What does being back in the PL mean to you?

[Lastfootstamper]

Not just you, john e. It was mostly poor until Smith arrived, only bearable because we won more than we lost. When we stopped winning, it was just awful. I'd rather see us struggling to impose ourselves on the PL than struggling to impose ourselves on the Championship. In our three years down there, we spent a total of six days in the top two. Crap.

[dave shelley]

I've also seen us play at our lowest level and all that went with it.  The difference for me this time in the second division as opposed to the last is: for years I'd been watching mainly nothing but shit, the club was going nowhere other than down the plughole, for me, there was little expectation, hope yes, but no expectation.  This time, I expected it, we had to get promoted and quickly or we would find ourselves gone for a very long time and I became worried that I would never see the Villa in the top-flight again in my lifetime.

[ChicagoLion]

I've also seen us play at our lowest level and all that went with it.  The difference for me this time in the second division as opposed to the last is: for years I'd been watching mainly nothing but shit, the club was going nowhere other than down the plughole, for me, there was little expectation, hope yes, but no expectation.  This time, I expected it, we had to get promoted and quickly or we would find ourselves gone for a very long time and I became worried that I would never see the Villa in the top-flight again in my lifetime.

Yep, from where we were last season we could so easily have done a Leeds Shef Wednesday Forest. From there to where we are now is miraculous.

[purpletrousers]

Yes. From that day Bruce was flogging Jack off to the fastest bidder to being back up, well lead in all senses, with fans back in love (even if I speak only for me and my Dad), is a hell of a turnaround.

[cheltenhamlion]

Man Ure and Liverpool fans infesting the pub before a match. Yuck. We might get a beer in with Attila the Stockbroker when we play Brighton though.

[TonyD]

Twatting ManU home and away - after being 2.0 down in both matches.   

[Jon Crofts]

Never having to remember what channel number fucking Quest is on.

[Sexual Ealing]

I'll miss the West London aways. I'm not looking forward to (potentially) losing a lot of games. I therefore anticipate that we'll fuck everyone in sight off the pitch.

[jeowje]

I’ll keep more of an interested eye on what’s happening on the championship than I did when we were in Premier before I think

[Hookeysmith]

Quite simply not having to play the Dog-Shit or the Bitters anymore

I know there are others like any red filth fans, 'The Mighty Reds YNWA' etc that are a ball ache to be around but nothing like the bile and spite from these cretins

I bet they will be doubling the size of our match threads on their sites

[levico]

I’ve enjoyed the Championship. It reinstated my love of the game. I even just about convinced myself that losing a second play off final wouldn’t have been too bad - my joy at the final whistle told me I was kidding myself.

Now my concern is a potential return to the latter PL days of sweating 40 points just to survive another season. Also, the inevitability of big defeats at Man City, Chelsea, Man U et al. Now hoping for some credible team strengthening to give Deano a chance.
As much as I love our new owners, I think they’ll be pretty ruthless if we have a bad start - I guess that’s a good thing really.

[Toronto Villa]

The Premier League app is very good and has loads of old games on it with just some great Villa goals and memories.

[Percy McCarthy]

What it's meant to me is one of a father/son persuasion.

I took my two boys for the first time to Villa Park when they were 6 and 4 respectively. My youngest has tailed off, couldn't really give a shit about football, but my eldest has turned into a die-hard Villan. He's about to turn 16.

He can recite the score of any Villa fixture, the scorers (and also around 90% of the time will even get the minute of the goal(s) scored in those matches) for the past 4 seasons. Give him any fixture, he'll tell you the result within seconds.

He had his first season ticket in our relegation season (what a great dad I turned out to be there... but all Ben has known is Villa's abject performance for year upon year whilst seeing other teams thrive (ala Leicester), He's never had anything to shout and cheer about and never sang and joined in with any Villa song, ever.

For him to witness the joy of last Monday in person at Wembley, the players' celebrations at the final whistle, the lifting of silverware at the home of football (especially after he watched Norwich celebrate at Villa Park) and hear the shear noise and happiness of the fans was simply outstanding.

But the thing I took the most pleasure from, was when I heard him joining in with all of the singing when we clinched our return. That meant more to me than the millions the Club will receive by way of our promotion.

Beautiful.

[Percy McCarthy]

Match of the day. No more Quest! Woop woop

I’m also looking forward to seeing Villa on MOTD again.
Woop woop.
😁

It was one of the first things I thought about.

[Axl Rose]

What it's meant to me is one of a father/son persuasion.

I took my two boys for the first time to Villa Park when they were 6 and 4 respectively. My youngest has tailed off, couldn't really give a shit about football, but my eldest has turned into a die-hard Villan. He's about to turn 16.

He can recite the score of any Villa fixture, the scorers (and also around 90% of the time will even get the minute of the goal(s) scored in those matches) for the past 4 seasons. Give him any fixture, he'll tell you the result within seconds.

He had his first season ticket in our relegation season (what a great dad I turned out to be there... but all Ben has known is Villa's abject performance for year upon year whilst seeing other teams thrive (ala Leicester), He's never had anything to shout and cheer about and never sang and joined in with any Villa song, ever.

For him to witness the joy of last Monday in person at Wembley, the players' celebrations at the final whistle, the lifting of silverware at the home of football (especially after he watched Norwich celebrate at Villa Park) and hear the shear noise and happiness of the fans was simply outstanding.

But the thing I took the most pleasure from, was when I heard him joining in with all of the singing when we clinched our return. That meant more to me than the millions the Club will receive by way of our promotion.

Beautiful.

Seconded. What a lovely post, mate.