Bring it on....

[The Bear]

I've never hated WBA because I didn't grow up with that rivalry. The club I have the most dislike for is Blues. A poxy club that makes terrible decisions based on thinking they're better than they are. I've only ever met one fan that didn't have a chip on their shoulder about it.

I expect most WBA fans will be well up for it, but also quite fearful they'll get done over by us. Which given that we score goals now should be a genuine threat.

Not sure that Gomes being missing isn't a blessing. He seems the sort of character that would get overly fired up for this sort of game.

Just got to hope we get a strong ref that doesn't let too much go. With no VAR it could get messy if he loses control.

 

[Kenny]

Just got to hope we get a strong ref that doesn't let too much go. With no VAR it could get messy if he loses control.

Bristol C v West Ham last night was a good tie without VAR. Ref made the right call on the red card. One incident where VAR may have stepped in to send a Bristol player off. Bristol properly went out to bully West Ham but the officials did well I thought.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I've never hated WBA because I didn't grow up with that rivalry.

That definitely plays a big part in how you feel.

Probably majority Villa fans at school in Walsall in the 90s but to me it was never a rivalry because we hardly ever played them bar a couple of League Cup games. Still laughed at them when Yorke jumped ship to United after months of being adamant he was loyal to Villa loike, they'd have a chuckle at our glorious failures to go up, but that's about it. We didn't overlap. We played Albion all the time so that was the derby.

And as discussed with @Templeton Peck last week, younger fans probably do see Villa as bigger rivals. We've played them loads since 2016 but hardly played Albion at all, Villa are a much more visible club in the media in general and if you're under 20 then you've probably never ever been to a BCD.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Kilman as well

Ah yes.

 

[sycophantia]

I still haven't forgiven them for Zyro either. Bad challenges and injuries happen (was one of the worst challenges I've ever seen) but to not even vaguely apologise after is beyond the pale.

That's a fair point

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

The rivalry with Blues in the 90s was toxic, you only have to watch how wild the scenes are when Bully scored that last minute strike for the 3-2 at Molineux to get an understanding of this, utter joyous madness.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The rivalry with Blues in the 90s was toxic, you only have to watch how wild the scenes are when Bully scored that last minute strike for the 3-2 at Molineux to get an understanding of this, utter joyous madness.

I haven't been to St Andrews since April 2000 and no plans to ever go again. Absolutely vile that day. Someone got killed by a housebrick FFS.

 

[sycophantia]

As I've mentioned before I was born and brought up in an area that was pretty much 50/50 but in my memory it was usually good natured banter, it was pretty scarey going to the games though.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

The last time I went was 99 I think, Corica scored IIRC.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The last time I went was 99 I think, Corica scored IIRC.

He did and played really well! And scored at Bolton a few weeks later.

@Langers was probably telling everyone that yes, McGhee was right, he is better than Georgi Kinkladze and we were better off signing him than Alex Rae.

 

[Langers]

He did and played really well! And scored at Bolton a few weeks later.

@Langers was probably telling everyone that yes, McGhee was right, he is better than Georgi Kinkladze and we were better off signing him than Alex Rae.

I can assure you I did not say this.

I was at Bolton when he scored and thought it was a hallucination due to altitude sickness. Fucking horrendous upper tier at that shit tip.

 

[Tony Towner]

I went in the promotion season, Bonatini scored possibly his last goal for us? That walk back to Digbeth has always been horrible, because of the compound you have a flashing light on your head as you walk out even if you aren't in colours

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I went in the promotion season, Bonatini scored possibly his last goal for us? That walk back to Digbeth has always been horrible, because of the compound you have a flashing light on your head as you walk out even if you aren't in colours

Last league goal, he did score at Hillsborough in the League Cup the following season.

Glorious stuff as the Sky comms (I'm just going to say it was Birtles as I hate him) was banging on about Jota and Neves not fancying it in the cold. Was colder in Porto that night than Small Heath.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

They kicked fuck out of Jota that night too, he just kicked them back.

 

[SSB]

That walk back to Digbeth has always been horrible, because of the compound you have a flashing light on your head as you walk out even if you aren't in colours

We hung back and waited in there that long last time the team came out and got on their coach which was also parked in there.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

They kicked fuck out of Jota that night too, he just kicked them back.

Atrocious challenge by Roberts (I think) on him. If it's not a derby and really early on then 100% a red card.

Big Alf should have been sent off for us late on, totally lost his head.

 

[Tony Towner]

They brought on Peter Withe at ht to promote his book as he played for both clubs. A strange move given he scored the most famous goal in their rivals history, it wasn't a hero's welcome.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

We've also had two separate games at Blues where the roof has blown off their shit tip ground. Corrugated iron flying around at 50mph, great stuff.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

We've also had two separate games at Blues where the roof has blown off their shit tip ground. Corrugated iron flying around at 50mph, great stuff.

Yep, genuinely could have killed people.

Only because of their shit support did they not have anyone sat in the seats it landed on. Thankfully.

 

[Wolvensam]

I have always disliked Blues a lot more than WBA and Villa. Not sure if it's an age thing (I'm mid-30s) but I can't stand them. I don't think I have ever met a nice Blues fan but I've met plenty of lovely WBA and Villa ones.