PREFACE
I wrote this little blog post back in 2014. I recently decided to start blogging again for a few reasons, so I blew off the cobwebs of the Villa Blogger website and got cracking. Firstly I needed to clean things up at the back end of my website, as it had been lying there dormant for nearly five years. Then I came across an old blog post that I had written but hadn’t published. It had been lying there in my drafts for 11 years. WOW! Then I started to read it, and it brought back some very nice memories from a long time ago. All of those interactions with my son are true, and back then I remember thinking how comical they were, so I tried to write a little comical post. I don’t know why I didn’t publish it; my memory fails me slightly, but I came across it, and I thought it would be a nice thing to share it with you.
Here We Go.
I’m going to take you through parts of the 2013/14 Premier League season, seen through the eyes of my 10-year-old son, Sean, who is in his first year of being a season ticket holder. My boy doesn’t go to away matches.
Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa, 17th Aug 2013
“Hi Dad, how did we do today?” my son said,
“We beat Arsenal 3-1, yes!” I cried.
Aston Villa 0-1 Liverpool, 24th Aug 2013
“Dad, why did Liverpool beat us today?”
“They-only-just about beat us, son. Don’t worry, kid, the football season has only just begun.”
Aston Villa 1-2 Newcastle, 14th Sep 2013
“Dad, we got beat again today?”
“I know, son, it was a close match though.”
Aston Villa 0-4 Tottenham, 24th Sep 2013
“Dad, are Aston Villa crap?”
“No, son, we were just caught on a bad day. Just you wait and see when we play our next match.”
“Who are we playing next then, Dad?”
“Manchester City, now shut up, and let’s get back to the car, it’s cold!”
Aston Villa 3-2 Manchester City, 28th Sep 2013
“Daddy, we won!!!
“I know, boy, I told you we would win.” Wow, how lucky were we, I thought.
Aston Villa 0-2 Tottenham/2 Everton, 20/26th Oct 2013
“Daddy, why do we always lose more games than we win?”
“I don’t know, son, I’m starting to wonder myself.”
Aston Villa 0-3 Manchester United, 15th Dec 2013
“Dad, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, fire away, son.”
“Can I support Manchester United?”
“No, you bloody can’t!!! That’s it now, no SpongeBob SquarePants for you!!!”
Aston Villa 0-1 Crystal Palace, 26th Dec 2013
“Dad, you said that Santa was going to give us a win today?”
“I know, son, but have you ever heard the song by Kevin Bloody Wilson? Well, that’s what Santa is.”
With further losses against Sheffield United, Arsenal, West Ham, Stoke City, and Fulham, Aston Villa sent out their season ticket renewal notifications.
I said to my son whilst on a family shopping trip, “It’s time for us to renew our season tickets. Do you want me to get you one?” I asked enthusiastically.
“Nah, it’s okay, Daddy.” he replied nonchalantly.
“Well, you’ve got no flipping choice because I’ve already bought you one!” I said to him.
Teaching my son (who I love very much) to support Aston Villa at this moment in time will hopefully teach him a valuble lesson he’ll understand one day. Hopefully, it will show him that in life, commitment, loyalty, and support are a very hard thing to stick to these days, especially when times are rough and things don’t look to be getting better anytime soon. UTV