Libraries or the Championship what do you prefer

[wittonwarrior]

Today the atmosphere from the City fans was pathetic.  Can't say ever saw worse in the Championship.  Even Blues and Baggies show more passion.

Am missing some  great days out such as Barnsley, Preston, Fulham etc.  But the Premiership is like going to work its a must.

[cdbearsfan]

We have had some great atmospheres in the Premier League already this season. And plenty of shite atmospheres in the Championship when things were going badly. I'm not swapping, thanks.

[itmustbe_it is!]

Obviously Prem is where we belong.

Agree with your bigger point - I'd be gutted if the Etihad was where I had to watch my team every week. Soul-less , corporate apathy bollocks

[Ads]

We bring the atmosphere.

Come on Russ, atmosphere oh what an atmosphere.

[Richard E]

You encounter more people that can read at libraries than you do in the Championship, locally at least.

[Brassneck]

A lot of Man City old school fans are being priced out - Especially given they are effectively involved in a 2 horse race and most league games are formalities. They are being replaced by tourists who seem more concerned with taking selfies than they do about creating atmospheres.  Arsenal and Spurs were similar and by all accounts, West Ham are heading in that direction as well.

On our fans, here was an interesting comment from a Sheffield Wednesday fan on a FB page I read:

LEEDS. Love to gloat about support yet Villa were twice as loud at Hillsborough and sang nearly all way through even whilst losing

[cdbearsfan]

Although, to be fair, Wednesday probably dislike Leeds a lot more than they do us. I'm sure you could find plenty of quotes from Blose and Albion types, laughably, slagging off Villa's support.

[pauliewalnuts]

A lot of Man City old school fans are being priced out - Especially given they are effectively involved in a 2 horse race and most league games are formalities. They are being replaced by tourists who seem more concerned with taking selfies than they do about creating atmospheres.  Arsenal and Spurs were similar and by all accounts, West Ham are heading in that direction as well.

Broadly agree with that.

I have never been to the Etihad, but I watched the Villa on Tour video of it yesterday and it struck me that whilst Man City have, through having an unlimited amount of money, assembled an incredible squad which wins things, the flip side of that is that their matches take part in an environment which is more like an exhibition centre - the team put on an exhibition of football, so it kind of makes sense in one way.

There's a truly cringemaking video doing the rounds on twitter from Saturday showing how their announcers announce the squad with footage of them leaving the team coach, whilst shuffling past fans behind barriers, touching the occasional outstretched hand, but mostly just walking past, eyes down, headphones on.

That really sums it up for me. Great players and silverware, but at what cost? Delivered in a soulless stadium in front of low-commitment fans, in the manner of a FTSE 100 company delivering a good set of results.

Don't get me wrong, I am insanely jealous of their squad, money and silverware, but compare the atmosphere at most league games there with that at Villa Park when we beat Everton a few weeks ago.

That's the kind of 'deal with the devil' which is the flip side of taking enormous sums of money.

[Damo70]

I loved going to Maine Road and sitting on the bench seating in the Platt Lane stand. I reckon I watched Villa play there about half a dozen times. I also saw David Bowie play there in 1987 and 1990 and I saw Pink Floyd there in 1988.

[Des Little]

i also used to love going to Maine Road, my favourite away ground in fact; admittedly it was a dump towards the end but I’d bet a large section of their fans would still rather stand on the Kippax than sit in that soulless bowl every week.

I was sat in the home end on Saturday, and the whole ethos of the new City really saddened me, it was as if everything I liked about them in the past is no longer. I just hope that should we ever get close to their recent success it doesn’t come at the same cost.

[Flamingo Lane]

I only went to Maine Road once, funnily enough to see City play Ipswich in the season we won the league, 80-81.  Stood on the Kippax with a mate who supported City.  It was a fine atmosphere.

[dave.woodhall]

i also used to love going to Maine Road, my favourite away ground in fact; admittedly it was a dump towards the end but I’d bet a large section of their fans would still rather stand on the Kippax than sit in that soulless bowl every week.

I was sat in the home end on Saturday, and the whole ethos of the new City really saddened me, it was as if everything I liked about them in the past is no longer. I just hope that should we ever get close to their recent success it doesn’t come at the same cost.

It will, though. Even just being in the Premier League means the old atmosphere is diluted; if we ever get to where we want to be we will inevitably become what we hate.

[SoccerHQ]

European nights will more than make up for more diluted domestic atmospheres.

Although Man. City fans care even less for that.

[Bobby Boy]

i also used to love going to Maine Road, my favourite away ground in fact; admittedly it was a dump towards the end but I’d bet a large section of their fans would still rather stand on the Kippax than sit in that soulless bowl every week.

I was sat in the home end on Saturday, and the whole ethos of the new City really saddened me, it was as if everything I liked about them in the past is no longer. I just hope that should we ever get close to their recent success it doesn’t come at the same cost.

It will, though. Even just being in the Premier League means the old atmosphere is diluted; if we ever get to where we want to be we will inevitably become what we hate.

One of the things that makes watching Villa currently so enjoyable / nerve wracking is that we cannot take any game for granted. Every point is hard-earned and means something. This makes every game a mini-final with an atmosphere to match.

If we were to rock up to Villa Park at any point in the future with a sense of entitlement and bored expectation then we will have lost everything that we have at the present moment.

[algy]

We bring the atmosphere.

Come on Russ, atmosphere oh what an atmosphere.

Techno anthem right there