New football season opens up a sense of optimism … for some
By Aidan Begley

When you look at football objectively, it’s a wonder why us supporters of the ‘Beautiful Game’ actually pay our hard-earned money to go and watch it. In reality, it gives us more lows than highs, it messes with your weekend’s because of date changes and stupid kick-off times, and ultimately, it does not give value for money – if it was a film or a theatre, the box office receipts would be shocking and the play would’ve been pulled from its run.
So why is it that this time of year – no matter what has happened the year before – is always the most excitable time? It’s because deep down inside every football fan is the eternal optimist – it’s the whole ‘this will be our year’ mentality.
It’s the hope that they can repeat what Blackburn Rovers did last season by qualifying for Europe, or can their team try and emulate Reading’s ascension into the Premiership, or Southend United’s rise into the Championship.
It is this desire, added to the lush green pitches, brand new kits and the fact that football supporters have had to go for around three months without being able to support their team in a competitive game (World Cup excluded) that raises expectations.
Before we can look forward to the 2006/07 season in the West Midlands, we need to go back only a couple of months to remember the doom and gloom that clouded over football in the region.
The start of May saw a lot of rain, Birmingham City, West Bromwich Albion and Walsall relegated and Aston Villa almost giving up their Premiership status by finishing in 16th place. Without a shadow of a doubt, had Villa not picked up precious points against the Blues and Baggies towards the end of the season – they would have been relegated, and I stand by that statement.
So with the sun (for now) still shining brightly in the sky, the new season is upon us and the opening throes of the Championship will have already began when this goes to print – what will it bring for supporters of arguable the two biggest clubs in the West Midlands – Aston Villa and Birmingham City?
From the outside, the biggest fall from grace was the events at Birmingham City. It was only this time two years ago that fans, players and the manager alike were taking about qualification for a European competition. On August 5, they kick-off their Championship campaign against Colchester United – how times change.
The only advantage that Blues have this season is that a number of the players who were after a payday have been shown the door and a new breed of hungry and younger players are now in the squad and there is a sense of ‘out with the old and in with the new’.
Last season on way too many occasions, Blues really looked like they didn’t know what they were doing, from the top to the bottom. Players, Managers, Directors, Chairmen and Directors all shared the blame for relegation, which has been refreshing to see.
Perhaps, for once the club has listened to the fans and taken a long, hard look at some of the people who wore the Blues shirt during the last campaign. By changing the whole ethos of the club, then the team seems more determined than every to return the club to the top flight at the first attempt.
Are they genuine title contenders? It’s hard to say. Following last season, everyone involved in the club should be happy with a play-off place. Teams like Leeds United, Leicester City and Derby County all thought they would bounce back up, but they are still there. Promotion is achievable without doubt, its whether a still thread-bare squad can hold their own over a gruelling 46-game season.
Across at Aston Villa, there’s never a dull moment. The main activity has been in the last few weeks has surrounded the now former Aston Villa manager David O’Leary, a ‘players statement’ and take-overs.
In an unprecedented move, the players released a statement doubting the ambition of Chairman and owner Doug Ellis. This was alleged to have come from the whole squad, however senior players like Lee Hendrie denied all knowledge of the statement, pointing many accusing fingers at David O’Leary.
Rumour had it he’d exerted pressure onto certain players to release this statement – quite what this was going to do is a strange one.
Doug Ellis is renowned for being frugal with his pounds and shillings and someone involved in the club honestly though Ellis would turn around and say: “You know what, I think I’ll give Mr O’Leary some money to buy some players because I’m a very tight person.”
Wrong. This statement and subsequent inquiry essentially hung O’Leary out to dry and although it was proven that he had not been involved in ‘Ellis-Gate’ he was by no means exonerated and he was promptly shown his cards which said ‘you will be leaving by mutual consent’.
With O’Leary gone, this has now opened up the debate over who will be new manager with former Celtic boss Martin O’Neil linked to the vacant post and the fans’ favourite – the 174th job he’s been linked with since leaving the Parkhead hot-seat.
Sven Goran Eriksson is a name that is also being banded about in football circles, however, following his exploits with England, clubs won’t be queuing up in their droves to make the man who bought a 17 year-old-kid to the World Cup over two established Premiership forwards – wrong move. At least Theo Walcott got a nice holiday this summer I suppose.
And then there are the takeovers. A new consortium are linked with the club every week including a American millionaire called Randy, a lifelong Villa fan who lives in Solihull who just happens to have enough to buy the club and the man who Sven told the ‘Fake Sheikh’ in the News of The World that would take over the club and sign David Beckham.
Madrid or Birmingham? Tough one, but I can’t imagine Posh and the other WAG’s going shopping in the Fort or out on the town down Broad Street.
The only plus point for them is that with O’Leary gone, a lot of their want-away players will possibly want to stay, and see what happens in the new season under a new manager.
The bookies have made Villa one of the favourites and if they are unable to shake off the morose state that surrounded the club last year, they may secure a bottom-half finish. However, stranger things have happened. Villa dropped to the old third division a few years after winning the European Cup, so who knows what might occur this season, for them and Birmingham City.