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'We're not fickle. We just don't like you' - The inside story behind that Aston Villa banner

'We're not fickle. We just don't like you' - The inside story behind that Aston Villa banner

We take a look back through the archives for stories from Aston Villa’s past and in this article we recall THAT David O'Leary 'We're not fickle. We just don't like you' slogan in March 2006 - and speak to the frustrated fan who dreamt up the message and made the banner.

The context

It was March 2006 and Aston Villa were struggling near the wrong end of the Premier League table under David O'Leary.

Sections the Villa Park faithful were losing patience with O'Leary.

Not just because of poor results and poor performances but because they felt patronised by his comments in the press and his seeming obsession with former clubs Arsenal and Leeds United over Villa.

The 'fickle' banner made an appearance in the upper tier of the Holte End at a grim 0-0 draw against Fulham at Villa Park on March 25 2006.

There was also an 'O'Leary Out' banner.

The motivation

Aston Villa's Gavin McCann (L) is tackled by Fulham's Steed Malbranque
Aston Villa's Gavin McCann (L) is tackled by Fulham's Steed Malbranque

Some supporters had been quietly seething about O'Leary since he branded a group of supporters a "fickle mob" after the topsy turvy 8-3 Carling Cup victory at Wycombe Wanderers the previous September.

Villa had trailed 3-1 to the League two club and were booed off at half-time.

"There is a genuine bunch of fans and then there is a fickle mob who get on your back very quickly," said O'Leary.

"You have to let it go right over your head. Fans want you out one minute and to get a new contract the next."

Those words, plus the sorry way the season was shaping up, resulted in the banner going on display against Fulham six months later.

The reaction

Aston Villa boss David O'Leary
Aston Villa boss David O'Leary

Here's what O'Leary had to say about the banners:

"I've been told about the banners. That comes with football now. It can happen to any of us at any time.

"There were 32,000 people in the ground and the vast majority of them, like myself, want to take Villa forward.

"We can't complain about the fans today. If there are one or two banners out of 32,000 people, then I am big enough to take that on the chin."

The aftermath

Aston Villa boss David O'Leary
Aston Villa boss David O'Leary

The bore draw against the Cottagers came during a run of one win in nine games (that Gary Cahill-inspired 3-1 win over Blues) as O'Leary kept Villa up in installments.

They finished the campaign in 16th place on 42 points - eight points above Blues, who occupied the final relegation spot.

By mid-July he was a goner, leaving by mutual consent following an inquiry by the Villa board into a statement criticising chairman Doug Ellis that was supposedly issued by the squad.

A club statement confirmed: "It has been mutually agreed to terminate the contract of David O'Leary, with immediate effect.

"A compensation package reflecting the situation has been established."

O'Leary's only managerial position since leaving Villa was a nine month spell in charge of United Arab Emirates club Al-Ahli in 2010-11.

We spoke to Leighton Castle, the fan behind the banner, to get his take on

What prompted you to do the banner when you did?

Aston Villa fan Leighton Castle with his Sob on the Tyne banner
Aston Villa fan Leighton Castle with his Sob on the Tyne banner

Wow, it's hard to believe it's been 11 years since this happened.

So much has happened to Villa over the last decade and apart from those first three or four years under the Randy Lerner and Martin O'Neill era it's been a pretty torrid time in the history of the club.

If I recall correctly his 'fickle' comments came from the League Cup match against Wycombe Wanderers in which we eventually won 8-3 after being 3-1 down at half time.

We were terrible that first half and the team rightly got slaughtered. The second was obviously the complete opposite and the team more than redeemed itself and deserved the praise.

It was after the match O'Leary came out with one of his many smug digs at the Villa fans with the 'fickle' comment.

Aston Villa boss David O'Leary after the defeat to Doncaster Rovers
Aston Villa boss David O'Leary after the defeat to Doncaster Rovers

A few months after that, though, we played Doncaster Rovers which resulted in one of the very worse performances I've ever witnessed.

We got played off the park and rightly lost 3-0.

It was one of many lacklustre displays that were now becoming the norm under him and he was continuing with his digs at the Villa fans.

Can you remember when he tried to tell us to compare ourselves with the Charlton Athletics of this world?

So all in all the 'fickle' banner was a combination of bad results, dross football and, more than anything, a total lack of respect towards the fans from their own manager.

The first time it was displayed was against Fulham in a O'Dreary trademark boring performance.

Did the slogan take long to think up/did the banner take long to make?

Aston Villa boss David O'Leary gestures to assistant Roy Aitken
Aston Villa boss David O'Leary gestures to assistant Roy Aitken

Well the 'fickle' banner was actually one of two banners we took down that game. The other was simply 'O'Leary Out' but that did get somewhat overshadowed by the 'fickle' one.

Plus the 'O'Leary Out' banner was professionally made, costing me about £80. One of the most distinctive things about the 'fickle' banner was the ridiculous bright orange cloth I used.

It cost me a few quid for a complete roll. Little was I to know at the time that I would be using a few years later for the 'Who's your Next Messiah: Ant or Dec?' banner against the Geordies.

But as for the wording, to be honest it almost wrote itself because at the time he really did alienate most of the fanbase.

He wasn't liked at all due to his constant digs and his over-fondness for talking up his time with 'me boybies (sic)' at Leeds and weekly drooling over Arsenal.

What kind of reaction did it get from friends, other fans and the press?

Aston Villa fans display their anti David O'Leary banners
Aston Villa fans display their anti David O'Leary banners

Well that was rather interesting.

The group of mates I used to sit with then were all in full agreement.

My two mates, Steve Gough who operates Premier Travel and hasn't missed a Villa match home, away or friendly since God's dog died, and Mike McKiernan, who years later also helped me with the Sob on the Tyne banners, also played a big part in the 'fickle'.

READ MORE: 'His dinner was in the dustbin' The amazing story of Unsworth's U-turn

When we unfurled it over the upper Holte balcony we got lots of cheers. People from the lower Holte were all turning around and pointing it out to their mates.

It did create a good stir. Rather surprisingly though a few fans around us did not appreciate it and accused us of not supporting the team.

Aston Villa boss David O'Leary in 2006
Aston Villa boss David O'Leary in 2006

It got a little touchy at the end of the match and a few fans came over and we had a few threats from them telling us where to stick the banner!

To me, though, they were completely missing the point. If they were happy witnessing the dross O'Leary was serving up week in week out and having constant pokes at the fans then more fool them.

Regarding the press reaction, I seem to recall Alan Hansen commenting on Match of the Day that as soon as the banners are out it's normally the beginning of the end.

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The reaction I remember most though was that of O'Dreary himself.

He tried to dismiss it as just "one of two fans with a couple of banners" but by then the tide had pretty much turned and it was obvious the Villa fans' appetite couldn't stomach any more of him.

Were you happy to see O'Leary leave that summer?

David O'Leary during Aston Villa's match against Fulham in March 2006
David O'Leary during Aston Villa's match against Fulham in March 2006

I remember being at Highbury that season when we got thumped 5-0 in yet another embarrassing performance and all O'Leary was interested in after the match was posing for pictures and glorifying his love for his beloved Arsenal.

We took the 'fickle' banner to that game and the whole away end let him know exactly what we thought.

I was expecting him to be sacked that night.

So when he did finally get the sack to say I was happy is an understatement of huge proportions. I was absolutely overjoyed.

Weeks leading up to his sacking we had the sorry saga with the leaking of a statement criticising the club.

It was O'Leary in a nutshell- blame everybody else but never himself.

And guess what? The irony of his sacking was that it was on the 19th July - my birthday. I was holidaying in the Lake District and I heard the news whilst in a sports bar. I had a good night that night!

Has it surprised you that he hasn't got another high profile job?

David O'Leary prior to leaving Aston Villa in July 2006
David O'Leary prior to leaving Aston Villa in July 2006

I guess it was rather surprising in the initial first few years after he was fired. After all there were always plenty of gullible chairman at the time who resorted to the same names on the managerial merry-go-round.

But then he would be interviewed in the press about what job would entice him back and he would often reply with "I'm only going to come back to a really big club."

He was utterly delusional, with the arrogance to put Donald Trump to shame.

Not only did the Villa fans find him out it also became apparent that the corridors of power in the football world did too.

But who knows? Maybe he still thinks he's going to get a call from his beloved Arsenal.

He is by far the most unlikeable Villa manager in my lifetime.