Birmingham Mail and Villa coverage

[saunders_heroes]

I'm sort of expecting to see Joey Barton at B6 some time soon. Just a feeling.

I've thought that for a while now and I wouldn't be against it either. Our midfield is as weak as water and he'd be a good quick fix. We should snap him up if he's available.

The same as Richards and Lescott were good fixes to the weak defence. He is as much a trouble maker as those ones have been anyway.

Well he didn't do too badly at Burnley last season. And I don't go with the 'it didn't work last time so we should never try it again' routine either. Our midfield is laughably bad and it needs fixing even if it's for the short term.

[Steve67]

Meiereles is still available. I thought he was going to Bournemouth. Seemingly not.

[kippaxvilla2]

Barton wouldn't be able to join until January anyway.

[tomd2103]

I'm sort of expecting to see Joey Barton at B6 some time soon. Just a feeling.

I've thought that for a while now and I wouldn't be against it either. Our midfield is as weak as water and he'd be a good quick fix. We should snap him up if he's available.

The same as Richards and Lescott were good fixes to the weak defence. He is as much a trouble maker as those ones have been anyway.

To be fair to them, they were - for all of about 60 minutes at Leicester and then it was downhill all the way from there.

[Somniloquism]

I'm sort of expecting to see Joey Barton at B6 some time soon. Just a feeling.

I've thought that for a while now and I wouldn't be against it either. Our midfield is as weak as water and he'd be a good quick fix. We should snap him up if he's available.

The same as Richards and Lescott were good fixes to the weak defence. He is as much a trouble maker as those ones have been anyway.

Well he didn't do too badly at Burnley last season. And I don't go with the 'it didn't work last time so we should never try it again' routine either. Our midfield is laughably bad and it needs fixing even if it's for the short term.

Unless it means buying unproven players in which case you do have problems with that.

In Bartons book, Dyche is pretty much the only manager he liked. I expect that was why he wanted to play for him and do his best. But pretty much everywhere else he has been, trouble has followed.

[dcdavecollett]

If it's the case that Brucie-babe (did I really just type that?) gets on well with the players, then JB might fancy working under him. We're probably the biggest club he could hope for at this stage of his career.

[Scratchins]

A violent mass brawl took place on 16 July in Wenlock Road, Aston. Details have just been released. The Mail headline is "Police: Shocking armed mass brawl took place near Villa Park".

[PeterWithe]

I happened to pick up a free copy on the Monday after the derby, it was laughably one sided, like what I image the SHA fanzine would be like.

[LeeB]

I happened to pick up a free copy on the Monday after the derby, it was laughably one sided, like what I image the SHA fanzine would be like.

Check out this Mondays edition to see if they're campaigning for Hudddrsfield to claim all three points, as they had more shots and more possession.

[olaftab]

A violent mass brawl took place on 16 July in Wenlock Road, Aston. Details have just been released. The Mail headline is "Police: Shocking armed mass brawl took place near Villa Park".

Nothing wrong with that as Villa Park is a landmark an helps people reading to approximate location.

[amfy]

A violent mass brawl took place on 16 July in Wenlock Road, Aston. Details have just been released. The Mail headline is "Police: Shocking armed mass brawl took place near Villa Park".

Nothing wrong with that as Villa Park is a landmark an helps people reading to approximate location.

....but any one reading the headline would presume that Villa fans were involved, especially so close to a derby match.

[dave.woodhall]

Presumably then every arrest in Digbeth and Small Heath takes place near St Andrews.

[Lastfootstamper]

A violent mass brawl took place on 16 July in Wenlock Road, Aston. Details have just been released. The Mail headline is "Police: Shocking armed mass brawl took place near Villa Park".

Nothing wrong with that as Villa Park is a landmark an helps people reading to approximate location.

In case they're left wondering where Aston is?

[adrenachrome]

Birmingham Mail

Pub used by Blues fans to ambush Villa supporters and police licence suspended

West Midlands Police were forced to draft in more than 75 officers and police dogs in derby trouble

ByNick McCarthy
17:00, 18 NOV 2016Updated14:48, 18 NOV 2016

A Birmingham pub has had its licence suspended after police officers were pelted with glasses and bottles when “serious disorder” broke out after the Blues Villa derby match last month.

West Midlands Police were forced to draft in more than 75 officers and police dogs to try and control a large group of Birmingham City fans who were drinking outside the White Tower pub after the match on October 30.

The force said “risk supporters” were lying in wait at the venue because they knew it was on the route officers were using to escort Aston Villa fans back to Duddeston train station.

It told an expedited licence review hearing on November 3 that officers were forced to use batons to move the fans away from the Nechells pub in order to prevent violent clashes between the two sets of rival supporters.

It went on to say that specialist police spotters had identified risk supporters inside the Lawley Middleway venue and claimed that pub bosses had told police twice that they would not be opening on match day.

In a written submission to the hearing, Superintendent Andy Parsons, said: “Police had visited the White Tower on Saturday night and were told the venue would not open on Sunday. Police spotters attended on the Sunday morning and were again told the venue would not be open.

“After the game a significant number of Birmingham City fans attended and police spotters identified a number of risk fans. The police escort of Aston Villa fans needed to pass this location in order to reach Duddeston railway station.

“The group had been drinking and were clearly aware the escort would pass here. The licence holder had no control over this group. They were not complying with police requests,

“The group escalated their behaviour and officers had to use force to clear the group. Bottles and glasses were thrown at police officers. This was a high level of violence aimed at police which I would class as serious disorder.

“It took in excess of 75 officers and numerous police dogs to safely restore order at the location and gain control of the group inside. Fans were arrested from this location.”

In its written decision to suspend the licence, pending the full hearing, the council’s licensing sub committee A said: “The sub-committee determined the principal cause of the serious crime and serious disorder was due to the management of the premises choosing to open the venue at a time when they had informed West Midlands Police, on at least two separate occasions, that it they would not do so.”

The full hearing will be held next week and councillors have the option of adding conditions, modifying current conditions or even revoking the licence.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Utter stupidity by the landlord. He risks losing both his business and home.