It’s a chilly, grey day as I step off the train at Aston station. Walking through the streets, following the signs to Villa Park, I’m thinking to myself how typical it is that as soon as I step foot back in Birmingham the sunshine disappears. I’m also thinking I hope it doesn’t start to rain, chuckling to myself as the man I’m about to meet up with told me the week before, “I don’t really live by time, as we get closer it will become clearer”. After spending three hours talking about everything from football to religion to family, his outlook made me think that I might start not living by time either. It was one of those conversations that you only get a few times in a lifetime. Truly enlightening.
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Faith and football are two things married together on a week to week basis. Managers refer to the faith fans must have in their teams, the links between places of worship and football stadiums are clear for all to see.
For some fans however, this link goes a little further. For Iman Gebre Iyesus, his love for Aston Villa and his devotion as a Rastafri, directly influence one another. A supporter of the club for nearly 40 years, he has gone through the trials and tribulations afforded to being a Villa supporter over the last few decades. Relegations and redemptions, the club north west of the city centre have, in the last twelve months, been inspired.
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Growing up in a mainly Birmingham City family, to go down the path of supporting Villa, isn’t for the faint of heart. But back in 1986, he went to his first game with a childhood friend. They lost, but right there and then it set a spark, that’s still burning bright. The passion that Iman has for his club and his religion needs to be heard to be believed. When modern football can feel consuming and overtly negative, his outlook is refreshing and considered. A perfect example is when we were speaking on the rivalry between Villa and Blues, he said for him there is no hatred. “We both support our clubs with passion, so just in that we already have something in common.”
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When speaking about Aston Villa and being a Rastafari in the city, the conversation wouldn’t be complete without paying respects to a special son of Birmingham. Iman speaks affectionately of Benjamin Zephaniah, a man that through his journey in his religion, he was blessed to get to know and become friends with. He still makes sure that Benjamin’s legacy is not forgotten at Villa Park, not to say for a second it ever would be. After his death, Iman had his own t-shirt and flag made, a screenshot from a documentary Mr. Zephaniah created, around his love for Birmingham and Villa. They go to every home game with him, safe in the knowledge that he’s still a fixture at Villa Park.
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The most poignant thing that stuck with me through our conversation, was his affinity to Ollie Watkins, and the special connection that it brings him to his mother. He told me about how his mother passed away a few years ago, and a season later a certain young man made his switch from Brentford. Iman says that in all the years he’s followed Villa, not once has he seen a player with the surname Watkins. The same surname of his mother. Whenever Ollie scores, he says he looks to the sky and says “Mum, he scored again”.
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Thank you Iman for taking the time out of your day to meet me. The conversation we had is one that’ll stay with me for a long time.