All us Villa Fans, miles away from home.

[ACVilla]

I miss you, Aston Villa. I first found you on a dim, miserable night in the mid 80s against a team called Oxford United. I fell in love with the club, I fell in love with the shirt, I fell in love with the stadium and I dreamt of you every night.

I would wake up on a Friday morning and immediately get excited at the thought of only one more sleep until the next game, I would get heart palpitations and tingles up my spine all day at school just at the thought that we would soon be reunited again.

We had our ups and downs, I remember endless renditions of Dwight Yorke, Dwight Yorke, I remember Santa falling from the sky and Dion Dublin inspiring a remarkable comeback, I could have sworn the Holte was going to collapse that day. I remember being the first team to win  at Pride Park and being able to celebrate in the stands with Ian Taylor. I remember that miss by Dean Holdsworth. I also remember the final against Chelsea, Blackburn away with Savo spitting, and David O'Leary.

I fell out of love with you when O'Leary was in charge, I was disinterested at the match, I was disillusioned with the Sky millions and the ineptitude of Ellis. I didn't much care for watching you, I paid interest in the results, I had the game on when we were on TV but I had other things which I prioritised.

A revolution then seemed to begin, manager and chairman gone, multi millionaire in place with the most sought after manager in charge, the revolution gathered pace but I was still not that bothered, I went to Wembley but could still not generate the enthusiasm I once had, the players were still overpaid prima donnas who wouldn't dream of doing an Ian Taylor and in the blink of an eye the manager was gone and the revolution hit the buffers and the stuff of nightmares began, I cannot imagine the pain I would have felt if I had still been a fanatic, obsessive Villa lunatic and experienced the withering displays under the McLeish year, I was still a fan but a very distant and casual observer. I didn't watch Match of the Day any more and very rarely took in a live TV game. I thought I was lost forever, another fan forsaken for the Sky football extravaganza, Super Spunking Sunday and all that it entailed.

Fortunately, the McLeish year was only that, a year and a new guy was put in place, a guy by the name of Paul Lambert, I paid interest in this because I will always be a Villa fan in one capacity or another. I saw our squad, I saw our new signings and was frankly shocked at how poor a squad we had, I literally wouldn't have recognised half the players if I bumped into them in Sainsburys.

I was still fairly disinterested when we started the season so poorly, a couple of poor performances then a decent result or two but something happened during the Liverpool game, I watched the game on a live stream for the first time in my life, I saw these kids working their socks off for the sake of my club, and for the first time in about ten years I was genuinely excited to be watching Aston Villa again and the love came poring back through my veins and and the feeling was overwhelming. I watched Match of the Day and nearly cried with enjoyment.

I watched the Chelsea game, and was still hugely proud of our players for giving it a go, this may sound stupid but I would genuinely rather see us lose 8-0 at Chelsea, giving it a go, than having a McLeish team out there or an O'Leary in charge.

I was away on holiday, unable to catch the Tottnham or Wigan games and have not read up on them deeply but suffice to say my love is still there and my pride ever present and the Lambert way is the way I wish my club to go. No more overpaid mercenaries just players who want to be professional footballers and want to do their best for the sacred Aston Villa.

So to those of you losing the faith then please reconsider, get behind the lads 100% and roar the players to victory. An escape from relegation this season could see us have a very bright future, as Magic said on SSN, "if Villa can avoid relegation this season then they could go on to be frightening".

I've found my love again and will be back down Villa Park at every opportunity.

I've missed you Aston Villa but I'm glad to be back.

Really nice post AC, I'm glad you feel that way.

Sadly I think we're very much as disillusioned, if not more, than in the O'Leary days.

The Villa Park you talk about is today, a half-empty passionless place where people stand and clap for Stan (rightly) and then sit on their hands and look at their phones the rest of the time.

Then at half-time some numpty rolls on two great big stupid balls to put people in and shouts out "Get behind the Villa!".

You're quite right. What a sad state of affairs.

Well I never thought I would ever agsin feel what I felt in the early evening of Saturday just gone. I physically jumped around for joy, twice, in the first half. I hadn't felt that amount of pleasure watching Aston Villa for such a long time, it was absolutely exhillerating.

I was also like a cat on a hot tin roof the second half, I was pacing up and down, explaining to my partner that I did not know what was wrong with me, she hadnt't seen me like it since the early days of us being together. It was marvellous, bloody marvellous.

As for the passion-less place you describe, I shall see for myself within the next 24 hours. Only my second visit in two and a half years.

I've definately got it and i've got it bad, real bad.

[McGraths Dry Cleaning]

It has been a fantastic experience, I've had to put up with shocking ex-pat styled bars through to the United obsession that exists in this part of the world.

I worked in HK ten years or so back and the whole region is lousy with them - obsession is the right word. Remember going to see  Liverpool play HK in some made up Asia tournament and the kids were genuinely beside themselves with excitement so I kind of softened a little bit.

[villajk]

It has been a fantastic experience, I've had to put up with shocking ex-pat styled bars through to the United obsession that exists in this part of the world.

I worked in HK ten years or so back and the whole region is lousy with them - obsession is the right word. Remember going to see  Liverpool play HK in some made up Asia tournament and the kids were genuinely beside themselves with excitement so I kind of softened a little bit.

We went 2011 when we played in the Asia tournament.  The locals were totally obsessed with Chelsea.  When we played Chelsea there the stadium was awash with their shirts.  Must say some of those around us hadn't got a clue what was going on during the game.

[oldtimernow]

Like Dan , I'll be watching and kicking every ball but in a different part of Lanzarote, Playa Blanca.

C'mon you Villa boys!!

Hope it's not too cold for you all......remember to keep bouncing , that'll help all round.


ps anybody in Costa Teguise.....then we'll have the whole island covered!

[Brend'Watkins]

I will be in Wiesbaden later and for the rest of the working week.  Fortunately I will be able to meet up with my nephew who lives close to there and we can watch the game together in some sportsbar who have said they will put it on for us.  I hope I manage to keep my cool.

[danlanza]

Like Dan , I'll be watching and kicking every ball but in a different part of Lanzarote, Playa Blanca.

C'mon you Villa boys!!

Hope it's not too cold for you all......remember to keep bouncing , that'll help all round.


ps anybody in Costa Teguise.....then we'll have the whole island covered!

There will be mate. We are everywhere. Get the Freixnet in the fridge

[JM82]

Another 03:45 am start, Come on Villa. My first task for tomorrow involves working with a couple of bluenoses out here on a similar basis - If we're out then I'm not sure what the Chinese for "I'm not coming in today!" is.

It has been a fantastic experience, I've had to put up with shocking ex-pat styled bars through to the United obsession that exists in this part of the world.

I worked in HK ten years or so back and the whole region is lousy with them - obsession is the right word. Remember going to see  Liverpool play HK in some made up Asia tournament and the kids were genuinely beside themselves with excitement so I kind of softened a little bit.

Aye, the locals aren't to blame. They love their football and just happen to channel it towards teams in the Champions League, all you can do is show them there is a world outside from it. It's a bit harder when their first question is always "Who is the best player at Aston Villa at the moment?" and you you respond with "errrrm!"

[oldtimernow]

C'mon all you expat Lions let's get roaring...

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[dave shelley]

Come on you LIONSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

[N'ZMAV]

COYL

[OzVilla]

Yep, early morning start here so it's a very long day ahead if this goes badly.

Give them a shout from me somebody please............................

[danlanza]

[The Left Side]

Going to the game tonight after coming over from Canada last week, UTV

[seanthevillan]

About to go to work, won't find out the score til about 8.30 local time - c'mon Villa!!

[Vancouver]

does anyone have a decent radio station link that I can listen to the game from work?? (Not streaming mods!)