The fairytale begins

So Villa's InterToto fairytale will begin in the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen.

The road trip to Lincoln tonight promises to be rather more of a nightmare.

It's hard to know who was more relieved at the weekend: the kindly figure sat next to me in Zurich as we watched Villa struggle through 90 minutes against a much fitter side, or the Villa tour operator who had had the foresight to oragnise a coach trip to Odense a month ago?

The 'kindly' figure next to me as Villa were beaten 2-1 by FC Zurich?

I thought with his grey-hair and immaculate manners that he must be the local journalist as he introduced himself. But the conversation soon included things like: "When I managed Estonia at Wembley last season", and "I used to manage Martin Laursen's old club Silkeborg in Denmark", and: "when I moved to Bayern Munich".....

It's the sort of stuff you hear occasionally from a drunk in any bar.

So I "googled" his name there and then... and he turned out to be Odense's assistant coach, a chap called Viggo Jensen.

There it all was: two spells at managing Silkeborg, two at Odense BK, Bayern Munich as a player, eight caps for Denmark etc....

As the game wore on he soon started to draw immaculate diagrams of Villa's set-pieces.

"You can't possibly learn anything from this game", I said, thinking that Villa were not only at half-strength but half-hearted.

"You can always learn", he smiled back.

He asked if Ashley Young is always allowed to roam freely across the pitch. "Blimey", I thought. This bloke is paying attention.

So I told him Villa's likely line-up this weekend: Harewood in goal, Young at left-back, Sidwell up front in a 4-5-1.... I hope he took it all down.

Odense- (I love their old nickname "The Mackerel Tabby Tomcats" better than their modern day "Tigers") will be a tougher nut to crack than Lincoln, and probably a tougher nut than Zurich.

But get it right and it could be an expensive season ahead for Villa fans- hence Steve Gough's move to get the coach trip booked a month early.

I've travelled with his motly crew for a few years now and it's always good fun. There's a right mix of characters, young and old. I met the fan they call "Vicar" on Friday night in Zurich. He didn't wear a white collar, and seemed to blaspheme more than most, if not all, men of the church I have met.

You can join them in Denmark by calling Steve on 01543- 426426 but take a change of clothes or two as you won't be back til Monday!

Now back on to Lincoln- I'm travelling this afternoon with Geoff from the Villa web-site. The trip should take us at some point to a country pub but will invariably take us on the M6 beforehand.

My solution for solving congestiion on that slab of concrete (in the highly unlikely event that I were ever to be asked). Simply banning lorries, motorbikes, 4x4s and any coloured car that isn't grey.