[quote_center]’When it comes to talking about what helps Villa win, people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.'[/quote_center]
The three sites that proposed the idea of a Holte End demonstration will publish later today a kind of ‘Frequently Ask Questions’ post to respond to supporter concerns/issues that have been raised throughout the week. The initial release was kept simple to encourage supporter discussion and them engaged again, which is also a purpose of this action.
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) has passed to demonstrate what happens to a club that shows little progress or ambition and is 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.
Paul Lambert’s Response to Demo
Obviously the press quizzed Lambert on his thoughts about the ‘protest’, although the full details of its content above weren’t put forward to him.
Here’s the MOMS response to some of the issues he raised.
[Lambert’s quotes are in the bold type.]
“I don’t want Aston Villa fans to come to Villa Park -or even away from home – and not see the team win or not be entertained.”
Well, what exactly have you been doing then?
‘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 Lambert’s claim (spin) up. And considering he’s lost both previous encounters with Liverpool at Villa Park, when there wasn’t any demonstrations or protests, supporters have nothing to lose.
There is proof however to suggest that a bit of supporter fervour seems to have a positive affect on the team, when you consider the two best known major supporter in-ground demonstrations in European football in recent seasons.
Inter Milan fans did a similar demonstration for 10 minutes in the San Siro, when the home ultras (MOMS was actually in with them at the game) came late in to protest at the Italian government’s imposition of electronic cards to track ‘hooligans’.
The team ended up beating Parma 5-2.
When Valencia fans recently protested about ownership issues at the start of their game with Cordoba, their team went onto win 3-0 and go top of La Liga at the end of September.
Maybe Villa supporters’ efforts will lead to a three goal victory against the Reds? Unlikely, but we’re willing to give anything a try at the moment with the team’s current goalscoring record.
To supporters who have suggested there should be a protest outside the ground instead, interestingly, when fans protest outside the ground their team tends to get beat.
Cardiff got beat 3-0 by Southampton after a protest outside the ground against Vincent Tan on Boxing Day 2013, while when AC Milan fans protested outside the San Siro about the direction of the club a couple of hours before the kick-off against Parma in March last year, they also lost 4-2 to Parma.
Anyway, I digress. So back to the myth that a demo would effect the players and result.
So we’ve seen two large scale supporter demos in European football end with wins for their team. That’s a 100% win rate* of teams whose supporters demonstrated at the start of the game inside the ground.
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 if Paul Lambert actually didn’t turn up.
Just look at his win ratio as Villa boss:
Since Villa’s last encounter with Liverpool, the 1-0 win at Anfield (thumbs-up to Lambert’s Anfield record though), 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 the demonstration to the Villa boss. It looks like from his words, he thinks that there will be a ‘walk out’ protest. No such thing.
Other supporters have tried that, like Newcastle, but it ends up being crass and doesn’t really achieve anything. Walking about from your team mid-match isn’t to classy when trying to make a point. This is a ‘walk in’ demonstration suggesting we want to be moving in the same direction.
Hopefully, the 82 minutes part of the demonstration will prove why more effort on the club’s behalf, could lead to wonderful times for all at Villa Park.
UTV
#WeWantOurVillaBack
* This is not an exact science when talking about protests and win ratios. After all, Liverpool fans for example, seem to protest every game!
As someone said earlier the protest has already given us a big profile in the media and a searchlight shone on the creatures who are inflicting this misery upon us so well done for that whoever started it. I personally believe Lamberts tenure needs to be ended as soon as possible nothing would be better than him or a caretaker. this will turn very nasty shortly.
The apathetic fans are actually demonstrating cowardice not measured thinking, yeah lets just wait and demonstrate later or maybe after the Bournemouth game or well I don’t know really ffs man up lets get this done now and violently, lerner is totally not bothered at all about how you feel as long as we can scrape a position just outside relegation he is happy and lambert is taking a suitcase full of money every month
so he wont go without being sacked.
“Fiddling while Rome” burns comes to mind
lambert is a bust flush and gone its just when – lets make it ver,y very soon
I’ve got my Ellis-in banner ready
Well said mate, I have been saying the same thing since seeing lamberts interview.What he is saying is that when we lose it will be our fault and nothing to do with him or his lack of ability or management skills. This can only cause trouble between us supporters whilst taking the blame off lambert and his cronies.
Probably the most important point of the protest is that it has drawn the attention of the Media to such an extent, that villa has had more coverage in the last week than in the whole of the first half of the season. The interest in Villa had dropped so low that their results were not even being mentioned in news bulletins.
Hopefully, the fact that fans have reached such a point, and that Lambert, Lerner and the players are aware of it, it might just make a difference.
You’ve hit the nail on the head there about the media coverage. This was a success before match day. They could have postponed the game, it wouldn’t have mattered! (Also, we’d have got the same amount of points anyway!)
“* This is not an exact science when talking about protests and win ratios.”
It’s also not an exact science comparing win ratios with managers, we would have a great manager on our hands if he was much higher when you consider the quality of players the other managers had. I’m not a Lambert fan but i fail to see what we are trying to achieve. To get the owner out? He wants out, the club is up for sale. Do we want rid of Lambert? Most of us probably do, but the most we can achieve is about 12th in the league with the current ownership and spending policies regardless of manager. Are we letting it be known we aren’t happy? Well who would be? Do we think it will make any difference, force a buyer to come in, force players to want to take massive wage cuts to play for the Villa?
I support AVFC, not Lambert, Lerner or any of the players, they all come and go. I just hope that we can stay in the Premier League long enough for a new buyer to come in for us.
As for the protest, what if by some miracle we score in the first 8 minutes (i can dream), or what if in the 82nd minute we are 4-0 down are we really expecting people to cheer?
The way i see it, it looks like Lerner, Lambert and the players are not doing their job, so the supporters are not going to do theirs. I for one will not be taking part, but i understand every one of us wants the best for this great football club regardless of how they want to display it. UTV
my heart wants there to be no protests,, this is because we need bucket loads of positivity
and to cheer the team ,almost makes me feel like i am cheering some youth that has just beat up an old granny
but we need to come together for the next few games and i hate myself for saying this
and as finflo says if there is no improvement then it is not going to get very nasty
lambert needs to get his tactics right on saturday, no more excuses
u t v
I would imagine that Paul Lambert’s job description, does not include chief spin doctor, for Randy Lerner, because that’s how he’s been coming over recently.
His latest comments, are, in my opinion, meant to be divisive, turning Villa fans against each other, why else would he word it like he has, maybe, as he had a meeting with Lerner on Wednesday, they put this strategy together, if so, they are bringing personal politics into the mix. Not good!
If Lerner, or Lambert, knew anything about our “Proud History” which the owner seemed so eager to display early in his tenure, they would know about November 1968, when Villa was in right mess, sliding into the old third division, and oblivion.
Step forward concerned supporters, who at the game against Preston a 1 – 0 defeat, leaving us at the bottom of the table, staged a protest in the ground, aimed at the manager and the board. This protest then spilled over into the city centre, outside the Sunday Mercury offices.
The result? The board resigned, and new management was brought in. The attendance at the next home game was 46,000, up from the previous 13,374. Supporters had had enough and did something about it because they loved their club.
Most of you will know this story, so sorry for banging on, but others wont.
Lambert should stick to his job, and get it right on the pitch, some hopes I know, and Lerner should sort the club out from top to bottom, and sell up asap, most supporters have had enough and want success, not instant success, that will take quite a while to achieve, with the damage done by the present regime.
Some supporters are happy with what’s happening at the club, fair play to them, I certainly wont criticise them for them for their opinions, or even call them idiots, like some have called anyone who supports Saturday’s proposed protest. Lambert is fanning the flames, and hoping for a split amongst the Villa support, unfortunately, it seems to be working, I now, have no respect for him whatsoever.
UTV
Lambert and Lerner, know that unless results improve
The protest and anger, will really intensify