Our Fans

[villan from luton]

I agree with the comments about how there seems to be a far better relationship between the club and fans. We may have been poor at times, but the fans have stood by the team and I think we recognise they have given their all. Lambert and the players have rightly given praise to the fans, who have been superb. I remember first seeing us in the old third division and the atmosphere was amazing, everyone was seemingly pulling together to get the club back where it belonged

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

I think that being a Villa fan and supporting Aston Villa is and has always been something special.My first experiences were at the end of our tenure in the first division, 67,68,69.
Poor attendances, old time management, Villa Park = hall of memories
Then some vigour, for those of us  who were fortunate enough to follow the road back through div 3 to winning the 1st division wow times.
In between  we had crap times and crap attendances, what I see now (unfortunately from afar) is that supporting the Villa is almost like the obsession of the 70,s. Taking  large numbers of fans away from home, making the most noise and being recognised.

When the Holte is on song and the Trinity stamp their feet and bang their seats no ground is more formidable than Villa Park.
The problem in the last few years is our abysmal home record.
I support the Lambert Transition and see and feel a special relationship developing between the club and fans

Started in '62 and got hooked.
The days in Div 3 were a low point for the club but brilliant for support. We used to take over whole towns with 5, 6 thousand going. We were winning and the bandwagon was rolling. Irrespective of the division you're in, fans love following a winning team.
I've been to more away matches this year than I've been to for years and loved every minute, being really proud of the vocal backing we've given our team. Fulham away was amazing - we just never stopped singing, Stoke and Norwich a few weeks ago were great to be a part of. And I love it that Lambert and the players recognise the commitment we make. Definite echoes of the Saunders era too.
I'm gonna be singing my socks off up at Wigan on Sunday, along with 4,000 other wonderful Aston Villa supporters (and a few more who sneak into the "home" seats!) and be walking on air for days afterwards with the thrill of it all.
It's like being 14 again, and we were really shit then!
UTV!

[Percy Flage]

and today by Tom Watt at 9mins


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01shvdv/Fighting_Talk_18_05_2013/

[dave.woodhall]

and today by Tom Watt at 9mins


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01shvdv/Fighting_Talk_18_05_2013/

He's a good 'un and always has a lot of respect for us.

[Chris Smith]

I missed most of 2012 so wasn't sure what to expect when I made my comeback in January. I remembered long periods of nervous silence under Houllier and McLeish but was amazed how everyone seemed so positive now. There seems to be an affinity between us and the players that I haven't seen for years. 

This could be the start of something beautiful.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

I think when PL has mentioned that our fans are "in" with what he is trying to do at Villa reflects on the mood of our current support level. Having just had TSM i think we now appreciate the need for a re-building process with limited funds. PL has done this at various teams but he can see how big our club is and how it can be massive once again in terms of achievement. Away from home i think our fans are untouchable. At the Stoke game i was with some of there fans who shook my hand and said it was the best away support they have ever seen .......

[Rudy65]

To echo others, the atmosphere at QPR and Sunderland was the amongst rhe nest I've experinced at VP and I've been attending since72.

Phenomonal support.

Our local rivals like to describe us as fickle. They are worse n my view. Anyone who can deride Steve Clarke when they were top 6 before Xmas has to be described as fickle.

UTV

[Lizz]

and today by Tom Watt at 9mins


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01shvdv/Fighting_Talk_18_05_2013/

He's a good 'un and always has a lot of respect for us.

There was another episode of FT when Tom Watt impressed me, can't remember all the details, but he was talking about the game against Arsenal when the skydiver had the accident.

[Percy McCarthy]

To echo others, the atmosphere at QPR and Sunderland was the amongst rhe nest I've experinced at VP and I've been attending since72.

Phenomonal support.

Our local rivals like to describe us as fickle.

With regards to the support of our local rivals in comparison to ours, I think the Holte End had it right when they said; "You're not fit to wipe my arse".

[PeterWithesShin]

Amazingly loud at times today, there were spells when it seemed more Wigan fans were looking at, and filming, us than the pitch. That said, there were the usual knobbers, especially the one who threw the flare on the pitch and the ones acting lairy trying to get into the area outside the ground.

[PeterWithesShin]

Worth putting here as well I guess.

[ Invalid YouTube link ]

[Irish villain]

I think our support has been more fanatical this season than I can ever remember.

Other years you could sense disgruntlement in the air (towards the end of MON's last season, under Houllier and obviously TSM) whereas when things were going well there was a sense that we were just back to where we should be.

This year has felt like villa fans were going to sing no matter what. Last year was as low as anything in a generation and we weren't going to let things get that bad again. We were going to be patient and get behind what Paul Lambert was attempting.

This post is triggered by something I remember from the Fulham away game. Somebody posted on the match-thread that Fulham fans were asking how thousands of villa fans could sing so heartily for something that looked so mediocre on the pitch. I think that sums up the contribution of the twelfth man this season. Immense and surely a factor in this young team finding their feet and showing us what they could do towards the end of the season.

UTV

[AV82EC]

Something has changed this season, I can't put my finger on what it is but whatever its been the Lower Holte has found its voice.  For too long the Upper Holte has always been the singing section of the ground but this season the Lower has started joining in.  I'm going to give the Brigada boys a big shout out here because they got the lower right L1/L2 and L3 going last season and I understand have been doing similar in L7/8 this season.  No matter what anyone says that does have an influence and they deserve a lot of credit.  Its partly down to the team on the pitch as well giving their all and starting to excite us once more.

But I think the biggest factor is that when the chips have been down we've realised the team need our support and sitting on your arse and expecting to be entertained isn't how it works.  Fair play to the North Stand Lower lot as well who have to try and outsing the away fans.

I still maintain the biggest thing Villa could do to enhance the atmosphere at Villa Park would be to try and remodel the Holte so its a single tier and singing as one. Pie in the sky maybe but  maybe one day.

[PeterWithesShin]

From the Beeb match report.

Buoyed by a vocal away support, many of whom were wearing masks bearing the face of club captain Stiliyan Petrov, who recently announced his retirement from football after a battle with acute leukaemia, Villa took an early lead.

And from Lambert

The fans never once got on our back and they can see what is happening at the football club. We will think now about the areas we can to improve and help the club to progress

[Havencheese]

I've seen footage of Lambert after Norwich got the promotion (I think?). He speaks on the pitch into a microphone, addressing the faithful for what a great job they'd done for the season. While we haven't had that opportunity he's mentioned us quite a few times in interviews, he understands the effects of positivity and that 'the 12th man' can make a difference. It's understandable that managers as busy as they are, can't always openly address this aspect of the club they're managing, Lambert on the other hand is smart enough to utilise it but also understand that lots of ordinary people are putting their hard earned towards a club and it aint cheap.

Regardless of him addressing us, I think we've responded in kind due to him being so proactive since he arrived and sticking to his guns. You can also tell he cares for the club he is in charge of and that it's not all about him as compared with the David O'Leary's of this world.

[ Invalid YouTube link ]