It's over thirty years since I last lived in this area, when Villa were European champions, the darlings of English football, even Cloughie admired us. We were sexy then, blonde haired poster boy Gary Shaw scoring goals, toothless keeper Jimmy Rimmer saving them, captain caveman Dennis Mortimer bulldozing his teammates to glory. Great side, big support, even our iconic kit and match day programmes won awards until it all came crashing down with a humiliating relegation in 1987. We've never truly recovered. Yes we've enjoyed sporadic flirtations with second string silverware, winning a brace of league cups before fluffing our lines in two FA Cup finals, but a repeat of full former glories has eluded us comprehensively.
In particular the Chelsea defeat in the 2000 Cup Final epitomised the reasons for the dearth of interest that Aston Villa now suffer in British outposts. That day we stank out world club football's set piece event so pungently with a lily livered surrender that the public has never forgiven us. Like a drunken Uncle sabotaging his nephew's christening, our irredeemable display cast us asunder in the hearts and minds of hitherto empathetic football followers, many of whom might have favoured Villa as their 'second club'. Gone was the goodwill and bonhomie, replaced by grudge filled resentment. Even the kit we wore that day betrayed the club, the players looking like they'd left their pyjamas on. It was a turning point, Villa unofficially dropped by distant admirers and consigned to shoulder shrugging status. Leicester City beware, your time may also come.
Recent seasons have seen Villa competing purely as Premiership make weights and latterly, cannon fodder. For years the annual dalliance with relegation miraculously ended happily until last season demotion was achieved with such sustained haplessness that even Blues fans felt sorry for us. Such ignominy awoke the Villa faithful from their Lerner induced comas and they were compelled to tell the club just what they thought of the malaise. The final straw was the attitude exhibited by Villa's players who cocked a snook at fans with ill chosen social media faux pas, confirming their indifference to the club and obsession with wealth's trinkets. Supporters' patience snapped, gallows humour was replaced with furious protest, having lurched from one rock bottom to another fans had seen enough. The roll call of ritual humiliation in recent seasons had 'boasted' regular cup exits to lower league opposition including a semi to Bradford City, routine local derby defeats, three victories in an entire season, ten games without a goal, and these just a glimpse of the torture suffered by a once proud club, a founder member of the league. It was almost a relief when we were relegated last season, relegated with knobs on, the inevitability obvious before we'd even started the reverse fixtures in December.
Will the worm turn? Can Aberdeenshire's coach companies expect fortnightly excursions to the West Midlands or will a Ford Fiesta continue to suffice? There's a lot of making up to do by Aston Villa, not least to their own supporters. How can the club expect to win new recruits if the existing faithful remain disillusioned? A season long restitution period is called for culminating in direct promotion, not a sassy shuffle through the playoffs, perhaps then a bridge might be built with the faithful and foundations laid to entice further followers. Perhaps then I can plan the Aberdeenshire supporters club's growth, meantime committee meetings can remain in my lad's bedroom.
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