The Villa Times - 20/11/2009

Unoial Villa News...

Top of the pops, well nearly, for buying our girlies claret and blue undies. We really are a romantic lot eh?! Full details: footballfanscensus.blogspot.com

Football fans stories on the lengths they have gone to in order to get to games wanted. Mine was going to the Blackburn New Year game just a few days before going for a life saving brain op. It was just weird. I went against doctors orders but just had it in my mind, especially as it wasn't unreasonable to think it might have been my last trip to Villa - or anywhere for that matter! - that it had to be done. Awful game if memory serves me right but I survived the game and the brain op... happy days, didn't get down to Villa Park for nearly 2 years after the op apart from a day in a box that the club gave me (they brought the League Cup up Coca Cola in those days, and I had a photo taken by the late great Terry Weir), now that was tough! Full details: Football Fans Stories Wanted

Wadey: Légion d'honneur? Ask not what your country can do for you......yada, yada. Full article: Something For The Weekend (261)

Thanks to Mat Kendrick at the Birmingham Mail who has given me proof for what I've been telling the ladies for years: Size does not matter (which is actually a decent interview with Barry Bannan by the way!)

Martin O'Neill has hinted that Richard Dunne might not be in the right frame of mind to play tomorrow against Burnley. The Villa boss said on Sky Sports: 'Let me put it this way, he won't get over it overnight. I will sit down with him if we get an opportunity to see how he is feeling. 'Of course, disappointment can be overcome but I will speak to him and see how he feels (about playing tomorrow).' I hope this doesn't happen, shit happens in life and especially in sport, you have to be man enough to roll with the punches surely? I bet he plays! Full interview: www.skysports.com

Burnley Match Coverage (with Murph's match preview to follow later on Vital, so check back!)

Various: Lawro & Mystic Mug + Burnley Match Build Up
Interview with a Burnley fan: Click Here
My interview on Vital Burnley: Click Here

Burnley's players will wear black armbands during this afternoon's Barclays Premier League fixture against Aston Villa at Turf Moor. Details: www.burnleyfootballclub.com

Fieldy: Stevie Staunton has returned to Villa Park to prise away youngster Jonathan Hogg on loan until January. The midfielder has joined league two side until January 2nd, and will no doubt thoroughly love the experience after battling back from a serious knee injury a few seasons ago. Hogg was involved in the Peace Cup squad and turned out to be our reserve top scorer last season as they took the title so it's expected he will make his mark at Darlington.

Bouma has suffered a toe injury set back but Stewart Downing is getting ever closer. Heskey and Collins also recovering well. Full updates: Bouma Recovery Set-back - Downing Close

Hercs and his in the dressing room spoof before the Burnley game: In The Dressing Room (Burnley) Spoof

Still not a great deal of real news about, this season has been a nightmare stop start affair so far thanks to the international friendlies (the qualifiers were ok but again, stupid timing really) Anyway, as there is such a shortage, I thought I'd go to the bastion of all things football, The Daily Star and see what is going on! :o) According to a report by Dave Armitage, Martin O'Neill will ditch both Nigel Hokey-Cokey and Nicky Shorey in the January transfer window. Full details, if you can call them that: Two Out Of Villa Park In January Re-Shuffle?

Fieldy: Three Villans helped the England U19 side to a 3-1 victory over Turkey. Full details: England's Little Villans

Fieldy: Carlos Cuellar is loving not hearing about Brad Friedel's heroics after a game thesedays, to him it's proof the back 4 are doing their jobs. Full quotes: Defence Aim To Keep Brad Quiet

Fieldy: Stephen Warnock is looking for Villa to improve and push on given our start to the season. Speaking to SSN, Warnock admitted that we now need to find more consistency if we want to achieve the aim of Champions League football at the end of the season. Admitting in effect, it's no good us beating Liverpool and Chelsea if we are going to continue to lose to the likes of Blackburn and Wigan. 'Would we have taken what we've got so far, I think so. Full quotes: Warnock Wants To Push On.

I wondered if we'd here the tones of Benjamin Siegrist after his World Cup joy, and the official site haven't disappointed. The young goalkeeper, all 6ft 5in of him apparently, has received almost unparalleled coverage on our official site this week but that merely reflects his achievements whilst away on international World Cup duty with Switzerland. Full details: An 'Absolutely Incredible Achievement'

Thought for the day: I have gammon flu. It was swine flu but I've been cured.

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