Get Your Balloons Out For Villa

Everyone you talk to has a story to tell of how things were so much better in the old days. Go round to your Grandparents especially on a Sunday afternoon and you will get stories of how the war was won and how much you could buy for 1 shilling.

As a grandparent myself (I know I got married as a mere child!), it's my turn. Cast your minds back to Boxing day 1975 a clash of the two teams that play in claret and blue, AVFC and some east wide boys at Villa Park. The place was full, and I mean Christmas Turkey and Stuffing full, with thousands of fans all wearing new socks, pants and jumpers. Nothing different there you might say, and I would agree, but the lasting memory for me from that day wasn't the 4-1 victory, it was the greeting the massed ranks of Villa fans gave as the players came out. The Villa faithful greeted the team with the release of thousands of balloons and the sight was reminiscent of that advert recently where Sony released thousands of coloured balls down a San Francisco street. It took the ball boys, players, ref, managers ages to clear the balloons from the pitch, as there were so many.

The greeting that day was unique (at the time) to AVFC and was subsequently copied by many other teams, but never bettered.

Now 30 odd years on, the new AVFC is with us. A great club re-born. The fans are playing their part excellently in this with increased gates and an enthusiasm that some thought had gone forever. A group of the fans have stepped up and purchased, designed and hung up banners that are excellent to see and give a great message.

What next? Only a return of the balloons :-)))

What a simple and easy but so effective way to show support as the team comes out. The game against Everton is the planned start for all of this, and from the support already shown there will be upwards of 10,000 balloons to greet the players.

So a request to all, pop in the newsagent before the match, buy yourself a few balloons, get down to VP, use that breath that you now have back since the fags have been banned and be like your dad and blow up the balloons and add to the excitement and good times that are happening at VP.

Sometimes the old ones are the best!

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