FA Cup 6th round - home to Olbiyun

[dave.woodhall]

The FA Cup isn't that important to the nouvelle supporter. A midweek Premier League game against Burnley takes preference over the latest instalment of the oldest rivalry in world football.

[AlexAlexCropley]

The FA Cup isn't that important to the nouvelle supporter. A midweek Premier League game against Burnley takes preference over the latest instalment of the oldest rivalry in world football.

Like your use of the feminine nouvelle there

[Ads]

Somebody on VT has counted the empty seats. Holte and North sold out and every where else is virtually sold out, bar the upper Witton, which has 750 left and the upper Trinity which has 2000 left.

[dave shelley]

That's me fecked in Guess The Crowd then!

[ADVILLAFAN]

Somebody on VT has counted the empty seats. Holte and North sold out and every where else is virtually sold out, bar the upper Witton, which has 750 left and the upper Trinity which has 2000 left.   far too much time on their hands

[PeterWithesShin]

VILLA v WBA: Club call on fans to join Jeff Astle applause.
West Brom are showing a photo of Jeff on big screens nine minutes into each match – as supporters honour the Justice for Jeff campaign. We will do the same this weekend.


Villa v WBA is a big rivalry - and never more so than this weekend as we battle for a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup at Wembley.

It is an exciting moment for the region and one where supporters will be urging on their respective teams with unbelievable passion.

But some matters transcend football.

Jeff Astle was one of the greatest Albion strikers of all-time but tragically his life was cut short due to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a brain condition normally linked to boxing.

The coroner at the footballer's inquest ruled Astle's brain had been damaged by heading heavy leather footballs in the 1960s and 1970s.

At every home game this season, West Brom are showing a photo of Jeff on big screens nine minutes into each match as Jeff wore the No.9 shirt.

This coincides with the minute-long applause supporters have been honouring since the Justice for Jeff campaign was launched.

The Baggies supporters consider Astle royalty - his nickname was The King - so it is little surprise that they continue to remember his contribution.

We will also be displaying a photo of Jeff on the big screens this weekend and call on supporters of claret and blue persuasion to cast aside club loyalties and join together with Baggies fans to remember a player who did so much for football in the region.

Let's make Saturday a proud occasion for the West Midlands.

[UK Redsox]

What does "Justice for Jeff" actually want ?

If the coroner has already ruled that all the heading contributed to his illness/death, doesn't that mean that the justice has been seen to be done ?

[AVH87]

What does "Justice for Jeff" actually want ?

If the coroner has already ruled that all the heading contributed to his illness/death, doesn't that mean that the justice has been seen to be done ?

Must admit, I always thought it was a strange name for the campaign. It's a sad story, but I don't see what possible 'justice' could now be served at this stage, when the coroner's ruling has already happened.

[DeKuip]

Not good all those green seats....even with the restrictions on purhcases, you would think we could fill 36k seats...

Why? We only sold about 22,000 in the last round so why should this round be that different, home sales have gone up about 500 a round so far as both Bournemouth and Leicester both brought the maximum 6,500, as will Albion.
The noticeable thing about the FA Cup these days is that it seems to be more attractive to away fans. West Ham had over a quarter of the crowd at the Hawthorns last round with Albion struggling to shift about 14,500 tickets.
Cheaper than the other night of course but the £30 I had to pay for the Trinity Road was a bit over the top for a cup game live on TV. It's not as if the opposition are any kind of attraction.

Its an FA Cup Quarter final - one of only 2 chances of silverware we have any hope of winning each year.  A Trophy we haven't won since 1957. The 1st QF at home since year dot, and we are playing a local rival.  Why should we sell out for an annual beating against Liverpool / Utd and not fill our ground for what could be a season all villa fans could remember for ever (for good reasons!).  I would not have missed this for anything - nor the Semi or the Final if we make it.  Nor would my boys.  I would have thought amongst the huge city of birmingham there were 36k people (who had previously registered to watch a game!) who were of similar mindset of me!

I wasn't saying that's how I feel by the way - I was judging the modern football fan. I made it clear on one of the threads on this site the other day that if we could win one of the two games I'd choose the cup one. But I'm in my mid-50s and have seen us win everything bar the FA Cup. It matters to me.

One thing I will add though that has nothing to do with this game or debate, is that although I'm desperate to see us win the FA Cup I actually prefer the League Cup, and always have done. Not just down to the fact we've enjoyed so much success in "Hardaker's Folly" either. The FA Cup is great in the early rounds because of the non-league clubs and giantkilling stories but it leads to a semi-final and final that are usually boring and are 100% about the FA ripping off the fans. The League Cup final is a better (and more fan friendly) occasion with the Football League in charge.
The best way of summing up the two cups for me is that the FA Cup starts well but gets worse as it goes on whereas the League Cup builds and gets better as it develops with all the games being played under floodlights, the drama of the two-legged semis on home and away grounds, and is usually a more entertaining final too.

[stuart r]

What does "Justice for Jeff" actually want ?

If the coroner has already ruled that all the heading contributed to his illness/death, doesn't that mean that the justice has been seen to be done ?

Must admit, I always thought it was a strange name for the campaign. It's a sad story, but I don't see what possible 'justice' could now be served at this stage, when the coroner's ruling has already happened.

I think the 'justice' part is directed at the football authorities who promised to carry out research into the links between heading the ball and brain injuries as a result of the coroner's ruling. They didn't do it. Possibly afraid of the repercussions.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

What does "Justice for Jeff" actually want ?

If the coroner has already ruled that all the heading contributed to his illness/death, doesn't that mean that the justice has been seen to be done ?

Must admit, I always thought it was a strange name for the campaign. It's a sad story, but I don't see what possible 'justice' could now be served at this stage, when the coroner's ruling has already happened.

I think the 'justice' part is directed at the football authorities who promised to carry out research into the links between heading the ball and brain injuries as a result of the coroner's ruling. They didn't do it. Possibly afraid of the repercussions.

That's pretty much spot on stuart...I think it's the name of the campaign, as hoyle says, that is misleading and suggests that Jeff Astle has been done some...injustice, obviously.
When I realised what they were doing - about 30 seconds in - I joined in the applause. I don't think many Villa fans around me noticed until it was nearly over.

[ADVILLAFAN]

What does "Justice for Jeff" actually want ?

If the coroner has already ruled that all the heading contributed to his illness/death, doesn't that mean that the justice has been seen to be done ?

Must admit, I always thought it was a strange name for the campaign. It's a sad story, but I don't see what possible 'justice' could now be served at this stage, when the coroner's ruling has already happened.

I think the 'justice' part is directed at the football authorities who promised to carry out research into the links between heading the ball and brain injuries as a result of the coroner's ruling. They didn't do it. Possibly afraid of the repercussions.

That's pretty much spot on stuart...I think it's the name of the campaign, as hoyle says, that is misleading and suggests that Jeff Astle has been done some...injustice, obviously.
When I realised what they were doing - about 30 seconds in - I joined in the applause. I don't think many Villa fans around me noticed until it was nearly over.

I joined in after asking my brother what they were clapping for. Show that we're better than them when they went out of their way not to clap for Petrov. The one time I have been really annoyed with West Brom.

[Nelly]

I have to say, with the Petrov applause, I thought it was a bit cheeky to expect other fans to applaud along with us. I felt that if they wanted to they could do - and fair play to them for it, but to hold it against them for not doing so seems a bit over the top to me.

[OCD]

I think the club dropped a bollock by not having something on the screen for the minute or making it clear that it would happen. The Villa fans were into the occasion and what was happening on the pitch and didn't realise, prompting Albion fans to think we were being disrespectful. Presumably the club is now trying to make amends.

[ADVILLAFAN]

I have to say, with the Petrov applause, I thought it was a bit cheeky to expect other fans to applaud along with us. I felt that if they wanted to they could do - and fair play to them for it, but to hold it against them for not doing so seems a bit over the top to me.

It was the way they were all crossing their arms and smiling smugly that really annoyed me about it. The only other fans that didn't join in were Man Utd.