Why are you Villa?

[UK Redsox]

This thread makes very interesting reading for me.

Sometimes I wish that I'd grown up in a football area but then again, during seasons like the current one, I'm glad that I don't have the historical family allegiance or personal emotional attachment to Villa and football in general.

[fbriai]

Why? Perché lui è il mio più vecchio amico. Mah adesso e quasi sempre mi tratta come un nemico.

Ain't that the truth!

By the way, Eammon, your 'mah' doesn't need the 'h', it should just be 'ma'.

'Mah' is sort of the equivalent of going 'pffffff' or shrugging your shoulders, as opposed to the 'but' you were looking for.

[olaftab]

This thread makes very interesting reading for me.

Sometimes I wish that I'd grown up in a football area but then again, during seasons like the current one, I'm glad that I don't have the historical family allegiance or personal emotional attachment to Villa and football in general.

It was easy for me being where I was growing up however I admire people like yourself who choose and select class rather than glory.

[Dave Cooper please]

Primarily to annoy my Dad.

It also helped that my next door neighbour was a Villa fan and was happy to fill his car with whichever kids from the street were around on a Saturday and take us all down to VP.

[pauliewalnuts]

This thread makes very interesting reading for me.

Sometimes I wish that I'd grown up in a football area but then again, during seasons like the current one, I'm glad that I don't have the historical family allegiance or personal emotional attachment to Villa and football in general.

How did you come to be a Villa fan, then?

EDIT ignore. I used the cunning link to the previous page and saw your post.

[rooboy316]

This thread makes very interesting reading for me.

Sometimes I wish that I'd grown up in a football area but then again, during seasons like the current one, I'm glad that I don't have the historical family allegiance or personal emotional attachment to Villa and football in general.

Same - interesting to read for someone who hadn't been to Birmingham till I was 23.  I was a 4 year old kid in Bangladesh, where the only football we got on TV was a 30 minute highlights show once a week.  I liked the colours, and that was it.  A couple of years later, Dwight Yorke happened and it sealed the deal.

[chippy]

Didn't like football until I was eight. Didn't know much about football so supported Man U like most kids in the late 90's. Watched them win the treble in 99 and thought to myself- "there's nothing left for them to win now.". Wanted to support a new team. My hometown Swansea were old 3rd division then so that wasn't appealing to me. Had FIFA 2000 on the playstation and decided to support a top 6 side that was more of a challenge. Chose either villa, N'castle or Spurs. Did a lucky dip and came out Villa. Which I was happy about because there's something different about villa. Plus my cousin is also a villa fan for no particular reason too. Loved villa ever since!

[The Left Side]

Family, they are all Villa on both parent's sides and my Mom used to live in B6 too.

[Hale]

I started going with my elder brother in mid 60s. But it was my first match travelling on my own which was the real start on my support. Nov 1966 against the albion, a 3-2 win (attendance c24k, which now seems extraordinary given England were world cup holders and football was meant to be popular). Anyway the whole afternoon was magical, on the train to Aston station, the walk to the ground, standing on the Holte an hour before 3pm, meeting strangers who then became good friends, and then the match - 13 years old and I was hooked. Although I have recently retired and live in Cornwall and therefore am unlikely to be a frequent attendee now, those match day rituals remain in my memory together with the very exceptional matches.

For those who know nothing of Villa but the premiership, please do not think relegation would be the end, it seems so initially, but my fondest memories are of the rise from the 3rd and those matches against Bournemouth and Notts County in particular (and of course the League Cup semi with United in 1971). It is only an opinion there have been few similar delights since the premier league started (well apart from beating the blues 5-1).

UTV.

 

[russon]

my Dad supported Villa , that was that

[Archie]

You will agree that as a child grown in Italy in the 70's, I had not many chances to become a Villa fan, but I remember two reasons why I happened to be:
- Villa is an Italian name so it sounded to me more familiar than strange idioms like Ipswich (yes, in 1981 they did exist), West Bromwich Albion, United or others like that;
- the colours, the colours of wine and the sky, with that nice touch, so English, of the body of a different colour respect to the sleeves: I bought my first shirt at Soccer Scene in Carnaby street at the age of 13 and I could not ask for more!

[gnrpoison]

Mom's Family originally from Birmingham (Marston Green, Moseley etc.), My Grandad's dad had been taking him down in the 40s and 50s, himself a fan from the 1920s from his dad and so when I was old enough I was taken to see us by my grandad and been with them ever since. With playing in a band and having guitar lessons on a weekend I don't get to many games a season now but still enjoy going when I can. Had it not been due to my grandad's intervention probably could have been a Cov, Blues, Baggies, Wolves, Harrier's fan as many in the family support them.

[Lastfootstamper]

Dad's a lapsed (he never really got over their '57 semi performance) nose.
Stripeys on my mom's side.
My dad's dad moved to Brum from Wales in the 30s, looking for work. Loved his football, and he never formed an allegiance, he'd go the Villa one week, blose the next. The old man was born during the war, and, living in Small Heath, he stuck with his nearest team. But as a nipper, my grandad had loads of old memorabilia from both, and he loved his football history. Seven FA Cups got me hooked.
Guess that makes me an early 70s glory hunter.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

You will agree that as a child grown in Italy in the 70's, I had not many chances to become a Villa fan, but I remember two reasons why I happened to be:
- Villa is an Italian name so it sounded to me more familiar than strange idioms like Ipswich (yes, in 1981 they did exist), West Bromwich Albion, United or others like that;
- the colours, the colours of wine and the sky, with that nice touch, so English, of the body of a different colour respect to the sleeves: I bought my first shirt at Soccer Scene in Carnaby street at the age of 13 and I could not ask for more!

This, pretty much, is the ultimate for me from someone of totally neutral beginnings.
"the wine and the sky....first shirt in Carnaby Street"
FFS!
I have yet another Villa hero - Archie!!!

[fbriai]

You will agree that as a child grown in Italy in the 70's, I had not many chances to become a Villa fan, but I remember two reasons why I happened to be:
- Villa is an Italian name so it sounded to me more familiar than strange idioms like Ipswich (yes, in 1981 they did exist), West Bromwich Albion, United or others like that;
- the colours, the colours of wine and the sky, with that nice touch, so English, of the body of a different colour respect to the sleeves: I bought my first shirt at Soccer Scene in Carnaby street at the age of 13 and I could not ask for more!

This, pretty much, is the ultimate for me from someone of totally neutral beginnings.
"the wine and the sky....first shirt in Carnaby Street"
FFS!
I have yet another Villa hero - Archie!!!

Yeah, Archie's definitely a Villa hero.