Why are you Villa?

[peter w]

I think we should now change our colours from claret & blue to wine & the sky.

[gpbarr]

My whole family supported Blues. My Dad (I love him to bits but there is 1% of him that I think lost it many many years ago!) took me to many Blues games at the Sty when I was a wee lad. Then, in 1978 I saw Villa beat them 1-0 with Andy Gray scoring - I was mesmerized by the atmosphere and for some reason, decided Villa was me. My Dad was disgusted, but to his credit (would you turn a wailing 11 year old down!), he took me to a game at Villa Park and that was that. Ever since, have looked on the Blues as well what they are - baggage class! 

[peter w]

I'd be gutted if my son was a Nose. or any other team other Villa. (And number 2 but as he's only 2 that's another 'fight ahead of me). I'll be doing everything possible, including emotional blackmail to make sure they're both Villa fans. Nothing else is acceptable. I'd be distraught if they were anything else. And as they are 5 and 2 that is the huge psychological weapon in my arsenal and I'm not adverse to using it. terrible I know. Still as parents we brainwash a lot of our values onto our children so i don't feel that bad. The missus gets the religion I get the football.

[el león Benidorm]

Bought up on College Road Kingstanding and late relations buried in Witton Cemetery. Never in question really. All family on my mothers side are all noses though.

[dave shelley]

I lived on College Road too.  From 1970 until I got married in 1975.  I lived by the roundabout at the junction with Dovedale Road.

[el león Benidorm]

I lived there until 77, between the roundabout by Dovedale and the College arms. 632 IIRC

[dave shelley]

FFS, 595 was our house, long since demolished.  We lived next-door-but-one to the entrance to the Council Depot/Offices.  Small world innit?

[el león Benidorm]

Tiny. I think that was right opposite ours too. The Council depot thing rings some bells.

[brian green]

I did not choose the Villa.   Villa chose me in 1947 like it chose my mother in 1907 and my grandfather in (about) 1885.   As one of the posters who knows just how pissed off I am these days said, it is in my DNA.

[basavfc]

My family are all Villa ergo I m Villa. I too was chosen to be Villa. Thank fuck for family. I love my family.
AVFC doing things right since 1874 x

[dcdavecollett]

Bruvver took me down in April 1965 v Spurs. 1-0 win, cracking 25-yard goal by Alan Baker.

And that was that...

[Pat McMahon]

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!!!

I get where Archie is coming from - in French  our colours are translated as Bordeaux and sky blue

[LeeB]

Was there an alternative?

[martin o`who??]

First game i ever went to was........ (Gulps nervously, fingers hover hesitantly over keyboard for a moment, then begins to type again).......... WEST BROM v Chelsea!!!. my school friends were baggies fans and i kind of got temporarily brainwashed, i even had the hat and my hero was .........JEFF ASTLE, enter my cousin Steven who was Villa Daft, he took me as an easily led 10 year old to Villa Park, it was as if someone had switched on a light!!. I committed the cardinal sin and switched clubs (at that age, just, JUST about forgivable, but, bearing in mind, at the time The baggies were in the 1st Division and Villa were in the 3rd, no-one could accuse me of being a glory-hunter). i think there`s something very subliminal going on, but, trust me, you do not want to be sitting next to me when we play them.

[clash city rocker]

I told my daughter many years ago that she could do with her life whatever she wanted as long as it made her happy and I would not interfere. However I told her she had absolutely no choice about what football team she followed. Must have worked because I can't keep her away from villa park these days.