Villa go top of the league following 2nd city Sunday lie-in

As the clocks went backwards for British wintertime this morning, the players of both Aston Villa and Birmingham City took full advantage of the extra hour in bed by barely showing up for the 12 noon showdown at Villa Park.

Fans from both sides probably gained more excitement from the smoke bomb in Witton Road after the match and the over head helicopter than they did from anything which took place on the pitch. Certainly I did, although I could have done without the grunge character sat behind us on the North Stand who repeatedly told his girlfriend how boring the game was for the entire 95 minutes. When you're watching a crap match there's nothing worse than some clever ass behind you commenting on every bodged pass and wasted chance of the entire game in the most winging glass-half-empty moaning Villa fan drone you've ever heard.

Aside from a couple of incidents involving Villa's captain Nigel Reo-Cocker and ex-Villa player Craig Gardner, which saw both yellow carded, there was little to talk about in a match that both teams were clearly playing to draw. Which strangely enough would have been Bradley the Octopus's prediction (typical that the one he would have finally got right was the one we forgot to post up on the website!)

Perhaps this was the warm-up for the clash between Blues and Villa in the Carling Cup quarter final at St Andrews on 29th November? At least someone has to win that one, so who knows, the players may actually get out of bed for it.

In any event, the draw means Villa go top of the Braggers' League with 4 points from 3 local derbies this season. Blues gain their first point of the season from 2 derbies so remain rooted to the bottom. But with just a quarter of this season's derbies played so far this season, it's all still to play for.

The results so far:

Wolves 2 Stoke 1
Stoke 2 Villa 1
Albion 3 Blues 1
Wolves 1 Villa 2
Villa 0 Blues 0

Villa Blues - the last 12 matches

Prior to 2003, Villa and Blues had not met for a decade. With the entry of Blues into the Premiership in 2003, began a run of derbies between the clubs which was only interrupted when Birmingham were relegated back to the Championship for the 2006-2007 and 2008-2009 seasons. Out of these 12 fixtures Villa have won 6, Blues 4 and there have been 2 draws.

A famous double by the Blues over Villa in 2002/2003 was followed the next season by two draws then another two victories by Blues in the 04/05 season. Just when Villa fans were starting to believe the rumour that the St Andrews gyspsy curse had been transferred to Villa Park by a Blues supporting builder who reputedly dropped a brick from the demolished Spion Kop into the foundations of the new Holte End, Villa finally broke their run of bad luck against their rivals. Two victories in the 05/06 season no doubt contributed to the relegation of the Blues at the end of the season.

Following a radical clear-out at St Andrews, Blues quickly bounced back up into the Premiership but they have never been able to repeat the humiliation bestowed upon Villa in their 2002-2006 spell in the Premiership. Villa have won the tie six times in a row since November 2007, including the devastating 5-1 victory at Villa Park in 2008 which once again helped to relegate their rivals.

With Blues' return to the Premiership once again in 2009, last season witnessed two very tight games between the teams with Villa clinching 1-0 wins in both games. Villa now hold the ongoing all-time record for wins in a row in this fixture, but with both teams in reasonable though not fantastic form this season, who knows what will happen on Sunday? The law of averages says Blues must be due a win but both teams may ultimately be satisfied with the draw out of this one. Having said this, derbies have a tendency to throw up incident and even experienced players lose the plot under the unique pressure of a derby game. Blues will be most fired up following the controversy of the penalty in their last meeting at Villa Park, but pressure can produce errors of judgement as well as heroics. Blues are playing with 2 ex-Villa players, Ridgewell and Gardner whilst the Villa have ex-Blues man Hesky, this always helps to influence the dynamics of the game. 

24 April 2010    Aston Villa - Birmingham City    Aston Villa win 1 - 0
The meeting of ex-Cletic and Rangers bosses ends in a very controverisal penalty

12 September 2009   Birmingham City - Aston Villa    Aston Villa win 0  - 1
As evenly matched as it gets but Agbonlahor clinches it in the 85th minute

20 April 2008   Aston Villa - Birmingham City       Aston Villa win 5 - 1
Blues fans leave at half time - a good day to be on the Holte End

11 November 2007 Birmingham City - Aston Villa    Aston Villa  win 1 - 2
Ridgewell scores for Villa - but he was playing for the Blues

16 April 2006      Aston Villa - Birmingham City  Aston Villa win 3 - 1
Baros and Cahill inflict the damage on Blues

16 October 2005  Birmingham City - Aston Villa  Aston Villa  win 0 - 1
Kevin Phillips finally restores pride for Villa

20 March 2005  Birmingham City - Aston Villa  Birmingham City win 2 - 0
Another bad day at the office for Sorenson

12 December 2004  Aston Villa - Birmingham City  Birmingham win 1 - 2
Thomas Sorenson blamed for goalkeeping errors

22 February 2004  Aston Villa - Birmingham City  Draw 2 - 2
Stern John gets a 90 minute equalizer in a second half come-back for Blues.

19 October 2003  Birmingham City - Aston Villa  Draw 0 - 0
We don't need 0-0 draws in derbies thank you very much

03 March 2003 Aston Villa - Birmingham City  Birmingham City win 0 - 2
Dublin drops the nut on Savage and Blues humiliate Villa at Villa Park

16 September 2002 Birmingham City - Aston Villa  Birmingham City win 3 - 0
The Peter Enkelman howler at St Andrews

5 days to go - countdown to the Brummie derby

Let the red mist descend. It's time to take off the gloves and prepare to do battle..

Gladiators... are you ready?

A new generation brings new heroes and new villains. But the prize remains the same.

Honour, pride and of course...

Braggers' Rights!

BRUMMAGEM EXPECTS.

What a difference a week makes!

But you know what happened the last time someone threw limitless millions of pounds at a failing cause?

It was called the recession and we're going to be paying for it for years.

"I say, I say, Wee Alex, I've hurt my ankle"

"Oh no you haven't Master Wayne"

"Oh Yes I have"

"Oh yes you have"

"Oh no I haven't!"

"Haha! Got you there Master Wayne"

"Pah! That's it I'm off to join the boys in blue across the city"

"Oh no don't go Master Wayne, I'll give you a million pounds to stay"

"Is that a million pounds every week little Wee Alex?"

"Och I! But only if ma little gee-gee wins on the 2.30 at Kempton Park"

"Ok shut up now and drink your whiskey"

"Gottle a geer Wayne, gottle a geer"

Bemused Sir Alex hastens to leave the door open for his star Number 10

Sir Alex introduces his new number 10

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has responded directly to counter recent media speculation by denying that he has played any significant part in driving his legendary number 10 from the club.

"As far as anyone at Old Trafford is concerned" Sir Alex told a hushed press conference yesterday "the lad has settled in well and has benefited from the support of our staff both on and off the pitch. He's a great little player so the door is always open for him, regardless of his private life or the interference of his greedy  agent".

Humble father figure Sir Alex continued:

"No, there's just not a problem and I would also want to deny allegations that I am a bitter and controlling old git from the Govan who doesn't tolerate prima donnas. I can reassure United supporters that there is no sense of panic or desperation at Old Trafford, no player is ever bigger than the club and therefore Fred the Red will be putting on the number 10 shirt as usual on Saturday afternoon ".

Asked about Rooney, Sir Alex gave the swift but barely discernible retort "who let that wind-up merchant  from the BBC in here?"

Toffees win the Scouse derby

Well done to the Toffee boys for winning the Scouse derby 2-0 and just when Liverpool supporters were celebrating having won more court cases in a week than they've won Premiership matches all season.

Still, at least they will have next season's Scouse derby to look forward to. Liverpool versus Tranmere Rovers.

I say, I say, I say... how many Liverpool fans does it take to change a lightbulb?

They have electricity on Merseyside?

Local Merseyside derby this weekend...

Scousers - preparing to bring comedy value to the Championship

As Liverpool and Everton go head to head in the battle over who remains lowest of the pair of them in the relegation zone, the Braggers' League wipes a nostalgic tear from our collective eye and sniffs, "yeah, but...who gives a damn?"

Let's hope it's a draw so they both go down.

Calm down! Calm down!

Double celebration for Scousers and Miners

On the historic day when both miners and Scousers were happy at the same time, the Braggers' League asks...

...what's that all about then? Has Mrs Thatcher died?

Former Grantham Town right winger Margaret Hilda Thatcher

"Support for the miners? Of course, Dennis and I used to own one before we got the Austin 10"

Di Matteo - Once upon a time in the West Midlands

By Steve Mitchell

Sunday 10 October 2010

In a revealing interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport, West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo explains what life is like managing at the top level in England and gives his thoughts on the current state of the Italian game.

Having recently claimed the manager of the month award he was asked how he felt about his team being in the higher echelons of the Premier League: “it is fantastic, in September we got seven points from three games and we are just behind Chelsea and Manchester City”. Following his team’s extraordinary win over Arsenal at the Emirates, Di Matteo explained that: “it was stupendous, we even earned the applause of the Arsenal fans terrific”.

He continued by outlining his philosophy on the game by stating that : “I want my teams to attack as a five and then cover as a five, my aim is to stop this club from continuing to be a yo-yo side” and he also had special praise for one of his newest signings: “Peter Odemwingie has been amazing, 45 appearances for his national side and three goals in his first five matches for West Brom, fantastic”.
 
Read the full article on Football Italiano

Revealed: Hundreds of football hooligans banned at West Midlands clubs

HUNDREDS of football hooligans were banned from Midland football clubs for violent behaviour last season, shock new figures have revealed.

Leeds United topped the league of shame with 162 thugs barred from attending games home and away.

But Wolverhampton Wanderers were fifth in the list of 92 clubs, with 98 hooligans hit by banning orders last season after causing trouble inside or outside grounds.

There were 79 fans barred at Aston Villa, 73 at Birmingham City and 37 at West Bromwich Albion, according to the new figures from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

Read the full story at Birmingham Mail online