Millwall v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[Jimbo]

When has Dave ever claimed to represent the fans in the media?

Show me where I said Dave has ever claimed to represent fans in the media.

And to LeeB, why should it ever be out of order to criticise material that is in the public domain? We don't hold back on voicing our opinions about newspaper journalists.



 

[brian green]

Dave Woodhall is a friend of mine and a man for whom I have immense respect and to whom my older son owes £18 so I must not upset him.

As for my views about the Villa I have only once tried to be totally candid person to person with those in power at Villa Park and it was totally unproductive so I have never offered my services to represent the fans and do not feel qualified to do so these days.

Doug Ellis wanted to fanny me up to support his plan to have the new "Wembley" built on or near the NEC site.    He knew from contacts made by me to the club about building a hotel complex on the site of the North Stand that I was an associate partner of the firm of architects who produced both the NEC and most of the newbuild around the old Wembley Stadium.   I got the "VIP" treatment and invited with a guest into the Directors' Box for a game.   I took my younger son, the one who is not Damon and who went to Millwall with me last night and went to the Everton game about ten years ago.

It started badly with despite us being VIPs we had to pay for our own drinks at astronomical prices followed by the legendary Charlie Aitken winding me up about me being a landowner and plastic farmer.   Those who know me know I am very gobby and when my son and I got a pull from the suits that our Villa shirts were showing under our coats I gave everybody in earshot including Ellis and the assembled wankers from the FA both barrels.   As my son and I left the Directors Box Stanley Collymore was coming out of the directors private lavatories and said "well said" as I slammed the door and returned to our seats on the Holte for the rest of the game.

That is my sad story and why I cannot consider myself as a proper, even tempered, rational representative of the fans.   I am too hot headed and too gobby.

[eastie]

Dave Woodhall is a friend of mine and a man for whom I have immense respect and to whom my older son owes £18 so I must not upset him.

As for my views about the Villa I have only once tried to be totally candid person to person with those in power at Villa Park and it was totally unproductive so I have never offered my services to represent the fans and do not feel qualified to do so these days.

Doug Ellis wanted to fanny me up to support his plan to have the new "Wembley" built on or near the NEC site.    He knew from contacts made by me to the club about building a hotel complex on the site of the North Stand that I was an associate partner of the firm of architects who produced both the NEC and most of the newbuild around the old Wembley Stadium.   I got the "VIP" treatment and invited with a guest into the Directors' Box for a game.   I took my younger son, the one who is not Damon and who went to Millwall with me last night and went to the Everton game about ten years ago.

It started badly with despite us being VIPs we had to pay for our own drinks at astronomical prices followed by the legendary Charlie Aitken winding me up about me being a landowner and plastic farmer.   Those who know me know I am very gobby and when my son and I got a pull from the suits that our Villa shirts were showing under our coats I gave everybody in earshot including Ellis and the assembled wankers from the FA both barrels.   As my son and I left the Directors Box Stanley Collymore was coming out of the directors private lavatories and said "well said" as I slammed the door and returned to our seats on the Holte for the rest of the game.

That is my sad story and why I cannot consider myself as a proper, even tempered, rational representative of the fans.   I am too hot headed and too gobby.

I dont blame you , who would want to get fannied up by doug?

[cdbearsfan]

Heidi Ellis? Maybe not so much these days.

[eastie]

Just seen the goals on itv - who was on the line for the corner - looked a half hearted effort to stop it going in .

[Ads]

It wasn:t Westwoods fault, it was Lamberts. There was no organisation, why Lichaj was left to mark Shitu, god only knows.

[Rigadon]

Nice post, Brian Green. 

It really has gone beyond the pale over the past few weeks.  I don't get to many games these days (kids, work, money) and just watching from the comfort of my home has been bad enough so my heart goes out to those brave souls following home and away.  Of my friends that still have season tickets, the general mood has changed markedly since December from brittle positivity to anger and resignation. 

I for one have tired completely of watching us play and chose, for the first time last night, not to make an effort to watch or listen to the game.  For the rest of the season I will probably go to a couple of games, but only out of some odd sense of an old habit and to catch up with said mates. 

We've been in decline for 3 years, but this latest 'team', and this is what I think has changed, is SO bad, SO gutless and SO directionless it's almost impossible to root for.  We are deservedly a laughing stock and nobody at the club gives too fucks about it.  So, why should the fans. 

I've read a few times the if we lose to Newcastle he should go.  I can't believe people are so patient. 

[Jimbo]

Dave Woodhall is a friend of mine and a man for whom I have immense respect and to whom my older son owes £18 so I must not upset him.

As for my views about the Villa I have only once tried to be totally candid person to person with those in power at Villa Park and it was totally unproductive so I have never offered my services to represent the fans and do not feel qualified to do so these days.

Doug Ellis wanted to fanny me up to support his plan to have the new "Wembley" built on or near the NEC site.    He knew from contacts made by me to the club about building a hotel complex on the site of the North Stand that I was an associate partner of the firm of architects who produced both the NEC and most of the newbuild around the old Wembley Stadium.   I got the "VIP" treatment and invited with a guest into the Directors' Box for a game.   I took my younger son, the one who is not Damon and who went to Millwall with me last night and went to the Everton game about ten years ago.

It started badly with despite us being VIPs we had to pay for our own drinks at astronomical prices followed by the legendary Charlie Aitken winding me up about me being a landowner and plastic farmer.   Those who know me know I am very gobby and when my son and I got a pull from the suits that our Villa shirts were showing under our coats I gave everybody in earshot including Ellis and the assembled wankers from the FA both barrels.   As my son and I left the Directors Box Stanley Collymore was coming out of the directors private lavatories and said "well said" as I slammed the door and returned to our seats on the Holte for the rest of the game.

That is my sad story and why I cannot consider myself as a proper, even tempered, rational representative of the fans.   I am too hot headed and too gobby.

Thank you for your honest answer, Brian. As someone who doesn't like toadying to those in positions of power or authority, I can understand your reaction on that occasion. In football, emotion is part and parcel of being a fan, but I have rarely read anything of yours recently that didn't have the balance and reasoning to back it up.

I think when fans enter the realms of professional journalism, the transition can be difficult because of the question of balance, and in some cases impartiality. Yet many fans still want to look up to those figures as fans, and also as people with a voice and a platform to air the frustration and anger of regular fans. Often, that kind of emotive rhetoric can compromise journalistic integrity, so it doesn't surprise me that people in that position would hold back on blasting both barrels. Neither should it stop me from commenting on it.

   

[pooligan]

Yeah i just seen the goals on tv from last night, it is amazing how many of our players dont seem able to actually time their jump to head the ball. Also it is evident that almost all of our players are lightweight

[saunders_heroes]

Dave Woodhall is a friend of mine and a man for whom I have immense respect and to whom my older son owes £18 so I must not upset him.

As for my views about the Villa I have only once tried to be totally candid person to person with those in power at Villa Park and it was totally unproductive so I have never offered my services to represent the fans and do not feel qualified to do so these days.

Doug Ellis wanted to fanny me up to support his plan to have the new "Wembley" built on or near the NEC site.    He knew from contacts made by me to the club about building a hotel complex on the site of the North Stand that I was an associate partner of the firm of architects who produced both the NEC and most of the newbuild around the old Wembley Stadium.   I got the "VIP" treatment and invited with a guest into the Directors' Box for a game.   I took my younger son, the one who is not Damon and who went to Millwall with me last night and went to the Everton game about ten years ago.

It started badly with despite us being VIPs we had to pay for our own drinks at astronomical prices followed by the legendary Charlie Aitken winding me up about me being a landowner and plastic farmer.   Those who know me know I am very gobby and when my son and I got a pull from the suits that our Villa shirts were showing under our coats I gave everybody in earshot including Ellis and the assembled wankers from the FA both barrels.   As my son and I left the Directors Box Stanley Collymore was coming out of the directors private lavatories and said "well said" as I slammed the door and returned to our seats on the Holte for the rest of the game.

That is my sad story and why I cannot consider myself as a proper, even tempered, rational representative of the fans.   I am too hot headed and too gobby.

I dont blame you , who would want to get fannied up by doug?

I don't even know what "fannied up" means.

[Chrisupnorth]

On Football Focus, Ince and Lawrensen think the solution to our problems is to start Darren Bent more often. Have they seen our shambles of a midfield/defence? Muppets!

[danno]

With a (in the main) new back four, why rotate the goalkeepers?
The defence has already been disrupted enough by injuries alone this season.

Unless its purely to remind buying clubs Shay Given is still available.
Keeping him fresh in case Guzan is suspended or injured? what sort
of mindset is that?

Saying that though, judging by the radio commentary I heard, not enough was happening in front of
Shay for it to have made a blind bit of difference.

[Small Rodent]

There really has to be an end to this "get behind the lads" and "get behind the kids" and "get behind the manager" nonsense.....

I won't quote the whole post, but if I ran a fanzine I'd ask permission to publish it.

[ChrissyPrice]

With a (in the main) new back four, why rotate the goalkeepers?
The defence has already been disrupted enough by injuries alone this season.

Unless its purely to remind buying clubs Shay Given is still available.
Keeping him fresh in case Guzan is suspended or injured? what sort
of mindset is that?

Saying that though, judging by the radio commentary I heard, not enough was happening in front of
Shay for it to have made a blind bit of difference.

I agree with that. The only option now should be to put the first choice keeper with the first choice back 4 and maybe in a couple of months they will give the impression that they have all previously met each other.

[manic-road]

Well now we are out the cups, Guzan will play every game now until the end of the season unless he gets injured.