Sounds strangely similar to that other team that plays in claret n blue - West Ham.
I know the old Upton Park was on Green Street and that is a massive Asian community now. A lot of the older fans moved out into Essex.
And Villa Park is in Aston which has a massive ethnic minority community so wouldn't be surprised if a few decades ago the fanbase was living around Aston area but then moved out when got a bit of change in their pockets.
Some call it white flight. Dunno if that is a polite way to describe it. But seems like fanbase moving away from urban areas that slowly become more non-white over a few generations.
You'd have to go back pre-60's I reckon ... Aston has had a strong ethnic minority presence since then.
The north of the city has always been predominantly Villa apart from areas with a minority presence which tend to be Albion or Blues. The south of the city is definitely majority Blues - mainly less affluent / working class areas.
Got a builder who has been renovating my house for the last few months - a Villa fan.
Was highly amused at the start of the season when we got talking footie. He comes out with "...it's about time the likes of Bournemouth f*cked off out the division - they've got no business being in the PL. We'll teach them a lesson Saturday". Cue an away win for Howe's men.
Then before the game against us ..."I can see us turning you over...".
Didn't say a word to him when I saw him a few days later. After about half an hour he couldn't help himself and comes out with "you lot were lucky against us weren't you?"
I just looked at him and he follows up with "ok...maybe not" looking rather sheepish.
Can't wait until these go down again!
