Matt Lowton in The Times

[rob_bridge]

The banners are VP when they went down were funny.

We have to accept they didn't like it, and may well get the chance to rub it in when we play them.

If we're going to dish it out, we have to take it, too.

Totally agree.

The Ant and Dec banner was funny though.

IIRC on the day in 2009 most of their fans were resigned to their fate but 'we; rubbed it in. One of their nutters who was ticket less offered me £150 for mine.

[rob_bridge]

The banners are VP when they went down were funny.

We have to accept they didn't like it, and may well get the chance to rub it in when we play them.

If we're going to dish it out, we have to take it, too.

Quite. Whoever sends us down will enjoy the occasion immensely, because from my experience Villa are not a popular club. I think a lot of other fans think we've stunk out the Premier League for too long, and for the most part prior to our putrefaction, we were a byword for nothingness. Just a bland club floating around with far too much arrogance than is justified. As somebody once put it: "A half-arsed club that used to be famous." I can understand all that.

But, it would be nice to have someone to laugh at this season. And all the better if it's Newcastle. It'll be like someone coming swinging at you in the street and then slipping over in a puddle.

More like some old croak swinging at you as you lay on death's door in Emergency Ward 10

[rob_bridge]

The banners are VP when they went down were funny.

We have to accept they didn't like it, and may well get the chance to rub it in when we play them.

If we're going to dish it out, we have to take it, too.

Quite. Whoever sends us down will enjoy the occasion immensely, because from my experience Villa are not a popular club. I think a lot of other fans think we've stunk out the Premier League for too long, and for the most part prior to our putrefaction, we were a byword for nothingness. Just a bland club floating around with far too much arrogance than is justified. As somebody once put it: "A half-arsed club that used to be famous." I can understand all that.

But, it would be nice to have someone to laugh at this season. And all the better if it's Newcastle. It'll be like someone coming swinging at you in the street and then slipping over in a puddle.

More like some old croak swinging at you as you lay on death's door in Emergency Ward 10

and then falling over

[Jimbo]

The banners are VP when they went down were funny.

We have to accept they didn't like it, and may well get the chance to rub it in when we play them.

If we're going to dish it out, we have to take it, too.

Quite. Whoever sends us down will enjoy the occasion immensely, because from my experience Villa are not a popular club. I think a lot of other fans think we've stunk out the Premier League for too long, and for the most part prior to our putrefaction, we were a byword for nothingness. Just a bland club floating around with far too much arrogance than is justified. As somebody once put it: "A half-arsed club that used to be famous." I can understand all that.

But, it would be nice to have someone to laugh at this season. And all the better if it's Newcastle. It'll be like someone coming swinging at you in the street and then slipping over in a puddle.

More like some old croak swinging at you as you lay on death's door in Emergency Ward 10

... and slipping over in a puddle.

[Jimbo]

Beat me to it, Rob.

[AVH87]

Genuine question, how many times has Villa Park been a sell out in the last 20 years?

On average I'd say 5-6 times per season

Alternatively, give Newcastle three big-ish clubs  on their doorstep, let our closest rivals be in a town no-one from Birmingham visits on pain of death with no other club in the same division within 140 miles, and see what our respective gates are like.

In fairness to them though, their crowds don't fluctuate depending on what kind of season they are having/who they are playing, like ours do. We have 32k one week, 40k the next. Theirs never drop much below 50k.

[mr underhill]

that's because they live in an isolated cultural wasteland  with nothing to recommend it other than drinking yourself into oblivion to try and forget you live in an isolated cultural wasteland.

[AVH87]

that's because they live in an isolated cultural wasteland  with nothing to recommend it other than drinking yourself into oblivion to try and forget you live in an isolated cultural wasteland.

I must have missed Birmingham being this exciting, vibrant city then during the 25 years I lived there.

[Chris Jameson]

that's because they live in an isolated cultural wasteland  with nothing to recommend it other than drinking yourself into oblivion to try and forget you live in an isolated cultural wasteland.

Each to their own and all that but have you been up to Newcastle recently?

[AV82EC]

that's because they live in an isolated cultural wasteland  with nothing to recommend it other than drinking yourself into oblivion to try and forget you live in an isolated cultural wasteland.

Each to their own and all that but have you been up to Newcastle recently?

I suppose it's a bit like singing that all scousers are work shy doleites. Isn't unemployment higher in the West Midlands.

[placeforparks]

The banners are VP when they went down were funny.

We have to accept they didn't like it, and may well get the chance to rub it in when we play them.

If we're going to dish it out, we have to take it, too.

Quite. Whoever sends us down will enjoy the occasion immensely, because from my experience Villa are not a popular club. I think a lot of other fans think we've stunk out the Premier League for too long, and for the most part prior to our putrefaction, we were a byword for nothingness. Just a bland club floating around with far too much arrogance than is justified. As somebody once put it: "A half-arsed club that used to be famous." I can understand all that.

But, it would be nice to have someone to laugh at this season. And all the better if it's Newcastle. It'll be like someone coming swinging at you in the street and then slipping over in a puddle. 

i think we'll officially go down at old trafford. and the majority of that lot won't really give a shit.

taking newcastle down with us, would be immensely funny though. they genuinely despise us.

[eamonn]

What about Forest - aren't they a big club that went down in the last 20 years?

[AlexAlexCropley]

Anyway, about Matt Lowton....

[saunders_heroes]

Anyway, about Matt Lowton....

Yep, thank god he's gone.

[kippaxvilla2]

The last line of that snippet is the telling one.  You can actually imagine some of the usual suspects boasting about what they have to so called lesser lights.  I really do detest some of this current crop.