Message to Liverpool Fans from Villa Fans

ASTON VILLA fan site “My Old Man Said” has asked Liverpool fans join them in a tribute to their captain, Stiliyan Petrov, who is fighting recently diagnosed acute leukaemia.

The illness was found after the Villa number 19 was being tested after feeling the effects of what was thought to be a virus last month. He has been to a London hospital for the first stage of treatment and his chemotherapy treatment is due to begin next week.

Villa are the visitors at Anfield today and details are below of their idea for a tribute for their captain, applause in the 19th minute for the man who wears their number 19 shirt.

In short – Today, at Anfield, Aston Villa fans would be honoured if Liverpool fans would join us in a 19th minute tribute to our captain.

But please read on:

Please join us in the 19th minute at Anfield for Stan

Please join us in the 19th minute at Anfield for Stan

It’s a great shame Stiliyan ‘Stan’ Petrov won’t be shaking hands with Steven Gerrard in the centre-circle at Anfield today.

Stan is truly one of the decent gents of the game and was one of the last players who’d deserve the tragic news of being diagnosed with acute leukemia last week.

The other night, I was discussing the Villa vs Liverpool game with a big Liverpool fan friend of mine and talk turned to Petrov.

My friend told me  he’d heard once on BBC Radio Five, veteran commentator Pat Murphy and ex-player Pat Nevin confessing they would sometimes spend their down time in the media room at football games picking various footballing 11?s. The kind of game fans play down pubs, where you pick 11?s, such as:  ‘Bearded players 11?, ‘Alice Bands 11?, ‘Italians that played in England 11?, Horrible Person 11?, ‘Genuine nice guys 11?…etc, etc

While the two Pats wouldn’t name and shame their ‘Horrible Person 11? on air for obvious reasons, when it came to the ‘Genuinely Good Guys 11?, Pat Murphy (who has spent decades in the game meeting players) said, “Stiliyian Petrov would be the captain of the ‘Nice Guys 11?, every time”.

The Captains

The Captains

 

The reaction of Villa supporters, Celtic supporters (who gave him a YNWA tribute last week) and the outpouring of emotion from Stan’s  native Bulgaria, was absolutely due to Stan being considered one of the good guys in the game.

As a result, My Old Man Said supporters group along with other Villa and Celtic fans launched the initiative to get Aston Villa and Celtic to play a charity tribute between the two teams for Stan, which we got widespread press coverage for this week.

http://www.myoldmansaid.com/villa-celtic-stan-press-coverage/

Again, Aston Villa fans would be honoured if Liverpool fans would join us in a 19th minute tribute to our captain.

We wouldn’t neccesarily reach out to any club, but we regard Liverpool FC as one of the great bastions of tradition within the English league, and a club that has known tragedy in football, more than any other in recent years.

Last year, My Old Man Said actively encouraged followers to sign the online petition to get the government to release the files and re-open the investigation into the Hillsborough ’96.

In light of this, as a few Liverpool fans have requested, we would be happy to make today’s game a double-date for football fan power – Support Stan and Justice for the 96.

Many thanks for reading this.

MOMS

#SUPPORTSTAN & #JFT96

 

The original request can be found here: http://www.myoldmansaid.com/liverpool-request/

7 comments

  • Mr Lloyd

    As a passionate red…….it would be a pleasure. YNWA

  • Iain Goulding

    I have no doubt that the Liverpool fans will join in on the 19th minute. The louder the better. Good luck Stan!

  • Lee Wilson

    What a fantastic post!! I am a life long LFC supporter and I think all LFC fans would be truely honoured to join in with Villa fans and show their support for Stan. God willing he makes a full recoverey and continues to play football. My ptayers are with you Stan.

  • gfergo

    if the liverpool fans are made aware of whats required of them there is no doubt they will show there respect and support in anyway asked of them as we always do

  • bill

    on behalf of Liverpool Fans you will never walk alone Stan

  • Word has been spread across various forums and via word of mouth.

    You can be sure that Anfield will be rocking more than ever on the 19th minute . Support works 2 ways and Villa have always respected us .

    Get well soon Stan.

  • Stevo

    ….it’s a shame that only in tragedy that opposing fans can come together.

    Don’t get me wrong a bit of banter is welcome, but some of the utter disgusting things you hear on the terraces is disgraceful.

    My prayers are with you Stan.