Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Friday April 24 2009
Time: 10:04AM
UK time is: 19:31:43
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Villa Fans Name Dragged Through Mud AGAIN
Ok, now I am fed up.
WILL SOMEBODY WITH A BIT OF SENSE AT ASTON VILLA - and I don't mean the manager who deflected blame for his keystone cops impersonation with our 'defenders' for the game - PLEASE TELL THE PRESS AND GABBY THAT THERE WAS NO ABUSE DIRECTED AT HIM AND NO BOOING EITHER.
I am totally fed up the flack the fans have got this season, Martin O'Neill several times has pointed fingers to us instead of looking at himself, his tactics (ahem), substitutions, throwing a UEFA Cup game etc. So why turn on the paying and passionate fans? Because we are an easy target, the press picked up on his comments and then he wasn't questioned about buying players and sitting them on the bench or loaning them out at a loss.
As I run the entire Vital Network I talk to many fans of different teams regularly and the amount of times I've been asked by other fans why we booed Gabby is just unreal. I did an article recently asking why some fans were booing at the end of games, I don't agree with that BUT I also don't expect lies to be pointed towards fans, especially us lot, especially after the years of winning absolutely nothing and still keeping the faith and the support.
What is the point of this constant moaning at the Villa Park faithful? What the hell do they expect to achieve? We have turned up in great numbers despite some God awful performances and all that happened was when Gabby - who hadn't scored in 12 games - was brought off the crowd cheered/jeered Martin O'Neill's decision. It wasn't aimed at the player, it was aimed at the boss - who it seems thinks he can do no wrong - for finally noticing that Gabby was way way off form and needed a rest.
Gabby is an exciting young talent, some think he'll end up an England regular, others don't. So what? The world is at his feet and it is up to him.
He is quoted in the Daily Telegraph as saying it was 'a bit upsetting' adding 'You don't expect that from your own fans.' It wasn't more than a week or so ago when he said he didn't care because he didn't listen to the fans anyway. So why the change?
He continued: 'Ever since I started here I've always had the crowd on my side, cheering my name and stuff. So to have that happen didn't feel right. I don't really know why they did it. They were probably upset because they'd been used to seeing us win games and in the top four for a long time. Maybe they wanted to take it out on someone.'
'But that's fans for you. It's not just at Villa, it's the same at most clubs. Eboue got it at Arsenal, didn't he? If they're used to winning games they turn quite quickly and look for people to blame when things go wrong.'
If anyone was booing then they aren't fans anyway BUT THEY WEREN'T. I sit exactly by the bench where MON 'apparently' heard booing. THERE WAS NONE. Most fans I know say exactly the same thing and some at the club know this for a fact as well.
Gabby carries on and I really see no point in this interview, how is this going to help him, the Villa or us?
'I think to myself, if they want to do that then I'll block it out and just play my own game. Pretend I can't hear them, even when I start playing well again.'
As said, will someone with a bit of sense at Villa have a word with Gabby, no one booed him, simple as that. He was way off form, at times he disappears in games and yet the Gabby song is still blasted out by the Holte. Maybe they shouldn't bother if he doesn't listen?!
Modern football is doing my nut in, how dare anyone have a go at a great bunch of fans like the Villa faithful?!
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Your Comments
Yeah thats fans for you gabby,Putting money in your pocket for ***** performances so you can drive a lamborghini,What a bunch of ****s we are,Focus on scoring goals rather than getting chav slags preggers you thick overpaid *****house.
lerneravfc
while i do agree, you can't believe everything you read in the papers surely. For one you don't know he actually said this and it also seems the same story thrown up again from a few weeks ago.
Its All Over FC
get over yourself fear!!
AVNath
i think your anti MON rants are getting a bit rediculous now, if you would like a return to the dark days of DOL and Turnip then you're going the right way about it, MON is the best manager we have had at this club and have made massive strides in the years he has been here.
pauled177
Fair play to feel aggrieved, Fear, but just a couple of points. Many people thought there was booing at that game - it wasn't just MON who raised the subject. I saw many fans debating it on the various forums. It may well be that they were booing the referee or the result rather than Gabby, MON or the team, but a boo is like a bomb - it hits everyone indiscriminately. Secondly, as somebody else has pointed out, this really looks like old news dragged up by a rag because they needed to fill column inches. This article just adds petrol to the fire. I really, really doubt that MON or Gabby are 'anti-fan'.
BobTheBuilder
MON couldn't be more fan friendly in my opinion, he is always the first over to the support at the final whistle no matter what the score. The Martin give us a wave chants are obvious proof that the fans also appreciate it as well.
AVNath
P.S. We've also heard booing at (home) games since. It isn't just a figment of MON's imagination. It MAY have been aimed at a completely different target, but who can tell? It sounds like it's aimed at the team/manager, and I for one disagree with it completely. I think you have to accept that (some) fans really are fickle. All hail DOL, God of accurate statements ... :o)
BobTheBuilder
Disagree fear cos i usually agree with you, i sit in the holte end and the morans who sit behind boo Gabby and on a regular basis. This has to stop or they should do one, Gabby is clearly upset by this, we should now draw a line under it ( Gabby included) and support our team.
astonsteve
I have often vented my frustration at the way some Villa supporters (I use that term loosely) create a negative atmosphere in the ground. However what is just a frustrating is that those that moan, many in the Trinity, never get behind the team. The only time you hear them is when they moan. The biggest culprits are those just behind the dug outs. It wouldn't be so bad if they gave some vocal support, but it none existent. If I am not in my season ticket seats in the Holte, I am fortunate enough to use the executive seats in the middle of the Trinity, behind the dug out. And it pains me to say but our support in this stand is pathetic. And worse, it is embarrassing and actually works against the team because all you 'hear' is a deathly silence until somebody commits the terrible crime of mis placing a pass. Then they all want to be heard. Muppets. I totally disagree with booing or sarcastic cheering/jeering of your own team, but I could have some understanding if the culprits actually gave some positive support in the first place.
voiceoftheholte
I am a season ticket holder in trinity road stand, and travel 320 miles every game to cheer Villa on, and I completely agree with Voice of the holte. I think half of our fans only go to have a whinge. It really frustrates me. I was there when Gabby got boo'd, and in my opinion, the fans DID boo him. I was pretty shocked, but the people who whinge behind me were saying he deserves it, it'll buck his ideas up. Rubbish. What a way to knock a young players confidence. It amuses me when Martin O'Neill has done so well to get us in to the position we currently stand, and fans, including Mr Fear, are so quick to berate him. GROW UP. Imagine what will happen WHEN we win a trophy. Bet you will secretly be gutted, or will you find another reason to try and whinge about a player/manager involving the club. Most of our fans are great, however, a lot of our fans who attend the games or not, are very very fickle. This article does nothing to suggest anything to the contrary. Pathetic
Ian Taylor
Complete over-reaction Mr. Fear. First of all, a good group of our home support is negative. It has always bothered me that we have the BEST away support on the planet yet some of the worst home support. Secondly, the only comment attributed to MON was when he was asked DIRECTLY by a reporter about the sarcastic cheers and booing to which he responded that it didn't help the player or the team - that's not moaning, it's TRUE. The fact that the press have jumped on this, recycled it a million times and persisted in pursuing it has nothing to do with anything other than the fact that if it hadn't happened in the first place it wouldn't be news. Let's be realistic here - we are currently the fifth best team in the best club league in the world - our performances (despite your apparent view of things) have been, at times, sensational, attack-minded and full of hard work. As with voiceoftheholte, I have had reason to sit in the Trinity from time to time over the years and I firmly believe there is a core group who love to sit near the dug-outs purely for the opportunity to hurl abuse at anyone within earshot. If our away support was replicated at home, we would be the best supported club in the country.
gmvillan
BtB you saw many fans debating it because it was something that was misenterpreted directly after the game and it snow balled. an ironic cheer isnt booing. take for instance a ref who gets decision after decision wrong and then that one decision goes in our favour and the crowd ironically cheers. this was a culmination of a series of bad decisions by MON and then the correct one was met with ironic cheers.i sit in the middle of the holte and there was no booing....everyone should stop being so self righteous with their holier than thou attitude and accept if people want to boo after they spent near £40.00 on watching dross that they can. i dont but who am i to tell someone else what they can do?
themightyatom
I have an idea. Let's bring O'Leary back as a fans liaison (he could bring a couple of thousand Leeds fans with him), with John Gregory as his sidekick to imprint the "style" of play that he used during his last year at the club. Then we can bring in Billy McNeil as a motivational speaker and Dr. Joe Venglos to handle transfers. Now that Graham Turner has sacked himself at Hereford, perhaps he could come in as Director of Football.. Yup, that should make everything better....
gmvillan
Also, am dissapointed with the booing at the end of games. At our most recent game against West Ham, our overall performance attacking was very entertaining. It was not a terrible performance, and we did not lose. Yet as soon as the whistle blows, moans and groans from around and boos towards the players. How can they feel inspired to play in front of our home support when they know we come down like a tonne of bricks if they don't get the results. No wonder our away results are better. The fans spur them on there. I sit on the front row of the upper trinity road and it seems it is only ever me and the other 3 members of my family who seem to ever enthuse and speak positively at the matches
Ian Taylor
I can offer a slightly different take on this, as I watched the game in question on the TV. What I heard was less of a cheer and more of a jeer - and given the context, it could only be jeers for Gabby. Clearly, this would only be a minority of fans, but it did sound like a quite sizeable minority of fans. Gabby is a player who, quite ridiculously in my opinion, gets a fair amount of stick for being lazy - an accusation that beggars belief given he led our front-line single-handed for a large part of the season, and so it follows that he would also get stick on match days. I think that booing is a perfectly legitimate response to a poor performance - sometimes at half time, but more likely at full time. However, during the game, surely the crowd should be right behind the team. The time for criticism has to be outside of the 90 minutes. Having said all this, I get the impression that Martin O'Neill is taking every opportunity possible to draw attention away from his abject failiure in the final third of this season, or worse, is actually claiming that this season has been a success. I'm afraid the club as a whole being in better shape actually has nothing to do with Martin O'Neill. He is responsible for what happens on the pitch, and I'm afraid that, after a solid start that had shown plenty of promise, things are in the process of stuttering to a grinding halt.
Albarnista
themightyatom, how can you say "after watching dross" ,this season has seen some of the best football at villa park, i seriously dont get what people like you expect to see week in week out at a football game i really dont. have you not been entertained this season?
pauled177
I would love to know how many of these boo boys used to watch real dross during the O'Leary years and many many before it?? We couldn't be any further from dross now, its the best entertainment I have had at Villa Park in my personal lifetime, just because things don't always go our way doesn't mean its dross!!
AVNath
Well said Fear. Nice to see someone voicing their opinion and defending the long suffering fans whilst not being scared to speak out against our untouchable manager. I have been a big supporter of his but it seems that he is trying to save his bacon by any means possible now. Our current run is shocking and the same thing happened to DO'L (turning on the fans) when he lost the dressing room. Just hope that MON doesn't go the same way as he has shown so much promise. But then again O'Leary did aswell at first. maybe its the pressure of working for such a big club????
Villan444
villan444 - are you serious, MON has had plenty of pressure at Celtic, where he was expected to win every game they competed in. I Honestly dont get what fans like you expect, we are 5ht, thats because we are the 5th best club in the league. We have no right to be in the top 4, the top 4 clubs are head and shoulders above us on all levels.What MON has done is bridge the gap where we can put up a fight and hopefully push on and challenge in the future.He is building the foundations on which to build.Its the delusions of our fans that cause the problems, we over achieved at the start of the season to be riding high in 4th and people expected it to continue
pauled177
Well said paulled177 i think MON has done a very good job to get us to 5th place, the thing is the top 4 are so far ahead and now we have made that gap alot smaller over Mons period of management, however its still gonna take a few more years maybe 2 or 3 to get there, we need to do our bit as fans as well and anybody that has played football will understand, as 4 Gabby yes he hasnt been as good recently but he is still learning and again if u have played football sumtimes u have those periods where nothing goes right.
astonsteve
I think it is dross, and I have been regularly attending games since the Brian Little days, I may not have been around in the dark days, but I have seen Villa fighting relegation on 3 to 4 occassions. I am sorry but the performances this season have been dross, i can count our decent games on one hand, last season on the other hand was superb, definately MON's best season IMO.
young_jonah
Pauled177 never refer to Sir Graham Taylor as Turnip ! It shows just how ignorant you are ! The man who signed God and brought us back into the top division deserves more respect than you!
Villan57
Young jonah you do talk a load of *********, i go to all home and away games and have by and large been very entertained, im 29 and have enjoyed the Big Ron days and Brian Little days and for me Mon team is up there with them, try supporting your team a bit more.
astonsteve
Seems Fear has stirred a hornets nest. However what it has demonstrated is just how poor some of our supporters are. We are 5th and as fans we debate on wether mistakes have been made. We are on a very poor run at the moment but we are likely to finish as the sixth or 5th best club in the land. However people would rather come on here and highlight the negatives rather than the positives that have got us to be in this position in the first place. It is symptomatic of the disease within the crowd of Villa Park. No vocal support for the good things but happy to make a noise to complain. Any of you complaining should be ashamed of yourself. You an embarrassment to yourself, a disgrace to the club and you do nothing other than ruin the reputation of the fans who actually do support the club positively.
voiceoftheholte
here here voth!!
AVNath
the article is just one giant tantrum! but thats football for ya, its all about debate!
Its All Over FC
astonsteve, its all about opinions mate.
young_jonah
Older fans like myself (apart from AVFC48 ;o)), have grown up supporting Villa through the very bad times (late 60's) through to the brilliant times (79-82) and then through the dross (tinged with some success) from when that old codger came back. Our expectaions are based on history - the current crop who have only perhaps come in since the Premeir League came into force and of course the age of Fifa and Championship manager - they expect instant success and the purchase of "World Class" players - not taking into account that NO ONE (apart from the top 4 or those willing to pay excessive wages or are based in fashionable London - Spurs?) can sign these players as they demand top class football - Champs League. It's these fans that "boo" or jeer. It's a good job we have Lerner in charge, because with the old regime we would have seen a change in manager and/or a sale of our better players for money by now, because my god - 5th in the league is failure. We have come so very far in such a short time. Everone says that O'leary did the same as MON position wise but we could see then that it would not last - but with MON and Lerner the foundations are there - the building will take place. Isn't it funny how fans of other clubs see things differently - positive about the club and the team. Even in forgein climes - Turkey for example (because that is where I am most of the time) our name is getting bigger and getting so much positive press.. Patience is a virtue - something that these so called "fans" don't have. I NEVER want to go back to the dark days. I am happy with what's happening - maybe my age has something to do with this - I have grown old - with all the ups and downs (more downs) but now we are on the up, and whilst Lerner and MON are here that is the way we are heading. Without them - I tread to think where we would be. God forbid we get another egotistical chairman/owner.
Just a rant
nazvfc
VOTH, there has to be an opposing view otherwise everyone would say the same thing and there would be no debate. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and although I don't agree with everyone elses I know that they are a supporter and would rather be having a go at opposition fans than moaning about our own. Agree entirely with what you said earlier about parts of the Trinity ( an amazing stand with excellent views) where most are happy to sit there and only moan, but you could understand if they gave some vocal support in the first place. Real fans must be allowed to complain when things aren't going well and obviously not at the first (or second/third) sign of it as everyone makes mistakes or has dips in form etc. But after 11 games without a win and our worst run for years ( especially when on the brink of greatness) something has to be said and the manager has to take the blame rather than blaming the fans for anything. The players have done us proud this year and punched above their weight all over the park and they have got us into the 4th place although obviously under MON's leadership and he rightly takes the credit for this but he has bought the back up players so if they can't perform on the day then its down to one person; the man who trains, manages and sends them out into battle. I'm not saying MON out, or anything like that and haven't booed once, (although I did cheer the decision to give poor overworked Gabby a rest and give the Fonz some experience.) Its just hard to take MON's finger pointing when we are playing (defending especially) so badly.
Villan444
The simple question is this. And it does have a simple 'yes it does' or 'no it doesn't' answer. If you go to Villa Park as a supposed Villa supporter, and you give no vocal encouragement but you do slag off, jeer or boo any player or manager. Does it make Villa Park a more positive, confidence inspiring fortress? If anybody thinks that it does, then we really might as well pack up now, pull down the shutters and start spending the weekends with the missus.
voiceoftheholte
VOTH - 100% agree mate,
(but also depends on how fit the missus is!!!) hee hee!
nazvfc
Mine has a face like a carpenters thumb so it will have to be yours Naz.
voiceoftheholte
lol ;o)
nazvfc
My fiances Turkish and a beaut!
nazvfc
VOTH, don't disagree with what you say but IMO the Gabby substitution cheers( WHICH IS WHAT THIS ARTICLE IS ABOUT, not the simple question which you have put) was not aimed at him but just a reaction to MON's substitution policy. It happened because everyone was so gobsmacked. We then clapped and cheered Gabby off and it was/should have been forgotten.
Villan444
five wins at home just the same as the baggies that is dross for the home fans .and for the fans who say its been great at home should be in a home
one match ban
Like I said, Atom, the problem is that booing - and it did happen - is an indiscriminate weapon. Everyone has their opinion as to who it was aimed at - Gabby, the ref, MON, Gordon Brown - but it was negative and unhelpful. It's the job of the opposition's fans to jeer and boo, not our own. People say the fans pay their money and have the right to boo. I'd put that the other way round. If people don't like what's been on offer this season, how about they just don't come, or better still go and find another team to boo, cos they ain't doing anything for Aston Villa FC.
BobTheBuilder
As for it being forgotten, Villan444, it would have been if (a) the rags had more news to print rather than recycling old stories and (b) if Fear hadn't bitten on their rehashed news.
BobTheBuilder
I remember Dion getting booed not long after coming back when he broke his neck, so it's not a new thing we just have some bad apples as fans ,every club does.
chris the villan
pauled177 i was refering to that particular game which wasnt great was it? also i havent missed a home game yet and it hasnt been up to much in all honesty. cant fault them for effort and where we are in the league but i wish i would have joined the away supporters scheme for value for money. And mon hasnt even scratched the surface of what Little did and remember him being hounded out by a large majority of fans baying for his blood? it always happens thats life i just dont think we can dictate to people what they can do when they pay money and have freedom to say pretty much what they want. nothing against mon the team or anyone at villa its just most are so far wedged up mon's ar*se that he seems beyond criticism. a healthy constructive debates good but this isnt chairman mao's china people are allowed to express differing opinions without having accusations of treachoury thrown at them and being told to **** off and support the blues. i dont boo by the way i'm just making a point that whether it has a negative effect or not we cant stop it, its human nature.
themightyatom
It wasn't re-hashed though Bob, they were new quotes! It was a tantrum though, fed up of the fans (at all teams) being the ones that get it in the neck from press/pundits etc. It is a shame the Trinity doesn't make a noise though, I try my best but even my mouth isn't THAT big! I do give the boardings a bloody good bang though, quite funny seeing the coaching staff jump out of their skins every now and then! I love where I sit on the front row in the Trinity but do wish the noise would increase - other than moans that is.
The Fear
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