Aston Villa are down to the nitty gritty and so it seems four other teams are in the same boat. Just as the sun comes up every morning and daffodils show up every spring, relegation strikes three teams and sends them to purgatory in the month of May. And that includes St. Andrews (the patron saint of the unwashed).

Relegation used to be a fair punishment for the bottom three teams. And they all had a good chance of being promoted the next year or so. But that doesn’t happen anymore or at least not that often. Since 2010 there are ten teams languishing in the Championship who had plied their trade in the Premiership. One has slipped even further down the leagues. Two former powerhouses can’t free themselves from the Championship. Why does this seem to be the norm now?

The playing field isn’t even. Teams coming up have too big of a hurdle to attract players to bolster their side. Whether it’s because of player desire for top teams or financial limitations that prevent buying top players. Inevitably they slip back down. They really don’t have much of a chance. Teams that end up relegated can have an exodus of players leave the club as they think they are better than the players in the Championship. This leaves the club decimated and unable to really contend in the league below. There is also the ineptitude of club administration that can run a club into the ground.

I can think of several changes that might soften the stress of dropping down and also coming up a league.

Make a players contract include a year’s play in the lower league. That they aren’t taken by Premier league teams or that they can’t leave the demoted team. Their salaries are reduced a set percentage to help alleviate the financial drop of playing a league lower.
Teams that make promotion are given a financial boost (like the balloon payment to demoted teams). This would help those teams compete in the transfer market with the more established Premier league teams. This would seem only fair as demoted teams receive money in a balloon payment on the way down. Why not up?
Make relegation a total points over two seasons. This would soften the blow to newly promoted teams and give them two years to find their feet in a more talented competitive league, it would also relieve the pressure of unexpected injury to teams with restricted benches, and it would increase the possibility of more teams involved in the relegation battle. Therefore more competition.
Guidelines for owners and administration to prevent a club falling on hard times. For example, a minimum investment level per year, a panel review of peers on transfers or contracts for players that appear to be outside of normal limits, and a maximum amount spent per year to prevent a club from buying a league win, from taking players that would have played for lower level teams (Scott Sinclair for instance) instead of riding the bench. Basically to behave in the spirit of the game.
Put in place a rule where academy or home grown players have a place on the roster of the club. This would help even out the level of talent on the teams regardless of the league in which they play. And hopefully improve the level of English and Welsh born players.

And finally, to step back from the Champions League which to a large extent has created the divisions of talent within the Premier League.

Whether or not anything can be done regarding football in England, someone needs to step up and try or there will be no hope for anyone other than the top six and the odd one who dares to intrude.

I look forward to the day when newly promoted teams have a fair chance of success in their new league. I also look forward to the day when demoted teams have the chance to pull up their socks and make the trip back up. To see teams like Leeds and Nottingham Forest stall in the Championship for whatever reason is not right.

Share On:
Facebook
Google +
This entry was published on / Ian. Posted in Aston Villa Blog, Terrace Talk. Bookmark the permalink.

The Author

Profile Photo
Ian
I'm an Aston Villa fan who lives in Magna Bay BC Canada

Comments 115

  1. Mark King

    Hi Ian nice article and well thought out.
    I can see 3 sticking points with your approach

    1. the top clubs act very much like cooperation’s in that
    they have all the money and they call the shots. Most fans world wide want to see the top teams and players and that isn’t going to change without a massive change in mindset. the prem and champs league have gone global and those with the dosh are in prime position to get more. So I don’t think we are going to see a rush of blackpool shirts turn up on the streets of shanghai any time soon.

    2. Player power cant be underestimated, Players have rights in the workplace so unless employment laws change
    there is little to be done in controlling player movement when the majority will do what’s best for themselves. Again requires a shift in mindset

    3. while you might think giving lower teams more money to compete would help I think all we will see is a turnover of the have nots, more of the perennial prem teams would go down and return, and less small clubs would have a chance to rise effectively creating a prem that say stretches a third way down the championship.

  2. Clive Evans

    Intriguing view Ian although unlikely to gain any backers in the mercenary world of sport. Reducing the number of relegated teams to only include those who have been in the Premier for 2 seasons would rob the Football League of revenue from protracted play-offs. This was the reason for introducing the level of relegated teams in the first place through the introduction of the thin end of the wedge.

    Our historian John Lerwill will probably be able to confirm , or deny, what I am going to say. At one time the bottom club was relegated, in the days when there was more than one division (not in my lifetime). Then it was raised to 2 and then later 3 but the third from bottom played off against one of the 3 runners-up to the second tier champions. At least that meant that the situation where 2 clubs were relegated due to poor play over the season did not drag in third from bottom that could be any ne of the bottom ten.

    Of course rules change over time. Aston Villa won a couple of games (including cups I believe) by kicking the ball out of the park as time was not added for recovery. Shrewsbury could have managed very well on that rule. There was no crossbar, the half-way was measured by the flags that ended the rush-back goalkeeper and substitutes did not exist until one was allowed to cover for injuries (not for tactical reasons).

    Anyway regardless of the rights and wrongs the current rules are what govern the game and hence apply whether you agree or not. One of the most controversial rules in rugby union is the penalty awarded to a side when an position player makes a tackle and does not roll away – the referee is allowed no interpretation and gives the penalty even though the offending player cannot move due to the opposing sides players lying on top of him!
    Don’t forget – don’t name your some Clint!!

  4. DarrenO

    Rule change I’d like to see, three yellows to earn a red, given there are more and more reasons now to get a yellow card then when first introduced, this should be adjusted, the games missed punishment doesn’t need to change but 11 v 11 will last longer.

    It would allow referees to punish the innocuous stuff without fear of being harangued by the John Terry gang because if a players committed three bookable offences then there should be no issue with that player being sent off.

    There is a certain nirvana with all things being equal in what Ian has espoused and would be an ideal but vested interests will preclude change to that degree.

    We’ve another chance with 4/5 worse teams to avoid relegation but for the love of god, can we use the tv money and other revenues to invest in playing staff and avoid the pain in the future, i’d happily accept mid-table obscurity next season as long as we were progressing

  5. Mark King

    Darren I think stupidity is the main reason that most get booked. I would say it would be better to not have the one game ban unless the second offence was deemed a straight red. Players would accumulate yellows like a stamp collector with 3 and use it to their advantage then get a ban anyhow.. Considering its a contact sport maybe refs should watch mam to see what real violence is

  7. Trinity

    Thanks, Ian.
    I can remember those play off days. Do you think Villa will go down?
    Clive
    Have you been watching the S15?

    The Kiwis will be up against it in Melbourne for that cricket final on Sunday, 100, 000 Aussies jeering at them.

  8. Ian

    Or hockey. 🙂

    My whole thinking on the top leagues in the football world is—what’s the point of 4or 5 having all the money thus power kicking the shit out of the other 16? When the chance of winning the league lies with who has the most oil wells. You can still have the champions league with monetary limits and the bonus would be different teams each year. The champions league is a bit of a sham too when you think about it with teams from non football power countries. The world as a whole would’nt say screw football if the playing field was a more even surface. It might even bring teams living in relative obscurity to a more visible level. The billion pound offering to lower leagues looks good until you realize the Premier league has kept the lion’s share and in actuality the lower leagues have fallen further back financially. There are plenty of different sports that have travelled the financial path that football is on and they changed their method of governing team spending. Not one fan said fuck that I’m not watching anymore. The way football is run has to change and the sooner the better or that damn goose is going to stop laying golden eggs.

  9. Ian

    Trinity, I don’t think they will go down. Too may at the bottom who are poorer than Villa will beat them to the punch. I would like to see the other reasons why a team is relegated other than the product on the field.

  10. Mark King

    collymore and henry are having a spat. I won’t comment on the voting side but Karl Henrys view point shows one thing,
    he doesn’t realise how lucky he is to be a professional footballer. I love it when the I earn my money through hard work line is trolled out. loads of people work at least 40 hours in boredom, travel 2-3 hours a day and still turn up at the gym or football/hockey/rugby at the weekends to play. And others spend a large percentage on the likes of Henrys wages. you have to wonder what goes through there head, he has no idea how privileged he is.

    http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-aston-villa-striker-stan-8932755?

  11. Mark King

    Ian- when you are dealing with monopolies those in power don’t let go until there is no reason for them to hold on. Until people say no to the product they won’t change. Yes it could crumble around them as events in the banking world are showing but people have to wake up and smell the roses

  12. Ian

    Four leagues here in NA have implemented some types of monentary restrictions to make the game more even. Apart for the perennial losers (who knows why?) it has been a success. Perhaps it’s because professional sport here is a closed shop and relegation/promotion dos’nt exist. And the fans have reasonable expectation that their team will win the bundle in their lifetime.

  13. steamer

    Very good leader, i’m all in favour of utilising the rules of other associations and even other sports, In Argentina relegation is based on points gained over two seasons as Ian suggests.
    I’d like to see suspended players go unpaid, they wouldn’t be so quick to let their clubs down if they suffered.
    In Serie A a few years ago they introduced panels to watch games the day after, anyone judged to have dived was suspended, why not here ?
    The dire, appalling referees given longer bans when they continue to blunder, resulting in being removed from the list, any ref receiving less than 50% marks from both managers is obviously not up to the job or a habitual cheat. When the talk was of professional refs i think the authorities actually thought that because someone was paid he is professional, not quite, what the fans wanted was ex professional players to be fast tracked in the job, Steve Baines was a great ref but wasn’t a member of the clique and never officiated at top level.
    However, the biggest problem is that most of the figures in the FA, FL etc have agenda’s other than improving the game in this country, so therefore why bother ? let it continue to die, when someone like Ferguscon is heralded as some sort of demi-god then you know its fucked, he rode roughshod over everything and everone and was allowed to get away with it, read Michael Cricks biography, even his own FA knew what he was like.

  14. steamer

    Wonder if Karl Henry would have said that 20 years ago ? No-way would he have become a pro footballer then, he’d be working down the Bilston black pudding mines, just another selfish dummy footballer.

  15. Mark King

    yes Ian we have a huge number of clubs who can however unlikely come from playing in the local farmers field to the prem if they get backing. if you limit certain factors to favor more of the big names who fall out of the prem you may make that chance an impossibility.

    I doubt it Steamer, well not in any dialect you and I could understand, with money you can get elocution lessons

  16. Ian

    Hey Steamer, I didn’t know that Argentina had a two year total point for relegation. I feel a lot sharper now. Do you think it will ever be cleaned up? It’s no wonder the British fans drink before the games. 🙂
    On another note, you can get MLS games in England now.

  17. Mark King

    thought Delph looked awkward for England tonight. he’s a lot better than he shows for them. You can see in his play that he is deferring to others on the pitch and not playing to his own strengths. Harry Kane comes on looking like he’s always played for England funny old thing this psychology.
    England have got some real quality going forward, Rooney and Kane will form a brilliant partnership I feel but we are pants at the back, Italy will be a good test.

  18. Clive Evans

    Mark – I thought the same as you – Delph was feeling a lack of seniority in this exclusive club and it showed in his passing. The time he let his instinct take over he nearly scored.
    Trinity – yes I am watching S15 as well as the Spring cycle races (at present the Tour of Catalunya). I’ll be watching the cricket tomorrow with my Aussie mate and wishing them well provided he doesn’t call me Pommie B*****d.
    Ian – I’m afraid the money men are in such a strong position that any change to the rules to equalise the competition would fall at the first hurdle. It’s the same in any sport – see the F1 problems – also legislators will not pass laws that curtail their powers to increase their power or their income.
    So basically what remains for Villa in the immediate future is a place at the feast but not the top table and, hopefully, not dining on leftovers!

  19. Mark King

    Clive- wonder if he felt it last outing and decided to stay put at villa. The pressure from other egos in that squad must be strong, Cline seemed to feel it too. Just shows you how a promising player can be lost moving to a bigger club. Listened to Mat Kendricks view and he tactfully said Delph was used in a withdrawn defensive role, now considering there were 2 other DM on the pitch against Lithuania?!
    It also highlighted to me that although he plays more left sided than central he doesn’t gel with the fullback or Welbeck who was out wide, I think this is half the problem we are having on our left with Sinclair, there is no support/interaction from the midfield out wide left.

  20. steamer

    Sorry Ian, its actuall THREE years.
    Relegation is based on an averaging system.[21] At the end of each season, the two teams with the worst three-year averages and the worst positioned team in the season table are relegated.

    Used to love watching the Argentine league on Sky, proper football.

  21. steamer

    Mark,
    Perish the thought that Hodgson may upset all the Scouse, Manc and Cockenee players just so he can actually put out a balanced team. I remember when that third rater, but London based ) Ron Greenwood picked Morley for England ‘ I want him to play like he does for his club,’ Greenwood stuck him on the RIGHT wing with orders to stop the N/Ireland LB, the dire Sammy Nelson, getting forward. The rags are now touting England as 2018 WC winners just because they’ve won a Sunday league quality qualifying round.

  24. Mark King

    steamer- we shall see against Italy I think, we’ve got plenty going forward but no Maestro in the midfield and one decent defender. possibly why he played 2 dm and delph as a dm.

    Kane could be our Maradonna and drag a good but flawed team to the semis, I think he can be that influential. Rooney too last night was heads above the rest, hope he’s tired against us.
    here’s a thought, Grealish on the left wing for England with GG pulling the strings in the centre, watch this space 🙂

  26. steamer

    Mark,
    Italy are nothing, folk rave about Pirlo aged 36, when he was at his peak he was quite good, now apparently he’s one of the top players in the world. Serie A is even worse than the EPL at the moment, however with clubs like Juventus and now Roma and Lazio building their own stadia and getting astronomical sponsors it should rise again, possibly not to when it was the greatest league ever but certainly better than the crepe in England.

  27. steamers75

    Runtins/ Brasil

    The pub we will be in is The Black Lion in High Street ,Kilburn
    Frem also . if you want to meet . l will check on parking , l can always say its my car and lm staying in pub , Runtins /Brasil . dont forget your Fat wallets ! and we can always go for a mooch in the other pubs ,

  29. steamer

    That’s good news, it’s going to be interesting guessing the consortium involved and what they’re worth. I’m glad that it’s a UK takeover although it means that we’re probably not going to be oil rich wealthy, but as long as Lerner is gone then i’m happy. The report confirms that Fox lied about Lerners renewed enthusiasm.
    Regarding Lamberts delusional comments in the Merc today, i think he’s in serious need of psychological assistance, the man gets more ridiculous every time he opens his mouth, the only thing in ‘better health’ is his bank account, he has no shame otherwise he’d keep his idiotic head down.

  31. Frem

    It’s good that a takeover looks like it will happen but Uk based worries me. We need a lot of ££££££££ to be a success again

    And they better keep Sherwood as manager

  32. steamer

    It’s a great club, great people I’ve left behind, good people I’ve left behind.

    Nooooo dimwit, you didn’t leave us behind, we booted you, it may have been two years late but we booted you.

  33. steamers75

    not liking the word “consortium ” hedge fund , asset stripper , ect ! and as Frem put , UK based , lm struggling finding a company big enough to take on a PL club in the uk , would TATA be a uk based ? beings they own JLR , ))

    Ian , we have wheelie bins as that last email would be brill , think my brothers is still black bags though ,

    PS my nephews fight is confirmed , its at The Barclay Card Arena (old NIA) on sat 25th April , and it is a World Championship fight , the holder is from Germany , and were hoping to pack the place with villa fans , the tickets are £35 and it is a great night and l think steamer would back me up on that , let me know if your interested , and we are looking for sponsors if you know of any companies , thanks

  34. steamer

    That USA company that was supposed to be interested is worth 40B and is based in London, i wouldn’t hold that against them though. Birmingham is an attractive base for huge businesses now, Big John’s chip shop has opened another branch, possibly them.

    At 35 quid its far better entertainment than watching football or Villa.

  35. steamer

    Just read that Lambert was on Saint & Greavsie, did they employ an interpreter ? who would invite that clown to bore the football public ? He looked like a crim who got away with the big one.

  36. steamer

    He actually seems quite proud of his record at VP, all the negative statistics, the disharmony and bullying, the bomb squad, i wonder if they mentioned all that or was it ‘Hello Paul, lovely day to destroy a football club, where’s your next victims, it doesn’t matter unless they’re one of the Sky 6, no-one else matters, sarnie ?

  38. James Gill

    if it is a uk based takeover it would worry me that they didnt look to push lambert out sooner,you would think that they surely would know more about football than lerner and his cronies,never will i be so glad to see someone loose so much money lerner because all i can remember from his tenure is relegation battles ,appointing mcleish against all villa fans wishes,falling out with oniel then blowing villa s future on ireland houiller bent makoun mcleish given zog jenas,hopeful we can survive and pool missing skirtel gereard sturridge blackburn might have a chance

  42. runtings

    Greetings fellow villans and villanettes

    Firstly congrats to Fabian Delph who looks like he is cementing his place in the England side and thou not perfect – his performances wasnt too shabby either
    It did amaze me reading various comments online about joe cole saying delph could be an england main stay and the replys from villa fans saying he was crap and that he was the worst midfielder ever too play for england — why do vila fans seem to always hate there own players so much 🙁 if are fans are too be believe everyone has good players except us

    Great news on a takeover – if a new board do get shot of TS i will only except Simone as a replacement 🙂

    st75 if you could FB me the meet up details that would be great – i done you a shed load of cd’s but thought i would hand them to you rather than post them down

    On a music tip the cuz i write lyrics for Evan B has a couple of songs out on itunes ect so check him out guys -since he put them up we have had a mega response from people in the biz so watch this space – the old fogies are coming — what an old codger i am – the stranglers 🙂

    thats mi 2p worth for today bless up all

  43. steamers75

    Runtins will do mate and thanks , l will bring the old reggae one lv done , will check the Evan B out , and good luck with that ,
    also last week that take away only had one curry goat left ( jessie grabbed that)but had a chicken stew , so l had that , forgive my ignorance , but when my mom said she had done rice “n “peas it was the whole dish , so l took it as the chicken with it was the whole dish , thankfully l had that chicken stew and that was what she added to the rice , bloody lucky or what , l was in heaven last night , got to get the recipe for that stew , the weekend lm having fried green bananas and yam , and he’s going to make me white cabbage and saltfish , (mouth watering ) ,

  45. John Lerwill

    On TS being removed (by a new owner)…

    Unless a takeover takes place very quickly, getting shot of TS would of course leave the summer a short one for a new manager to come in and prepare the squad (and obtain new signings?). I would think that scenario would leave the players in a more confused state!!

  46. runtings

    ST 🙂 Boy you are eating well mate – all that so called hard food is lovely stuff but watch out it will make the timber expand – you better get your push bike out

  47. steamer

    Todd Boehly and Henry Silverman now linked.
    Five days ago –

    Cain Hoy said at the time it planned to “acquire a portfolio in real estate and entertainment, media and retail,” according to a press release.

    Boehly through Cain Hoy had pursued a bid for English soccer team Tottenham Hotspur in the fall, although is was unclear who was financing the deal, which never came to fruition.

    Cain Hoy was founded by three executives: Boehly, Henry Silverman and Jonathan Goldstein, both former Guggenheim executives, according to its website.

    “Todd is exploring the possibility of owning his own firm, which would be focused on acquiring and owning private businesses and real estate,” said one source familiar with Boehly’s thinking.

    Another source said the discussions were at an advanced stage.

    “Todd is out, and they’re working on a way for him to exit,” the source said.

  48. steamer

    Jonathan Goldstein is head of investment in Europe for Guggenheim, they are based in LONDON, UK.

    I would say on the limited info available that their personal wealth is approx $2m but Guggenheim advised on investments worth over $13b last year.

  50. Paul Pears

    Are these American billions, or English, Steamer as there is a vast difference between $100,000,000 and $1,000,000,000.

    Very quiet on here while i have been away enjoying a few days break, then to be followed up with food poisoning…but almost recovered now…

  52. Ian

    ST75–fry the bananas in butter,Demerara brown sugar and splash a bunch of rum on the whole thing just before they are done. Watch out for the massive blue flame.

    Getting rid of TS would be stupid and point to Lerner revisited. Of course if he blows up he should go. 🙂

    Same amount of money that Lerner has. Will they invest?

  58. DarrenO

    Lerner’s put his home (that he probably stayed in twice in two years) up for sale, things are progressing nicely.

    How will he be remembered flawed benefactor, penny pinching barsteward or somewhere in between.

    Please for the love of god let it be Saturday as soon as possible so we can dump on Man U and surprise/dishearten the rest of the strugglers around us.

    UTV

  59. runtings

    ahh steamer nice music post – wasnt he in a group with some family members many moons ago

    It really looks a lot more than a rumor re the sale of the club — just hope the incoming owners are a bit more clued up on sport and aquiring the right staff for the club than randy — its about boxing smart more than slashing big cash —- but you would be hard pressed to find a better base than villa to build on — were is jen ? are you coming to the meet up

  60. steamers75

    Bet the cleaner isnt happy now as she got to use the house for swimming parties , ( and l can go get my Learner Go! flag back now ,

    Ian if l cooked that l’d end up with a gut like steamers and SWW . will try it though )

  61. Heroes-and-Villans

    I think we are sold. Even if we go down.

    Wonder if Fox and sherwood will be given a chance?

    First things first we have to stay up…and i fear for our goal difference against utd. The qpr game is the biggest game in years.

    We could be in for one hell of an exciting summer, if we stay up.

  62. Heroes-and-Villans

    Our bloody injury list is’nt helping either. Im going to ignore villa and just conentrate on Burnley and qpr losing all there games.

    Every bloody season going through this rubbish…not good for me.

  63. runtings

    I may be a bit daft or even more than a bit but i believe we will stay up and reckon we can beat or get something out of most of the remaining games
    Man u have got the better of us too mant times – i fancy us to pull off a shock against them – certainly don’t think we are beaten before a ball is kiicked

  67. steamer

    Another crepe performance by London last night against Italy’s 2nd team, Hodgson defending Phil Jones in MF, why bother ? half the team aren’t even PL standard, con man.

  68. steamer

    According to Jonny Gould the Guggenheim three aren’t interested.
    Someone else reckons that the mob interested are having to borrow the funds and have nothing to invest.

  69. Mark King

    Steamer- I’ve heard its Carson yeoung, the venkies, and Dr evil
    who are planning to hold the world hostage for………………………………One million pounds!!!!!!!!!!!! oh and the twenty quid ST75 owes them, but it all depends on which way the winds blowing.

  70. southwestvillan

    Whos that knobhead who won the lottery the other year you know the one that looks like an extra from the Jeremy Kyle show, well I heard he was interested in putting a few quid into AVFC, Ansells brewery are arranging a piss up and Lerner has been put in charge of sorting it all out, and I thought the dirty gypos were amateurs.

    AVFC ITWT

  72. steamer

    And 50% of those players weren’t anywhere near good enough, Ryan Mason ? What is it about Spurs, they’ve never been a really top club, not won a lot and yet English football seems to be in awe of them.
    You have to be a dire player if you play for a London club and don’t win an England cap.

  74. John Lerwill

    Steamer: You have to be a dire player if you play for a London club and don’t win an England cap.

    It’s a bit like that with Man U isn’t it?

    I don’t know how Jones qualifies, nor Smalling for that matter. Although, strangely enough, Ashley Young might have given England something last night, with Townsend on the other wing.

  75. Mark King

    Streamer- didn’t Mcleish play the part of Fat Bastard? or was that gabby?

    JL- on Jones and smalling, we don’t have much in the defence department do we, cole and Terry would still get in. Cahill is pretty much it, most of are full backs are more attacking than defensive. when you watch the Italians and how they perform as a unit you have to wonder if we coach are defenders at all

  76. steamer

    I can’t remember a decent full back who could actually defend… oh yes, John Gidman made what the manager said was ‘The best England debut since Duncan Edwards,’ it was his one and only cap.
    England coaches are at all the Worlds top clubs aren’t they ? aren’t they ? aren’t they ?

    Apparently Hearts are the first team to have a charity’s name on their shirts sponsored by business and the club, why didn’t Villa think of that ?

  78. Jenny Truman

    Would love to come for the meet up at Wembley – a fun day out with our luvly lot – it’s just sorting out travel arrangements etc . I will work on it .

  79. Paul Pears

    villa have been taken over by the one of the richest men in the world and his consortium…..It is official that Bill gates and his consortium now own Aston Villa……???????

    Announced just now on Facebook by one of the villa blog sites….!!!

  80. Mark King

    paul p – more chance of dr evil taking over 😉

    wonder if sanchez will get a start to counter fellani? he’s scoring for fun at the moment and will be a real threat, he’s my main worry knowing how good we are at defending set pieces

  82. John Lerwill

    Mark: …he’s scoring for fun at the moment …

    Well, he’s scoring a regular goal, agreed.

    Once upon a time, such a phrase would be reserved for a striker who scored about 2 a match!

  83. steamers75

    if its gates , what about this for an idea , maybe we could get some chips implanted into the brains of the players .tricky job l know as it would need a fucking big magnifier to find it , then get some of these kids who sit in their bedrooms hours on end playing FIFA games and just maybe we could get them to control the players and their game , set them up on one of the camera stages in the witton road (fuck doug ellis stand) waalah !! if it works we could chip the brains of the stewards with a common sense one and a few fans , especially some of the ejits on Facebook ,

    jenny l could try and get you a seat on the coach if someone drops out (who cant get a ticket ) it is a 70 seater , l could get you on another coach but its the dregs of our lot ,
    xxxxxx

  84. Mark King

    jl- he’s keeping some big names out of the manure side atm
    and netted 3 for Belgium. he was a pain in the arse for us playing for Everton. agreed its an over used term but you don’t see hat trick mentioned much either

  85. Paul Pears

    ST75

    Isn’t that what PL had done with the players…turned them into zombies..???

    JL…..Twas just after lunch that it came thru… I thought it might introduce a few light-hearted comments..

    Hope we have enough fit players for Saturday..!!….A draw would be great..a win unbelievable…..but a loss hard to take…but have to be realistic…Will be in Bristol to see the Drifters in concert…!!!

  88. Trinity

    PP

    Hello all.

    Wow! those Drifters really get around, should be a good walk down Memory Lane show. Had the chance to see George Clinton and Parliament in NYC recently.
    Can you imagine Venkeys and McDonalds joining forces to buy Villa? Just imagine the renaming and rebranding. I think It’d drive Steamer over the edge. McVilla Park, The Ronald McDonald End, McNugget Stand, Big Mac Stand, The Venkeys End. The Lions would become the Fowls:)

  89. John Lerwill

    PP,

    Went to the see the Batchelors a few years ago (the wiff is a fan) having seen them 50 years ago with Brenda Lee at the Brum Town Hall. Have to say they were trying hard to stay young!

    I wonder if Joe Brown is still strutting his stuff?

  95. southwestvillan

    Steamer,

    Are you forgetting the one and only legend Tommy Tinkle, do not forget his farewell concert at the Meadway the place was packed to the rafters I still have the autographed beermat, bloody collectors item I can tell you.

    AVFC ITWT

  97. steamer

    Tommy Tinkle, who can forget his magical rendering of Help Me Make it Through The Night ? Oh that’s right, he did, Possibly the least talented entertainer ever, so bad he could win Britains Got Talent.

  99. steamers75

    PP
    yes they were Zombies but these wouldnt be , not with the kids , lv seen them on this FIFA ,

    oh gawd SWW is gonna put one of his fucking fav groups on here , Liquid Gold with Dance yourself dizzy ”

    off to norfolk to give the carrot crunchers a bashing , have a good Easter .
    Jenny got you a little big bit of chocolate xxxxx

    Trinity
    saw Parliament in the 70s , brilliant spectacle and Bootsy Collins on that Bass , body shook all night , Hallaluya lm Jasper !!

    saw a prog about the Drifters in Blackpool . some woman (relative l think ) who picks the members of the group now , theres about 3 going by the name ,
    surprising band l saw were The Hollies at The Night Out about 82s , they could really play their instruments and the Prawn cocktail and chicken in the basket , droooooolll !! )

    Tommy Tinkle ! less said about him the better .

  100. John Lerwill

    Steamer,

    Many thanks indeed for that link!

    I saw it back then and the re-visit was really worthwhile.

    The late Ravi Shankar and his daughter always amazed me.- but a marvellous all-round show.

  101. steamer

    Best band i ever saw was Booker T and the MG’s, absolutely top class in content and the timing was flawless, however, i’ve just tuned St75’s new bass and my Angus Young replica and we’re about to hit the big time, festivals first, then Wemberlee then the Shea Stadium, the worlds our lobster.

  104. Paul Pears

    Steamer,

    I have the original DVD’s for that amazing concert…thanks for putting it on here. I reckon ST75 must be at least as old as me now……I remember several great nights at the Night Out and having the chicken and chips…..also remember the Meadway…and many other haunts..around the district…was a barman at the Toby Jug in Castle Bromwich for a couple of years or so, worked with a master of the art called Ron.Also did a spell at the Bell in Coleshill, when the famous Mick was the landlord. Just watching the Moody Blues concert on Sky from 1970 on the Isle of Wight with an audience of over 600,000. Those were the days….Anyone remember the Earlswood jazz festivals..??

  105. John Lerwill

    Yes, Paul, I went to one of the Earlswood festivals around 1963 time.

    But there were great festivals at Cannon Hill Park too, closer at hand. Chris Barber and Ottilie Patterson stick out in my mind from such occasions, as well as Kenny Ball.

  106. John Lerwill

    Thinking further about Ravi Shankar and Indian music … I came to be attracted to Indian music fairly early on, and found that if you had a jazz interest then the acceptance of Indian music came to be that much easier. There is a certain commonality there in that neither true forms read from sheet music and both allow for interpretation by the artist.

  109. steamer

    Love the music interest, i was round at St75’s yesterday and was invited into his study for the first time ever, musical paradise, he must have around 1000 cd’s, hundreds of LP’s of varying musical tastes, an amazing room if you like music. To be honest, i’ve lost interest in footy, i’d rather do a car boot and buy 20 cd’s than watch the rubbish on offer in the PL at 30 – 50 quid a pop. Can’t wait to hear the new Brian Wilson album, heard a few tracks and read a review today which describes it as ‘a work of genius.’ sums the bloke up accurately.

  112. Paul Pears

    Jl
    Thanks for the Utube Ian Campbell that was great. Dave Pegg was one of my mates at school.

    I have some sympathy with you Steamer, and love my music. Still have a fair collection, and it is great living where I do that I can listen to it uninterrupted.However, I still love my football and will be there on Tuesday night..!!

  115. woodzy66

    Steamer did you say you liked the corrs . When I was 18 they used to serve in our local,called McManus pub. Great music spot. 2 pints of Guinness please Sharon. Also Andrea used to have coffee when we were all at school in local hotel,before they became famous ,I fancied the pants of her then. That was in dundalk Ireland. Steven Staunton was from there. His family eats in my restaurant. Quite a few villa fans over here

Leave a Reply