Regarding the proposed 8/82 minute demonstration, obviously you don’t have to do this if you sit in the Holte End, but ask yourself this: are you happy with all aspects of how things are at Aston Villa today? Happy with the football or the results, or the lack of any honesty from the club? Happy with the lack of any real purpose or ambition?
Today isn’t about finding a new buyer or sacking Lambert or demanding the club appease supporters and spend money on one player. Today is about showing that as supporters, we want Aston Villa to be challenging, getting better and having the respect of all the other teams in the league.
[quote_center] ‘Supporters do come up to me to express their feelings and I must say I am surprised it has taken this long for such action to materialise’ – Former Villa boss, Graham Taylor[/quote_center]
Proposed Holte End Demo
Part One – Supporters in the Holte don’t take their seats until the 8 minute mark (number of completed seasons under Lerner) have passed to demonstrate what happens to a club that shows little progress or ambition and is constantly flirting with the Championship.
Part Two – A 82 minutes (symbolic of the year of the club’s finest hour) demonstration of the best of vocal Villa fan support, backing the team all the way against Liverpool. To show the potential of what it’s like to have a club with ambition where Villa supporters give their all because they believe in those running and managing their club. Basically to show what that ‘Bright Future’ we were promised should look like.
Frequency Asked Questions or Comments
I would rather support the team for 90 minutes, not being there for 8 minutes will damage player morale?
Empty seats in eight minutes are a display of our unhappiness without affecting the team. It is no different to the 10-15k empty seats we now have at most Premier League games at home. This way it prevents us having any impact on the players what so ever.
Everyone who choses to demonstrate will be supporting their team for 90 minutes, for starters they’ve paid their money and made the effort to be at the match.
Hopefully, those who say on social media they will be backing their team for 90 minutes, will actually be at the game too and practising what they preach, loud and proud.
This is negative rubbish!
This is positive action. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and there is no wrong choice, but it’s only eight minutes. You’ve supported the team all season and what has it produced? 7 goals in 10 games at Villa Park. And in the previous two seasons, we’ve had to endure a record number of home defeats. Supporters want the best for their club, but we have had to suffer the worst for too long.
A better protest is just to stay away?
People have been increasingly doing that, but season ticket holders needed to be taken into account too. They’ve made a financial commitment and have had to suffer the most in recent seasons.
It will be a failure, nobody will do it, you will be a laughing stock!
It’s not an organised ‘protest’ that will succeed or fail, as the media has built it up.
This is a voluntary opportunity for Villa supporters in the Holte to make a peaceful demonstration that shows the Villa hierarchy both sides of the potential future – empty seats and great support. Whatever happens, a point has been made already due to the media coverage.
What exactly is the plan? What about Health and Safety?
Stay outside the ground or in the concourse for eight minutes. This is a voluntary action, there won’t be any fans acting as guards stopping people going in for eight minutes.
When people have criticised this idea, they seem to think there will be around 18,000 fans waiting in the wings to come into an empty Holte on the 8th minute. It’s an image that is far from reality. At the very most, it shouldn’t be any more busy than at half-time on the concourse.
I agree something has to be done, but shouldn’t we protest outside the ground, after or before the game?
Protests outside of the ground with fans and banners are often portrayed by the media as the angry mob and pitchfork brigade (like Newcastle and Blackburn fans were in recent times). It’s also out-dated in its effectiveness.
This is the wrong game to be doing this!
There’s no time like the present, as there is the iceberg of relegation ahead and it’s time the club steered itself away from it. We are also in the middle of the January transfer window. With the media coverage already, it will hopefully give the club a little bit of extra urgency to get their targets in.
What if we score in the first eight minutes?
Maybe everyone should stay in the concourse or outside longer! Seriously, lets hope they do, that way we can come in happy. Hopefully we score 2 or 3 in the first eight minutes, so we can really enjoy the afternoon.
What will Carles Gil think? It’s not a nice welcome for him and it will hurt his confidence.
People seem to think Carles Gil will run out to a completely empty Holte End with tumbleweed rolling by. This is just being sensationalist. If this game wasn’t against Liverpool, they’d probably be less than 30,000 at it anyway, so plenty of empty seats.
Hopefully, we’ve signed a player who is up for any situation. If he can’t handle this, a few empty seats he won’t even notice, how’s he going to handle Blues away in a Cup game?
All sounds good, but what about fans who want to support the demo, that don’t sit in the Holte End?
This is directed at the Holte End because traditionally the Holte End would be the stand that voiced its concerns. If you sit in another stand and want to join in, do so, others have said they would. There is absolutely no reason why all four stands couldn’t take part.
With recent issues in the stands with fans fighting, are you not worried that this could divide fans more?
We all love Aston Villa and want what is best for the football club but have different opinions and we must all remember this. Nobody is a better or worse supporter.
It’s got fans discussing the situation of their club after a period of being frozen in apathy. Whether fans are for, against or indifferent to this demo, it’s healthy to have the discussion, as long as there is mutual respect.
The media doesn’t care about Villa, nobody will notice…
Where have you been this week? The idea of the Holte End demonstration has had blanket media coverage all week from the Tuesday morning when the open letter to the Holte End was first posted on the three sites.
It’s been on Sky Sports, BT Sport, Talksport, WM Radio and in all the national newspapers, including: Guardian, Telegraph, Daily Mail and making the back covers of The Times, Express and Daily Star on Friday. Also, it’s been in a widespread of regional papers including the Herald in Scotland, Liverpool Post, North Wales Daily Post and of course, the Birmingham Mail.
The reality is Villa supporter discontentment with the stagnation of their club is public record now, and Villa’s plight is being discussed, rather than being ignored as usual by the national media.
The big bonus is we’re unlikely to be last on MOTD tonight now!
Obviously, the last day or two the spin doctors have come out with stories of Lambert begging and pleading (that’s the paper headline makers for you), which are addressed below.
PAUL LAMBERT’S COMMENTS:
‘I understand the fans’ frustrations but we’ll have a better chance of winning a game of football if they don’t protest’.
There’s no proof to back up Lambert’s claim, but there is actual proof to suggest the opposite is actually true, when you consider the two known major supporter demonstrations in Europe in recent seasons.
When Inter fans did a similar demonstration for 10 minutes in the San Siro, the team ended up beating Parma 5-2. When Valencia fans recently protested at the start of their game with Cordoba, they went onto win 3-0 to go top of La Liga at the end of September.
That’s a 100% win rate of teams whose supporters demonstrated at the start of the game in their stadiums.
In terms of what’s going to affect Villa not winning the game more, statistics suggest that Villa would have a better chance of winning against Liverpool at Villa Park, if Paul Lambert actually didn’t turn up. The current Villa bosses win rate is just 26%.
Lambert has lost both of his previous games at Villa Park and he’s teams current form is not too hot. Since Villa’s last encounter with Liverpool, the 1-0 win at Anfield, in the 17 league matches that have followed, the team have won twice and scored only seven goals.
So Paul, when it comes to talking about what helps Villa win, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
“Whoever has planned it, I hope the guy next to them tries to keep them on their seat.”
It seems the press haven’t presented the full context of what is happening at the start of the game to the Villa boss. It looks like from his words, he thinks that there will be a ‘walk out’ protest.
This is a ‘walk in’ peaceful demonstration.
Whether you join in or not, lets get our Villa back.
#WeWantOurVillaBack
Just want to clear up my earlier comment…. I was not against the protest, im not happy about where my club is heading. Accusing people who didnt protest as being cowards or not proper fans was disrespectful and out of line. Everyone has a right to act how they see fit, as long as they dont cause harm to anyone else….. That was my point
The protest didn’t work. However I hope that moms can continue on, I’m waiting for my fix of what we learned and 5 reasons. Real supporters keep going, from an avid follower if moms.
Liam
Read this – https://myoldmansaid.com/what-was-not-reported-origins-of-the-holte-end-demonstration
I don’t sit in the Holte but support this demonstration and handed out copies of your letter before the game. Sadly to no great effect. Too much apathy perhaps? Interesting to see so many people supporting the team for the first 8 minutes but not so many there with 8 minutes left to play………
Looks like villa only has 150 proper fans, Terry!
Good luck to the protest,but i think other things should also be done. An online petition to learner to show some interest and explain his giving Lambert a new contact. What owner gives a failing manager more time to destroy his club. VILLA FOR EVER.
If it were “organised”, it would have picked out people with seats that, when empty, spelt out:
“F*** OFF LERNER”
Cheers! It automatically blocks the main swear words. 😉