Happy anniversary to us

[Ian.]

Happy belated birthday H&V.

Thank you to all that make it happen, moderate and take part. It’s been a huge help to me for a very long time. Everything from finding decent music, TV to watch, advice, helping through heartbreak and of course a little bit of arguing about football.

[robbo1874]

Happy anniversary H&V. Here’s to the next 25 years. I first came across the site round about 2000, having bought the paper version since around ‘94/‘95. I’ve only knowingly met 2 posters in real life apart from the ones I knew already. Is there a ‘where did they go’ type thread for people who used to post but don’t seem to any longer? Some quality moments and posts down the years and you get the full range of opinions from ‘we were shit’ to ‘meh’ to ‘we were fkn brilliant and we would’ve won if it wasn’t for [insert name of ref of your choice]’. Which is why I’ll always be back for more.

[Clark W Griswold]

Used to buy the paper one from about 1990 ish i think, i remember laughing at a spoof match report from a cup game against Grimsby which was basically a fish pun-athon. I'm easily pleased. Been on here since about 02-03 time. For the most part i think people on here are pretty fair minded and humorous so it suits me. Congrats anyway to those involved in H&V over the years.

[Rory]

Given our respective ages, I'll bet there would be quite a few people on here who would recognise each other from down the game over the years.

I thought all the regulars on here got together at the Bartons before and after every home game, in their H&V uniforms, doing the secret handshake and dining on swan.

[Drummond]

Given our respective ages, I'll bet there would be quite a few people on here who would recognise each other from down the game over the years.

I thought all the regulars on here got together at the Bartons before and after every home game, in their H&V uniforms, doing the secret handshake and dining on swan.

Nah, Swann would have been sour and bitter.

[rooboy316]

I reckon on a posts to years ratio, I’d be one of the lowest. Been lurking in the shadows on a pretty much daily basis since 1999...

[Percy McCarthy]

Well done everybody, great site. I’ll be back later to read the rest.

[Rory]

Given our respective ages, I'll bet there would be quite a few people on here who would recognise each other from down the game over the years.

I thought all the regulars on here got together at the Bartons before and after every home game, in their H&V uniforms, doing the secret handshake and dining on swan.

Nah, Swann would have been sour and bitter.

Ho ho 😉

[Exeter 77]

I've just had a look at my stats page and it seems I have spent 246 days 6 hour and 37 minutes on here presumably since the site re-set a few years ago. This is far more than I have spent with some of my family! But then I think I have more in common with many on this site than a big chunk of my family. Thanks for keeping me entertained and informed everyone.

[algy]

Remember pestering my dad to buy our first H&V around 1990-ish.  There was a short-lived feature called 'Heroes & Villains' in Shoot (?), which was basically a poster of a famous international footballer (that week: Ruud Gullit of AC Milan).  I assumed the magazine would be full of posters of footballers who played for Italian sides, and so kept on nagging me dad to buy one until he relented, just outside the gates to Aston Hall.

I was disappointed to find that it contained mostly words, but my dad carried on buying it.  Once Villa Vouchers stopped being a thing, we stopped getting the official match programme all together and just concentrated on buying H&V.

[Percy McCarthy]

I did 20-odd years selling the fanzine (and a couple of years writing for it) and spend an unhealthy amount of time on here. A huge part of my life without which there’s no way I’d have had three books published, or made a website. It was definitely my lucky day when I became mates with Dave whenever it was (late seventies/early eighties?) and I can’t thank him enough, as well as Mac, Martin and everybody who contributes. It really has been emotional.

Whenever a story breaks on the news that I’m interested in, my first port of call to find out what’s really happened and to read it being debated by intelligent, articulate people is off-topic. The actual thought goes ‘hang on, before I say anything, what does H&V think’.

[Rory]

Whenever a story breaks on the news that I’m interested in, my first port of call to find out what’s really happened and to read it being debated by intelligent, articulate people is off-topic. The actual thought goes ‘hang on, before I say anything, what does H&V think’.

Likewise. Whenever there are 'reports' of a high-profile death, I always go to the deathwatch thread for verification - usually by BV, our very own grim reaper.

[OzVilla]

I loved the paper fanzine when I was an ST in the UK and I love the site now that attending is no longer possible. The all round knowledge and humour have kept me both in touch and sane on Villa and other matters on occasions.

Thanks to all involved. UTV.

[Whiney MacWhineface]

I was explaining to a close friend, who doesn’t like football, that bigots, racists, misogynists, homophobes,  et al. were run out of town by consensus. Or potted by Dave. And, as a Momentum member, he’d bolster the ranks of the Socialists here!

It really is life affirming stuff.

[Villa Lew]

First site I log into in the morning, simply can't imagine life without it.

Happy silver anniversary H&V, before we know it we'll be celebrating the golden anniversary!