Tag Archives: aston villa

The End of the Big Four Era?

Posted on April 11, 2012 by

Our long international nightmare is over. In 2012, the year of the apocalypse, the EPL big four hegemony is finally at an end. Or so it would seem, at least. Over the last ten years, the same four teams have … Continue reading →

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Futile Humility. Humble Futility.

Posted on March 5, 2012 by

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it without a sense of ironic futility. — Errol Morris It’s never been exactly easy going as an Aston Villa fan. I took up the claret and blue banner in … Continue reading →

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The 12 Days of Martin O’Neill

Posted on December 12, 2011 by

I may be in the minority of Villa fans when I say this: I kind of like Martin O’Neill. He’s small and feisty, intelligent-seeming and exhibits a knack for entertaining post-match interviews. He clearly made Villa better over the four … Continue reading →

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Action Reaction

Posted on August 30, 2011 by

Arsenal fans: I know how you feel. I do. Seriously. We all do. We all know that gut-souring, tongue-drying, psyche-dimming sensation when something we care a lot about–a team whose status and reputation genuinely matter–gets absolutely pooped on. I watched … Continue reading →

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Root for the Home Team, Part 1

Posted on July 22, 2011 by

A two-part feature on how we choose the teams we root for. There are books — or at least one book — on why and how fans follow sports, but our interest here is why fans follow specific teams.[1] As … Continue reading →

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What If: Aston Villa Edition

Posted on June 12, 2011 by

As most of you know already, Aston Villa have been searching for a new manager since the untimely resignation of Gerard Houllier for medical reasons. This piece will take a half-hearted (half-serious) look at the potential opening day starting XI’s … Continue reading →

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An Elegy on Ashley Young

Posted on May 17, 2011 by

One Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,/Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;/Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smile/The short and simple annals of the Poor. –Thomas Gray, Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard I got to the Brewhouse in … Continue reading →

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The Tuesday Ten

Posted on May 3, 2011 by

What supporting a certain club says about you. Millwall: Pre-teens think you look like Jaws from the James Bond films. Chelsea: You only feel slightly guilty when they tear down an old, leafy park on your street and replace it … Continue reading →

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