Certainly a thought provoking post and mirrors my own thoughts.
After nearly 40 years as a season ticket holder this will be my last season! I have kept my physical season tickets over the years as a nostalgic momentum of my support of AVFC but the last two years have been a monumental and a bl**dy hassle to obtain a physical card. Do I really want to go through all that again next season in my efforts to support AVFC when they aren’t actually bothered whether I renew or not?
I now go on my own via the train (packed like sardines, late or cancelled, minimal service on a Sunday) and go for the camaraderie of the people around me at the ground. No longer do I go with expectation, excitement and relishing the prospect of seeing the Villa, I just go now because that is what I have been doing all these years.
Someone posted an excellent post the other day saying something like ‘the football we play now is the polar opposite of what I want to watch, which is pace, width and intent’ and I think that is so true even with the best manager we have had in a very, very long time. That is not the all of it though as many have commented. I used to be a referee but I no longer have a clue what the rules are anymore, made up on the day; on that note the refereeing standard has sunk to an all time low! You no long celebrate goals as you know somebody else has to have a say via the corrupt and not fit for purpose system called VAR! I could go on, the big 6, the media, Sky, players wages, all the silly restrictions, when coming 5th in the PL is more important than winning the FA cup, the list is endless.
To be honest I don’t think I will miss it, my son will still go and I will occasionally pop down to see for myself how the club is continuing to lose its core values but I will always support AVFC, they are part of my soul!
Then we have this to look forward to for next season, more shitty rules which make it even worse to compete, but Villa agreed to it!