love/hate thy neighbours?

[arklowolf]

Interesting reading the 'live match discussion thread' and the comments re Albion and Stoke.
Assuming we get promoted, does everyone want Albion and Stoke relegated and Villa to fail in their promotion bid?
I would have thought it was better for 'The Midlands' if we had more representation in the PL.
But maybe I've been away so long I've mellowed a bit?

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Villa coming up with us wouldn't bother me at all. Stoke surviving similar. I want the Albion gone because the BCD is the ultimate ball ache in football. It's a police state and the atmosphere is fucking horrendous.

We can avenge the 5-1 another time, there is no fucking hurry

 

[darlowolf64]

Fuck 'em... The Black Country Derby is an absolute pile of shit with fans from both sides looking for trouble and a vile atmosphere.
Never had a problem with Villa till this season
Stoke? Meh

 

[Tredman]

I live in Stafford, I've had enough of being patronised by stokies

 

[Langers]

I hate the BCD so I want Albion to go down.

I don't like anything about Stoke so I want them to go down.

I've nothing much against Villa although I think Steve Bruce is a prat, and the social media spat between our fans has been tiresome but wouldn't be upset if they came up with us. As long as we beat them at Villa Park!

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Albion deserve to go down because they've had some unbelievable luck over the last few years at times, plus they have been absolutely horrific for almost an entire calendar year now. Also the BCD is a pain in the arse, the policing is ridiculous, you can't get about your business as normal and it'd be a pair of games that should be winnable for us but would turn into more of a lottery because of the occasion. If you had an Albion side that was completely equally matched with a Swansea side, we'd be more likely to get six points out of Swansea.

Don't really give a shit about Stoke, they've messed up badly over the last 18 months but don't really view them as local tbh, they're 40 miles away. No more local rivals than Coventry or Derby are. Don't dislike Lambert to the extent that some fans seem to so that's a non-factor too.

Don't like Tony Xia, really don't like Steve Bruce and Villa are boned if they stay down so they can fuck off. If they didn't have a lunatic owner and a manager who saw fit to talk such utter fucking rot all the time then I wouldn't really mind.

 

[slink]

Not so bothered about Stoke to be honest and i guess a part of me would love Albion to go down and Villa to stay down but i love local derbies and the atmosphere it creates. Yeah with the BCD you get more idiots out but the atmosphere at the game is phenomenal and give me that rather than playing teams like Bournemouth any day.

 

[Parkins left foot]

As I don't live in the area really not fussed - don't have to work with fans of those clubs (though as I'm retired now suppose that aplies to all clubs)

There will be 19 other Premier teams - really not concerned as to who they are

 

[Parkins left foot]

Not so bothered about Stoke to be honest and i guess a part of me would love Albion to go down and Villa to stay down but i love local derbies and the atmosphere it creates. Yeah with the BCD you get more idiots out but the atmosphere at the game is phenomenal and give me that rather than playing teams like Bournemouth any day.

Would agree with not wanting to play Bournemouth - living down here I know a few of their fans who have an inflated sense of their place in the football world (plus it's a crap stadium)

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

The atmosphere isn't phenomenal at all. It is hate-filled, deeply unpleasant and doesn't show either set of fans in a good light. They can play Walsall and Coventry as far as I am concerned.

 

[Langers]

I'd also much rather Blues went down than Villa go up.

But all our big local derbies can do one. They're awful occasions which brings out the very worst of football fans.

 

[Lupo]

Albion to go down, Blues to go down and Villa to stay down please. Not bothered about Stoke.

If Albion and/or Villa are up there next season we will still keep hearing the tedious 'who's the best in the Midlands' bollocks and they've all had a good laugh at our expense over the past several years so hopefully a case of he who laughs last.

Pre-Fosun I felt we had missed the boat and we would never catch or overtake Albion again but suddenly looks so much different!

 

[Tony Towner]

Albion the BCD is an unpleasant experience and they've lorded it over us for over half a decade, be delighted to see them go

Stoke, very similar to the above. I'm sure fans in Stafford which is roughly 50/50 would testify that they've been a bunch of arrogant, smug twats for way too long.

Villa I grew up in Burntwood, which although is an overspill town had more of them than anyone else and given my age saw them win leagues and European Cups whilst we did relegation very well. I don't want to see them go up, partly because of that and partly because let's face it they are a big club and will attract the same type of players (none Mendes) players as we will

I'd actually like to see Colin's lot go up, it'd be one relegation place sorted next year.

 

[Langers]

My predictions:

Stoke - relegated
Albion - relegated
Villa - promoted
Blues - stay up

 

[Parkins left foot]

Albion the BCD is an unpleasant experience and they've lorded it over us for over half a decade, be delighted to see them go

Stoke, very similar to the above. I'm sure fans in Stafford which is roughly 50/50 would testify that they've been a bunch of arrogant, smug twats for way too long.

Villa I grew up in Burntwood, which although is an overspill town had more of them than anyone else and given my age saw them win leagues and European Cups whilst we did relegation very well. I don't want to see them go up, partly because of that and partly because let's face it they are a big club and will attract the same type of players (none Mendes) players as we will

I'd actually like to see Colin's lot go up, it'd be one relegation place sorted next year.

Them or Bristol City - just to see Johnson's face when it falls apart

 

[slink]

The atmosphere isn't phenomenal at all. It is hate-filled, deeply unpleasant and doesn't show either set of fans in a good light. They can play Walsall and Coventry as far as I am concerned.

Away from the game i would agree it does bring out the worst but the atmosphere at the game while being hate filled gives the game a fantastic atmosphere to be played in. Just look at the Villa game earlier this season Molineux was bouncing and that's one of the great things about football for me.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

it'd be a pair of games that should be winnable for us but would turn into more of a lottery because of the occasion. If you had an Albion side that was completely equally matched with a Swansea side, we'd be more likely to get six points out of Swansea.

Just to elaborate on this; there's a theory that London clubs win fewer titles because they play more local derbies and that skews matters, "form going out of the window" isn't just a cliche.

Since 2013/14, Spurs record vs West Ham:

2013/14: L 0-3 (H), L 0-2 (A), L 1-2 (H, LC)
2014/15: D 2-2 (H), W 1-0 (A)
2015/16: W 4-1 (H), L 0-1 (A)
2016/17: W 3-2 (H), L 0-1 (A)
2017/18: D 1-1 (H), W 3-2 (A), L 2-3 (H, LC)

Now, over that timeframe, Spurs have been absolutely MILES better than West Ham. Like, not even close to evenly matched. No way should they be winning 4 out of 12 games against them. West Ham clearly raise their game and perform above themselves.

As it stands I'm quite confident that we'll put away a sufficient number of the bottom half teams over a season to make sure that we're not really in any danger. It'd be quite nice if one of those teams wasn't someone where the relative quality of the squads got neutered to an extent and we ended up losing games that we really shouldn't.

 

[StuardoWulf]

I always say that I want all West Midlands clubs in the top flight. Unfortunately I recently started to go onto opposition forums ending up on Dingle Watch.
When I am on someone elses forum I expect them to be partizan but the hatred for us on there is real (up untill they knew we're better than them this year) what I really dislike is their non stop 5-1 shit apparently they sent us into freefall and they'll do it again so fuck em Evostick 10th is too good for them Boing Boing Twats.
As for the rest I think Stoke like Albion are a bunch of anti-football boring premier league parasites who've been up there too long to do nothing.

People don't tune in from around the world to watch the likes of them boring bastards but half a dozen non footballing teams are in there now at least.
Villa are a great club with civilised fans always have been.

 

[Langers]

Away from the game i would agree it does bring out the worst but the atmosphere at the game while being hate filled gives the game a fantastic atmosphere to be played in. Just look at the Villa game earlier this season Molineux was bouncing and that's one of the great things about football for me.

I think Villa this season was a completely different one to Blues at home last season or any BCD atmosphere. Because its a different sort of rivalry.

Blues and Albion games are toxic, hate filled affairs that I can't stand.

Maybe over time the Villa fixture will be similar as the rivalry intensifies but I hope not.

 

[arklowolf]

When I lived at 'home' I genuinely wished ill on all of our 'local' rivals.
Having read the above comments, I realise I must have got out of the habit and obviously needed a reality check.
Thanks.
Stuff them all.