Just had a big chat with my daughter's friend's dad about the play-offs -he's a Villa fan who would rather avoid us as he hates local derbies, very similar to me.
Now this is over Solihull way, and he's mid 40s, so grew up with Blues totally the enemy. Me, brought up in Bearwood, it was purely Villa.
It got us talking the Midland rivalries and how when he worked in Cov in the 90s he found it amusing that Cov saw Villa as a big derby, when Villa could not give a toss.
I've always thought with rivalries, it depends on where you live and who you work with. For instance I'd guess there's many Villa fans over Handsworth way and over the border who care much more about Albion. Certainly at my school in the late 70s no Villa fans were overly bothered about Blues.
In all, we have two somewhat uneven derbies in the Mids with their loathing of a club. All Wolves bile is aimed as us, where half of us aren't that bothered. With Blues all their hatred is purely with Villa.
What we and Villa share is two really hostile derbies, so the answer to rivalry is far from black and white. 
Equally, when Villa fans say they don't care about us, it's fair to say some might not, but those sitting around on their flippers besides them might be.
What is also true is meeting a lot ups the ante. Think many Villa fans feel very different about us the past 10 years than the decade before. It could move up another notch next few weeks.

On the Gregan diet? A tubby fella

What’s happened to him?

....one of my lads (16 years old) is going to Derby with his mates. It will be his first away game on his own without his old man.....takes me back to my first away without my dad Hull City about 1986.

He cor wait the little tinker!

Just had an email from audible that a new audio available for free for subscribers 
entitled The Beautiful Brain by Hans Walker Brown - 
[color=rgba(26, 28, 29, 0.65098)]This is a story about the beautiful game – football. The highs, the lows, historic match days and foul play. It’s a celebration of a beloved player, a history maker, and his tragic ending at the final whistle. It’s a story about science and discovery, about the people on the frontline of life changing research. But above all it’s a story about family, and about consequence.All of this is wrapped up in three little letters, [/color]

[color=rgba(26, 28, 29, 0.65098)]It’s about Jeff Astle and is three hours 40 mins long[/color]

No Brom.   




"West Brom fans have been telling us all season they've got the best squad in the league, so maybe Darren Moore did a good job after all"

Love, Adrian Durham.

Another thing I wasn’t expecting to see today.

I’ve seen a lot across social media asking whether season tickets are included for these games. I’ve never known that to be the case in recent times when we’ve got there ie 2001 (Bolton) and 2007 (Wolves). Most likely season tickets will have the tickets reserved for purchase until a certain date, similar to Cup games.

Anyone have the feeling that prices could be increased if we face Villa for example? Only way we can increase prices for Away fans is if we increase prices in Smethwick End for example. Reading the rules/regulations on ticket prices (the same stand/view has to be the same for Home/Away).

I’d be very surprised if Albion price this one at 20£. Some may argue why upset the fan base for an extra £10,000 but nothing would surprise me personally.

Thoughts?

Their ST's?

...what would you be wanting from tonight's match?