I’m a bag of nerves when Birmingham City is playing but usually manage to cope ok the rest of the time. However, I’ve got the blues about the Blues at the moment. It’s not the run of dreadful results or the possibility of relegation that’s depressing me; my team has given me lots of practice in dealing with that sort of thing. Continue reading
One report described yesterday’s game as not pretty but absorbing and I think that sums it up. The players were committed; the crowd was loud and large enough to pass the big flag around. Steve Bruce was not the only former Blues manager at the game. Barry Fry was in the V.I.P. seating area and received a warm welcome from nearby fans. Continue reading
Pompey ad by Donald Vass
Stories of the game between Birmingham City and Aston Villa are flooding the local media but I’m not sure how much the rest of the country knows or cares about the derby game on Sunday. An article in WSC, written before our game in September 2002, said that “Blues v Villa is best known as a public order problem.” I hope that won’t be true this weekend and that the news on Monday will be about what happened in the game not trouble with fans. Continue reading
Birmingham City lost at Burton on Friday and we might lose again on Sunday. That’s football and its unpredictability is part of its attraction. Losing feels bad whoever the team is playing but it’s not the end of the world. Continue reading
I’ve just watched the moving tributes that MPs paid to Jo Cox and feel so sad about her death. And earlier, a quote about the effect of social media on politics struck home: “It is not a big journey from saying horrible things to doing horrible things.” This could apply equally well to football and so I just want to reiterate what I’ve said before on this blog. I don’t hate Villa fans or the fans of any other clubs or countries.
Birmingham City had more possession, more shots, more corners than Burnley but fewer goals so it ended as yet another 1 – 2 loss. Continue reading
Staying up 2014
Birmingham City’s loss to Brighton was very disappointing and seemed like the end of our chance of going up. But worrying about not getting into the playoffs is less stressful than worrying about relegation. Continue reading
On my way to the game last night, I feared the worst but it didn’t happen and I came back feeling proud of my club and my city. Continue reading
I was encouraged by Gary Rowett’s statement about the way the ending of the emergency loan system next season is shaping what he is doing now. The mere fact that he is looking ahead rather than lurching from one game to the next is good. Continue reading
I bought my ticket for the Villa cup game yesterday. Along with the ticket I received a letter from the club reminding me of my responsibility to behave myself. In particular they reminded me about zero tolerance of pyrotechnics, the laws relating to alcohol consumption and stadium regulations about obscene chanting. Continue reading
Football doesn’t cause the problems in our society but it does reflect them. The obscene amounts of money paid for players in the days before transfer deadline day reflects the greed on display in our society in general. A Doncaster fan’s description of transfer deadline day on Sky reminded me of why I just have Freeview. Continue reading
It was the thought of standing on the Wembley pitch that made me want to be part of the Fans Choir for the FA Cup Final. And it was an amazing experience to stand on that turf but not the best part. For me, the most enjoyable and memorable experience was meeting the other fans and the way so many strangers quickly became friends. Continue reading
Sometimes football seems very insignificant compared to more important things in life. It seems wrong to care about a game when so many people in the world are struggling just to exist. The news of people adrift on the Mediterranean Sea in flimsy, overcrowded boats makes me question why I spend so much time thinking about Birmingham City. I rationalise by telling myself that I can’t carry the problems of the whole world. I do what I can: I give to charities that tackle some of the problems and I vote in elections, trying to select the candidate who will do the most good or the least harm. Continue reading
I have no complaints about Birmingham City’s position in the table with no relegation battle or promotion hopes to add significance to the final few games of the season. Playing for a win that won’t affect our position in the table is not as exciting as trying to avoid the drop but is still worth doing. I always want Birmingham City to win and I hope the players feel that way too. It certainly looked as though they wanted to get a result on Tuesday evening when they came from behind twice to get the draw. Continue reading
Players at a trio of West Midlands clubs have put in improved performances for their new managers. Birmingham City are not unbeatable but are still a lot better than they were before November. West Bromwich Albion are getting better results and, according to Baggies fans reacting to their 4-0 cup win, are playing better football. And yesterday, it seems that Tim Sherwood’s half-time team talk inspired Villa to score two whole goals and win the game. If he can do that just by talking, goodness knows what he can do when he officially starts work today. Continue reading