There's been some gnashing of teeth in the past 3 years or so about how Villa have gone down in the world (which situation we hope will change very soon!) but I was a-thinking that if we examine the last 80 years of the club's history, there have only been two significant periods (and one shorter period) to write home about.
Yes, you can argue about the 1936-39 period and 1957 and even 1960-63, but I'm talking about a solid presence in the top flight. The periods I allude to are, of course, the periods of 1976-1983, 1989-2000 (with 2 or 3 disappointing years included) and 2007-10.
So, in 80 years, we can say that Villa have provided meagre faire in more than 50 of those years. That's 67% of the last 80 years less the war years.
On the other hand, the three good periods just stated have all occurred in the last 37 years, so the meagre periods % then reduces to 23.4% for those 37 years. Not too much to shout about, but much better than virtually 100% of the 43 years from 1933 to 1976 - and particularly 1933-1970, of course.
But for a club that can boast that it's the Pride of the Midlands, the record of the last 37 years is still not what it should be given the population of the area. And, frighteningly, we're still a long, long way short of matching the post-WW2 records of the leading clubs in the north and the south.
In the 1981/1982 time we felt we were on the brink of being equal top dogs with Liverpool, Man U and Arsenal ... but the dream seems ever more to slip away, particularly these last 10 or 12 years.
But are we downhearted?! Never!! .. It's always 'Up the Villa!' so far as the supporters are concerned.
.
Yes, you can argue about the 1936-39 period and 1957 and even 1960-63, but I'm talking about a solid presence in the top flight. The periods I allude to are, of course, the periods of 1976-1983, 1989-2000 (with 2 or 3 disappointing years included) and 2007-10.
So, in 80 years, we can say that Villa have provided meagre faire in more than 50 of those years. That's 67% of the last 80 years less the war years.
On the other hand, the three good periods just stated have all occurred in the last 37 years, so the meagre periods % then reduces to 23.4% for those 37 years. Not too much to shout about, but much better than virtually 100% of the 43 years from 1933 to 1976 - and particularly 1933-1970, of course.
But for a club that can boast that it's the Pride of the Midlands, the record of the last 37 years is still not what it should be given the population of the area. And, frighteningly, we're still a long, long way short of matching the post-WW2 records of the leading clubs in the north and the south.
In the 1981/1982 time we felt we were on the brink of being equal top dogs with Liverpool, Man U and Arsenal ... but the dream seems ever more to slip away, particularly these last 10 or 12 years.
But are we downhearted?! Never!! .. It's always 'Up the Villa!' so far as the supporters are concerned.
.
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