Claret & Blue Brum/Midlands

[Gary Penrice]

The Man on the Moon has more than it's fair share of Villa fans using it.

Also in the early 90's there was a coach that picked up at the Fitter & the Woodpecker for away games as did the Travellers in Northfield.

West Heath/Northfield I'd say was & still is 50/50.

[Villan For Life]

Born in West Heath and when I was at school in the 70’s/early 80’s there were definitely more noses than Villa. I echo the comments about the pubs in the area too, packed to the rafters with noses when they’re playing at home.

[London Villan]

Grew up in Kings Norton, went to school in Turves Green. Even split. Even my bunch of mates is split 50/50 with the Villa fans going to games and the bluesnoses  posting about the Villa on facebook when we lose, but rarely going to a game.

[colin69]

Lived in Edgbaston from 0-11. Northfield from 11-21 and for the last 30 years Rubery. Went to Shenley Court Comprehensive 80-85 and probably due to our League and European Cup successes it was full of Villa. Worked at the Austin 1990-2005 had a good mix of fans from all the Midlands clubs with mainly good banter. Plenty of Villa fans in Rubery whatever the noses might think.

[Flamingo Lane]

I was brought up in Oldbury (near the Londonderry referred to on another thread) in the '60s and '70s, and there were very few Villa fans around the area then.  It was almost all Albion, and at times it was pretty unpleasant to be singled out as a Villa fan, especially in and around school in the mid '70s.

I now live in Oxfordshire, where I know as many Villa fans and see as many people out and about sporting Villa shirts as ever I did in Oldbury in the '70s.

[Godfrey Brian]

Mom was born in Aston and moved to Great Barr when she was 6. Dad was born in Nottinghamshire but moved to Great Barr as a baby.  I've lived in Great Barr (Pheasey) for most of my life, apart from 6 months in New Zealand and 7 years in Kingstanding.

And thank you for shining a light on another Birmingham bus mysterious destination for me!

That'll be the old number 90 'Pheasey Estate via Kingstanding' used to catch that every day! Pheasey was quite exotic by North Brum standards at one time. It's houses were the base for American replacement troops during the war meaning that some Great Barr homes were very well supplied with food, there was a high incidence of arrests for soliciting in the area and many of the locals were well kitted out with US army surplus  clothing into the fifties! Despite having lived in the area I only chanced upon that info by picking up an old book from Walsall library!

[Rory]

Mom was born in Aston and moved to Great Barr when she was 6. Dad was born in Nottinghamshire but moved to Great Barr as a baby.  I've lived in Great Barr (Pheasey) for most of my life, apart from 6 months in New Zealand and 7 years in Kingstanding.

And thank you for shining a light on another Birmingham bus mysterious destination for me!

That'll be the old number 90 'Pheasey Estate via Kingstanding' used to catch that every day! Pheasey was quite exotic by North Brum standards at one time. It's houses were the base for American replacement troops during the war meaning that some Great Barr homes were very well supplied with food, there was a high incidence of arrests for soliciting in the area and many of the locals were well kitted out with US army surplus  clothing into the fifties! Despite having lived in the area I only chanced upon that info by picking up an old book from Walsall library!

My Grandma lived on Aldridge Rd right opposite Pheasey. Think it was the 33 bus when I was little. And the 997.

[astonvilla82]

Both Villa and blues older lads used the Travellers and Dukes in Northfield and never had any trouble between them really same with younger ones who came through,use to meet up sometimes with them after derby games in the old varsity tavern selly oak, now called the goose

[Rory]

Both Villa and blues older lads used the Travellers and Dukes in Northfield and never had any trouble between them really same with younger ones who came through,use to meet up sometimes with them after derby games in the old varsity tavern selly oak, now called the goose

Is that the place with a mosaic of 'I came, I saw, I vomited' in Latin on the wall?

[Pat McMahon]

We lived in Winson  Green when I was born, and then shuffled out to Chasetown via Aston for a few years, then Newtown. The next spell was Great Barr - another one from Pheasey, and I consider that is where I was brought up as it was my formative years from 10-18, and my longest spell in one place.

Back in the 70s and 80s Great Barr had Villa as the largest fan base, with Albion second. Blues a distant third, though a good minority came out of the woodwork in the early 80s from 2-3 school years below me, plus plastics of various shades of red. My cousins were by the Scott Arms /  Hamsted and that seemed to be evenly split between Villa and Albion. One of my schools was in Aldridge and there were a good number of Wolves and Albion  fans there, with the Villa fans being largely represented by us Pheasey boys. A smattering of Leeds fans too, as they were big in the early 70s.

Other family were in Kingstanding and Perry Barr and they seemed purely Villa. All this is ancient history so things may have changed.

I was in Cannock for the lockdown and Wolves shirts easily the majority, followed by Villa and then seemingly Liverpool and Albion.

[brentastonb6]

Yardley Massive all my life except for a brief exile in AG. Probably more Blose than Villa in each, but it's a lot closer than they'd like to admit.

That's my experience too. Drank in the Bill and Bull and the Yew Tree for years and there was always just as much Villa. Head towards Acocks Green and shit hole pubs like the Spread Eagle and it's definitely more Rags territory.

Moved to Yardley from Bromford Estate when 11, Yardley predominantly Blues  which you’d expect as it’s a mile from their Sty.Yew Tree always has been a Blues pub but plenty of Villa used to get off the No 11 bus when we played . I have mates in South Brum who say Blues outnumber us 2:1 on the South Side  where as we outnumber them 10:1 in North Birmingham. Nothing scientific mind but it certainly feels  like that living in Sutton for 30 years and my kids playing footie in Erdington.

[Legion]

We lived in Winson  Green when I was born, and then shuffled out to Chasetown via Aston for a few years, then Newtown. The next spell was Great Barr - another one from Pheasey, and I consider that is where I was brought up as it was my formative years from 10-18, and my longest spell in one place.

Back in the 70s and 80s Great Barr had Villa as the largest fan base, with Albion second. Blues a distant third, though a good minority came out of the woodwork in the early 80s from 2-3 school years below me, plus plastics of various shades of red. My cousins were by the Scott Arms /  Hamsted and that seemed to be evenly split between Villa and Albion. One of my schools was in Aldridge and there were a good number of Wolves and Albion  fans there, with the Villa fans being largely represented by us Pheasey boys. A smattering of Leeds fans too, as they were big in the early 70s.

Other family were in Kingstanding and Perry Barr and they seemed purely Villa. All this is ancient history so things may have changed.

I was in Cannock for the lockdown and Wolves shirts easily the majority, followed by Villa and then seemingly Liverpool and Albion.

You were born in prison? Blimey! Remind me never to fall out with you.

[andyh]

Brought up in Priory Road, Aston.
Went to Manor Park School until I went to secondary School (Duddeston Manor, Nechells).

I wasn’t ever going to support anyone else, was I?

[boutrosboutrosgnarly]

Born Perry Barr, lived mostly Great Barr/Kingstanding/Erdington, but worked amongst other places in Solihull & Redditch with the former especially infested with the d@gshit.

[cdbearsfan]

Born and bred in sunny Ladywood (option for city centre?). Mainly Villa when i was a kid but I don’t know what’s its like now but i suspect its much the same.

Went to college there and it was pretty much all Villa, with a couple of token glory-hunting types. Onviously, not everyone at the college lived there.