Following my article the other day on the Aston Villa ‘Plastic Fan’ debate happening right now on social media, there has been plenty of comment and discussion in the forum on the matter as well.
One post, in particular, stood out which nicely summarises many of the issues facing non-season ticket holders. It is reproduced here:
Writer: starchild65
I would love a chance to be at VP more often but sadly for me, geography, finances and work commitments have to be adhered to. I live in Hull (that’s in East Yorkshire folks and most definitely not Humberside as I have been at pains to lambast the Birmingham Mail for every time they have printed anything to do with an Aston Villa v Hull City game). Therefore, I am a considerable distance from Birmingham.
And I work shifts including most weekends so free time is limited and given that I work at least one sometimes both weekend days depending on my shift rota it is a major obstacle to attending games.
When I do get a free weekend, it doesn’t help that finances have their constraints too. I have a house to run and all the bills that come with it so money is not a luxury I have the good fortune to spend as I would like to do.
Having been through some difficult personal circumstances in the past year, I have slowly started to build up my bank balance in the hope that maybe this season I can attend at least one game. I have calculated it will be the thick end of £100 for the day – petrol, parking fee, food, entrance to the Holte End and the obligatory match day programme. That can blow a big hole in any budget.
I have followed/supported/ been a fan of (call it what you will) of Aston Villa since October 1979. In a few months, I will be celebrating 40 years of allegiance to this great club. I may not get to B6 very often, but I wear my claret and blue with great pride wherever I go. I even have a Villa lanyard at work that I wear, and I often get comments from passengers on my bus regarding my affliction (sorry, I mean affection!) for the Villa.
I may not be a regular face at VP but my heart and loyalty to the cause has not waned and never will. I may never see a day when I too can hold a season ticket, but I am no less of a die-hard Villa fan because of it.
Look at all our celebrity fans, would you call them plastic fans because they don’t go down the Villa every weekend? Just like me, they have job restrictions too, especially our Wills, royal protocol and duties controls him 24/7 not to mention family duties as a doting dad (mind you he does have a gorgeous wife, the lucky swine lol!)
I think starchild’s post lays out just how difficult it can be to commit for a full season. Ticket prices are stratospheric in modern football, and ever-rising fuel and parking costs don’t help either. Family commitments, however well organised, can overlap matchdays when fixtures are changed at the whim of TV executives, most of whom have no regard for the ordinary fan.
We’re ALL fans of the mighty Aston Villa – no one is better (or worse) than anyone else. We love our club and where there is success (or the relative success of promotion), it’s natural for everyone to want to be part of it.
If you have enough time and money for a season ticket and to travel to away games, that’s brilliant. If you can only attend once a season, that equally important. Without the fans the club is next-to-nothing. We are all Part of the Pride.
UTV.
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