Are we, as supporters, doing enough???

[aj2k77]

I gave up going regularly the end of the second MON season. It was nothing to do with us being crap to watch, spending no money, clueless manager etc I just didn't enjoy the modern match day anymore. I missed moving around during the game, I missed standing, I didn't like paying £30 for a ticket, I didn't enjoy how uncompetitive the division was. Since then I've been to about 20 times, probably watched 5 or so good compelling games. There's nothing about modern football or Villa right now that would tempt me back. Fair do's to those still fighting the good fight.

[N'ZMAV]

I still go every now and again, but it's the McLeish year that knocked the stuffing out of me. Not just the fact that it was boring and awful football, but mainly because of Lerner appointing McLeish showed how he didn't have a clue how to run this football club.

[OzVilla]

My brother and his two kids gave up their season tickets last year after 10 years, brothers been a regular for 35 years. I couldn't say I blamed him. It's a shed load of money and they were being badly short changed entertainment wise by the club.

They had a chat one day and came to the conclusion that their hearts rent in it and they'd pick their games. THey went to a few last year, I went back for a visit which coincided with the Citeh home game, but the kids have moved on. They see an uncompetitive club floundering with absolutly no ambition. They've not been at all this season.

When the club lose this type of supporter it's reached a real breaking point.

To answer the OP's question, they've more than done their part down the years, of that I'm certain. It's the club at arn't doing enough.

[exigo]

The Sunderland game was a weird atmosphere from start to finish. I probably manage six home games and about the same away each season these days, after 30 years of going, and that's the first time there's been an absolute malaise from start to finish.

I took the missus, for her one game a season, and she noticed it from the start too. "Why's nobody singing?", she said. "It'll get going soon", I said and then looked at my watch to see it was 2.55.

By the time the teams came out there hadn't been one song sung from the Holte. Maybe it was because it was cold. Maybe it was because everyone just wanted to chat about their Christmas. Maybe it was because there was no effort to create an atmosphere (dumb as it sounds, why does the giant flag only appear for the big teams?). Maybe it was because Lambert had for some reason dropped Okore, or not picked Grealish. Maybe it was because 0-0 at 7/1 was the most predictable outcome of the lot.

It seemed to take the Delph red to wake us out of our collective slumber, and it was only in the last 15 minutes that there was any noise around us in K5. Sunderland fans promptly told us they'd forgot that we were there. They had a point. It was like being at Upton Park, where in twenty years of games I haven't heard the home end once before the 75 minute mark.

Away games are great. Up to 3,000 people all wanting to make some noise and get behind the team. I've already got tickets for Arsenal, a game I don't expect to get anything out of but an experience I know will be worth the investment. I've seen us at West Ham, QPR and Palace, and even though the performances were average, the atmosphere was great each time.

But it's different at home games. Where to sit for the best atmosphere is the first question – the lower Holte has more kids, the upper Holte has more grumbling pensioners at the front and a dwindling number of teenagers who want to sing at the back (forgive the sweeping generalisations). The whole Brigada effort in L9 appears to be quietening down, and I make no judgement as to why that is. But it makes you wonder how we can do anything about it, and whether the club would actually engage with any effort to improve the atmosphere. Whatever the solution is (singing sections, offering away fans deals in the same block, reducing ticket prices), it has to come from the fans first.

For me, the fact that train prices and match tickets make it an eighty quid and six hour investment makes it easier to decide not to go to many home games any more. If it continues like it did at the Sunderland game, I can't imagine why you'd want to go even if you lived around the corner. And that's what's most disheartening.

[caster troy]

After 10 years in the same seat in the Holte End I didn't renew in the summer. I ran out of hope that I would see anything different happen under Lambert, going to games has just become a nightmarish groundhog day as far as I'm concerned.

I am certainly not going to criticize people for not singing when I am not even going anymore. Anyone sat in that ground on match day deserves a medal as far as I'm concerned.

[TopDeck113]

Is there any old timers out there who can compare the current atmosphere around the club with what it was like in the mid 60s?  When I was younger, those who went in the days before the "Revolution" used to tell us kids that going to the Villa simply became a chore and it was only really a lack of an alternative and the fact that many people still worked Saturday mornings that kept people going.     

[cdward]

When you do stop going, the initial feeling that you are missing out on something, is easier to take if we lose. The fans who have stopped going this season will very quickly realise they are not missing anything. I used to worry if I didn't go I would be missing an historic, "I was there when.." win, that comes around every season or so, but we all know these are getting further and further apart.

[aj2k77]

Regarding the club not making enough effort.... we have no assistant manager and our one other outfield coach is another one of Lamberts numpties from Norwich who got a promotion from youth team training. We've gone was it 3 months in to a season before with no manager and entered this season with no CEO. We've played games where the average age of the team has been around 23 and the total number of top flight games combined were tiny.

The lack of effort comes from the prat who's been running the club in to the ground for the past 4 years. He supposedly has his passion back? Where is it then, because if he had any passion Lambert would have been fucked off the minute it reignited.

[Hoppo]

I believe that supporting your club means more than sitting on the internet moaning. I go because I love the club not the custodians.
The atmosphere is shit at times as at 90% of clubs. Stoke for instance were shocking.
If you can't afford to go then fair enough but you sign up to be a Villa fan for life.

[taylorsworkrate]

I've been twice this season. Firstly against Orient where it was understandable the atmosphere wasn't the greatest. Secondly against Arsenal, where the atmosphere was actually very good until they scored 3 goals in about 4 minutes, which naturally deflated everyone.

[taylorsworkrate]

I believe that supporting your club means more than sitting on the internet moaning. I go because I love the club not the custodians.
The atmosphere is shit at times as at 90% of clubs. Stoke for instance were shocking.
If you can't afford to go then fair enough but you sign up to be a Villa fan for life.

How do you define "can't afford to go then fair enough"?

Do you mean, physically don't have the £40+?
Or do have the money, but would rather spend it on something more likely to make you and family happy?

[footyskillz]

 David Cameron and Duke of Cambridge 2015 resolutions are to do more for AVFC

[ez]

I do wonder if this could have been avoided if Lerner had done the right thing in the summer and sacked Lambert. Endorsing him with a new 4 year contract was like a punch in the stomach.

[caster troy]

I do wonder if this could have been avoided if Lerner had done the right thing in the summer and sacked Lambert. Endorsing him with a new 4 year contract was like a punch in the stomach.

Well I can only speak for myself but I would have renewed in the summer if Lambert had gone and so would my mate who I go with. My blood ran cold when I saw the new contract story.

[walsall villain]

After 10 years in the same seat in the Holte End I didn't renew in the summer. I ran out of hope that I would see anything different happen under Lambert, going to games has just become a nightmarish groundhog day as far as I'm concerned.

I am certainly not going to criticize people for not singing when I am not even going anymore. Anyone sat in that ground on match day deserves a medal as far as I'm concerned.

Reading various threads on here it seems like a lot of the posters barely go to matches at the moment. I gave up my season ticket and haven't been much but I know it's in my blood. As soon as changes are made and hope returns to Villa Park I will return with new enthusiasm. I witnessed the two recent 0-0 games, yes the crowd were very quiet but it's hard to get too excited if the ball is barely ever in the opponents final third.