woeful attendance

[itbrvilla]

I don't go simply because of cost and match day experience. I can spend a lot less than £40 and waste 2 hours being bored stiff and sitting In silence.

[Steve67]

There's a great thread over on VT.  Well worth a read, on this very subject.  The club have treated fans with a lack of respect this summer, in fact, the board have made error after error over the years and are now punishing us/McLeish for the spending of Martin O'Neill.

[nuninho]

The whole "going to the Villa" and even watching football on Sky just doesn't have the same magic anymore.  I don't wake up with butterflies and that excitement in my stomach and haven't for the last couple of years to be honest.

I get to as many games as I can, but nowhere near as many as before, and to be frank going to see the Villa is now more of an inconvenience (travelling an hour round trip, struggling for money because I've gone to games and paid petrol etc) than anything else.  Its not fun any more.

[Clark W Griswold]

The whole "going to the Villa" and even watching football on Sky just doesn't have the same magic anymore.  I don't wake up with butterflies and that excitement in my stomach and haven't for the last couple of years to be honest.

I get to as many games as I can, but nowhere near as many as before, and to be frank going to see the Villa is now more of an inconvenience (travelling an hour round trip, struggling for money because I've gone to games and paid petrol etc) than anything else.  Its not fun any more.

I haven't loved going since about '98, and the enjoyment has slowly seeped away more and more since, with a slight upward curve around the middle of O Neills tunure. I am now less interested than ever, at least in the last few years under Ellis there was the likelyhood of him selling up, which happened. It now feels like we are back to square one. I no longer go and probably won't for a long time.

[Chris Smith]

The whole "going to the Villa" and even watching football on Sky just doesn't have the same magic anymore.  I don't wake up with butterflies and that excitement in my stomach and haven't for the last couple of years to be honest.

I get to as many games as I can, but nowhere near as many as before, and to be frank going to see the Villa is now more of an inconvenience (travelling an hour round trip, struggling for money because I've gone to games and paid petrol etc) than anything else.  Its not fun any more.

You appear to have a condition known as "getting older".

I like going to football and years ago came to terms with there being bad times as well as good but consider it part and parcel of being a fan.

[dave.woodhall]

There's a great thread over on VT.  Well worth a read, on this very subject.  The club have treated fans with a lack of respect this summer, in fact, the board have made error after error over the years and are now punishing us/McLeish for the spending of Martin O'Neill.

If that's what's being said on Villatalk there's some historical revisionism going on and no mistake.

[Stu]

I can't go down at all at the moment, my shift pattern at work dictates that I'm on shift Wednesday evenings and all day Saturdays. Having said that, I didn't go down on Tuesday night either because I spent an obscene amount of money out on the lash in town the previous weekend.

I'll never be able to stay away from VP for too long, but for me the board have shit the bin completely this summer and I don't blame people for looking for other things to do. Not replacing two of our main attacking players, not to mention letting the spine of an entire team go, and appointing a crap manager have made me feel that they're not really bothered about trying to make the team competitive and therefore I'll be picking and choosing my games.

If they want fans to stump up cash all the while then sooner or later they're going to have to show some ambition. I think they're looking to sell though.

[Holte End Stylist]

I went Tuesday night and even though it was a tenner a ticket I still somehow managed to get through £50. I have a wife and 2 kids and struggle to justify to myself the expense of going to matches. there may well be a percentage of fans staying away due to the current gloom around the place but I think the financial situation people find themselves in at the moment has a lot more to do with it.

[Villafirst]

The General is showing his true colours now by not answering any difficult questions - just silence like his boss! All we got from RL was some half-assed statement about finance and balancing the books, nothing about team investment. These Americans haven't got a clue what to do next! Crowds will continue to dwindle as more players are sold or released. I just wish someone would buy RL out ( I know that's easier said than done) and put some serious investment and passion back into running the club.

[Ads]

The General is showing his true colours now by not answering any difficult questions - just silence like his boss! All we got from RL was some half-assed statement about finance and balancing the books, nothing about team investment. These Americans haven't got a clue what to do next! Crowds will continue to dwindle as more players are sold or released. I just wish someone would buy RL out ( I know that's easier said than done) and put some serious investment and passion back into running the club.

The problem is that Doug is still pulling the strings.

[Rico]

For me it's mainly the cost that stops me from going to every home game. I had a season ticket from the late 70s all the way up to the year 2000, so I've seen good times and bad, but even during the rubbish of the mid 80s I was never overly bothered that we were crap, I just loved going down the match, going to the Guild pub in Aston for a few beers, meeting up with mates on the Holte, having a crack and it still didn't break the bank like now.

I started to get disillusioned when the ground became all seater. No longer could you just rock up to the ground and meet up with mates and enjoy the game. As soon as the Taylor report came out most club chairmen must have been rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of making the hardcore of support pay more just to watch their team.

So there it is. For me, it's not about winning or losing. I just want to stand up and pay a reasonable amount to get in! Simples!

[dave.woodhall]

The General is showing his true colours now by not answering any difficult questions - just silence like his boss! All we got from RL was some half-assed statement about finance and balancing the books, nothing about team investment. These Americans haven't got a clue what to do next! Crowds will continue to dwindle as more players are sold or released. I just wish someone would buy RL out ( I know that's easier said than done) and put some serious investment and passion back into running the club.

Yes, because what's really been missing since the day Randy took over is investment.

[pauliewalnuts]

The General is showing his true colours now by not answering any difficult questions - just silence like his boss! All we got from RL was some half-assed statement about finance and balancing the books, nothing about team investment. These Americans haven't got a clue what to do next! Crowds will continue to dwindle as more players are sold or released. I just wish someone would buy RL out ( I know that's easier said than done) and put some serious investment and passion back into running the club.

Yes, because what's really been missing since the day Randy took over is investment.

The problem hasn't been lack on investment. Right now it is the speed with which that investment is being clawed back.

[Risso]

The General is showing his true colours now by not answering any difficult questions - just silence like his boss! All we got from RL was some half-assed statement about finance and balancing the books, nothing about team investment. These Americans haven't got a clue what to do next! Crowds will continue to dwindle as more players are sold or released. I just wish someone would buy RL out ( I know that's easier said than done) and put some serious investment and passion back into running the club.

Yes, because what's really been missing since the day Randy took over is investment.

Do you understand the difference between "equity" and "loan finance"?

[AlexAlexCropley]

The General is showing his true colours now by not answering any difficult questions - just silence like his boss! All we got from RL was some half-assed statement about finance and balancing the books, nothing about team investment. These Americans haven't got a clue what to do next! Crowds will continue to dwindle as more players are sold or released. I just wish someone would buy RL out ( I know that's easier said than done) and put some serious investment and passion back into running the club.

Yes, because what's really been missing since the day Randy took over is investment.

Do you understand the difference between "equity" and "loan finance"?

Yes,yes,yes.But where is the sanity clause?