find the geography of God's own back garden pretty intriguing. I've been to random islands in Thailand but was in my 30s before I'd heard of Stockland Green.
So I'm penning this thread with a bit of a census in mind to find out what is "ours". Where are you from in Brum or the West Mids, where have you lived and whats the anecdotal split of Villa?
I'll start with Halesowen. Parents live up Lapal way. I'd say Halesowen is a pretty even split between Villa and Albion, with more Stripey Filth towards Cradley.
Quinton I'd say was largely Villa, but with a Nose problem. 60/40 Villa I'd say. Can only remember 2 from Primary School.
There was a bar on Koh Samui that was owned by a Villa fan - you weren’t allowed in if you were a nose.
On Chaweng Road? Where abouts? Soi Green Mango area?
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Inspired by the off topic conversation about random Birmingham places, I must confess I find the geography of God's own back garden pretty intriguing. I've been to random islands in Thailand but was in my 30s before I'd heard of Stockland Green.
So I'm penning this thread with a bit of a census in mind to find out what is "ours". Where are you from in Brum or the West Mids, where have you lived and whats the anecdotal split of Villa?
I'll start with Halesowen. Parents live up Lapal way. I'd say Halesowen is a pretty even split between Villa and Albion, with more Stripey Filth towards Cradley.
Quinton I'd say was largely Villa, but with a Nose problem. 60/40 Villa I'd say. Can only remember 2 from Primary School.
There was a bar on Koh Samui that was owned by a Villa fan - you weren’t allowed in if you were a nose.
Do you know who owned it?
Never got his name. The bar called Fawlty Towers on Chaweng Beach. Near the Green Mango club. He had lists of rules on the walls that mostly ended with “unless you are a bluenose”. I think he was responsible for making most of the island Villa fans.
I also stumbled on another bar owned by a mad Villa fan on the Cook Islands. We were told there was a bar about mile inland up in the jungle. A group of us found it. Totally surreal. We came across what we thought was empty bar with music playing only to find that there was about a dozen locals so pissed they had fallen asleep been the benches. The music was from a gramaphone and then out popped Mr Villa. He got us utterly shitfaced on the Christmas Beer. God knows how we made back down the hill. It had become pitch black and you could barely make out your feet.
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Inspired by the off topic conversation about random Birmingham places, I must confess I find the geography of God's own back garden pretty intriguing. I've been to random islands in Thailand but was in my 30s before I'd heard of Stockland Green.
So I'm penning this thread with a bit of a census in mind to find out what is "ours". Where are you from in Brum or the West Mids, where have you lived and whats the anecdotal split of Villa?
I'll start with Halesowen. Parents live up Lapal way. I'd say Halesowen is a pretty even split between Villa and Albion, with more Stripey Filth towards Cradley.
Quinton I'd say was largely Villa, but with a Nose problem. 60/40 Villa I'd say. Can only remember 2 from Primary School.
There was a bar on Koh Samui that was owned by a Villa fan - you weren’t allowed in if you were a nose.
Do you know who owned it?
Never got his name. The bar called Fawlty Towers on Chaweng Beach. Near the Green Mango club. He had lists of rules on the walls that mostly ended with “unless you are a bluenose”. I think he was responsible for making most of the island Villa fans.
I also stumbled on another bar owned by a mad Villa fan on the Cook Islands. We were told there was a bar about mile inland up in the jungle. A group of us found it. Totally surreal. We came across what we thought was empty bar with music playing only to find that there was about a dozen locals so pissed they had fallen asleep been the benches. The music was from a gramaphone and then out popped Mr Villa. He got us utterly shitfaced on the Christmas Beer. God knows how we made back down the hill.
Was he as broad as he was tall, perfectly friendly and leaving you in no doubt that misbehaviour would likely prove fatal?
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Inspired by the off topic conversation about random Birmingham places, I must confess I find the geography of God's own back garden pretty intriguing. I've been to random islands in Thailand but was in my 30s before I'd heard of Stockland Green.
So I'm penning this thread with a bit of a census in mind to find out what is "ours". Where are you from in Brum or the West Mids, where have you lived and whats the anecdotal split of Villa?
I'll start with Halesowen. Parents live up Lapal way. I'd say Halesowen is a pretty even split between Villa and Albion, with more Stripey Filth towards Cradley.
Quinton I'd say was largely Villa, but with a Nose problem. 60/40 Villa I'd say. Can only remember 2 from Primary School.
There was a bar on Koh Samui that was owned by a Villa fan - you weren’t allowed in if you were a nose.
Do you know who owned it?
Never got his name. The bar called Fawlty Towers on Chaweng Beach. Near the Green Mango club. He had lists of rules on the walls that mostly ended with “unless you are a bluenose”. I think he was responsible for making most of the island Villa fans.
I also stumbled on another bar owned by a mad Villa fan on the Cook Islands. We were told there was a bar about mile inland up in the jungle. A group of us found it. Totally surreal. We came across what we thought was empty bar with music playing only to find that there was about a dozen locals so pissed they had fallen asleep been the benches. The music was from a gramaphone and then out popped Mr Villa. He got us utterly shitfaced on the Christmas Beer. God knows how we made back down the hill.
Was he as broad as he was tall, perfectly friendly and leaving you in no doubt that misbehaviour would likely prove fatal?
He was a big chap. Seemed very at ease with his standing in the community. He organised a football match with the backpackers. England v The Rest of The World. We won.
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What years we talking?
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I was there 94 and 99.
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I was born in Worcester. Dad is from Alum Rock from a family of Villa fans, mum from Stourbridge. Mum and her sister married Villa fans. The rest of them were wolves, not that I ever knew that. Most kids at school were united or Liverpool (1980s). There were a couple of baggies in sixth form, and Stan Cullis's grandson - predictably he wore Wolves tracksuit, shirt pretty much all the time.
I now live in South London. My daughter is not the only Villa fan in her class (of mostly Spurs and Palace fans).
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I know this is about Brum and the midlands, but I’ve been down in Exmouth this week. Wore my 1990 Umbro replica on Tuesday as we walked the coastal path to Budleigh Salterton, and was deluged with ‘Up the Villa’s’ all day and even a ‘classic shirt that mate’ from non-Villa. The babby had his shirt on in Dawlish on Sunday and got a ‘great shirt mate’ from a bloke walking his dog who sounded local.
Even had an old Stripey wobble over for a chat, who was absolutely sound to be fair.
Saw a nose yesterday, looked like Mongo from Blazing Saddles, about 40 and on holiday with his mom and dad, bless.
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I was there 94 and 99.
Ah before my time then. I was there 2010 and 2012, cannot recall the bar.
Do recall doing a jungle Go Ape type thing on Koh Phangan where the local Thais, who could not speak a huge amount of English, knew Agbonlahor and Young. They had no idea who Birmingham City were.
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got a ‘great shirt mate’ from a bloke walking his dog who sounded local.
I said that to a bloke in Wetherspoons. In Barrow in Furness. He said, ‘I’m a Burnley fan but it was in the sale and it’s the same colours.’
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Devon has loads of Villa, mainly from people moving down there for work/retirement and then bringing kids up as Villa fans. I was in Torquay 5 or 6 years ago and wore a Villa trackie top and a few of the staff in the hotel were Villa and were saying about how many live down there as ex pats etc.
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I know this is about Brum and the midlands, but I’ve been down in Exmouth this week. Wore my 1990 Umbro replica on Tuesday as we walked the coastal path to Budleigh Salterton, and was deluged with ‘Up the Villa’s’ all day and even a ‘classic shirt that mate’ from non-Villa. The babby had his shirt on in Dawlish on Sunday and got a ‘great shirt mate’ from a bloke walking his dog who sounded local.
We were in a pub in the Cotswolds on Sunday afternoon when a bloke walked past my son who was in his 84 shirt and commented that it was his favourite shirt.
The strangest place I have been to and seen Villa tops being worn was in Huambo, Angola.
Three young lads were playing football wearing the Dafabet shirt. I went over to them and asked them where they had got their shirts from and they said some foreigners had been to the Sunday school and gave them out to the class. I asked them if they ever saw Villa on telly and they said no.
Apparently, on talking to them further, it came out that they wanted Chelsea shirts, but there wasn't any to be had so they thought the Villa shirts colours were nice and took those instead!
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I also stumbled on another bar owned by a mad Villa fan on the Cook Islands. We were told there was a bar about mile inland up in the jungle. A group of us found it. Totally surreal. We came across what we thought was empty bar with music playing only to find that there was about a dozen locals so pissed they had fallen asleep been the benches. The music was from a gramaphone and then out popped Mr Villa. He got us utterly shitfaced on the Christmas Beer. God knows how we made back down the hill. It had become pitch black and you could barely make out your feet.
A colleague of mine was in Fiji about 15 years ago and stumbled across a similar bar. The owner said you can pay a fixed fee and drink as much of the local yampy juice as you can take. For an extra dollar we will take you back to your digs on the beach in a wheelbarrow.
They tasted the hooch to see if they liked it, paid up and had an evening of merriment with the locals and got absolutely paralytic. Woke up the following day, sprawled outside their huts in the boiling sun - the owner had kept his word and just emptied them out of their wheelbarrows.
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When I moved to Shanghai in 2009 I came across a small bar called New Harbour near Peoples Square that had a few sports pictures on the walls and a framed 2001 shirt. There was also a well known bar called Malones which had lots of sports memorabilia, including a picture of a young Villa team from around 2004 at the Hong Kong youth tournament (i think we won this a couple of times). Standout player in the photo was Gabby. It was in a badly lit part of the bar so could never make out who else was on there in the dim light.
I met a few Villa fans whilst there, and there were 15 -20 who watched the 2010 final in a shit bar called the Bulldog. Villa upstairs, Man U below. I never went back in there after that night. There were also a couple of regulars in the Blarney Stone who were Villa fans and when I first arrived and China was still allowing S African football feeds the gaffer would switch one of the screens to the Villa game. . In all that time I only ever met one Bluenose - he was in the Big Bamboo when 4 of us were watching the 1-0 win at the sty in September 2009. He knew one of the blokes I was with and seemed ok.
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I watched that win at the rags in a bar in a lovely little port near Estepona on the Costa Del Sol. I wasn't wearing colours, and the there was a gobshite nose on the table behind. I kept council all game, and the lad I was with was a Derby fan, but fuck me did I rub his nose in it when Gabby scored, his face was a fucking picture.
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Devon has loads of Villa, mainly from people moving down there for work/retirement and then bringing kids up as Villa fans. I was in Torquay 5 or 6 years ago and wore a Villa trackie top and a few of the staff in the hotel were Villa and were saying about how many live down there as ex pats etc.
Just got back from 6 days in Devon and Cornwall. Saw more Villa tops throughout the week than any other club, by some distance.
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Born and brought up in Stourbridge in the 70s and 80s - Villa and Albion about even
Went to school in Edgbaston - mostly Villa, small no of Albion, about 2 Blues ! But it was a private school :)
Uni in Liverpool - stood on the Kop a few times to say I had, but it wasn't a patch on the Holte
Then Leicester - mid 90s - obviously mostly Leicester fans but actually much more rugby biased then - Tigers all over
Sutton and Lichfield - all Villa
Now in one of the Staffs villages - mostly Villa but a smattering of Stoke and a few Wolves.
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There’s a bloke in my village (Beds/Bucks border) I see jogging in a villa away shirt, so there are at least two of us.
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Grew up in Hockley, the Spring Hill side, till my 20s, mainly Villa, with a few blue noses, one of which works at the villa now. No Albion that I can recall. Lived in Great Barr for about 5 years in the early 2000s, mainly villa, some Albion, no noses that I remember. Been in Boldmere/Sutton Coldfield, since the day Ronaldo’s Portugal best England in the 2006 World Cup Q/Fs, the wink and Rooney sent off and all that. Mainly villa up here as well.
Already had a holiday booked in Cornwall last year which clashed with play off final, wounded beyond belief I missed it. Watched it in a pub in Hayle, absolutely mobbed with Villa, with one table of Miserable looking Derby fans (that was before K/O).
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The south west from Birmingham to Bristol to Cornwall has huge Villa support. Probably only beaten by Liverpool now as the ManU fans seem to have evaporated.
I’ve never met a Wolves fan ever.
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Budleigh Salterton always struck me as the kind of name that would be played by Terry-Thomas is a film on Boxing Day.
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The south west from Birmingham to Bristol to Cornwall has huge Villa support. Probably only beaten by Liverpool now as the ManU fans seem to have evaporated.
I’ve never met a Wolves fan ever.
Villa are by far the biggest club between London and the North West of England.
We should be the team mopping up the gloryhunters/casuals from the south and west of Birmingham.
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At a slight tangent, didn’t bump into too many Villa during my travels in Oz in 1990/91. However did spend a few weeks in Bundaberg QLD picking tomatoes. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I now notice that there is a “Brothers Aston Villa” football team based in Bundaberg , formed in 1967 no less. Anyone shed any detail on the origin of this team and their current well being ? Gutted to think I wandered around “ Bundie” all those years ago proudly wearing my “Mita Copiers” shirt without bumping into a fellow Villain !
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Very south Brum, ie Gloucester
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Budleigh Salterton always struck me as the kind of name that would be played by Terry-Thomas is a film on Boxing Day.
Budleigh Salterton is lovely. And, dare I say, not a place where one would expect to see a fellow attired in a football top.
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Unable to submit a vote in the above poll. Born in Saltley so wouldn't really be able to put it in any of those options. Maybe an inner city option could be added?
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At a slight tangent, didn’t bump into too many Villa during my travels in Oz in 1990/91. However did spend a few weeks in Bundaberg QLD picking tomatoes. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I now notice that there is a “Brothers Aston Villa” football team based in Bundaberg , formed in 1967 no less. Anyone shed any detail on the origin of this team and their current well being ? Gutted to think I wandered around “ Bundie” all those years ago proudly wearing my “Mita Copiers” shirt without bumping into a fellow Villain !
https://www.bavfootball.org.au/about-2/our-history/
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I remember an article in H and V years ago that commented on Villa support in Bristol and the south west and it noted how several streets had names with Villa links.
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Apart from the glory hunters I think it would be fair to say Villa have the next biggest support in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. Those you meet actually make the effort to go to games. Stopping at services on the way up to games you see so many Villa fans making the same journey. Just imagine if we were any good!
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There's a newish estate in Northampton that has Holte End, Trinity Road and Ellis way as street names. All three are right next to each other.
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Villa supporters in Italy is amazing, I do know it’s a thread about Villa in Brum, but thought they deserve a mention. Check out the Latin Lions. I had the pleasure of having a beer with one of the Latin Lions recently in Italy. They have the most active supporters club in Italy.
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I had a quick look at their website but it's mostly in Italian. As Ian Rush noted it must be "like living in a foreign country" over there.
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I'm surprised they don't support one of the top Italian sides like Milan or Barcelona.
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Born in Hockley, just off Summer Lane, in a back to back in Rodway Street.
Villa was just what we did. We were already solid claret and blue but Auntie Jessie marrying Frank was definitely icing on the cake.
Moved to Tamworth as part of the Brum slum clearance and Brum overspill.
Mates at school in the 60s were a mix of Villa and that lot with the odd baggy or doghead thrown in. Lots of the lads at school followed Yanited/Leeds but hardly any of them went to games. It was a bit of a badge of honour with me that on a Monday morning I would talk about the game I'd been to, the "trouble" I'd been involved in and the whole away game experience. They talked about watching Match of the Day!
Lived on Castle Vale (more Villa than them) when I taught there (70s), then North Warwickshire (all Villa!),then Stourbridge ( mostly Villa, some Tesco bags, some dogheads).
Now Pershore. More Villa than I expected, 1 Nose, 1 baggy, 1 doghead, everyone else Liverpool! I only know one of them who goes to games - a really dedicated L'pool fan. The rest just watch "the footy" on the telly and pretend to be experts.
Made contact with my old school mates from Tamworth about 6 years ago. Most of the noses are still very gobby but none of them go to games. The Villa fans do!
Speaks volumes!
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I'm surprised they don't support one of the top Italian sides like Milan or Barcelona.
They are nearly all Italian, but for various reasons they are mad about Villa. One guy started watching English football on the TV in the 80s and 90s, went to the San Siro to see V Inter and thought our fans were the best he had ever seen. He spoke passionately about walking along the Trinty Road and seeing the majestic Holte End rise up. It was beautiful ha ha
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My dad and his brothers were from Aston originally while my mom was a Black Country girl from Kingswinford. They moved to Kingstanding when it was built up and I was born there. My dad and his brothers were all Villa fans and he took me to my first game in the relegation season to the third division when I was 8.
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Villa supporters in Italy is amazing, I do know it’s a thread about Villa in Brum, but thought they deserve a mention. Check out the Latin Lions. I had the pleasure of having a beer with one of the Latin Lions recently in Italy. They have the most active supporters club in Italy.
Archie is a lovely chap, and had the pleasure of his company when watching the 2010 Carling Cup Final in Padova when I was living there. Shame about ehe score!
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Born in Hockley, just off Summer Lane, in a back to back in Rodway Street.
Villa was just what we did. We were already solid claret and blue but Auntie Jessie marrying Frank was definitely icing on the cake.
Moved to Tamworth as part of the Brum slum clearance and Brum overspill.
Mates at school in the 60s were a mix of Villa and that lot with the odd baggy or doghead thrown in. Lots of the lads at school followed Yanited/Leeds but hardly any of them went to games. It was a bit of a badge of honour with me that on a Monday morning I would talk about the game I'd been to, the "trouble" I'd been involved in and the whole away game experience. They talked about watching Match of the Day!
Lived on Castle Vale (more Villa than them) when I taught there (70s), then North Warwickshire (all Villa!),then Stourbridge ( mostly Villa, some Tesco bags, some dogheads).
Now Pershore. More Villa than I expected, 1 Nose, 1 baggy, 1 doghead, everyone else Liverpool! I only know one of them who goes to games - a really dedicated L'pool fan. The rest just watch "the footy" on the telly and pretend to be experts.
Made contact with my old school mates from Tamworth about 6 years ago. Most of the noses are still very gobby but none of them go to games. The Villa fans do!
Speaks volumes!
Living in Tamworth most of my life I always thought it was a big Villa stronghold, then when they were first promoted there was the explosion of what I called the car sticker brigade, all came out of the woodwork. Now you don't see it much at all, assume they have just gone quiet again, although derby day is always interesting when they split the pubs and they again come out of the woodwork. Tamworth also seems to have quite a few Albion fans too which I always found odd
The odd Man City shirt round here piping up irritates me