Radio WM

[Damo70]

I have spent every waking hour since the game ended trying to set up a business to sell moral high ground  to Albion fans. Bless, it takes their mind off the fact they lost to us. TWICE. Made so much more fun by the fact the arrogant twats really didn't see it coming.

[Ozzjim]

I knew 2 Albion fans growing up. I still only know 3 now. At work (a fairly large building in the centre of town) I know a few Blues, a few Villa, a couple of West Ham, yet no Albion fans. I am sure there are some here, but it is a bit of a puzzle where they appear from. The ones I do meet seem to live in this world of self righteous belief that Albion are actually relevant to the other clubs in the area.

[dave shelley]

Graham Lovett who played for the Albion was a year ahead of me at school.  Other than that I can't recall a single Albion connection around our end at all.

[fbriai]

I knew 2 Albion fans growing up. I still only know 3 now. At work (a fairly large building in the centre of town) I know a few Blues, a few Villa, a couple of West Ham, yet no Albion fans. I am sure there are some here, but it is a bit of a puzzle where they appear from. The ones I do meet seem to live in this world of self righteous belief that Albion are actually relevant to the other clubs in the area.

I guess that if it's true that the vast majority of Villa fans live locally, then it's probably even more true of the Albion, just replicated on a smaller scale.

[Percy McCarthy]

Unfortunately we live in an age driven by spin and media manipulation.

We're obviously a horrible club that have never supported Acorns and invested in one of the deepest and most long lasting partnerships between a high profile business and a local charity.

Similarly we've never invested in giving young local kids a chance through the VMF restaurant project, or launched the Villa in the Community charity.

We've never offered support for injured servicemen in rehab at the QE or established a partnership with Help 4 Heroes.

We certainly weren't one of the first football clubs to work together with The Prince's Trust to help disadvantaged youngsters.

We don't help in the community with projects such as the Villa Kicks programme which actively targets engaging young people in community support activities in the most hard pressed areas of the city or any of the 20 or so community projects we're definitely not involved in.

We're absolutely not a club that goes quietly about it's business, trying to do so with decency and integrity (pigs in mud comments not withstanding ).

And we absolutely do not have a support that fans of most other clubs regard with respect for the sheer numbers and volume generated on the road or shock visiting supporters when the Holte End gets going.

Unfortunately non of that is sensationalist enough to make good copy, so whilst Mourinho goes around bad mouthing anyone who upsets him, Man Utd players have indulged in verbal abuse and physical intimidation of match officials for the best part of 25 years without fear of sanction or reprisal, nothing is said "because it's all good copy."

The likes of John Terry are fêted in the national media as national heroes and "the epitome of that bulldog spirit" because he's popular with a certain segment of society that buys certain rags, and the hype of busted flush managers such as Harry Redknapp is never held up to scrutiny because "they're always good for a story or a quote"

To the media that just don't get passion, emotion and fans that give a shit, instead of customers that have come to be entertained I can offer nothing more constructive than this!

Wonderful.

[Ads]

The Howell article doesn't load for me, would somebody be able to copy it onto here?

[Damo70]

Unfortunately we live in an age driven by spin and media manipulation.

We're obviously a horrible club that have never supported Acorns and invested in one of the deepest and most long lasting partnerships between a high profile business and a local charity.

Similarly we've never invested in giving young local kids a chance through the VMF restaurant project, or launched the Villa in the Community charity.

We've never offered support for injured servicemen in rehab at the QE or established a partnership with Help 4 Heroes.

We certainly weren't one of the first football clubs to work together with The Prince's Trust to help disadvantaged youngsters.

We don't help in the community with projects such as the Villa Kicks programme which actively targets engaging young people in community support activities in the most hard pressed areas of the city or any of the 20 or so community projects we're definitely not involved in.

We're absolutely not a club that goes quietly about it's business, trying to do so with decency and integrity (pigs in mud comments not withstanding ).

And we absolutely do not have a support that fans of most other clubs regard with respect for the sheer numbers and volume generated on the road or shock visiting supporters when the Holte End gets going.

Unfortunately non of that is sensationalist enough to make good copy, so whilst Mourinho goes around bad mouthing anyone who upsets him, Man Utd players have indulged in verbal abuse and physical intimidation of match officials for the best part of 25 years without fear of sanction or reprisal, nothing is said "because it's all good copy."

The likes of John Terry are fêted in the national media as national heroes and "the epitome of that bulldog spirit" because he's popular with a certain segment of society that buys certain rags, and the hype of busted flush managers such as Harry Redknapp is never held up to scrutiny because "they're always good for a story or a quote"

To the media that just don't get passion, emotion and fans that give a shit, instead of customers that have come to be entertained I can offer nothing more constructive than this!

Wonderful.

You've put some weight on since I saw you last Percy. Must be all the takeaways you buy from the winnings you get from all my tips.

[Leicester_Villian]

Regarding the Bill Howell story in Mail please see below the response that I received from them:

Thank you for your email regarding the West Bromwich Albion comment article.

It is our job to provide provocative and engaging content for our audience and sometimes this means expressing views that not everyone will agree with.

On reflection, this particular article failed to express the real views of the author in an appropriate manner and we made the decision to take it down from our website this morning.

I hope this resolves your complaint.

If not, please visit http://www.trinitymirror.com/howtocomplain where you will find information on how to follow our complaints procedure.

[PeterWithesShin]

Anyone notice how there seems to be a total lack of acknowledgement from Albion and the local press to the way we reacted to the 9th minute? Mentioned during the Beeb commentary with the very accurate "always has been a classy club" from Pearce.

[PeterWithe]

Anyone notice how there seems to be a total lack of acknowledgement from Albion and the local press to the way we reacted to the 9th minute? Mentioned during the Beeb commentary with the very accurate "always has been a classy club" from Pearce.

Yes I noticed, it seems that now we didn't give them the opportunity to beat us with that particular stick, they have moved on to something else, anything else.

[rob_bridge]

Graham Lovett who played for the Albion was a year ahead of me at school.  Other than that I can't recall a single Albion connection around our end at all.

His Mom and Dad lived next door to my Cousins when I was really young and he gave me some football books. I don't remember him but my parents spoke fondly of him.

[E I Adio]

In a similar way to Benjamin Zephaniah I was born in Handsworth Wood, where Villa Park and The Hawthorns are as close as damn it equidistant, so my contemporaries at Junior School were pretty much split down the middle. Except for my best mate who was a Bluenose, thanks to his daft Dad.

Later, as a teenager, I frequented St. Andrews every fortnight, just as my mate visited Villa Park with me on opposing weeks. It seemed sensible, as in those days neither of us had the resources to travel away, and why restrict yourself to watching football only once a fortnight? After he married - very young and with a shotgun pointed at his head, I started going to The Hawthorns with my workmates, who were all Baggies as I was an apprentice at a big manufacturing company in Smethwick.

At St. Andrews and at the Hawthorns, everyone who regularly stood around where I stood on the terraces knew I was a Villa fan, which led to a good deal of mutual piss taking, but never was any hatred or hint of violence present. I'm sad that actively supporting a football team has gradually slid towards the lowest common denominator, but I'm happy to tell everyone that my two best mates even now are a Baggie and a Bluenose.

[Damo70]

Graham Lovett who played for the Albion was a year ahead of me at school.  Other than that I can't recall a single Albion connection around our end at all.

His Mom and Dad lived next door to my Cousins when I was really young and he gave me some football books. I don't remember him but my parents spoke fondly of him.

My dad rented premises from his brother Terry at the back of his sports shop in Acocks Green in the eighties.

[cheltenhamlion]

Regarding the Bill Howell story in Mail please see below the response that I received from them:

Thank you for your email regarding the West Bromwich Albion comment article.

It is our job to provide provocative and engaging content for our audience and sometimes this means expressing views that not everyone will agree with.

On reflection, this particular article failed to express the real views of the author in an appropriate manner and we made the decision to take it down from our website this morning.

I hope this resolves your complaint.

If not, please visit http://www.trinitymirror.com/howtocomplain where you will find information on how to follow our complaints procedure.

So exactly whose views were the article expressing?

[kippaxvilla2]

Regarding the Bill Howell story in Mail please see below the response that I received from them:

Thank you for your email regarding the West Bromwich Albion comment article.

It is our job to provide provocative and engaging content for our audience and sometimes this means expressing views that not everyone will agree with.

On reflection, this particular article failed to express the real views of the author in an appropriate manner and we made the decision to take it down from our website this morning.

I hope this resolves your complaint.

If not, please visit http://www.trinitymirror.com/howtocomplain where you will find information on how to follow our complaints procedure.

In other words Bill's a twat. 

Please note this does not accurately reflect the opinions of the writer who actually thinks he's a foreskin.