Really pleased that Villa have gone up for the sake of their boss Dean Smith. Local lad and a lifelong Villa fan. His Dad Ron was a Club Steward but wasn't at today's game. He's been in a Nursing home for the past three years with dementia. Sadly although Dean he tells his Dad about the Club when he visits him, he doesn't know that Dean is the Villa boss and just looks back at him. Let's hope Dean enjoys his celebrations tonight. Seems a nice bloke and Villa deserved their win.
Villa top club. One of the original big, big clubs. Glad they've gone up. From a totally selfish point of view lessens the competition.
What a very sad story. My grandma died of early onset vascular dementia twelve years ago. She was only 78, and had been suffering since her 60's. It's such a cruel condition. Dean Smith's dad isn't able to share in his son's joy, despite still being physically alive.
He mentioned at the end of the game, that he'd been on a visit to see his Dad before he left for London. His Dad was asleep and when he woke up, Dean told him that Villa were at Wembley. He didn't say anything but had a smile on his face. A lad I used to drink with in our local pub had his Dad in a home with dementia. He could recognise my mate when he visited, but his short term memory was bad. He welcomed my mate on one visit and they sat there chatting about old times, until his Dad said he needed to go to the toilet. After around 15 minutes, he'd not returned, so my mate went to look for him. As he walked down the corridor, he spotted his Dad in front of the telly in the lounge. He went in and his Dad stood up and said " eh up lad, how nice to see you etc". So very sad and as you say MT, a cruel condition.
That was the case with my nan. She could tell me in great detail about her holiday at Butlins in Filey in 1947, but would then ask me the same question three times in five minutes about the weather in St Petersburg or whether Barnsley had won.
It's weird mate. My mate in the pub used to try to make light of it, but you could tell that deep down, he was very sad. Very cruel condition.
Derby were poor compared to the way they played at Leeds but having said that I reckon that if we scored that Villa second goal ten times it would be disallowed ten times.
No it was a perfectly good goal but refs are so protective of goalies I was surprised it was given. You're right though it would be given ten out of ten times against us.