Why are you Villa?

[garyfouroaks]

It's my local team, he nearest ground to where I live.

I was also at Highbury when we won the league

[Hillbilly]

Old man used to watch Dundalk. When he came over to Brum there was a certain player at Villa who'd been brought over from Dundalk so Dad started going down cos he knew he was worth watching. There was also the strong Irish influence with Martin, Blanchflower and slightly later Saward. Not to mention Villa were still the most famous club in the world before the Johnny-come-lately types of Manchester, Madrid, Milan and Munich started their annoying rise.

He passed it on to me and my brothers.

[pooligan]

I have really enjoyed reading all these stories and i don't mind admitting it has brought a few tears to my eyes.

As a born and bred brummie, it was just a case of would i be a villain or a nose. My father was one of the football fans back in the early 60s who used to go Villa one week ,Blues the next.He was maybe 60-40 in favour of the Villa.Me though, i hated going to St Andrews ,just hated the atmosphere and the ground itself.However, i just just loved going to Villa Park and stainding high up the Holte.I soon made my mind up Villa were for me

[berneboy]

The direct male line in the family were all Villa going back to the 1890's, maybe even earlier,

Same here. I know we go back into late Victorian times on both sides. So genetics come into it!

I've recently bought my elder son's son his first Villa kit at age 4 - I know it's a bit late but he is thrilled and runs around the house in a demented fashion wearing it.

[Jarpie]

When finnish tv-channel started showing premier league in the early 90s, I saw Big Fat Ron's Villa play and that was it. I think it was combination of seeing BFR on the sidelines, the colours and Dean Saunders scoring goals what did it for me.

I can't remember was it the first season though, as I was 12 at the time.

I have to say that even though my dad is Everton fan, he never tried to talk me out of being Villan, so big props for that.

[dean saunders left boot]

My parents were from Wales, my dad spent his teen years traveling to watch Manchester Utd during the Best/Charlton era, but in the late 70's he and my mum moved up to the Midlands, where I was born. Probably around the age of /56 I started taking a interest in football, and Villa being local had taken a liking to them (a friend supported them so that could have had an influence) but I think what cemented me supporting Villa was David Platt scoring for England during World Cup 90, him being a Villa player and scoring in a World Cup, wow, and that was it for me! That's 25 years ago this year, so a quarter of a century supporting the Villa!

[shaunreynolds]

My parents were on holiday in Malta in 81 and got friendly with a brummie couple. They stayed in touch and i was sent a Villa kit for xmas that year (i was 6) I started supporting the Villa from that moment. It's turned out be a rollercoaster 34 years!!

UTV

[Five Villa Tattoos]

My Dad supports the Villa and his father, my Grandfather did also. My Grandfather, even when he had his stroke and was unable to talk,  would sit and await my return to his house in Tamworth after home matches and together we would look through the programme and the Argus. I would tell him about what had gone on. My Grandmother used to fancy Trevor Ford when she was younger and always used to wind my Grandfather up about this.

My first game was an away game at West Ham in March 1982 at the ripe old age of 6 , (2-2, my all time Villa hero Peter Withe scored). Dad was on leave from the army. The following week was my first trip to Villa park where we beat the Wolves 3-1. Couldn't understand why my new hero Peter Withe wasn't playing. Dad told me it was because he was "suspended", a constant theme as it turned out!

I'll be forty later this year and the Villa are with out a shadow of a doubt my one true love. We've been through so much together and I'll always love this famous club of ours. It's in my blood.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I like suffering.

[Broughty-Villian]

My old man was a villain, and so are two of his sons. The third little treacherous bastard chose Celtic because of king kenny, then liverpool. Dad hardly spoke to him for one year and stopped taking him to the football, till he could pay his own way.

I'm afraid my two wee lasses aren't into football although there is time, but if they do they will become arabs, due to the missus, and hopefully have a soft spot for the villa

[Godfrey Brian]

No football supporting history in the family. Villa were rubbish in the mid 60's when I started but they were my area's club and nearest to where we lived so I picked them at age 7. I made my younger brother support the noses - to be fair to him he still does.

[adam#1]

Nearly ended up a Chelsea fan living in London, until my brother-in-law took me to the Villa.

[Ger Regan]

When I started following football, there were a good few irish players playing for the villa, which piqued my interest. We were more than a little decent then too. Then my neighbour, who was good friends with the late, great eamonn deacy, told him that the kid next door was starting to follow the club. Deacy gave my neighbour a load of claret and blue mags and match programmes for me to read through. I was hooked from that moment on.

[Sunny Villa]

Born in the Channel Islands , moved to Birmingham (Moseley) 1967 all my new School mates were Blues and Leeds , my Dad was a Leeds fan , watched match of the day Villa were playing Portsmouth they were losing , but came back to equalize , asked my Dad who was who , and what were the kits ......  he explained one was Aston Villa a famous old club that is in a terrible decline and they played in Claret and Blue , the other team was Portsmouth where he did teacher training and they played in Blue and White .......  Villa lost , I cried and Villa fan I became ......   everyone laughed at School when the following Monday I turned up with a Claret and Blue scarf , and even more when we were relegated ........  since then for the most part the laugh has been on them ........   I was 20 when we won the league .........  my kids are mad Villa , their American partners, parade around in Villa shirts and we have converts from Dewsbury to Amsterdam and  beyond 

On a more depressing note , I came back for the Liverpool game , all my Pals had kids later than me , when I left to go abroad  there was probably 15 siblings going the match every match , season ticket holders from 5-15 .......   most of the lads are season ticket holders , some don't go down and now stay in the pub ,   out of those 15 kids , only 2 go down anymore   .

on a positive note my Lad is flying back for the Albion game , I cannot due to work commitments ,........but I worry we have a lost generation or more

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

Amazing stories.
I've recently met up with a second cousin at a family funeral - I've moved recently and found I am living 3 miles away from her -  she is a Moss and the grand-daughter of my Uncle Frank. Her dad DID NOT play for The Villa (his brothers Frank Jnr and Amos did!) but did play for Worcester City with MY dad!
We met up yesterday and talked non-stop for 3 hours about family and Villa and have already arranged to meet again soon 'cos there's so much stuff to talk about!
She knows so much about Uncle Frank, but so much more about my cousins/her uncles Frank Jnr and Amos that I didn't...It's fascinating!

Edited highlights may follow! ;-)

UTV!