Aston Villa 2-0 Albion FA Cup Qtr Final post match thread

[UK Redsox]

Thought the policing was fine,quite rightly centred around the Albion fans, but the lack of stewards at the front of the Trinity, Holte and Witton Lane was bizarre?

Saw two poor pieces of policing before the game.

1) a bloke with a bleeding head injury is pinned up against a fence by a copper, with two others looking on. Instead of arresting him or getting him medical attention, the cops just left him and walked off. One of the cops should have stayed with the guy and called in for a paramedic.

2) a police dog craps in the middle of the road but the handler does not pick it up. Passers by report this to the highways people (the blokes who put the traffic barriers up), they radio their base and ask for a message to be forwarded to the cops. Meanwhile the same passer by goes ahead to notify a group of cops but is completely ignored. When I left, the dog poo was still in the road.

[Legion]

You obviously do. So you don't care about the semi-final being played at Wembley, when it should be at a neutral ground? Odd, considering your initial post.

Far be it from me to intrude on this love-in but Wembley is a neutral ground.  But I'm with you, Villa Park & Elland Road or Hillsborough or Old Trafford.  Just like in days of yore.

It is, but that is not my point. Old Trafford, VP etc etc should be the semi-final venues.

[brian green]

Not enough stewards and those there were were not properly deployed.   I am not making excuses for the brain dead morons who invaded the pitch but if you have a 5.30 kick off to suit the TV schedules you are going to have idiots on the piss all day and behave like total wankers.

[Ad@m]

Plenty of over the top reaction regarding the pitch invasions. I did it when I was a kid so I'm not going to start slating kids that do it now. The football supporting experience they get nowadays is so sanitised and restricted let's not make this into something other than an explosion of joy, a bit of liberation if you like. If it happened every week or every time we score then fair enough we sort it - but it doesn't.

The trouble is it only takes one dick to give an opposition player a slap, or worse, and it changes everything. That's why it's a criminal offence.

Lots of people were excited about the result but managed to not run on to the pitch.

[rob_bridge]

"Why would you do this? You're winning, absolutely stupid. Imagine if the referee abandoned the game now. Loads of villages have lost their idiots tonight. Absolutely bonkers."

Mark Lawrenson

A village in the North West has been loaning their's out for years.  Sitting smugly on a sofa at the Beeb. Utter fucking twat.

[tomd2103]

You obviously do. So you don't care about the semi-final being played at Wembley, when it should be at a neutral ground? Odd, considering your initial post.

Far be it from me to intrude on this love-in but Wembley is a neutral ground.  But I'm with you, Villa Park & Elland Road or Hillsborough or Old Trafford.  Just like in days of yore.

As with many things, it all comes down to money.  Two biggish clubs and you're getting 90,000 at Wembley.  Only Old Trafford gets anywhere near that now.

[Flamingo Lane]

Thought the policing was fine,quite rightly centred around the Albion fans, but the lack of stewards at the front of the Trinity, Holte and Witton Lane was bizarre?

Saw two poor pieces of policing before the game.

1) a bloke with a bleeding head injury is pinned up against a fence by a copper, with two others looking on. Instead of arresting him or getting him medical attention, the cops just left him and walked off. One of the cops should have stayed with the guy and called in for a paramedic.

2) a police dog craps in the middle of the road but the handler does not pick it up. Passers by report this to the highways people (the blokes who put the traffic barriers up), they radio their base and ask for a message to be forwarded to the cops. Meanwhile the same passer by goes ahead to notify a group of cops but is completely ignored. When I left, the dog poo was still in the road.

Re 2 above, you are kidding?  Maybe you should have made a citizens scoop.

[PeterWithesShin]

Tim Sherwood called Villa's win over West Brom "huge" as the claret and blues ensured a Wembley appearance in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Villa beat the Baggies 2-0 courtesy of goals from Fabian Delph and Scott Sinclair and will now head to the capital for the last four of the competition.

Sherwood's men are also fighting to move away from the lower reaches of the Barclays Premier League table.

The boss, however, is happy to juggle both competitions.

Sherwood also revealed the players were eager to dedicate the victory to fans who have had "some hard times" over the past few years.

He said: "It's huge.

"I have spoken to the players. They want to dedicate it to the fans.

"They think the fans have had some hard times here. Everyone at the football club realises we will need the supporters.

"It's been a very good week for us but we know there's a lot of hard work to be done.

"We will need those fans with us every step of the way.

"They appreciate the support they were given today.

"We need the fans. I am pleading with them - we need you with us.

"It's going to be ups and downs. It's not always going to be rosy in the garden.

"There will be down times and we will need them to pick us up at times."

Sherwood wasn't enamoured with his team's performance before the break but was thrilled with their application to his tactics in the second half.

He continued: "It wasn't a fantastic first half performance but it was certainly a good one in the second.

"I want to make a special mention for Leo Bacuna. In the first half he looked like he was out of position. In the second half he looked like he'd played there all his life.

"I gave him a few instructions to push on. I wanted the whole team further up the field.

"The slow start I think was due to the change of formation and the change of shape. It wasn't ideal but in the second half they played how I wanted them to play in that shape.

"Scott Sinclair found room, penetrated more and showed real class to finish the second goal.

"We are marching on with a depleted squad - and we're getting some results.

"We will be bouncing into that game against Sunderland.

"They are a good group. Even though they are a young group they won't get carried away."

Christian Benteke missed the Baggies clash through injury and Sherwood said the talismanic striker will be checked on this next week in the lead-up to the Sunderland clash.

He added: "With Christian we're not sure.

"He will continue to get assessed. We keep picking up these little niggles here and there."

[hilts_coolerking]

You obviously do. So you don't care about the semi-final being played at Wembley, when it should be at a neutral ground? Odd, considering your initial post.

Far be it from me to intrude on this love-in but Wembley is a neutral ground.  But I'm with you, Villa Park & Elland Road or Hillsborough or Old Trafford.  Just like in days of yore.

It is, but that is not my point. Old Trafford, VP etc etc should be the semi-final venues.

I agree 100%.  In fact I agree 105%.  Actually makes me wonder whether there would have been a pitch invasion if everyone knew we were going to Leeds.

[Sunny Villa]

Amazing . the QF was never such a big deal till they had to fund the shocking new Wembley stadium therefore screwing the former venues . and taking the special out of your Wembley trip.

We have been fed on scraps for years and to be honest its like vanquishing the demons of O'Neils paper empire.

5.30 game against local rivals and a Wembley trip equals high emotion    ....  So before we judge remember the background and responsibility .

Unfortunately I witnessed in person every time our ineptitude or luck left us short from Man U and West Ham in the 70s and Arsenal . Oldham and others when we failed .
The outpouring of relief when we beat Forest to get to the Semis was amazing
 People on cars on the way home .  total carnage.

Yes the bids on the pitch were daft . but Football is for the people and we are all different in how we react.

For the grammar police . I am on a flight to DC and still shaking in relief and joy.

So forgive me . if I don't give a toss

well you missed my simpletons point then ......  They HAVE MADE the QF a big deal .....  by having the semi at Wembley ,   hopefully you can grasp the view of a mere mortal

[Legion]

You obviously do. So you don't care about the semi-final being played at Wembley, when it should be at a neutral ground? Odd, considering your initial post.

Far be it from me to intrude on this love-in but Wembley is a neutral ground.  But I'm with you, Villa Park & Elland Road or Hillsborough or Old Trafford.  Just like in days of yore.

It is, but that is not my point. Old Trafford, VP etc etc should be the semi-final venues.

I agree 100%.  In fact I agree 105%.  Actually makes me wonder whether there would have been a pitch invasion if everyone knew we were going to Leeds.

110% behind you!

[silhillvilla]

How much are SF tickets likely to be ? £60 ?

[Legion]

Amazing . the QF was never such a big deal till they had to fund the shocking new Wembley stadium therefore screwing the former venues . and taking the special out of your Wembley trip.

We have been fed on scraps for years and to be honest its like vanquishing the demons of O'Neils paper empire.

5.30 game against local rivals and a Wembley trip equals high emotion    ....  So before we judge remember the background and responsibility .

Unfortunately I witnessed in person every time our ineptitude or luck left us short from Man U and West Ham in the 70s and Arsenal . Oldham and others when we failed .
The outpouring of relief when we beat Forest to get to the Semis was amazing
 People on cars on the way home .  total carnage.

Yes the bids on the pitch were daft . but Football is for the people and we are all different in how we react.

For the grammar police . I am on a flight to DC and still shaking in relief and joy.

So forgive me . if I don't give a toss

well you missed my simpletons point then ......  They HAVE MADE the QF a big deal .....  by having the semi at Wembley ,   hopefully you can grasp the view of a mere mortal

? You've lost me.

[Sunny Villa]

You obviously do. So you don't care about the semi-final being played at Wembley, when it should be at a neutral ground? Odd, considering your initial post.

Far be it from me to intrude on this love-in but Wembley is a neutral ground.  But I'm with you, Villa Park & Elland Road or Hillsborough or Old Trafford.  Just like in days of yore.

It is, but that is not my point. Old Trafford, VP etc etc should be the semi-final venues.

I agree 100%.  In fact I agree 105%.  Actually makes me wonder whether there would have been a pitch invasion if everyone knew we were going to Leeds.

110% behind you!

well roll me over

[hilts_coolerking]

110% behind you!

Now that's just crazy talk.