Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Thursday December 14 2006
Time: 12:08PM
UK time is: 00:54:48
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Villa Fans Wanted - MAKE SOME NOISE
Come on Villa fans, lets be aving ya!
Another stupid kick off time thanks to Sky (why oh why, for a company that has put so much into football, can't these people provide decent kick off times for their televised games? Do they seriously not understand these pathetic times are killing the traditions in the game?)
Sorry, I'm going off on one, the point is Martin O'Neill has told fans that they can play a massive part in the important Premiership clash this weekend in the battle against Bolton Wanderers.
Last season we played Bolton in the first game at home and saw four goals in nine minutes in front of a crowd of 33 363. That was under the ever dull David O'Leary. Surely, in spite of the kick off time and the fact it is on tv, we can beat that attendance?
O'Neill said: 'If we can get a bit of confidence about ourselves now at home and get the crowd stirred up, that would be great. We need to get the players lifted. They have seen us at Sheffield United, they know we're battling like men and they know we're trying to play - we're getting it down and playing some exciting stuff.'
'Now for the first time, it's up to the crowd to help lift us. The supporters can play a huge part, and it's the first time I've asked of them.'
Right, watch out stewards, we'll be having it large (and no, I don't have any idea what that means, I'm getting old and want to show I'm still 'down with the kids!) with the advertising board in front of me on Saturday!!!!!!!
The Villa boss (love saying that about O'Neill) added: 'Before now it's been up to us, and I suppose it still is, but really now we could get an enormous lift from getting the crowd coming in and supporting us. They know now the players want to go and play. We're playing some lovely stuff going forward, and it would be a great lift if we could get it.'
Official site info:
Bolton Wanderers Saturday 16 December kick off 5.15pm
Category B game
Tickets on Sale from Monday 30 October.
Call Consumer Sales on 0871 423 8101
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Your Comments
they need to put a new, wooden, floor in the trinity road stand (too late for the consultation JF?), so we can stamp our feet like in the 'good old days'. We will probably be stamping our feet anyway come to think of it, have you seen the weather forecast for tomorrow? gonna be a cold one!!
jonah
Attendances do give players a boost especially if the croud is vocal. An attendance of 30 000 doesn't sound to bad to me though!
getintoem
If we get 30,000 it will be a disgrace. The game is free to non season ticket holders buying tickets for the Manure and Chelski games. However M'ON is right about the noise. Apart form the back half of the top of the Holte, which is nearly always noisy, the ground is like a morgue. So to those who sit in any other part of the ground, get those vocal cords warmed up and join in.
voiceoftheholte
I'll tell you something about sitting in the other stands, as when you take the kids the Holte can sometimes be a bit rude, I sat in the North Stand for the Fulham game, with the kids, and whenever I stood up singing, I got some very funny looks, and kinda felt self-consious, so if you are sitting there, get your ass of the seat and sing!
xfranc
Theres nothing better than a buzzing Villa Park, and it really does transfer to the players too! Remember the semi-final fight back vs Tranmere? No doubt the fans played their part that night!
DeanoVilla
Strange that the manager has to ask for support!!!
BaldyYid
I have just come back from VP. I have done my crimbo shopping and decided to treat the missus. She doesn't know it yet but all the new clothes she wanted are claret and blue. However I did ask the ticket office what sort of crowd is expected on Saturday. As of 2.45 today there were still 15,000 (you did read that correct ...... 15,000) tickets available. Considering the Manure game is sold out that would indicate that the ticket package for Manure, Chelski and Bolton was complete wash out. So to those fans who are saying we should buy this player, that player, but who are not coming on Saturday (out of choice, because there are fans who can't come) it is that attitude which will mean the best players will not want to come to VP. Would you want to play to a half empty ground? I have said it before and I will say it again. The apathy of supposed Villa fans is what is going to prevent this club from moving forward. The absent fans are the clubs biggest problem. So if the cap fits???? Thank you for possibly ruining our best opportunity for 38 years.
voiceoftheholte
I'd love to see villa park packed to the rafters but the only time i remember villa park full every game is when we are in say the top three and i think we will still get top players because we have the financial clout now and a excellent manger. unfortunately i can't make Bolton game because of a ******* wedding and i like attending games like Bolton because of the smaller crowds we get.
chris the villan
'The absent fans are the clubs biggest problem'. voiceof theholte, you've summed things up admirably. Excuses, excuses, excuses! Weather, cost, night game, difficult k.o. time, Sunday fixture, its all a load of absolute crock. If you claim to be a supporter, then you should be down there Saturday evening, not sat in front of Sky t.v. watching the game in your role as couch potato follower. It will hold the club back, of that there's no doubt.
glensider
And i think football first on sky does not help attendances either.
chris the villan
An added factor here is the time of year, attendances are always down just before Christmas. I will run around a lot and make it look like there's more of us there :-)
jonah
jonah ...... on another thread regarding playing footy over the summer your quote was "footie is a winter sport ..... end of story". You are now using the time of year as an excuse for crap crowds. Make your mind up! Or are just a hypocrite?
voiceoftheholte
nice one Jonah you're a star, VOTH has got a real bee in his bonnet about this, ripping into the non attenders, AND ******* RIGHT TOO, The saviour of our beloved club His Highness, Lord, Sir Martin O'Neil is asking for the fans to put their money where their mouths are and turn up to raise the roof of OUR STADIUM, to lift OUR TEAM and send bolton home with a ******* good spanking. the boys on the pitch are doing it for us, people. they are working, and fighting hard for our team. the least we can do is get off our arses and get to Villa Park. as for me, Self employed and working on sat, living up the end of north wales, with a car that won't make the journey, (and no I am not well off, if I had to hire a car I could not afford the ticket : ( I have to scrape for every penny, not a good time of year to run a gym, that comes in Jan ) never before have I wanted to be there so much, I am doing my utmost to beg, borrow wheels to get to the match, because I will close my business for the day to get there. so when I hear of the can't be arsed brigade, my blood boils. IF YOU CALL YOURSELF A FAN, PROVE IT AND DON'T GIVE JONAH ENOUGH ROOM TO RUN AROUND, and if you think that you will not make much of a difference, you are wrong, there are thousands of you thinking that. for the pride of VILLA make yourself known. UTV
steff_the_villan
I dont think I was making any excuse whatsoever VOTH. I was just stating that, traditionally crowds ARE lower just before christmas. What's hypocritical about that?
Don't think there was any need to be quite so offensive. Whatever the time of year I will be there if I can
jonah
Jonah lets all take into account how deep and passionate some fans are feeling about the lack of attendance, now I am not saying that it makes anybody else any less of a fan if they do not have a rant, some people are just calmer and more composed about certain things than others, but I most certainly would not take these posts as a personal attack. BUT it is so annoying when people who have endlessly whinged about deadly and co and how they will not set foot in VP again until they are gone, are still not adding their voices to the faithful, WHAT WE ALL WANTED FOR SO LONG HAS HAPPENED, on top of which we have MON a legend in his own lunch time, some people can not make it, that is fair enough, but others can and don't again that is their choice, but if that is you (not you Jonah) then how can you have a right to whinge and complain about things when you are not a supporter, or is that the difference? a fan talks about it but a supporter does it. UTV
steff_the_villan
Steff: I just didn't like being called a hypocrite for simply stating something which has been known to be true for as long as I can remember. I am as annoyed as anybody by the stay-away fans but VOTH was out of order. Simple as that.
jonah
fair enough chap. and do some running around for me to will you. UTV
steff_the_villan
I will try but I'm not as young as I was :-)
jonah
jonah. No offence was intended. I just stated that maybe crowds would be bigger if footy was Feb- Nov. You disagreed with this but then went on to say that crowds are down becauses of the time of year. Surely it is one or the other??? It was not a personal dig but if you took it that way, well so be it ...... maybe the truth is a little to close to home. But we all want what is best for the Villa, including both you and I. UTV
voiceoftheholte
"the truth is a little close to home"? What is that supposed to mean? I will be there Saturday, just as I am at every game I can make it to, just as I have been for the past 40 years.
jonah
I honestly think the attendance issue is simply a matter of time. It's still early days in the Villa revolution. The full houses will come, I'm sure of that. And just so VOTH knows - I boycotted the club because of Dickhead DE for quite a few years, and back in August I bought my first season ticket for years, on the day before MON was announced, when the rumours of his arrival and Ellis' departure could no longer be dismissed as hearsay. I returned. Others will too. UTV.
The Usual Suspect
I have copied this from the BBC site today. It highlights what players and mangers feel when the fans stay away. Replace "Jewell" with "M'ON" and you could be writing about the Villa. If we do not buck up our ideas we will only have ourselves to blame. Jewell dismayed by stay-away fans:
The crowd against Arsenal was 10,000 down on capacity
Wigan boss Paul Jewell believes his team's performances are being affected by the "dispiriting" atmosphere at the JJB Stadium.
Just 15,311 supporters watched Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, nearly 10,000 down on capacity. "If we'd had an extra 10,000 in the crowd against Arsenal we might have even won that game," said Jewell. "It makes you wonder whether the Wigan public really want Premiership football. You have to ask that." Wigan's average crowd of 17,500 is 3000 down on last season, their first in the Premiership. "I think for some people, being in the Premiership is wearing off," said Jewell. "They don't come to watch Wigan, they come to watch the opposition. Maybe those who aren't coming now will never come back. Maybe I'm banging my head against a brick wall". "I'm not slagging off the fans that come, and I can't stress that enough because the fans that come are really good, but we really deserve more. "They will come back and say it is expensive. I know that, and maybe it's something the club can look at. "But it is dispiriting, and the players do talk about the lack of atmosphere at times around the ground. "It is also making my job more difficult to prove we're a forward-thinking club, and I know we are because of the way we do things off the pitch, but we need help from the supporters." Jewell believes poor attendances are not only harming the club on the pitch, but are making his job more difficult off it as he tries to attract new players and turn Wigan into a respected force. "I'm ambitious. I want to be as good as I can be, and I want football in Wigan to mean as much to them as it does to me," he said. "But when I'm trying to get players in it makes it difficult when there are only 15,000 against Arsenal. It doesn't look good. "Maybe those who aren't coming now will never come back. Maybe we can't bring them back. Maybe I'm banging my head against a brick wall. "I keep trying to do my best for the team, and wherever it takes me, it takes me. "But I don't want to waste my time and energy on something that can never happen."
voiceoftheholte
Does anyone with contacts at the club know anything about the uptake of half season tickets? Mr Fear, do you know anything? Are they selling well?
The Usual Suspect
The Usual Suspect, welcome home chap, got any friends you can bring : )
steff_the_villan
The Usual Suspect: I bought 2 of 'em...I hope not the only 2
jonah
Its definitely time for the supporters to play their part, and for the stay aways to start returning. Only we the supporters are now capable of screwing up the new era, via our total apathy towards attending Villa Park.
glensider
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