10 Jan 2016 10:28:54
There have been quite a few games this season where I have been embarrassed as a Villa fan while watching some of the performances this season. However yesterday was a lifetime low for me as a Villa fan. Not with the draw and performance at Wycombe but at the disgusting conduct of some so called Villa fans. What gives any human being the right to shout and behave in that manner to another group of human beings. If I walked into Birmingham City centre and started shouting at people like that I'd either have had my head punched off or I'd be arrested. Somehow because football is involved it's a little more acceptable? Some fans think it's unacceptable for the players to laugh at these fans. But in that situation I think I would too. How could you not laugh at some bloke, who's chin is covered in his own spit and dribble, shouting every swear word under the sun because he's not educated and socially able to articulate it in another way. Just think about it for one second, your boss comes to you at work and rather than talk to you like a human being he calls you all the b's and c's. Some would shout back, some would laugh, some would crumble and even cry i guess - but because they're footballers they have to act different to other human beings. And then just think about how you'd work for that boss in the future. Would you go above and beyond for that boss? Regardless of what you were paid you would have no desire, morale or interest. And before anyone replies to this saying its fans showing passion, don't bother because there are real fans with as much passion but we manage to show a bit of class when we show it. Murderers, rapists and pedophiles have walked into court to better receptions than those players got yesterday and it's at that point that surely we must agree they went too far. Every Villa fan whether you pay thousands a season or just buy a shirt has the same rights to their own opinions but in a way that separates us from the animals.
I apologise now if I've offended anyone but I love my club just as much as every other Villa fan and it hurts as much whether you go to every game, just home games or sit in an armchair. Maybe as a club and supporters we could show a bit of solidarity instead of behaviour we'd expect from our Small Heath neighbours.
VTID.
10 Jan 2016 10:37:37
Mike, that is the best post I have read on here for a long time.
Thank you for getting across what I have tried to say, and failed, in a far more intelligent manner.
I can't agree more
10 Jan 2016 10:52:45
I think any paying fan has a right to their opinion and for the players to laugh at the angry fans who have spent money going down the Wycombe to watch their team ain't on. We have not won a football game since September and it simply ain't good enough, I think Tuesday could get ugly if we go behind
Dark days for our club
I want my villa back.
10 Jan 2016 11:06:46
Here here.
10 Jan 2016 11:09:31
They did this with team coming off bus, they did this before they kicked a ball, before they even put their kit on!
And you see this as right?!
How will that inspired but of support motivate them to sweat blood and tears on a football pitch?
Lack of intelligence + alcohol = thug!
Congratulations
10 Jan 2016 11:22:15
Do you go to the games? The players I'm afraid don't care like we do, do we just accept this awful mess we are in? We can't defend we can't create and we don't score goals
I will argue with anybody I want a team that try their hardest and if we lose then so be it but hand on heart can you say we try every game?
We are a laughing stock of English football and I hate seeing my club like this.
10 Jan 2016 11:37:59
I have missed two games in five years, ten I last 30
So yes, a few! But that's irrelevant. People can't go, for different reasons.
But the logic is sound!
Explain how in any way those actions yesterday motivated the villa players to perform?
Or how it didn't motivate the opposition, who must of thought we where beaten before we got off the bus!
Then explain how in any walk of life, to treat, talk and rant at a fellow human being in that way is morally right, let alone humane, just or correct for the kids in the crowd to see this!
10 Jan 2016 11:42:27
If however I didn't go to the game, would my point be void?? Would it make me less of a fan??
10 Jan 2016 11:46:57
I go to games. I can't get to every game but I go a to a good few games a season. I appreciate and agree that any paying fan who has to watch our performances has the right to show their discontent BUT there is an acceptable and an unacceptable way to do that and yesterday was unacceptable in my view. There are so many ways to show your discontent but yesterday wasn't that way. It will never work. It just shows those fans to be thugs - even if they're not thugs, even if they're normally nice guys it paint us Villa fans as thugs. Why drive or pay to get all the way to Wycombe to shout at the players before they've even started. Why not make your point by not going. That hits the club, chairman, players, and board where it hurts. But no, of course, by going to EVERY game it shows that you're a "die hard" fan that supports Villa wherever they go! The irony of it. If that's the "die hard" support any fan offers I'm sure everyone would prefer it stayed at home.
10 Jan 2016 11:55:10
well said Mike. It's a pity that the fans concerned won't be reading this as
A: the point you make would be lost on them intellectually
B: They probably can't read.
10 Jan 2016 12:04:57
I don't condone the abusive language but you all miss the point, we have not won a game since September and the players are woeful, simple things yesterday were missing, pass to a villa player 5 yards away and the fact of the matter is if the fans don't show their frustrations (in the right way) then things will never change
Unless you want this rubbish football for our football club, but I certainly don't and will support my club no matter what happens I just think fickle fans who think we are Aston villa and we will be alright are mistaken.
10 Jan 2016 12:21:49
I think you miss the point, so let me say it again.
It was wrong, on every level. End of.
10 Jan 2016 12:27:19
No its not end of
You have your opinion I have mine I have been a season ticket holder for 18 years so I can voice my opinion.
Swearing Abuse to the players is wrong but don't tell me they don't need a kick up the backside because they do.
10 Jan 2016 13:04:27
Vtid82, unfortunately I have not missed your point. Every Villa fan on the planet can see it's not good enough. Any fan of any club can see that our club is playing atrocious football. But however bad it is, yesterday's antics by some fans is not acceptable. Our beloved club not so long ago sank to the third tier of English football and I'm sure that throughout that dark period scenes like yesterday were not witnessed. That is because the fans of yesterday knew how to "SUPPORT" their club. Every great club goes through tough times. We have no God given right to win every game and from time to time over the course of our lives we will drop and we will rise.
The measure of a great club is how we react and behave during the bad times The Alan Huttons and the Micah Richards of this world will only wear the shirt temporarily but we wear it for life and it's our responsibility as life long ambassadors of our great club to honour and keep safe the REPUTATION of Aston Villa Football Club right up there with the best. Where we belong, so when we rise again. And we will. We will still have our dignity intact.
This all sounds very dramatic but the reputation of a club is as important as the results.
Even in the good times there are some Villa fans who are never happy but it our job as REAL fans is to drown them out and sing our hearts out. Not for the players, but for the badge, because that badge and our club will live on past those players who wear the shirt so poorly today.
VTID.
10 Jan 2016 13:17:22
I agree villa fan mike well said
I just don't think we will improve until the board and chairman are gone and that is who we should be angry with
Like i said I will support villa no matter what but the players we have signed and managers we have signed and sacked have not been good enough and I sympathise with the angry fans I don't agree with the abuse but I can see their frustrations when we can't beat ANYBODY.
10 Jan 2016 13:59:48
Well said Mike!
To try and justify that yesterday is offensive.
No true fan or supporter did that, or was involved with it, just Neanderthals, throw backs from the 70/80s name them, shame them, there is no place for it, or them
10 Jan 2016 14:04:25
Folks I'm a villa fan all my life I don't get too many matches as I'm from Northern Ireland and the cost is huge. I wish I was a season ticket holder but I'm not. I don't want to take away from Aston villa matters but for years I've been at Windsor park watching NI getting thumped, people get cross but we sing on and support. We aren't blessed with the greatest pool of players but this last qualifying campaign the players have been motivated and do respond to the fans. Maybe that is the managers credit maybe it's the fans but shows team belief is a huge. the villa squad needs to find some belief in themselves and quick. All fans are entitled to their opinion I just wish the players would air their opinions in a team meeting and get some passion back to villa park.
10 Jan 2016 16:25:29
When we went down to the third and then back up, the Villa fans broke every record for support, football had never seen anything like it . This shows the support we have and always will have . If things like yesterday ever happened, you wouldent hear about it . Today with camera phones and Internet, these things are soon made public . These people as supporters do have a right to show their frustration, it's just the way they went about it . As Flackie and others have said, nobody deserves to be called the names with such hatred as yesterday . This certainly wouldn't have boosted any of the players or the manager, they already know that what's happening, is not good enough. The only ones who can get us out of this, are the people being abused . So let's get back to doing what we do best, get behind them and hope they can pull it together, Abusing them certainly won't put them in the frame of mind to do anything . Villa forever.
10 Jan 2016 16:35:54
Exactly!
Thank you
10 Jan 2016 16:56:46
One last point in all this. We are in a transfer window, trying to attract players in.
How would those actions inspire anyone to join our fight??
10 Jan 2016 17:47:47
I mentioned this on the rumours board but I will say it again here. Some of us can't go to the matches and have no choice other than to support from afar. Doesn't mean we care any less or are lesser fans. We are in the Holte End in spirit cheering every goal just as loud, and feeling every one conceded like a punch in the gut. Those of you who can attend the games represent all of us as fans who can't be there, and what happened at yesterday's game was unacceptable. We are all frustrated at the way things are going, but anyone who is still here supporting the club after the last 4 years of misery is every inch a better fan than those hurling abuse.
10 Jan 2016 19:09:37
Again well said Andy!
10 Jan 2016 21:06:28
This is a difference of opinions and you obviously don't have a clue about football. Fans who swear at the players is wrong accepted but at the end of the day they are garbage players playing for garbage management simple as
If you constantly make mistakes at work you would get the sack.
Villa are a great club and I would sweat tears ffor club and these tossers who wear the shirt are a disgrace
And that is end of.
10 Jan 2016 22:12:50
Who obviously doesn't have a clue about 'football' vtid82. You yourself have just said that fans abusing the players is wrong which is what most others are saying, so what exactly is the disagreement. Yesterdays events were unacceptable. And that is end of!
The club is poorly run. We all know this. The appointments made have not been good enough. The bulk of players who have been brought in are either inexperienced or are simply not good enough for the premier league. Its a bit like shouting obscenities at the person on work experience for not being up to speed. Its essentially workplace harassment. Get behind the players, no matter how good or bad you think they are, otherwise they have no incentive to play their hearts out for the club. Get on the back of Lerner and the board for sinking us into this mess.
10 Jan 2016 22:53:04
Vtid82, I bow to your experience, knowledge of the world, how it works, and obviously your great intelligence on all football matters.
I didn't realise that to abuse, bully, swear at, shout at, and to be insulting is not only acceptable, it's not only the norm, it's how we all should be acting. Sorry.
Jesus. Is this what we have come to?!
With 'support' like this, how can we
A) expect the players to want to try to get out of this?
B) expect them to be able to perform with this extra pressure?
C) expect new players to want to come to villa?
Would rather come sit in an empty vp, say 10k fans supporting the team, than a full vp abusing them.
And these guys seriously think they are helping!?
11 Jan 2016 04:35:53
Everyone has an opinion whether you agree or not, the players are complete rubbish and have won 3 games all season including cup games
I agree we should get on the backs of Lerner and Co
But when clowns of fans expect us to accept this dire football then you deserve us to go down, rather sit in an empty vp than the fans voice their opinion what a Boring life you must lead and aa for what players would want to join us is easy, no decent player would come to vp as we are a shambles of a club and the fans have nothing to do with it freckle.
11 Jan 2016 06:39:02
The last resort of someone who can't back up his points rationally - Ad Hominem attacks. Classy. Just like the fans hurling abuse.
11 Jan 2016 06:51:29
What makes you right Andy? Nothing like I said I respect your opinion and every other villa fans buy I am entitled to mine
11 Jan 2016 08:07:18
Of course you are but you clearly don't respect other peoples opinions. You have insinuated that because I can't go to games I am less of a fan and know nothing about football and that Flackie must lead a boring life because he would rather support his team in a half full stadium with real fans than a stadium full of abusive ones. Unfounded Ad hominem. Your opinion however is demonstrably wrong. I doubt you would disagree with Confucius' golden rule so try applying it in this case.
11 Jan 2016 10:51:32
so the fans were swore at by the guzan and lescott and you wonder why the fans reacted like they did.
11 Jan 2016 19:09:10
What about the provocation??
They may be footballers, but, they are human. I know how I would react someone shouting, swearing, and insulting me in my face.
11 Jan 2016 19:50:03
Guzan and lescott were throwing chewing gum on the pitch and a life long villa fan asked them to stop and get behind the team and he was told to f##k off
I'm sorry but they are a disgrace And should be sacked if found guilty
Utter disgrace.
11 Jan 2016 20:41:59
For once you and I agree!
But what happened there, and after I disagree with.
Two wrongs and all that.
To abuse coming off the bus was wrong
To abuse coming out for warm up was wrong
To abuse before kick off wrong
All this gives the opposition the upper hand if nothing else.
To attack getting on bus on way home was thuggery.
We as a club are better than that
10 Jan 2016 02:35:58
Right people as you no i never miss a game home or away but i got to say there's somethink seriously wrong with our football club there's no togetherness its as if the teacher is out of the class an we are playing up lol due to randy lerner absence i belive there's to many people doing what they want an getting away with it as there's nobody to stop them! Right 1st video micah richards talking to villa fans about lack of passion from the team i agree with the fans i for 1 pay 100 pound every away game i travel for hours watching them put in simply awful displays i will always go an back my team but there is no passion no commitment or desire which is why i ask you all why can't the fans talk to players yes it will get heated but will only get heated when they play crap an don't fight! 2nd video players getting on the coach again they should take some stick for the rubbish they serve up but in the right way some of the villa players laughed getting on the coach i don't see what they see funny we are the worst team in premiership history this season fans are really hurt what do these players find so funny they should be ashamed but as i say there's ways of doing it but put it this way they can't get any worse. Some of you villa fans don't feel the pain as much as you don't travel to every away game sometimes 4 or 5 hours so you would just sit there an say it don't help but let me tell you the fans have been right with the team all season an the team havnt give them anythink to cheer so why can't we have our say they have put us down we have right to be angry! I know most of you are true villa fans but be fair you telling me this villa side put 100 per cent in come on we have ran the least in all 4 leagues! The protests tuesday for lerner to go are pointless because he wants to leave the clubs up forsale nobody wants to buy it so don't see how lerner out banners help as he wants to go! Thanx for lisening.
10 Jan 2016 09:24:07
I agree with you they are poor at the moment and have been in decline for a number of years. But even so there are right ways and wrong ways to have your say or show your feelings and belive me the booing don't help them and won't make them try more or give them confidence it will just make them nervous and struggle even more that being said we do all work hard travel for hours to follow them and have a right to be angry. The seens after the match abusing every player and member of staff as they got on coach was an utter disgrace and made me ashamed and to be honest I don't think they can call themselves true fans. More like thugs.
10 Jan 2016 10:12:26
I agree Kingvilla and I look at it like this. May seem a strange analogy but bare with me.
You walk into tescos and the shelves are half empty, the staff are lazy and not doing their jobs properly so you complain, the staff for the most part don't care about tesco they care about their salaries and that's about it. So moaning to the staff will ultimately get you nowhere, the staff will dislike you and probably some of them will work even less hard due to your complaint especially if you're abusive.
So you complain anyway and the senior management decide to sack the line manager and instantly replace him with someone else, for a small bit of time things look a bit better inside the store, but it's not long before they're back to normal if not even worse!
So you take your complaints further and you complain to senior management about the staff who hear you complaints and for the most part agree and in turn sack all the staff and replace them with more or less entirely new bunch, next time you visit the same problems occurring if not worse now, despite the different staff.
Now you must realise that the problem was not actually the staff in the first place, but the management.
So you're left with two choices, you again complain, this time trying to go ever higher hoping that your complaint will not fall on deaf ears or. you boycott tesco for good no matter how much you love them or how long youve been shopping there, until they're forced to change things in order to bring people back.
Some may not agree that these things are the same, but they are.
If you are not happy with Villa then do not go, if you feel you want to vent your frustrations then write a letter to the club, and stop investing in them any more until things change.
If you're a season ticket holder, essentially youve already paid your money so its up to you whether you choose to further spend on travel and beer etc, I don't know why like me and my friends do if you love the day out and seeing mates etc, why you don't all go around one of their houses and stream it! I stopped all investment the day we got put up for sale. Though if I still went I wouldn't be negative inside the ground. why boo the players? Why even boo the manager? The only person that can do ANYTHING about the mess that Aston Villa are really in is 4000 miles away not giving a shit.
Supporters can't wait to turn on the players, the manager, one another even. Yet the obvious culprit has been obvious for years and many have still defended him. THE FIRST TIME VILLA PARK IS ALMOST EMPTY FOR A HOME GAME WILL BE THE ONLY TIME THINGS START TO CHANGE. Whilst people are still ATTENDING and SPENDING NOTHING will ever change.
Tom Fox called us CUSTOMERS, that is what we are. so if you wouldn't put up from this shit from tesco don't put up with it from Villa. They take advantage of 'loyalty and love and admiration and support' they don't value it.
10 Jan 2016 10:19:10
Being a small shop owner, I feel you should boycott them, and spend money in my shop
10 Jan 2016 10:29:39
But, this post is actually spot on!
And I totally agree.
However, there is also the argument, that simply to enjoy the good times, you have to endure the bad.
I don't want us to be a club, with fan base that only attend games when things are going well.
We deserve better, we have done since the day MON walked.
But let's be honest, it's not the players fault, they don't go out with the intention of losing, and it's not there fault someone brought them to the club on these wages.
It really is mr Lerners fault.
The only way we can get through this, is together. I keep saying its us against the world.
Lerner won't walk, he won't just leave, he wants his money back. So we have a duty to make us look a great investment off the pitch.
Win, lose or draw, we should stand as one.
10 Jan 2016 10:53:15
Totally agree with you both. Well said.