Out the door on 74

[kippaxvilla2]

The tennis ball protest gets it for me, two or three thousand tennis balls on the pitch emblazoned words Lerner out will make a statement. Can you get nicked for lobbing a tennis ball in the ground? Lerner our paper darts?

You'd never get in the ground with tennis balls. Maybe there's an item fans habitually take to football matches that could be chucked on the pitch?

You would if you shoved them down your trousers.

[PeterWithesShin]

The tennis ball protest gets it for me, two or three thousand tennis balls on the pitch emblazoned words Lerner out will make a statement. Can you get nicked for lobbing a tennis ball in the ground? Lerner our paper darts?

You'd never get in the ground with tennis balls. Maybe there's an item fans habitually take to football matches that could be chucked on the pitch?

You would if you shoved them down your trousers.

New balls please!!

Unless a couple of folks did it without telling anyone else there's no way the club wouldn't find out about something like the tennis ball idea, so they would just step up the searches before letting folks into the ground.

[Des Little]

The tennis ball protest gets it for me, two or three thousand tennis balls on the pitch emblazoned words Lerner out will make a statement. Can you get nicked for lobbing a tennis ball in the ground? Lerner our paper darts?

You'd never get in the ground with tennis balls. Maybe there's an item fans habitually take to football matches that could be chucked on the pitch?

You would if you shoved them down your trousers.

I look like I already have. Just sayin'

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

Villa Fans are great when it comes to getting behind the club. Petrov's minute of applause was envied and copied by other clubs. The regular release of balloons in the 80s was a great show of unity.
The OTDO74 might not be for everyone (I don't know whether I will do it yet) but it needs to be supported by Villa fans. If I decide to walk on 74 I may watch the rest of the match in the concourse area (a great atmosphere can be generated down there). If I don't walk then I will stand and applaud those fans who do. Villa fans should protest/demonstrate in whatever way they feel comfortable with and be supported by their fellow Villans. I like the idea of black balloons to show loss of PL status or white balloons to show the board's surrender. Normally we would rely on the 11 players to represent us, but the current team can't be relied on for that so we as fans must do it for ourselves. We don't just represent the current group of supporters but supporters and players long gone. Sing the old favourites re Andy lockhead, Sammy Morgan,Andy gray, Brian little, Deano, John Carew, Paul McGrath etc currently there's no-one to sing about. Singing as in the last 10 mins against against Lpool shows our support for AVFC and our defiance against the board. Apathy, acceptance and surrender is the friend of Lerner, Fox and their cronies. Villa Fans must rise above their lethagy in whatever form they wish and know that they will be supported.

[amfy]

Villa Fans are great when it comes to getting behind the club. Petrov's minute of applause was envied and copied by other clubs. The regular release of balloons in the 80s was a great show of unity.
The OTDO74 might not be for everyone (I don't know whether I will do it yet) but it needs to be supported by Villa fans. If I decide to walk on 74 I may watch the rest of the match in the concourse area (a great atmosphere can be generated down there). If I don't walk then I will stand and applaud those fans who do. Villa fans should protest/demonstrate in whatever way they feel comfortable with and be supported by their fellow Villans. I like the idea of black balloons to show loss of PL status or white balloons to show the board's surrender. Normally we would rely on the 11 players to represent us, but the current team can't be relied on for that so we as fans must do it for ourselves. We don't just represent the current group of supporters but supporters and players long gone. Sing the old favourites re Andy lockhead, Sammy Morgan,Andy gray, Brian little, Deano, John Carew, Paul McGrath etc currently there's no-one to sing about. Singing as in the last 10 mins against against Lpool shows our support for AVFC and our defiance against the board. Apathy, acceptance and surrender is the friend of Lerner, Fox and their cronies. Villa Fans must rise above their lethagy in whatever form they wish and know that they will be supported.

I won't be walking out, and I also don't particularly have a problem with those who think it's the right thing to do.

What I have a problem with is my 90 minutes of support being called 'apathy' or 'lethargy' - and it's not just you that's done it - it's everywhere.

Give me a protest with a clear specific aim which I think will improve this club's future prospects, & I'll take part. I'd prefer it to be something that keeps me in the ground, but I'll walk out if I'm clear enough what it's about.

....but this is ill thought through in that loads of people leave well before time on a night match anyway, and the extent and timing of a walkout will be largely influenced by the score. In fact - it's what Liverpool did & it worked so let's do that.

...and - it feels like we're just protesting against being shit, because there isn't a clear demand - even the 'mission statement' just asks for 'a change of direction' (what?) - so it's not a protest, it's a strop.

[Jimbo]

Abbey, I agree for the need to protest, but a walkout is not the way to go about it. The reason it worked at Liverpool is a) they fill their ground; and b) they are able to mobilise a significant number of fans to take action.

None of the above is true at Villa, where the ground frequently has empty seats during games (understandably), where people habitually leave early when we're being beaten (routinely), and where it's uncommon for two Villa fans to agree on anything, let alone thousands, which is what you'll need to make this work.

Whoever is behind this is right to take action, but just hasn't thought it through.

[Jimbo]

Amfy, there really is no need for a clear specific aim. It's enough for paying fans to say, 'you're wrecking our club and we want it to stop.'

It would be a strop if this were just one season. It's five. Villa fans have every right to make their feelings known, because nobody else is on our side as one look at the local or national media will demonstrate.

[Richard E]

Amfy, there really is no need for a clear specific aim. It's enough for paying fans to say, 'you're wrecking our club and we want it to stop.'

It would be a strop if this were just one season. It's five. Villa fans have every right to make their feelings known, because nobody else is on our side as one look at the local or national media will demonstrate.

I agree.

[chrisw1]

Give me a protest with a clear specific aim which I think will improve this club's future prospects, & I'll take part. I'd prefer it to be something that keeps me in the ground, but I'll walk out if I'm clear enough what it's about.

....but this is ill thought through in that loads of people leave well before time on a night match anyway, and the extent and timing of a walkout will be largely influenced by the score. In fact - it's what Liverpool did & it worked so let's do that.

...and - it feels like we're just protesting against being shit, because there isn't a clear demand - even the 'mission statement' just asks for 'a change of direction' (what?) - so it's not a protest, it's a strop.

Exactly.  Not a single person has come up with a tangible aim / outcome.  It will achieve absolutely nothing except making us look like copycat twats in the media.

[Risso]

Beat the traffic queue, leave on 72.

[Jimbo]

Chris, you don't need a tangible aim / outcome. This isn't the workplace, it's football. It's not some performance appraisal, where you have to come away with a set of achievable goals and targets that you can tick off as you go. It's a bunch of football fans who've been paying through the nose to watch unmitigated crap for five years. They have every right to say "stop wrecking our club."

You don't cheer a goal because it has a tangible aim / outcome. It's an expression of how you feel about something. When Spanish fans wave white hankies, they don't do it because they have a list of achievable aims / outcomes to tick off. They do it because they're pissed off at something and want to show it. That's enough.

[chrisw1]

Chris, you don't need a tangible aim / outcome. This isn't the workplace, it's football. It's not some performance appraisal, where you have to come away with a set of achievable goals and targets that you can tick off as you go. It's a bunch of football fans who've been paying through the nose to watch unmitigated crap for five years. They have every right to say "stop wrecking our club."

You don't cheer a goal because it has a tangible aim / outcome. It's an expression of how you feel about something. When Spanish fans wave white hankies, they don't do it because they have a list of achievable aims / outcomes to tick off. They do it because they're pissed off at something and want to show it. That's enough.

I disagree.  A protest is usually designed to achieve something.  This can't and won't.  Making your feelings known is one thing and perfectly natural.  An organised protest is just pointless.  Everyone knows how shit we are including the owner, Board & players.  We'll just get even more bad press and it will be labelled a poor mans Liverpool protest.  Frankly, in my opinion, it will all be a bit embarrassing.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

Go for a butty at 4.30.

Probably will work better in Scotland.

[chrisw1]

74 mins leave at once
make us look like copycat ******.

No?