Even when success is out of reach,the facade of its existence should give supporters something to cling to. Aston Villa fans have lost that hope this seasonBy Chris Nee for In Bed With Maradona, of the Guardian Sport NetworkAs the wind whips along the eastern edge of Aston Park on a blustery Tuesday morning and whistles under the overhang of the Trinity Road Stand, and its easy to assume Villa Park as an abandoned stadium. It could be the kind of building necro-groundhoppers visit and photograph,the cloudy grey backdrop offset by the mopish green of weeds growing through the terrace steps and punctuated by the peeling paint of claret crush barriers.
The district of Aston isn’t exactly a thriving city centre area but the environment of Aston Villa’s domestic, like the stadium itself, or come back to life for a few hours every other Saturday afternoon. The colour returns. The floodlights invigorate the skyline and tens of thousands of football supporters plod through their routines and rituals.
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Source: theguardian.com