Glensider at Stoke City

Bah Humbug! Never again please Mr. Television Scheduler. Yes I know all about how much Sky pumps into football nowadays etc. etc., but please don`t schedule any more Villa games for Boxing Day night. Give a thought for the fans who actually like to get their shapely rear-ends off their couch, and actually attend the games. Aren`t we supposedly the life blood and heart beat of this great game? Maybe not. We, the traveling Villans, like to be with our friends and families at this special time of the year too, enjoying the get togethers and the parties, and traveling for a Boxing Day night game isn`t too much fun, isn`t all that sociable, and shouldn`t be inflicted upon the away-day supporter, even if it is for just a a short hop, step, and a jump up the M6 Motorway to junction fifteen. I know my plea will fall on deaf ears, but, please, for once, put the traveling supporters first, the ones that make the effort.

Anyway, rant over, so onto the days proceedings. It was two car loads of us that left the Glensider friends and family Boxing Day 'happening`, the regular four of us, the two son-in-laws, and the youngest daughters beau, the Greenock Morton/increasingly Villa supporting jock. Good job I guess that the female partners of us all are of the claret and blue persuasion, were understanding if not actually overjoyed, and were pacified somewhat with the assurance that we`d all be back to the gathering by around 11.00 p.m.

My carload were entertained not by carols, but by Van Morrison and his superb 'Still On Top`, the three cd greatest hits collection. Only the best for my in car guests, as per usual.

Plenty of Villa cars were in evidence as we sped north towards the potteries, confirming what we`d all expected, that despite the inconvenient timing of the game, the away-day crowd would be out in force again.

Arriving at the stadium we heard the news that Benty was not quite ready to return, so the Big Eck opted for the following line up:-

Brad, Carlos, Richard, Taffy Collins, Stephen Warnock, Marc Albrighton, Stan Petrov, Cieran Clark, Charlie boy, Emile and Gabby.

On the bench, awaiting the call to arms, Marshall, Ireland, Delfouneso, Bannan, Johnson, Gardner, Weimann.

Well you guys no doubt saw the game on the box, so what with that very fact taken into account, plus the fact that I need to get myself downstairs to become the life and soul of the party, I`m sure you`ll all excuse me just this once, if I don`t go into full details of what happened, when, and how.

Suffice to say that it wasn`t a classic, certainly wasn`t a showpiece occasion, and the game itself will soon fade into the memory before the new year rolls in.

We took a point, a point that I think we fully deserved, but once again, as I`ve said on many occasions in my away day reports this season, it was a game that was there for the taking, a game that we could, and indeed should, have won.

I was though pleased with certain aspects of our game, there are definite signs there of brighter days ahead. I`m not suggesting that we`ve turned the corner, or that we are top six material, but with a few tweaks and there, a couple of new faces in January maybe, and I`ll start to believe that we wont get ourselves involved in a relegation battle this season, that we should comfortably finish mid table at the very worst. Is that good enough for Aston Villa Football Club? No, of course it isn`t, not for me, and I`m sure not for you good folk either, but with the current scenario surrounding Birmingham B6, reality has to come to the fore, and we have to look at, and sadly accept the bigger picture.

I thought that Brad had a good game. I liked the way he came and collected cleanly the high balls that bombarded us at times, saved by Gabby admittedly when that one header rattled the underside of the bar and bounced down. Good keeping too when he came out on that one occasion and dived at Jones` feet to deny a certain home goal. I had reservations about him, from what I`d seen in his reserve team appearances, but he hasn`t let us down. Richard Dunne and James Collins too, they`ve taken some flak lately, but they certainly cant be faulted on todays performances.

I`m not going to criticise anyone in fact, they all played a part, gave their all, even if that bit of flair, and genuine quality was lacking. And it is Christmas.

Right, back downstairs to begin my celebrating. Family and friends await. A long night ahead, and sadly I`m working tomorrow. Have to be in Huddersfield at 8.00 a.m. No rest for the wicked, eh?

Have yourselves a great week.

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