Match Day Rituals - We Have Some Strange Members

With the transfer window officially opening, seems as good a time as any to investigate the strange match day rituals of Vital Villans.

And some of them – if genuine – are very strange indeed.

Match Day Rituals Forum Thread.

Villa_Grizzly kicked the thread off by offering:

‘I cannot wear anything Royal Blue or Red before, during or after the game. Neither will I sit on, eat or use anything of such colouring believing that this will ‘affect’ my Villa air.’

Surely, before, during and after means Griz NEVER wears, utilises or eats the aforementinoed colours?

Seems more of a fashion colourista statement to me.

Draig Cymraeg followed up with:

‘I rub Fear’s head for luck while he sleeps the night before…he changed the locks last year which explains the bad form.’

I really don’t think I should comment on that one.

BBJ gives us an insight into his match day life with:

‘I double up on my blood pressure medication.’

A far more sensible option than doubling up on the alcohol intake at halftime!

neilh111 reminds us that match day rituals can evolve:

‘I used to always park in the same place and then walk the long way around the ground to the Holte End. I thought of it as bringing us luck – don’t know why.

‘I don’t do that now though.’

neil doesn’t offer when he stopped said ritual, nor does he give us a reason why – so we can all draw our own conclusions 🙂

holtelower shows us that some fans can take rituals a bit far:

‘I leave nothing to chance. Don’t wear boxers on match day – I wear an old pair of Villa shorts that I have had since about 1996. Always wear two pairs of socks, thermal underneath, then a black sock with a claret and blue trim on them (although these got ruined the day McLeish came, which proves how much we need them, it was my lucky socks being ruined that brought on last year). Always two scalves – claret and blue stripes, and the Bright future one. Always my beanie hat – lion NEVER centred up until we need it. If we are under the cosh/need a goal etc then I kiss the lion and put it to the centre. Then we have the tops – an old Villa training top, under my Euro Cup top, under a home shirt. Then it is through the same turnstile – one near the wall next to L5 (adjoining the Holte suite). I think thats about it.

‘If I miss any of them, we NEVER win. But I wouldn’t call myself superstitious.’

Superstitious maybe not, but in denial most definitely! I do however think we can take it for granted that said shorts from 1996 are regularly washed and not too tight as holte has advanced in years.

upthevilla seemed to miss the idea of the thread if I can phrase it that way:

‘Myself and a group of friends dress in black hooded cassocks chanting medievel spells. After slaughtering a goat and smearing a pentagram in blood on each others foreheads, we then take it in turn to deflower…’

Actually that’s probably not suitable for the frontpage of the site and I’ll let you continue to read it on the thread itself.

He does add that it:

‘Doesn’t seem to positively affect the result, but nice to make a day of it.’

Hence missing the point of the thread although I will admit the idea is quite enticing.

jasevilla proves what we all suspected, he’s a muppet:

‘Cuppa tea, sit down at the computer and hit the on button. Tell everyone in the house there is a fire to get some peace and so they can’t hear me swearing. It worked the first time…my 5 yr old says stop being a muppet dad. She has some pink ear muffs now.’

buggyvillan doesn’t have a ritual and isn’t superstitious but he doesn’t stand and applaud the team as they run onto the pitch at home games. He was in good company last season as people didn’t stand and applaud them off the pitch very often either.

starchild65 is on the lookout for a new ritual after last season:

‘Well last season it was: take a deep breath, promise God I’ll start going to Church if we win, and then sit infront of the PC rocking backwards and forwards muttering to myself, clutching my scarf so tight my knuckles go white, occassionally screaming words like ‘PASS THE BLOODY THING!!!’, ‘TACKLE!!!’, ‘CLEAR IT!!!’, ‘SHOOOOOOT FOR GOD’S SAKE!!!!’ all accompanied with what can only be described as resembling having some kind of fit as I kick and head an imaginery ball whilst making grunting noises.’

The Fear revealed he either has small OCD issues and is anti chicken or he’s not telling the whole truth here:

I shave upward not downward.
I walk on my knees for the whole of the day before.
I go Church the day before.
I go to a Mosque the day before.
I go to KFC never…which is part of the ritual.
I only eat my steak claret (bloody).
I go back to Church.
I use my prayer mat.
I wave to my neighbours with my left, not right hand.
I drive backwards to Villa Park.
I say the Lords Prayer (Paul McGrath that is) on approach.
I buy and stamp on the hotdog outside of Villa.
I buy a badge and throw it as hard as I can towards a kid, that isn’t for luck, I’m just a nasty *******.
I look left and right before crossing and only cross when a women driver is approaching.
I used to kiss any good looking lady on the Villa property but got rather confused one day with a lad with long hair so court orders put an end to that.
I only wash in lavender the week before a game.
I sprinkle holy water on the pitch, I say holy water, it is actually Evian.
Apart from that, nothing really.’

I’ll let others work out where the truth might lie?

kefkat has a rather expensive ritual:

‘If I had a new shirt and the first time I wore it we lost, I wouldn’t wear it again that season.’

So after all that I’m sure everybody has a good idea of what we mean by rituals…the question is, do any members have even stranger ones that you’d like to share with us.

We won’t judge (too harshly) I promise.

Vital Villa on: