Season 2006-2007

ASTON VILLA

 v

NEWCASTLE UNITED

Not announced yet

Michael Owen(knee), as we know, is out till next year with the injury he picked up at the World Cup.
Kieron Dyer(hamstring) is unfit but some positive noises have been made about an end of August or early September return.

A head count of who is fit will need to be done after the FK Ventspils game but hopefully new signing Obafemi Martins will be able to make his debut.

My thoughts:

A trip to England’s second biggest city awaits us on Sunday. With this game being only 3 days after a crucial European tie, it’s bound to have an effect on the lads. The good news however, is that our European game was at home and not away in Latvia. This is the hazard of success in Europe, playing 2 games a week and travelling back from far flung parts of Europe. I’m not complaining about this I hesitant to add, just merely pointing out, that this factor needs to be taken into consideration.

At Villa Park the away fans are housed in the North End lower section and, in my opinion, it has be the shittest away end in the Premiership*. I have been there quite a few times over the years and despite the fact we have a decent record at Villa Park, I just don’t like the place.

So why don’t I like the place?

Well the view if your ticket is in the first 10 or so rows is appalling. In 1997 my ticket was 5 rows from the front and behind the goal. I couldn’t see hardly anything in the other half of the pitch and spent most of the match watching it on the giant screen at the other end of the ground. Behind the back row is a small aisle which runs along the entire length of the stand and at the end of the aisle on the right hand side, are where the refreshment area and toilets are. This is a total pain in the arse if your seat is at the left hand side of the stand, as it takes ages to get there and back due to only having the one exit. Worst of all when you finally get to the refreshment area, you find out that no alcohol is on sale! However, there is something good though, the Chicken Balti Pie’s are bloody excellent. Well if can’t drink, you’ve go to do something at half time haven’t you.

Due to the fact that there isn’t any beer on sale in the ground, a decent pre-match bar is even more vital for this away game. There are a number of pubs in the vicinity of Villa Park, but most of them on match days are either members only or are home fans only. However, 'The Cap and Gown’, is a canny pub. It’s a really big pub which gives one half of itself to away fans (there is even a separate entrance for visiting fans) and it is only two minutes walk from the away entrance. This is ideal, but that does mean a lot of the Toon fans leave it until the very last minute to get to the ground, meaning kick off can be missed if you’re not careful.

As I’m writing this preview before the FK Ventspils game, I’ve got no idea who will be fit and available for Sunday. However, given the decent start to the season we’ve made, hopefully the confidence will still be in place and the momentum maintained. Cos Aston Villa are a very beatable side and even though no away games in the Premiership are easy, if we are to be a top 6 side this season, these are the sort of away games where 1 point is the minimum we should be expecting to get.
 

HOWAY THE LADS!!!

* please note I haven’t been to Portsmouth, Reading or Wigan.