Wake me up when it's over

[dave.woodhall]

Purely out of curiosity, how many members does your club have?

More than ten. Fewer than fifty. We don’t charge or check anyone’s bona fides so people can just email or text me and join - Then they’re on our email list for when we do events.
For all I know, 30 of the emails to join may have been bots (or may be dead even, there  are v few young Jews still living in B’ham - can’t think why.)
Hence the careful answer. I could probably put a face to about 15-20. But we have others who I’ve never met.
That open attitude to joining may now change given the level of interest in the group I guess.

I asked a direct, inoffensive question. I couldn't even get a straight answer to that.

[eliotpollak]

Purely out of curiosity, how many members does your club have?

Should also add as it’s relevant I suppose, that from the summer just gone, the club announced they wanted names and Fan IDs of all supporters groups members. This is linked to a new fans engagement part of the website in the pipeline. We were told we have until the end of the season to do this, so because I am lazy, I will obviously be waiting til May to do it. There is also a new member of staff at the club looking after all these relationships.

[PeterWithesShin]

Do you live in Birmingham Eliot, or when did you last live here? That's a genuine question.

[eliotpollak]

Purely out of curiosity, how many members does your club have?

More than ten. Fewer than fifty. We don’t charge or check anyone’s bona fides so people can just email or text me and join - Then they’re on our email list for when we do events.
For all I know, 30 of the emails to join may have been bots (or may be dead even, there  are v few young Jews still living in B’ham - can’t think why.)
Hence the careful answer. I could probably put a face to about 15-20. But we have others who I’ve never met.
That open attitude to joining may now change given the level of interest in the group I guess.

I asked a direct, inoffensive question. I couldn't even get a straight answer to that.

Because everything I say is scrutinised to an absurd degree so I’m trying, as throughout, to be careful with my posts.
As I said, the entire process is being far more formalised so I will at some point when I get round to it, have to work out who is who on our email list, how many are Villa members, how many are over 18 and all the rest.

[eliotpollak]

Do you live in Birmingham Eliot, or when did you last live here? That's a genuine question.

No. Never lived there. Longest spent continuously probably 36 hrs or so when I’ve taken the kids to a game and then somewhere like Cadburys World the next day

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Eliot, I don't have any dislike of Jews, I don't have any reason to dislike there being a Jewish supporters club for Villa or any other club. I don't think anybody else on this thread does either.

I do think the response of the military in Gaza on behalf of the present Israeli government has gone way too far. I still do not get how you can make the leap to saying that makes somebody anti-semitic ?

I’ve never said it does. Somebody said the same thing earlier and I pointed out a lot of people agree with you, most particularly in Israel. It’s a valid opinion. It’s a shame people don’t have the same respect for anyone who disagrees.
Using the word genocide however would be seen by most Jews as anti-Semitic, as per the link I pointed to earlier. That’s all I’ve said

So it's the use of the word `Genocide` ?

https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/10/05/poll-reveals-40-of-us-jews-believe-israel-committing-genocide-in-gaza/

Yes. 40% is still a minority, and an even bigger minority of world Jewry when you consider 6m or so in Israel who 99.99% disagree.

It doesn't matter if it's more or less than 50%. There have been many acts of genocide in history committed against many different groups. The first truly recognised being committed by the catholic church back in about the 12th century. Without doubt the most highly recognised and the most horific being the Holocaust. But genocide is not purely a crime exclusive to the Nazi atrocities in the 20th century.

[PeterWithesShin]

Why do you support us? That's another genuine question as i'm always curious why non Brummies choose Villa.

[German James]

Why do you support us? That's another genuine question as i'm always curious why non Brummies choose Villa.

When I was about 10, a Villa fan of the same age moved to my village. We became good mates and... Oh were you talking to Eliot?

[Gareth]

I am a little concerned that a week on Thursday a football match will break out

[PeterWithesShin]

I was but you're good answering as I am always curious about that.

[cdbearsfan]

Fans being banned based on their previous behaviour has happened many many times.

Could I peruse your post history and find you criticising the bans of all these other clubs? I assume i'll find quite a few condeming Ajax and Franfurt fans being banned last month.

When have foreign fans been banned from buying tickets for away games in the UK? Pre forum I expect, possibly even pre Heysel ban, so good luck.

2024.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c4ng1nnvnyro#:~:text=Visiting%20fans%20were%20banned%20from,from%20an%20adjoining%20holiday%20park.

[eliotpollak]

Why do you support us? That's another genuine question as i'm always curious why non Brummies choose Villa.

When my dad was 4 in 1957, the only club games ever on tv were FA Cup finals. And he went with the winners, optimistic it was the first of many FA Cups he would see us win.
We’ve been lucky subsequently to meet Peter McParland on a few occasions down in Bournemouth where he went to work as a porter and then eventually retire. He was always an incredible gentleman, happy to talk for hours.

[eliotpollak]

Fans being banned based on their previous behaviour has happened many many times.

Could I peruse your post history and find you criticising the bans of all these other clubs? I assume i'll find quite a few condeming Ajax and Franfurt fans being banned last month.

When have foreign fans been banned from buying tickets for away games in the UK? Pre forum I expect, possibly even pre Heysel ban, so good luck.

2024.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c4ng1nnvnyro#:~:text=Visiting%20fans%20were%20banned%20from,from%20an%20adjoining%20holiday%20park.

That’s a UEFA ban as a punishment for past trouble , not a local authority or governmental ban for potential trouble.
I do wish these lame gotchas would stop. Sometimes just accept other people know what they’re talking about. The bloody Culture Sec who you may or may not care for, said the same thing as me in the Commons. She would have had some underpaid researcher check it for her.

[cdbearsfan]

You asked a question, I answered it. Stop getting so angry.

[PeterWithesShin]

Seriously Eliot, a big reason you're getting so much shit is because of how you reply to people. That reply you just did to CD, if you'd just said "That’s a UEFA ban as a punishment for past trouble , not a local authority or governmental ban for potential trouble, which is what I mean" it would create a debate. But you always have to add the extra stuff which creates an argument instead.