Aston Villa vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Pre-Match Thread

[TelfordVilla]

It's their degree of success that tickles me. A high of 7th, a europa quarter final and an fa cup semi final. What a glorious couple of seasons that was.

[Somniloquism]

Yes, I remember taking my Dingle uncle to Villa Park under Dean Smith. As our second goal went in, I playfully patted him on the head, and told him I hoped he enjoyed his long drive back to North Wales, and could he give any of his fellow supporters a lift back on his horse and cart. A few minutes later, we're 3-2 down and he's patting me on the head, and the timer is set on Dean Smith's time in charge.

Lee, you're messing with forces you can't possibly understand.

Yes! I did the same fucking thing Vs Leeds around Christmas time in the Championship. I bought my (Leeds) brother-in-law and my (wavering between Villa and Leeds) nephew tickets to the game at VP. At 2-0, I patted the b-i-l on the shoulder and said 'Merry Christmas mate' and gave my nephew my c&b scarf. I knew instantly that I'd sinned. The nephew returned my scarf and is now fully Leeds. I think Kemar Roofe scored their third.

A client of mine (Leeds fan) got us a box through Aston University for the game. 2-0 up and I was smug. As the game progressed, I gradually slunk further and further back into my seat.

So it wasn't me being there to see my niece as one of the mascots for her Birthday. phew.

[Drummond]

Re Match thread tomorrow: can people not comment or announce goals until Sunday morning please as I am reading the Deathwatch thread and stuck for an amusing pun? Ta!

Hmmm, let's funeral them.

[VillaTim]

I love being 3 nil up

[VillaTim]

We need to defend far better than v Everton. This is their Cup Final .

The wolves players couldn't give a flying shit about any idea of local rivalry, the fans obviously see it that way but to the players it's just another match

The players will be made well aware of the local rivalry. They normally raise their game a bit against us.

It isn't local rivalry. For it to be that, both sides need to have a degree of hate for the other guys.

They hate us, we don't really think about them other than when we have to play them.

It's like describing Coventry as local rivals. They absolutely loathe us. In return, we just look at them and shrug.

We were paying more attention to them when they were above us and we were in the Championship, not so much now i agree,  but to say there is no local rivalry at all isn't accurate.

[Clampy]

I couldn't tell you the name of any Coventry players, where they are in the league or who they are playing this weekend.

[paul_e]

We were paying more attention to them when they were above us and we were in the Championship, not so much now i agree,  but to say there is no local rivalry at all isn't accurate.

Really? I don't remember it that way at all. What I remember from the Wolves fans I know was that one day they decided that West Brom were too small to care about and suddenly Villa were their 'real' local rivals and they were the new "king of the midlands". Most Villa fans were pretty ambivalent to it all and mostly were worrying about relegation (and later getting promoted). I can't recall anyone on here or elsewhere deciding it was a big derby, just a game we wanted to win to shut them up more than anything.

[PeterWithesShin]

For some Villa fans a game against Wolves is a big deal, especially those in the black country. It's certainly more of a game to a lot than if it was say Ipswich or Brentford.

[jon collett]

Historically they were rivals. Fellow founder members and we always played them Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

It was Blues we didn’t care about until that “rivalry” was confected by the Evening Mail in the 60s for circulation reasons.

Albion was the big one.

Coventry dislike Villa so much because Villa have always had so much support in areas they expect to be their catchment area.

We are the Club of the midlands not an inner city Club.

[VillaTim]

We were paying more attention to them when they were above us and we were in the Championship, not so much now i agree,  but to say there is no local rivalry at all isn't accurate.

Really? I don't remember it that way at all. What I remember from the Wolves fans I know was that one day they decided that West Brom were too small to care about and suddenly Villa were their 'real' local rivals and they were the new "king of the midlands". Most Villa fans were pretty ambivalent to it all and mostly were worrying about relegation (and later getting promoted). I can't recall anyone on here or elsewhere deciding it was a big derby, just a game we wanted to win to shut them up more than anything.

Dunno i remember being lower North (cells area they call it now) for the 4-1 win Chester , Grabban etc scored , there was lots of rivalry / banter "mind the gap" etc etc .

[paul_e]

For some Villa fans a game against Wolves is a big deal, especially those in the black country. It's certainly more of a game to a lot than if it was say Ipswich or Brentford.

Yes, but that's in the same way that a game against Newcastle would be massive to a Villa fan in the North-East, there will always be some people who have their own reason to see a game as important but as a club I thinkour 2 real rivals are Blues and Baggies and they're probably about even, with anyone else a long way behind. I honestly wouldn't be suprised if there were more people that hate Man Utd, Liverpool, etc than Wolves.


I can accept the point that Wolves was probably a massive rivalry in the past but I think them pottering around in the lower leagues for most of the 80s and 90s means that for a huge part of the fan base they were utterly irrelevant.

[VillaTim]

For some Villa fans a game against Wolves is a big deal, especially those in the black country. It's certainly more of a game to a lot than if it was say Ipswich or Brentford.

Yes, but that's in the same way that a game against Newcastle would be massive to a Villa fan in the North-East, there will always be some people who have their own reason to see a game as important but as a club I thinkour 2 real rivals are Blues and Baggies and they're probably about even, with anyone else a long way behind. I honestly wouldn't be suprised if there were more people that hate Man Utd, Liverpool, etc than Wolves.


I can accept the point that Wolves was probably a massive rivalry in the past but I think them pottering around in the lower leagues for most of the 80s and 90s means that for a huge part of the fan base they were utterly irrelevant.

Loads of Villa fans live in the black country / wolverhampton though so the local rivalry exists though not as big as Small Heath / Smethwick

[PeterWithesShin]

There's way more Villa fans in the black country though. There is a rivalry with them, not on the level of sha or Albion but it's there. It's why we have a 2000 post thread about them and not Norwich or West Ham.

[paul_e]

For some Villa fans a game against Wolves is a big deal, especially those in the black country. It's certainly more of a game to a lot than if it was say Ipswich or Brentford.

Yes, but that's in the same way that a game against Newcastle would be massive to a Villa fan in the North-East, there will always be some people who have their own reason to see a game as important but as a club I thinkour 2 real rivals are Blues and Baggies and they're probably about even, with anyone else a long way behind. I honestly wouldn't be suprised if there were more people that hate Man Utd, Liverpool, etc than Wolves.


I can accept the point that Wolves was probably a massive rivalry in the past but I think them pottering around in the lower leagues for most of the 80s and 90s means that for a huge part of the fan base they were utterly irrelevant.

Loads of Villa fans live in the black country / wolverhampton though so the local rivalry exists though not as big as Small Heath / Smethwick

That's kinda my point though, If Wolves get relegated and stay down in the Championship for a few years most Villa fans won't give them a second thought and most Wolves fans will quickly revert to hating the Baggies. Any rivalry in the last decade or so has been almost entirely fueled by their fans thinknig they were suddenly the big dog in the midlands.

[paul_e]

There's way more Villa fans in the black country though. There is a rivalry with them, not on the level of sha or Albion but it's there. It's why we have a 2000 post thread about them and not Norwich or West Ham.

Would that thread have existed 20 years ago though?