Manchester City vs Aston Villa Pre-Match.

[LeeB]

I can think of three things that can go fuck themselves.

Man United, Man City and the city of Manchester. Plus the entire conglomeration of council estates connected by motorways that makes up ‘Greater’ Manchester.

Lots of Greater Manchester, like Wigan where I lived for ages, doesn't consider itself anything to do with Manchester whatsoever, and probably has more Scousers than Mancs if anything.

I've no problem with strecthing out to include Merseyside too.

[Risso]

I loved it up there, had the time of my life.

[Rory]

I long for the days when kids automatically followed in the family tradition of their choice of football club, when growing up not one of my extended family, which went into many dozens, followed any club but Villa. It seems to me that once a minority of clubs became all powerful, winning almost every competition, the need of many kids to identify themselves with a successful club overcame tradition. For many years the Premiership has not been a competition, it has been a coterie of four or five clubs battling it out between them with just, very occasionally, A leicester appears from nowhere, shines, then just as quickly fades. The reputation washing through the buying of Football clubs is just another example of how the governing bodies do not prepresent what is best for the game.
I am desperately clinging to a small hope that for once a club is held to account and the penalty is so severe that it will send panic through all clubs that have given the finger to rules and regulations.

Nice post, ROBBO.

[Drummond]

I long for the days when kids automatically followed in the family tradition of their choice of football club, when growing up not one of my extended family, which went into many dozens, followed any club but Villa. It seems to me that once a minority of clubs became all powerful, winning almost every competition, the need of many kids to identify themselves with a successful club overcame tradition. For many years the Premiership has not been a competition, it has been a coterie of four or five clubs battling it out between them with just, very occasionally, A leicester appears from nowhere, shines, then just as quickly fades. The reputation washing through the buying of Football clubs is just another example of how the governing bodies do not prepresent what is best for the game.
I am desperately clinging to a small hope that for once a club is held to account and the penalty is so severe that it will send panic through all clubs that have given the finger to rules and regulations.

It happens because people let their kids do it. My lad wanted to support one of the red teams because his mates did. That was until I told him he had a choice, Villa like his dad and uncle, or Sheffield Utd which is his mum's and local team. Then, of course I took him to Villa Park. ☺

[ventnorVillain]

My dad was born and brought up in Ward End. All the family except him were noses (shows who got the family brain cells). My mom was born in Smethwick and all her family were bitters. When I was very young her brother and cousins all tried to turn me to the stripey filth, but the old man wasn't having any of it. He took me to the FA cup replay against Southampton in 1969 and that was that. 59,000 and we won 2-1 ( we even won cup matches in those days). My 7 year old self had found his life-long love. My son is now 32 and lives in Minneapolis. He has a large range of replica shirts which he wears around the city and spreads the gospel of The Mighty Villa. Thanks to the club going out there in 2019 we are very well known, probably more so than down here on the Isle of Wight. We are VTID. Even my daughter, who has no interest in football, signs off e-mails to me with UTV. P.S. we are all a bunch of miserable feckers as a result.

[FatSam]

As long as they support either the local team or the family team, not any crap side they've no connection with just because they happen to be flavour of the month.

That’s my opinion as well. Neither of my parents are interested in football, so supporting Villa is essentially something I chose for myself, growing-up in Boldmere.

I know that some people say they didn’t have any choice in the matter, but it’s not really true is it? Which football team you support isn’t like your race, gender, sexuality etc. it’s more like your politics in that you can be conditioned to think a certain way, and it becomes part of your identity, but you can also change your mind (unless you got a tattoo). That’s why if your choice is based on ‘who’s the best team’ or ‘what’s my favourite colour’ rather than ‘what’s my local team’ or ‘who my ancestors supported’ it basically marks you out as being superficial.

I’m not going to force my kids to support Villa, as we don’t live in Birmingham. I’m going to make it clear who I support and why, and give them opportunities to experience games, but ultimately let them decide for themselves. If they want to support their local team then that’s fine too.

One side of my family are from the Black Country, and my great grandad was a regular at the Hawthorns either side of WWI. My grandad was notionally Baggies, but not that bothered and only ever complimentary about Villa. He did install crush barriers on the Witton End in the 1930s.

[dave.woodhall]

I had the choice of Villa (my dad's team) or Albion (local).

Sorry, I had the choice of Villa (my dad's team) or Albion (homeless aged seven).

[Sexual Ealing]

My dad was Celtic. Most of the rest of the family, like a lot of Irish people in England, were/are Man Utd.

My big cousin rescued me just in time.

[Percy McCarthy]

I had the choice of Villa (my dad's team) or Albion (local).

Sorry, I had the choice of Villa (my dad's team) or Albion (homeless aged seven).

Haha, excellent parenting.

[amfy]

I can think of three things that can go fuck themselves.

Man United, Man City and the city of Manchester. Plus the entire conglomeration of council estates connected by motorways that makes up ‘Greater’ Manchester.

Lots of Greater Manchester, like Wigan where I lived for ages, doesn't consider itself anything to do with Manchester whatsoever, and probably has more Scousers than Mancs if anything.

I think times have changed Risso. I work in Wigan now and just about everyone supports Manchester City or a United (or maybe Liverpool) Some even say they support one of those three…’AND Wigan where I’ve got a season ticket’. It was the same in Blackburn but for some random reason there were more Everton fans there too. It’s weird.

[ROBBO]

Look i'm a pretty old guy (very old)and I Know times have changed but it is my belief that it is inadequate parenting that is a big part of the problem. I have said that all my extended family followed Villa, choice didn't come into it, there was never any question, it was a given. I will own up to having the odd relative that had absolutely no interest in football but even then if asked who they support they would say Villa. t

[ROBBO]

I posted before finishing, appologies.

[Drummond]

Just watched the League Cup final again... Nakamba, Nyland, Engels, Targett, Elmo, Trez, AEG, Hourihane, Samatta... Yikes!

We've come a long way squad wise, but not much to show for it... Let's do them please.

[edgysatsuma89]

Just watched the League Cup final again... Nakamba, Nyland, Engels, Targett, Elmo, Trez, AEG, Hourihane, Samatta... Yikes!

We've come a long way squad wise, but not much to show for it... Let's do them please.

I genuinely had no recollection of this, I've just had to Google. I think Will Smith must have wiped my memory... and slapped me. Not sure why I can't picture it.

[eamonn]

Yeah, that team of tat ran Citeh close while our lot this season got Stevenage'd. Bloody football.