Would it be more fun if we went down?

[Pat McMahon]

Actually going to aways in 1987 was a brilliant time. Bradford, Huddersfield, Barnsley etc. some great memorable away trips.

Well at least we won a load of away games. Having said that, Blues and Millwall away weren't exactly a big fun fest.

[Damo70]

We used to share the record for away wins in the old second division with Small Heath. Thirteen wins each, us in '87-'88, them in '84-'85. Not sure if we still do. After losing to Hull in August we went thirteen games unbeaten away (eleven wins, two draws) until we lost at Boro in Feb. I'm not sure if the record still stands or not.

[fbriai]

We used to share the record for away wins in the old second division with Small Heath. Thirteen wins each, us in '87-'88, them in '84-'85. Not sure if we still do. After losing to Hull in August we went thirteen games unbeaten away (eleven wins, two draws) until we lost at Boro in Feb. I'm not sure if the record still stands or not.

That game was The Big Match on ITV on a Sunday afternoon, wasn't it? I remember it being a pretty big thing that they chose a Division 2 game. We lost 2-1. I seem to remember Bernie Slaven scoring at least once for them.

[SoccerHQ]

To me a club like Aston Villa should always seek to test ourselves against the best.

It's been dismal last few years but maybe I've been spoilt by compulsory premier league football in my lifetime as I can't say I'd get much excitement from winning a lot of games in the championship as it's not testing ourselves and competiting  against the best.

Bit like doing the easy mode on FIFA and winning games 5/6-0 not that we'd do that.

Think we'd be losing play offs anyway so that would be torture in itself, coming close to going up and fcuking it up.

No thanks.

[Damo70]

It was fbriai. I think it was '89-'90 when we played away to Man City and it was shown live regionally in the Granada and Central areas as an experiment.

[aj2k77]

We used to share the record for away wins in the old second division with Small Heath. Thirteen wins each, us in '87-'88, them in '84-'85. Not sure if we still do. After losing to Hull in August we went thirteen games unbeaten away (eleven wins, two draws) until we lost at Boro in Feb. I'm not sure if the record still stands or not.

That game was The Big Match on ITV on a Sunday afternoon, wasn't it? I remember it being a pretty big thing that they chose a Division 2 game. We lost 2-1. I seem to remember Bernie Slaven scoring at least once for them.

We used to share the record for away wins in the old second division with Small Heath. Thirteen wins each, us in '87-'88, them in '84-'85. Not sure if we still do. After losing to Hull in August we went thirteen games unbeaten away (eleven wins, two draws) until we lost at Boro in Feb. I'm not sure if the record still stands or not.

That game was The Big Match on ITV on a Sunday afternoon, wasn't it? I remember it being a pretty big thing that they chose a Division 2 game. We lost 2-1. I seem to remember Bernie Slaven scoring at least once for them.

From my memory I think we were one nil up as well and they scored quite late on, as usual.

[pauliewalnuts]

We used to share the record for away wins in the old second division with Small Heath. Thirteen wins each, us in '87-'88, them in '84-'85. Not sure if we still do. After losing to Hull in August we went thirteen games unbeaten away (eleven wins, two draws) until we lost at Boro in Feb. I'm not sure if the record still stands or not.

That game was The Big Match on ITV on a Sunday afternoon, wasn't it? I remember it being a pretty big thing that they chose a Division 2 game. We lost 2-1. I seem to remember Bernie Slaven scoring at least once for them.

Yes, it was. I was at that match. It wasn't much fun.

Strange, I can remember going to plenty of away games in that second division season, and at most of them there were plenty of us, but it was a pretty small number at that game.

Ayresome Park was always a horrible place to go. Hard to believe the difference between that place and their current stadium.

Wasn't it Valentine's Day?

[Damo70]

I think they got two in the last ten minutes. I think Bernie Slaven scored the winner right at the death. I can picture his celebration in front of their fans.

[SoccerHQ]

With people tipping us to struggle in the championship aswell, that means not scoring a lot of goals and losing quite a few games in the championship so pretty much the same as we have now except it would be a bit more embarrasing given we wouldn't be losing to champions league standard teams.

A lot of games would be a scrap and the quality of football would remain low.

Lording it over our neighbours would be a non starter aswell, SHA will rip the piss out of us for being in the championship on derby day and being in a lower division than fcuking Albion would be a disgrace.

Nah, I don't think anyone's going to get me to agree to this. Only scenario I'd take is Newcastle a few years back who totally walked the championship and then came up and finished 5th in the premier league before reverting back to mediocrity.

[Risso]

Only scenario I'd take is Newcastle a few years back who totally walked the championship and then came up and finished 5th in the premier league before reverting back to mediocrity.

I think they had three games where the crowd was under 40,000 that year, and averaged about 45,000.  I think we'd average closer to 25,000 if we were lucky.  They also kept hold of most of their decent players, and had a very settled side in the year they came back up, with Carroll, Coloccini, Nolan all playing most of their games.  Nolan scored 17 goals that season, our midfielders as a whole wouldn't have that many shots.

[pauliewalnuts]

Only scenario I'd take is Newcastle a few years back who totally walked the championship and then came up and finished 5th in the premier league before reverting back to mediocrity.

I think they had three games where the crowd was under 40,000 that year, and averaged about 45,000.  I think we'd average closer to 25,000 if we were lucky.  They also kept hold of most of their decent players, and had a very settled side in the year they came back up, with Carroll, Coloccini, Nolan all playing most of their games.  Nolan scored 17 goals that season, our midfielders as a whole wouldn't have that many shots.

Newcastle also had a squad of a relatively decent, but unspectacular, level across the board, and were able to both hold on to the better ones and use relegation to dump some of the shite.

We have a squad with some pretty clear high points (despite current underperformance) and some mediocrity. I think we'd struggle to keep out better players more than they did.

Relegation would be a disaster. As mentioned before, I had a great time travelling all over the shop in that second division season, but that was almost 30 years ago now. Football has changed an awful lot since then.

[The Man With A Stick]

We tend to struggle against Championship teams when we play them in cup competitions, so I don't know why we'd expect to well playing them in league games.

As SoccerHQ says, just imagine being in a division lower than the Olbiyun.  FFS, not in my lifetime thank you very much.

[Monty]

Given the financial state of the club, there's no way we'd hold onto any of our better players in the event of relegation. Randy wouldn't be able to find a buyer, would have no more interest in the club, the revenues would obviously be diminished by God knows how much. Any offer for any of them - Delph, Guzan, Okore, of course Benteke - would stand a chance of getting accepted. We'd be in the Championship with a Championship level squad - at best.

[Damo70]

I have just worked out I have been to ten current championship grounds - Ipswich, Wolves, Norwich, Blackburn, Wednesday, Small Heath, Forest, Bolton, Leeds and Blackpool. I went to the old grounds of Derby, Boro, Reading, Huddersfield and Millwall. I went to Charlton when they played at Selhurst. I have never been to Bournemouth, Brentford, Watford, Cardiff, Fulham, Rotherham Brighton or Wigan.

Back to the point, I don't want to witness us ever get relegated again in my lifetime.

[Pat McMahon]

 Only scenario I'd take is Newcastle a few years back who totally walked the championship and then came up and finished 5th in the premier league before reverting back to mediocrity.

If you think Newcastle are mediocre what do you think we are?