CCFC V ASTON VILLA

BIG MATCH PREVIEW

One Saturday morning some months ago - I can't recall when exactly but I was digging the allotment in the sunshine so clearly it's only just within living memory - I was listening to Danny Baker discussing football in Victorian times with Paul Brown, the author of 'Victorian Football Miscellany' (http://www.victorianfootball.co.uk/) described by Football Book Reviews as 'a veritable cornucopia of eclectic Victorian footballing splendour!'

Prior to the formation of The Football Association in 1863 there were no common rules. Teams would meet before a game to thrash out which rules they would use. The industrial north played to the Sheffield Rules whereas in the south, the Cambridge Rules were used by the public schools at Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Shrewsbury and Winchester. Rugby School, in a typical display of public school elitist petulance and arrogance refused to compromise and formed their own game, the name of which escapes me.

The roots of the game of course go back to medieval times when neighbouring villages would play each other in games that would last for days. Shockingly, and difficult to comprehend today, the history of 'foteball' is littered with references to violent behaviour, gambling and controversy.

In 1280 in a game played near Ashington in Northumberland (that'll be Newcastle v Sunderland territory then...) it's recorded that a player was killed by 'running against an opposing player's dagger'.

In 1314 the game was banned in London following a decree by the Mayor that '...there is great noise in the city caused by hustling over large foot balls in the fields of the public from which many evils might arise which God forbid'. The language of the establishment at the time was French so that the declaration fell mostly upon deaf ears. It did however have the unintended benefit of clearing the capital of French players, most of whom found their way to Newcastle.

In 1409 King Henry IV, who famously put down a rebellion by Sir Harry Hotspur - the war hero who inspired Tottenham to adopt his name due to his ability lose heroically and gallantly, a tradition which continues to the current day - issued a proclamation forbidding the levying of money on the game of foteball. This seriously hit the profits of Lord Uther Pendragon Betfair and Sir Galahad 32Red as well as The Camelot Group.

The modern game began with the inaugural Football League in 1888 which comprised of 12 teams, including today's opponents whose chairman William McGregor was the league's founder. Aston Villa had been formed by four players from the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel cricket team who were looking for something to do in the winter.

Similarly, 'Riverside AFC' the forerunner of Cardiff City was formed by Riverside Cricket Club in an attempt to keep the players fit during the winter months. Many of the teams in today's PL had humble beginnings with names that reflect their origins.

It's hard to believe that today's bloated global game evolved from these curious and quaint parochial clashes - if all teams had retained their original names the midweek fixture list would read:

Riverside AFC v Aston Villa

Hull City v St Mary's Church of England Young Men's Association (Southampton)

Thames Ironworks (West Ham) v Norwich Church of England's Young Men's Society

West Bromwich Strollers v Chelsea

Royal Arsenal v Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways FC (Man Utd)

St Domingo's (Everton) v Crystal Palace

St Marks West Gorton (Man City) v Sunderland & District Teachers AFC

Newcastle East End FC v Hotspur FC

Stoke Ramblers v Swansea Town

Fulham St Andrews Church Sunday School FC v Everton FC & Athletics Grounds (Liverpool)

All of which is a complete distraction in the hope that taking the long view will help to put our present plight into proper perspective. After all, it's just a game. Isn't it?

CCFC 0 v 0 ASTON VILLA

After the morale-sapping capitulation to our seaside cousins on Saturday it was essential for tonight's game to provide some reasons to believe. The line-up looked more balanced and more threatening on paper, with Campbell brought in to partner Jones up front, spearheading a 4-4-2 which included a fully fit Noone playing alongside Mutch in midfield - Bellamy having decided not to appeal against a three match ban for cuffing de Guzman in an incident missed by the referee and dismissed by most objective viewers as nothing more than a little good natured tease. Whitts and the not-so-Fabio were deemed culpable and left out.

Under a new Michael Gove-inspired initiative Whitts was told to sit in the stands with his back to the game and write one hundred times 'I am an over-paid under-achieving half-engaged footballing enigma who has brought shame upon my adopted city'. Fabio was handed detention and a letter for his Mum.

We made a reassuringly confident start, seizing the initiative with Noone in particular causing consternation with some mesmerising mazy dribbles against a bewildered Villa defence. How we missed him on Saturday.

The first real chances of the game came early on when Campbell was left frustrated by a shot parried onto the post by Villa's keeper Guzan following good work from Zaha. The defence failed to clear and Noone lashed a deflected shot onto the bar from 20 yards. It was pretty much one way traffic at this point and if Jones had been awarded a penalty when clearly hauled back in the box (well it looked nailed-on from where we were sitting, a mere 100 yards away) we might have taken a well-deserved nerve-settling lead.

As it stands, I believe we are the only team in the Premier League this season not to be awarded a penalty. There have been enough blatant calls denied by a succession of referees that you don't have to be a crazed conspiracy theorist to wonder if they're not all in thrall to some shady Asian spread betting syndicate in league with a Colombian drugs cartel directing operations from a Taliban-held enclave just outside Kabul who may or may not be linked to the great 9/11 cover up and faked moon landings. But I suppose it helps if you are.

Villa looked occasionally dangerous on the break but the central defence partnership of Caulker and Turner held firm against the eminent pairing of Belgium's World Cup-bound Benteke and England's Agbonlahor.

Worryingly with 30 minutes on the clock the impressive Mutch pulled up with an assumed hamstring injury and was replaced by Wolff Eikrem who leapt off the bench, fell to his hind legs and barked at the moon before scampering off into midfield.

Zaha had the ball in the back of the net before the break but was ruled offside and half time arrived with nothing to show for our clear dominance.

Inevitably Aston Villa regrouped at the break and started the stronger. Noone was shackled and the supply to Zaha was cut off as the away team responded to a half time rollicking. Buoyed by an impressive turn out from their vociferous fans they came more and more into the game and the sense of regret at not having converted our early advantage was gaining traction.

Although we created chances of our own - Campbell latching onto a Jones header but scuffing wide and Jones himself not taking advantage of half-chances - the definitive moments of the game were played out in our 6 yard box. Agbonlahor and Benteke were guilty of passing up opportunities to take the lead, either through their own indecision, last-ditch interventions by Turner and T-C or frustrated by some spectacular saves from Marshall. The final action of the game witnessed one of the greatest saves of this or any other season - worth staying up way past the witching hour tonight for the midweek MOTD highlights.

There was a promising cameo appearance late on from Daehli as the ref's soft melting stopwatch subconsciously signified the relativity of space and time in a surrealist meditation on the collapse of our notions of a fixed cosmic order. Really, you had to be there.

The last time City and Villa drew 0-0 was the year we won the FA Cup. Our next home game is against the current cup holders Wigan in the 5th Round. On the way to Wembley in 1927 we beat the holders Bolton at the same stage. Wow! Conspiracy? Divine providence? Destiny? Fate? Kismet? Hardly.