Aston Villa in Europe
Honestly tried posting this yesterday but I was not very fit …. There definitely is a story behind it all and it will be told for the most part .
If you didn’t know I am an Aston Villa supporter and have been for quite some time but not during the glory days . You ask why did I choose Villa and not some “big” club and the saying goes the club chose me and in a sense it is true . Mostly I support them because I have family in Birmingham and have always loved that city .
I am travelling with the Dubai Lions and in the morning we jumped into one of the vans and our fearless leader Mark Forrester drove us into town as we are not exactly staying in Mostar but on the outskirts . Everything has been organized so well by this group and I couldn’t have asked for more . Mark and I met in Houston in 2014 at a Villa friendly and we stayed in touch. That was so long ago and he hasn’t changed a bit .
The old town is really beautiful and was worth visiting . It’s lined with cobblestone roads and there is a river running beside the bar we are at and the water is crystal clear with arched bridges everywhere . We were told there were ultras roaming around attacking our fans but they were not Zrinjski supporters ? Apparently Velez supporters which is the other club . Don’t quote me but that’s the rumour that was going around . I went for a stroll and didn’t witness anything but I did notice a few spotters possibly taking aim at the big group . Walking to the big bridge was dicey since those cobblestone roads when wet are really slippery so I took my time and made it clear that any locals heard me speaking in my Canadian accent . I don’t want to get jumped . Anyways I didn’t see any nefarious activity occurring but I did keep my head on a swivel .
We began our walk to the stadium and I lost the big group and ended up with a couple mates drinking with the locals . Zrinjski supporters were all right and of course since I’m not a season ticket holder I had to watch the game in the home end . So I didn’t wear any Villa gear and I cheered for the other team which was weird but I thought I pulled it off . When I got to my seat I made some friends by buying a round of beer and sharing with everyone around me . Instant friends !
Villa played a few youngsters and mostly what you would call their B team as they had already qualified for the next round and it was smart to rest players for the weekend fixture . Unai Emery is a very smart man and is keeping players fit and involved . One of our new players got his first goal for Villa to put us up 1-0 and I really held back on cheering for that . The match overall was not a classic by all means but it meant something to the locals as they wanted to win which would effect their coefficient for next years qualifying for European competitions so when they scored the mood changed and the fans went wild . That was the final score 1-1 and everyone went home happy . The point put Villa in top spot thus avoiding another couple matches to further qualify which is good .
After the match I was invited to go have a drink with the locals and I couldn’t say no which I feel bad for because I know the Dubai Lions were looking for me and I was living in the moment instead of letting everyone know where I was . Sorry :( anyways I didn’t stay out crazy late but I did drink some local alcohol and I was not in great shape when I arrived back at the hotel where everyone was so happy to see me when I walked in but from my recollections I don’t think I was overly receptive and just snuck into my room to crash . I hope I didn’t disappoint or offend anyone ….. this crazy goalie does crazy things .