Is celebrating an away goal among home fans ever acceptable?

[olaftab]

More the fact that we don't really have neutrals at Villa Park. We're not in the World's most-visited tourist city, full of people who just want to see a football game. I expect the attraction factor has diminished since they stopped being in the Premier League, but even so.

May be not the world's most visited but from meetbirmingham.com:

"Birmingham’s visitor economy has grown significantly over the last five years with visitor numbers rising by 13% from 29.1m to 32.8m. These figures fuel the sector’s growing economic impact which has risen by nearly three quarters (72%) in the last five years – from £2.7bn in 2005 to £4.6bn in 2010. The strength of the city’s visitor economy has also created 21,220 jobs over the last five years, with employment in the sector going up by more than half (57%)."

[peter w]

It would have been okay if the kids had celebrated and their dad just ushered them back into their seats and gave an apologetic smile and simple sorry look to those around him. It would have not caused any more fuss than a "bloody tut" type reaction. that it went as far as the stewards being called suggests that the father either encouraged the celebrating, took part in it, or couldn't care less. That is taking the pee a little.

As for the PR side of it, then no. My nephew wants to go all the time but my dad picks and chooses his matches so can't take my nephew. There's a Villa fan who would appreciate the clubs efforts and not 2 Man U supporting kids who's tit of a dad caused them to get thrown out. Anyway, they're 7 and 9. Too old to be able to change teams.

[Dave]

More the fact that we don't really have neutrals at Villa Park. We're not in the World's most-visited tourist city, full of people who just want to see a football game. I expect the attraction factor has diminished since they stopped being in the Premier League, but even so.

May be not the world's most visited but from meetbirmingham.com:

"Birmingham’s visitor economy has grown significantly over the last five years with visitor numbers rising by 13% from 29.1m to 32.8m.

Quite.

I mean, who the hell would want to visit Birmingham. And why would they then want to bother watching one of the most historically significant football teams in the world.

Probably easier to assume that nobody outside a committed Villa fan would want to watch us and not bother trying anything to attract new ones.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Home games are the same as aways. They work on a priority system and eventually go to general sale. It's only recently we've stopped the general sale thing for Manure etc. So maybe the game he wanted hadn't reached general sale.

It was a few years back so it maybe better now , it was a couple of weeks before the game if I recall correctly. Anyway Villa park was not sold out , so for the sake of red tape they just lost a sale and a potential future fan.

[pauliewalnuts]

It would have been okay if the kids had celebrated and their dad just ushered them back into their seats and gave an apologetic smile and simple sorry look to those around him. It would have not caused any more fuss than a "bloody tut" type reaction. that it went as far as the stewards being called suggests that the father either encouraged the celebrating, took part in it, or couldn't care less. That is taking the pee a little.

I think you're probably right there.

It sounded to me like some clueless footballing Tarquin with a sense of entitlement which makes him think it is outrageous he can't take his spawn to watch "United" play and sit and cheer anywhere he wants.

What kind of parent does that? What kind of parent turns his children into Brummie Reds, FFS?

[LeeB]

With a dad like that they'll almost certainly turn out to be tossers too, so it's no loss.

[cdbearsfan]

More the fact that we don't really have neutrals at Villa Park. We're not in the World's most-visited tourist city, full of people who just want to see a football game. I expect the attraction factor has diminished since they stopped being in the Premier League, but even so.

May be not the world's most visited but from meetbirmingham.com:

"Birmingham’s visitor economy has grown significantly over the last five years with visitor numbers rising by 13% from 29.1m to 32.8m.

Quite.

I mean, who the hell would want to visit Birmingham. And why would they then want to bother watching one of the most historically significant football teams in the world.

Probably easier to assume that nobody outside a committed Villa fan would want to watch us and not bother trying anything to attract new ones.

Don't be silly. I take offence to any accusation that I'm slagging off Birmingham. However, to suggest we attract tourists in the same way that London does is beyond mental.

In any case, the foreigners I've known that do attend Villa Park have never said to me "I nearly didn't bother when I've found out they didn't have a neutral end".

If you are a foreign visitor to England, desperate to sample the authentic English football experience, surely sitting in a home end is a far better way to do so than sitting in a watered-down fence-sitting Nick Cleggesque "neutral end"?

[LeeB]

"Sorry sir, no half-and-halves in here, you need to go to the Clegg enclosure"

I like it.

[pauliewalnuts]

"Sorry sir, no half-and-halves in here, you need to go to the Clegg enclosure"

I like it.

"Where do I find that?"

"Over there, in the Danny Alexander Stand"

[Colin B]

I'm a season ticket holder and have received my Blackpool ticket today through the post.

Even though I am a season ticket holder there was a separate piece of paper with the ticket advising me that the ticket purchased is for home fans only and has been purchased on that basis. It advised that any away fan will not be allowed entrance and if I disagree then a refund will be given up to 24 hours beforehand.

The man bought the ticket under these conditions and can have no excuse.

If he didn't like it he could have got his money back beforehand.

[tomd2103]

I agree with PWS, it makes people angrier because it's Brand FC supporters who routinely listen to that chant about doing what they want and putting it into practice.

It's the fact that if you looked up Gloryhunter in the dictionary, then you would find "Laurie" of Bromsgrove in there. He never misses a match on Sky.

They're vile and we better hope and prey that Arsenal, Liverpool, bloody anybody, knocks them into 5th. Another season having budgeted for CL football but come up short may mean no more official noodle sponsors.

I think the fact it is them comes into play somewhat as well.  I genuinely cannot stand that club and everything to do with it, especially their gloryhunting 'fans'.  I wonder if the reaction would have been different if they had been fans of any other club (Blues excepted of course)? 

[thick_mike]

I celebrated Garry Thompson's goal at St Andrews stood on the Kop...my celebration consisted of squeezing my girlfriend's hand slightly while trying to look miserable.

Most inappropriate date ever?

[RussellC]

I ahd corporate seats at the Emirates for last season's 1-3 win. I just sat there quietly when we went 2-1 up (mainly because I expected us to get pegged-back), but there were so many Arsenal supporters standing up to vent their anger at Wenger when Luna scored, as i was able to disguise my celebrations as jumping up to punch the air angrily.

[Lastfootstamper]

I agree with PWS, it makes people angrier because it's Brand FC supporters who routinely listen to that chant about doing what they want and putting it into practice.

It's the fact that if you looked up Gloryhunter in the dictionary, then you would find "Laurie" of Bromsgrove in there. He never misses a match on Sky.

They're vile and we better hope and prey that Arsenal, Liverpool, bloody anybody, knocks them into 5th. Another season having budgeted for CL football but come up short may mean no more official noodle sponsors.

I think the fact it is them comes into play somewhat as well.  I genuinely cannot stand that club and everything to do with it, especially their gloryhunting 'fans'.  I wonder if the reaction would have been different if they had been fans of any other club (Blues excepted of course)?

Indeed. I remember an incident probably half a dozen years ago against the bitters. Upper Trinity, a group of 5 or 6 sat in a row next to us, transpired that one of their number was "behind enemy lines". When they scored, he half leapt out of his seat, stopped in his sort of mid-crouch position as he remembered where he was, looked around one way, then the other, obviously thought, "aah, fuck it", continued with his "yeeeeeeeesssss" and his air-punch, then sat down. Dunno if it was tempered by us winning anyway, but I don't recall even the slightest animosity. Going even farther back, on one of our got-an-extra-couple-of-quid excursions to the UT from The Holte, we sat by a load of Chelsea fans, and spent most of the game trying to work out how we could get Deadly to go for their Stainrod-Dixon swap that they seemed so keen on!
In conclusion, yes, it's pretty much just those "we do what we want" dank tufts of rectal pubic hair that people take objection to.

[rob_bridge]

Was in the club shop on new St Sunday and 2 what Dave whelan would call chinks but me being politically correct would class as people from another country were trying to buy tickets for the liverpool game.
Guy behind the counter said you have to have a booking history so if you buy tickets for sunderlNd game you can then have tickets for the Liverpool game they declined and walked out.
Why don't they just wear a top with Gerrard on the back fooking glory hunting shits

Bit harsh.

That match is 3 weeks away. It isn't inconceivable that they're, for example, locally based students wanting to watch a match.

I've seen plenty of young chinese people at our matches, decked out in claret and blue, and not only when we play Liverpool or Man United.

Correct - and may I add one or 2 South Koreans on occasions, including my Good Lady.