What makes you proud to support the Villa?

[AV82EC]

As a non Brummie and someone with no family ties to the area and absolutely no reason to support the Villa I quite often find myself thinking why Villa? It's simple, Villa Park and the Holte End. I'd been to loads of football grounds before a friend invited me to VP for a game against Coventry in September 1990. Highbury, white hart lane, loftus road, vicarage road, London road, the abbey stadium, blundell park and sincil bank had all passed me by in various trips with family and friends but the first time I stepped onto the Holte End it was different. To paraphrase I can't remember who the history the tradition and most of all the feeling that this was a special place seemed to crackle around the whole ground. For someone who could previously have been construed as a teenage armchair Liverpool fan it flicked something in me that I just can't explain and whilst my attendance every other week at Villa Park has never been guaranteed this club, the ground and its history will always be a part of me, and now for my son.  There are others clubs with history and tradition which interest me and I respect  but none of them come close to Aston Villa.

[Irish villain]

I think Villa Park is a stunning place. For me, Villa Park is Aston Villa. It is just steeped in the history of the club and the redevelopment of the modern ground has been reasonably (Trinity facade aside) respectful to the history of the ground.

Aston Villa is just a great club with a magnificent history, beautiful colours, unique name and one of the best stadiums in world football. Aston Villa FC = class.

I agree, the stadium really is fantastic and this isn't bias as loads of fans of other teams say the same to me. Posted it the other day but worth posting again:

this

Absolutely beautiful. I usually have Villa Park as my laptop wallpaper. I usually alternate between about ten different images. I just love the place.

[dave shelley]

Where to begin? Maybe with our Wesleyan roots that have perhaps instilled in us our innate decency as a club, an uncanny ability to do 'the right thing, a quality that endures to this day.

The characters in our story; George Ramsay - the greatest Villa club man of all time - no mean feat when one considers his rivals for that honour. Player, captain, revolutionary coach, secretary, manager and director. 59 (I think) years unbroken service during which he turned us from a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs into the most powerful professional sporting organisation in the world.

William MacGregor, who's vision made us the most historically significant club in the game. The wonderful statue which is such a fitting tribute.

Fred Rinder, another visionary who's influence we still enjoy everytime we visit our Paradise.

The roll-call of our internationals - a list that is longer than any other club for our home country.

Hundreds (thousands?) of other, perhaps less celebrated, players, and their fascinating stories.

Our protest against fascism in its epicentre in 1938. The recognition of our work towards harmony and inclusion in the present day.

The Acorns sponsorship and on-going partnership. Where we led others have followed.

Our supporters and the way we rallied round when the club was at its lowest ebb to not only ensure its survival, but drive it on to its greatest success.

The current team and management - their way of doing things is a beacon of sanity and decency in today's insane and obscene money-obsessed game.

We're just class.

Wonderfully put Percy a perfect précis.  So many reasons that no other club can match.  Well done.

[Percy McCarthy]

Thanks Dave.

Also think it is worth mentioning our literary cannon - some of the best football books ever are Villa-specific - our great fanzine and this website. I see them as a by-product of being the greatest club and having such wonderful and diverse support, but they all need a lot of hard work and talent, so deserve a mention,

I also love the setting of the stadium, the Holte pub, the church, Aston Hall and park, King Edward's school, the Bartons etc. Aston often gets a bad press, but there's a lot of good there too if you look around.

And being the biggest club in a great metropolis like Birmingham is not to be sniffed at either, as long as one doesn't look too hard at the competition.

[Legion]

Thanks Dave.

Also think it is worth mentioning our literary cannon - some of the best football books ever are Villa-specific - our great fanzine and this website. I see them as a by-product of being the greatest club and having such wonderful and diverse support, but they all need a lot of hard work and talent, so deserve a mention,

I also love the setting of the stadium, the Holte pub, the church, Aston Hall and park, King Edward's school, the Bartons etc. Aston often gets a bad press, but there's a lot of good there too if you look around.

And being the biggest club in the great metropolis like Birmingham is not to be sniffed at either, as long as one doesn't look too hard at the competition.

You should write a book.

[silhillvilla]

I love the setting of Villa Park. The Church, The Holte Pub, Aston Hall and the park. There's no place id rather be on earth than walking up to Villa Park on a Matchday.

[class_of_82]

crikey where do you start.
the answer reminds me of that part in monty pythons life of brian "what have the romans done for us"

the history and standing of aston villa in the game
the way we conduct ourselves
the un rivalled support
the famous old ground that all other fans love to come to
the holte end known all to all fans everywhere
the refusal of the nazi salute in 1938
the we dont need a billionaire to be a big club(cuz we already are and always have been)
the club badge which oozes class
that claret and blue shirt which is magnificent
48,000 at villa park for the 3rd div game v bournemouth which was the first game ever shown on motd from the 3rd div

yea ok besides all that what makes you proud to support the villa

my grandad who introduced me to the villa aged 6 a guy who put his life savings into the villa shares when we was in danger of being broke and who spurned generations of villa fans that will never end

[cheltenhamlion]

If Dave was so inclined to print it, and thinking of Legions "From a fans perspective" idea, I have long been tempted to write a "Why The Villa?" Book.

I could get some dead interesting people to write about but, as Dave would ask, "Is there a markst for it?"

[Legion]

I still have all my original material if you ever need it. Some great stuff from Steve Stride aswell which I did not get around to putting together. I got interest from two publishers, but they were the 'vanity' type so I did not pursue it. The avfp website is still hosted on my server but I could not afford to renew it with the site host.

[cheltenhamlion]

A very generous offer, Lee. I will leave it to the good folk here in the meantime.

Would you pay good money to read such a book?

[Legion]

Yes.

[dave shelley]

Indeed.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Not half.

[TheSandman]

Definitely.

[LeeB]

Where to begin? Maybe with our Wesleyan roots that have perhaps instilled in us our innate decency as a club, an uncanny ability to do 'the right thing, a quality that endures to this day.

The characters in our story; George Ramsay - the greatest Villa club man of all time - no mean feat when one considers his rivals for that honour. Player, captain, revolutionary coach, secretary, manager and director. 59 (I think) years unbroken service during which he turned us from a bunch of enthusiastic amateurs into the most powerful professional sporting organisation in the world.

William MacGregor, who's vision made us the most historically significant club in the game. The wonderful statue which is such a fitting tribute.

Fred Rinder, another visionary who's influence we still enjoy everytime we visit our Paradise.

The roll-call of our internationals - a list that is longer than any other club for our home country.

Hundreds (thousands?) of other, perhaps less celebrated, players, and their fascinating stories.

Our protest against fascism in its epicentre in 1938. The recognition of our work towards harmony and inclusion in the present day.

The Acorns sponsorship and on-going partnership. Where we led others have followed.

Our supporters and the way we rallied round when the club was at its lowest ebb to not only ensure its survival, but drive it on to its greatest success.

The current team and management - their way of doing things is a beacon of sanity and decency in today's insane and obscene money-obsessed game.

We're just class.

That, is a 'ting a beauty.