Taking kids to the training ground?

[wozwebs]

Last day of the holidays tomorrow and thinking of taking the kids to the training ground. Not been since they redeveloped it so wondering what time to get there and if there is a public viewing area for us to watch the first team train. This is presuming, of course, that they players will be there? Not sure as many may be off on international duty?

[Legion]

You have no chance of being allowed access to the first team.

[j66acd]

Think it was when Gregory was there and I was about 12-13, he let the fans right upto the side of the pitch to watch the 1st team train and get autographs.  Think I was ball boy for the keepers.

When I was even younger I was given a tour of the training ground by Big Fat Ron!!

[Legion]

Unfortunately, things have changed.

[Rudy65]

Unfortunately, things have changed.

I remember back in 2001 having treatment on a foot injury at BH by one of their physios. They let me wonder around, initially waited in the canteen, and then had treatment.

Times have now changed

[London Villan]

One of my best Villa moments happened one summer in the early 90s.

We turned up at Villa Parl to buy some tickets and as was normally the case there was door open to get into the ground. We wandered in to find BFR in charge of a first team training session. We watched for the next half hour or so and as it came to an end BFR asked us onto the pitch to meet the players and help tidy up the cones and bibs. I doubt very much any of the above would happen today.

[Archie]

I can not understand why players must be treated as extraterrestrials.
In Italy we are used to attend many training sessions and always the summer training camp.
And players are - must be - available for photos and autographs.
At the end of the day (or of the fair, as we say in Italy) if they earn so much, it is because fans spend a lot of money for tickets, TV, merchandising, etc. So they deserve a bit of attention in return.










There are also spaces for the kids near the training camp.
In my vision a football team is a family, i could not conceive nothing different.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

Is that 18 year old Joseph Minala in the first pic?

And yeah, I agree that training should be more accessible. Guess there's the excuse of people seeing tactics, but Lambert is our manager, so that wouldn't be an issue!

[Archie]

Is that 18 year old Joseph Minala in the first pic?

You legend!

[Smirker]

Excellent stuff Archie.

[berneboy]

I remember watching Villa train at Grange Road in Erdington. Tony Hateley tried to take our ball off us when they were clearing up. We actually had the same football even though we were 9 year old ragamuffins. Amazing. It must have been about 1963.

Is it built on now? There were prefabs facing the road and it was next to the HP ground from where I was often chased off.

[LeeB]

I remember watching Villa train at Grange Road in Erdington. Tony Hateley tried to take our ball off us when they were clearing up. We actually had the same football even though we were 9 year old ragamuffins. Amazing. It must have been about 1963.

Is it built on now? There were prefabs facing the road and it was next to the HP ground from where I was often chased off.

No, those pitches have been my Sunday teams home ground for about 15 years.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

On trips up to Brum there were Things That Had To Be Done:

Trips to:

Andromeda (much missed - I got so many recommendations from Rog et al.)
Swordfish
A Villa game
And Bodymoor whenever we could...

These were from around 1977 on a bitingly cold day:







Dunno who the player on the left is:



And the love of my life pictured with the man she once had to be forcibly restrained from invading the pitch to get at (against Stoke IIRC, he was in fine form that day right in front of us in the Witton Lane stand):

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Player on the left looks like Bobby McDonald.

[Malandro]

Is that 18 year old Joseph Minala in the first pic?

Going to say the same, looks like Pele's dad. As for the training, probably banned on h&s grounds - flying c.Clark's.