Good or bad Villa news on holiday

[Exeter 77]

Accessing a dodgy streaming website in a hotel foyer in Slovenia to see Wilfred Bouma writhing in agony with his foot almost 180 degrees from where it should be.

[Top Cat]

I was in Cornwall when SOTC rang me to say we'd sold Gareth Barry to Man City.

[Pete3206]

I was in Ipsos when we heard about Deano's home debut goals and the spanking of 'The Mighty Reds YNWA'. What a night that was! Deeeeeeeeaaaaaannnnnooo!!!!

A year later, we were in a benitses bar called Cheers on the night when Rico scored the winner at the Sty. The gaffer at Cheers was a Bluenose!! 

[purpletrousers]

Holiday on O’ahu island, Hawaii May 2000.

My late Uncle (in LA) generously paid for the whole family to have a big slightly delayed millennium get together in a really lovely beach house, stunning setting.

Flights booked yonks in advance, to fly out Saturday 20th May 2000. What were the odds we were going to make our first FA cup final in 43years? Went to the Bolton semi, would have not got a ticket probably, but oh the wrench…

Flight from LHR at *3pm* !!!

To make it worse signs at check-in offering us big cash to take a later flight, but I was rightly discouraged, family were waiting for us at the other end. And we had a plan already.

My kind uncle arranged for a colleague in LA to videotape it and FEDEX the tape out to Hawaii.

3 or 4 days later, late at night we get in, the tape has arrived. Result entirely avoided.
#7 Ian Taylor FA cup final shirt put on, all except the older women settle down for our most surreal cup final watching session Polynesian-style.
You know what happened next. That desolate feeling of not even having put up a fight...
Still, it was a good spot to recover in

[purpletrousers]

Holiday on O’ahu island, Hawaii May 2000.

My late Uncle (in LA) generously paid for the whole family to have a big slightly delayed millennium get together in a really lovely beach house, stunning setting.

Flights booked yonks in advance, to fly out Saturday 20th May 2000. What were the odds we were going to make our first FA cup final in 43years? Went to the Bolton semi, would have not got a ticket probably, but oh the wrench…

Flight from LHR at *3pm* !!!

To make it worse signs at check-in offering us big cash to take a later flight, but I was rightly discouraged, family were waiting for us at the other end. And we had a plan already.

My kind uncle arranged for a colleague in LA to videotape it and FEDEX the tape out to Hawaii.

3 or 4 days later, late at night we get in, the tape has arrived. Result entirely avoided.
#7 Ian Taylor FA cup final shirt put on, all except the older women settle down for our most surreal cup final watching session Polynesian-style.
You know what happened next. That desolate feeling of not even having put up a fight...
Still, it was a good spot to recover in

oh yeah and that shirt is now one of the donations at the hospital we link with in Uganda.

on that 2008 trip, coming back in the pitch darkness walking when probably not safest idea, I hear football commentary coming from a tiny roadside shack - the most shed like bar you can imagine at the side of a dirt road - a bit of dutch courage meant finding cold beer and seeing Villa on sweetly beating Spurs... 2-1.

Other memory is with my Baggie mate a week or two later trying to understand Swahili (maybe) commentary on a National Park Ranger’s radio of us playing them… and winning

And proudly wearing the first Acorns shirt lots that trip!

[KevinGage]

In Kuala Lumpur, in 35+ heat when the news that Martin O'Neill was about to become Villa manager. 

Some cheeky scamps were suggesting that it was all a ruse and that we'd end up with Souness.

[Mortimer's Bear]

I think I was in Jamaica when Gareth Barry moved to citeh.

[robbo1874]

Slightly ot as not Villa related, but I will never forget the day when I bought a paper whilst on holiday in villamoura (well slightly villa related) and learned of the death of the great Brian clough.

Remember it like it was yesterday and it remains my saddest loss to date of any of the football characters around whilst growing up.

[jeowje]

Spent the whole summer of 95 aged 15 eagerly awaiting BL's first full season, how would we get on against Man U in the opener? I was on holiday in Malta, only way to find out the result was to buy the Sunday Mirror the next morning at an extortionate 2 pounds from the market near Valetta's main bus station.

I can still remember how the nervous, trembly sensation of dread turned instantly to ecstasy as i turned to the back page to see that we had won 3-1!

[martin o`who??]

I sarted getting texts from delighted baggies/noses when i was lying on a sunbed in Crete, O`neill had just resigned.

[cheltenhamlion]

Not news but I watched the derby at The Sty where Gabby got his first late winner against them at a taverna in Rhodes.

The time difference meant kick off was at two. I spent the morning chilling on the beach before heading to said taverna for a nice fish lunch.

There was me, the wife and a handful of locals in there but they did have Sky Sports.

As you may imagine, I celebrated in fine style by letting out a blood curdling scream and dancing a jig around the square the taverna sat in.

I then sat with my head in my hands, and uttering expletives, for the final five minutes until the whistle went.

The locals were amused and bemused by my actions in equal measure.

[amfy]

I was in Sydney for New Year and loving the quirky idea of being able to watch a Villa game that was played in 2010, live, whilst I was already in 2011.
As it happened we were knackered, couldn't face staying out, and watched it on the hotel telly. I battled with my drooping eyelids until Drogba converted a penalty for Chelsea, and then thought sod this, I've done the 'this year/next year' thing, I'm not going to lie here fighting to stay awake just to watch us get thrashed.
I checked my phone when I got up and had a text from Jane saying 'We're fantastic aren't we?'............

[Legion]

MO'N being appointed manager as I landed on some Greek island and being very pleased indeed with this news.

Getting tonked by Newcastle on my return to the UK a few years later resulting in the mobile being switched off and a drive back home in silence.

[Bernie]

On a short break in Swansea in August 2010, in a bar, half an eye on the TV in the far corner saw something along the lines of "Martin O'Neill resigns..................."

[john2710]

Was stuck in Calais for nearly 2 days (French fishermen blockade) when MON walked out. Which made a bad situation worse.