Nigel Kennedy in The Grauniad

[steamer]

Maybe it should be the idle class 

[Damo70]

This is where I prefer noses to Albion fans. What you see is what you you get. There is just 'working' or 'not working'. As in "couldn't go because I was working" or "couldn't go because I'm not working at the moment". And class doesn't get brought into it at any point because there is absolutely no class whatsoever.

[Pat McMahon]

[
Its a point of view that seems to persist about Villa. I know a very middle class Swedish guy who moved over here and chose Birmingham as his team cos they are 'the working class club'. Right on middle class folk seem to gravitate towards what they perceive to be 'authentic' working class. They have a daft assumption of working class being all about failure so they plump for the down and out clubs. As if working class people wouldn't be interested in supporting decent football teams in decent stadiums.
[/quote]

I understand what you mean Stuart. I know a couple who came to Brum 15-20 years ago, he is from Canada, she is from Leeds, and they very purposefully chose Blues for the reasons you cite.

[Sam Smith]

If Blose are the working class club why does the majority of their support come from Solihull? This is based on season tickets and members if memory serves me correctly.

Hardly the stuff of Springsteen, blue collar, born on the wrong side of the tracks folklore from what I remember growing up there. Even the old council estates are rather pleasant now!

[silhillvilla]

Solihull includes the hamlets of Chelmsley Wood, Fordbridge and Smiths Wood. Not to mention Shirley.

[Percy McCarthy]

Solihull includes the hamlets of Chelmsley Wood, Fordbridge and Smiths Wood.

Which, apart from the older generation, are probably about 50/50 Villa/SH. And I'd bet money that more of us actually go to games.

And don't forget Kingshurst, which is mainly Villa now I'd say.

[silhillvilla]

I still see their "stronghold" being along the Coventry Rd corridor , sort of from the airport through Sheldon up through yardley and into Hay Mills and Small Heath / Bordesley. Even in those areas you're looking at at least 50% villa, Probably more.

[Sam Smith]

Solihull includes the hamlets of Chelmsley Wood, Fordbridge and Smiths Wood. Not to mention Shirley.

Shirley? It's hardly in the same economic class as the others! My point wasn't that Solihull is exclusively Blose more that it is where the rare creatures who attend St Andrews are most often from.

[Stu]

Solihull includes the hamlets of Chelmsley Wood, Fordbridge and Smiths Wood. Not to mention Shirley.

Shirley? It's hardly in the same economic class as the others! My point wasn't that Solihull is exclusively Blose more that it is where the rare creatures who attend St Andrews are most often from.

Plenty from the mean streets of struggle in Knowle/Dorridge and surrounding villages.

Weirdly, Balsall Common is mostly Villa with a few Cov/Blues scattered about, then going out into Leamington and Warwick, it's practically all Villa.

We probably do have more middle class fans than the others, but that's just because we have more support across the entire region and country, fuck all to do with being the 'posh' club of the city.

[villajk]

I can tell you, on good authority, that Knowle and Dorridge has a mix of supporters but the majority of 'locals' are Villa.  You'll very rarely see anyone walking our streets in a Blose shirt.  Having said that, you don't get many walking around in any shirts except on match days.

[Sam Smith]

Solihull includes the hamlets of Chelmsley Wood, Fordbridge and Smiths Wood. Not to mention Shirley.

Shirley? It's hardly in the same economic class as the others! My point wasn't that Solihull is exclusively Blose more that it is where the rare creatures who attend St Andrews are most often from.

Plenty from the mean streets of struggle in Knowle/Dorridge and surrounding villages.

Weirdly, Balsall Common is mostly Villa with a few Cov/Blues scattered about, then going out into Leamington and Warwick, it's practically all Villa.

We probably do have more middle class fans than the others, but that's just because we have more support across the entire region and country, fuck all to do with being the 'posh' club of the city.

I think the fact that all the so call Blose areas are now full of Villa is one of the things that upsets them, the most. I think it may even begin to readjust their previous belief that they are a BIG club, sleeping giant if you will and perhaps not the hardest set of supporters in the world!

I love the look on their faces when they walk into one of their so called Blues pubs when we are on and it's packed with Villa.

[Hopadop]

[
Its a point of view that seems to persist about Villa. I know a very middle class Swedish guy who moved over here and chose Birmingham as his team cos they are 'the working class club'. Right on middle class folk seem to gravitate towards what they perceive to be 'authentic' working class. They have a daft assumption of working class being all about failure so they plump for the down and out clubs. As if working class people wouldn't be interested in supporting decent football teams in decent stadiums.

I understand what you mean Stuart. I know a couple who came to Brum 15-20 years ago, he is from Canada, she is from Leeds, and they very purposefully chose Blues for the reasons you cite.
[/quote]


I can understand this to be fair.

If I moved somewhere and had a choice of clubs to support, I wouldn't pick the biggest and most successful. I'd go for the underdogs.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

[Percy McCarthy]

Whatever happened to the Plattmans?

[eamonn]

After the Proms a friend of mine whose partner works with the Symphonic Orchestra, was invited to an all-nighter at Niges' pile in Hampstead. Said he had one of the best nights of his life. Nigel was the consummate host, great raconteur but also wanting to listen to other people's views - the more contrary the better.
His Polish band were also there. They said it was worth being broke three-quarters of the year just to spend a couple of months working with Kennedy.
At the end of the night, going on for 10am apparently, he made them all eggs benedict with caviar and champers for brekkie.

My mate (only recently acquainted, so I'll let him off) added, "Oh, I forgot you were a Villa fan. Would have invited you if I'd thought of it. He had that fuckin' shirt on all night."

[dcdavecollett]

Saw Nige in the store after the game on Saturday. Although he had an armful of shirts, he was happy to sign our programme and have a chat about the game. A celeb with no ego ? What went wrong?