Saturday 9th January 2016 will go down as a dark day in the history of Aston Villa club amongst a very dark chapter since the start of the season.
The Villans drew 1-1 with League Two side, Wycombe Wanderers and what followed was quite frankly an embarrassment to every single person associated with the club.
Videos and images have emerged of many different confrontations between Villa fans and the players. The videos are grim and they over-step the mark.
I am hurting as much as you the person reading this article and every fan that travelled to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday and to Sunderland the week prior – to see what I saw today boiled my blood.
The atmosphere at Villa Park and at away games has been poisonous for some time now. The club is in an awful state on and off the pitch, but the way fans have conducted themselves over the issue is a disgrace.
Villa have a superb away following. It is arguably one of the best in the country by a long mile. We took 2,500 fans away to Wycombe. An incredible amount, but calling fans explicit names amongst other personal insults absolutely obliterates any respect anyone should have for us taking so many away from home.
WARNING: The videos below contains explicit language.
The above happened when the players were leaving. It is a dark day that fans feel it is okay to abuse players like that.
It seems the culture on Twitter of slandering players has been taken to a level that is verbal assault and wrong in so many ways.
Other view…Fair play to this young lad saying "unlucky Rémi" (who had police escort) & the same to #avfc players pic.twitter.com/aXQLnirK73
— My Old Man Said (@myoldmansaid) January 9, 2016
The second video gives another side to it. There are young children around asking for signatures and watching their heroes board a coach. It is not on that fans are hurling abuse while the minors get signatures and just admire seeing famous footballers.
Micah Richards stood up on Saturday and voiced his views back which is totally acceptable. He admitted himself the abuse will not help the morale of players and surely it can only get worse after this.
Twitter: It’s all well and good critiquing players performances but to shout abuse and swear at them isn’t on at all. Ashamed #Avfc #utv (@danbardell)
There is a line and some of the Villa fans crossed that line today. It is a shameful act and one that will bring shame to the club for a long time to come.
While this is a minority currently I believe there should not even be a minority. Personal abuse to anyone should not be condoned in any walk of life. Forget the excuses about the amount those footballers are on because that does not allow you to abuse, intimidate, bully them.
I understand the frustration. I am frustrated, but no grown man or any child should abuse someone like today. It isn’t on whatever the circumstance.
I am ashamed to be a Villa fan tonight. It is a very dark place at Villa, but what happened against Wycombe should never, happen ever again.
Twitter: There’s a diff between venting frustrations /displaying passion and giving full on abuse. Everyone’s hurting but let’s not stoop.
#avfc (@chumpys1)
