The Randy Lerner thread

[dudevillaisnice]

Fulham broke the championship transfer record on Ross Mccormack when they went down. Had a squad overhaul twice and been through many managers and finished 17th last season since their relegation. This under ownership of Shahid Khan.

He has put money towards the club and they barely survived last season in the championship. They currently sit 18th in the league. I expect us to be the same or worse with Randy Lerner at helm, we have a worse squad.

If we have to take anything from the Fulham case it's imperative we sign a very good goalscorer at that level to remotely stand a chance of surviving in the league let alone competing at the top end.

This is before I even go on to the case of QPR.

Dark times ahead.

[Morley_crosses_to_Withe]

1 hour ago, Richard said:

Debt? Surely not Mike ! 

Ive been saying that for a while but some not prepared to listen 

Well done you. 

But despite how you've been posting about this for a while, you've failed to offer any information as to what the nature of this debt is, which is peculiar for someone who has been so persistent with trying to get across the fact this debt exists.

I've asked questions about this debt before, yet nobody seems to have any answers. It's too easy to keep mentioning it, but it's harder to understand what it exactly entails. 

So, come on Richard - in your obvious wisdom about this debt, please enlighten posters like me who lack your understanding.

How much is the debt currently? What is the nature of it? How is it structured? To me it appears to be shareholder loans which is effectively equity.

Or maybe not? 

Is interest being charged? If so, how much? And where is this stated in the accounts because I couldn't see it. And how much are the yearly repayments? And where do they specifically show on the accounts? 

When is this debt due for full repayment and how quickly can it be recalled?

And why do a lot of owners fund clubs with loans or a mixture of equity and debt? Abramovich created a parent company for Chelsea to which he has loaned over 1 Billion. Is there a benefit to the person giving the loan (such as tax)? Or does the benefit exist to the loanee? Were the loans from the Lerner Trust or out of Randy's personal funds? 

Now I'm asking this not in any defence of Lerner, but because I have a desire to fully understand this debt and the impact it is/can/will have on the club. 

[HanoiVillan]

1 hour ago, useless said:

Probably wishful thinking, but I have a feeling the Chinese might be back in for us in the summer. Last summer it was hard to move money out of that country with economical crisis.

The economic crisis in China is worse this year than it was last year. 

[romavillan]

All these negative records have happened on his watch. Complete cockwad. 

[useless]

4 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

The economic crisis in China is worse this year than it was last year. 

Precisely, but someone has to buy us it's my only hope.

[KevinRichardsonsMoustache]

4 hours ago, VillaGull said:

Today, for the first time in the best part of 37 years of watching live football, I did something that I never thought I would do. I got up and walked out of a game after 62 minutes. I stood up from my seat in Trinity Road, walked down the stairs and out of the ground without the slightest pull to turn around and go back to my seat, not even the slightest glimmer.

 

I used to say that I was proud to be a Villa fan. Unfortunately as things stands, how I feel at present is nothing but embarrassed.

 

Mr Lerner, you have ripped the heart out of our club. You have turned our fearsome lion into a shadow of its former self.

 

The sad thing for me, is that I think I saw this coming. To be honest, my claret & blue heart first started to break the day that Martin O’Neill walked out. From all accounts, he left when you wouldn’t release him the money you received from James Milner’s transfer to Man City. My, my, I wonder how much more you’ve let slip down the drain as a result of that decision…a lot more than the £26 million Milner was sold for I’d imagine.

 

At some point shortly after, during the Gerard Houllier reign if I’m right, I was so concerned and frustrated at what I was seeing on the pitch, that I shouted ‘Lerner Out!’ across the stands. No-one else said a word…no-one joined in with me. Today as I was walking out of the ground, those words were ringing across the stands.

 

There’s enough documented and known already this season about the shambles on the pitch, so I’m not going to go into that now. But what I would say is this, the club is rotten to the core, it’s everywhere you go. My little boy was a mascot recently.  I was told that I had to buy him a kit to wear. Whilst I understand that this may be common practice, I was a bit disappointed to be asked to buy a kit rather than being given one, when I have invested thousands of pounds into the club over the years through buying season tickets.  On the day, we were ushered into a run-down, forgotten part of the North Stand, with a half full vending machine and catering staff wheeling trolleys through to the boxes every few minutes.  We were there 3 hours before the game, and not once offered a cup of tea or coffee.  None of the kids were given even a glass of squash.  I’m not sure what mascot experiences are like at other clubs, but can only imagine they are a lot better than the one currently offered at Villa.

 

Today, we ordered some food from the catering in Trinity Road. The service was slow, and the girl who served us was rude and sullen. Not the biggest concern of my day by any means, but just another disappointing offering from Aston Villa Football Club.

 

The worst thing of all Mr Lerner, you promised us better things….Proud History, Bright Future….not our words, yours.

 

After all this will I be going to watch Villa in The Championship?  Actually, yes I will. Why? Because they are my club, not yours ultimately. I and future generations of my family will be supporting Villa years after you are a distant memory. What keeps me going is the promise of a new dawn. The promise of the day when I will once again be proud to be a Villa fan. That day, Mr Lerner, will be the day that you are no longer anything to do with Aston Villa Football Club.

 

 

 

This is a phenomenal post. We are all sorry you had to write this. 

Amazing that so much of the 'business' side of things is also cankered to the core. Supporters are not valued in so many ways. 

The O'Neil moment was a difficult moment for me, too. I didn't want to see it at the time.

Lerner needs to make a loss on us and leave. He said he was a 'custodian': leave it to another now. You can't turn it around. Stop breaking hearts like the poster above. Lerner, your money might give you the chance to do this, not the f-ing right.

We are AVFC. 

[HanoiVillan]

I'd love nothing more than someone buying us. 

To be honest, going down and staying down is probably the most likely way we get sold, for a pittance and after some miserable seasons. 

[dont_do_it_doug.]

15 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said:

I'd love nothing more than someone buying us. 

To be honest, going down and staying down is probably the most likely way we get sold, for a pittance and after some miserable seasons. 

If you gave me the opportunity to suffer relegation to league 1 and the ignominy of rattling around down there for a few years before being sold to an owner who gave a shit with the financials and/or the wherewithal to make this club great again, or even just do a bloody Southampton and be in with a shout of 8th place, I'd take it.

Almost anything to be rid of this sickness.

[a m ole]

You know what, I'm on the verge of saying I'm taking an indefinite hiatus from this club, this isn't the Aston Villa I grew up loving. I'd support us whatever league we are in, but the heart has been torn out and I'm not sure if I can back an empty shell of a club chaired by this man. I think Garde is a good manager and I think there's some decent players in the squad but regardless of personal opinions on the staff, the man at the top of this club is absolute poison and it drips its way all the way to the bottom. Anyone and everyone who comes into this club under Randy Lerner is doomed to failure.

It's not because it hurts me personally either. I'm pretty numb to it. But my dad, who has had a season ticket every year for 40 years, called me 15 minutes ago and told me that he is not going on Tuesday to the Everton game. Not because he can't, but for the first time ever because he doesn't want to.

And for that, **** you Randy Lerner you absolute word removed.

[HanoiVillan]

6 minutes ago, dont_do_it_doug. said:

If you gave me the opportunity to suffer relegation to league 1 and the ignominy of rattling around down there for a few years before being sold to an owner who gave a shit with the financials and/or the wherewithal to make this club great again, or even just do a bloody Southampton and be in with a shout of 8th place, I'd take it.

Almost anything to be rid of this sickness.

I think that's the best we can hope for. 

[coda]

I wonder what sort of shyster Lerner will eventually flog us to.

[MikeMcKenna]

36 minutes ago, a m ole said:

You know what, I'm on the verge of saying I'm taking an indefinite hiatus from this club, this isn't the Aston Villa I grew up loving. I'd support us whatever league we are in, but the heart has been torn out and I'm not sure if I can back an empty shell of a club chaired by this man. I think Garde is a good manager and I think there's some decent players in the squad but regardless of personal opinions on the staff, the man at the top of this club is absolute poison and it drips its way all the way to the bottom. Anyone and everyone who comes into this club under Randy Lerner is doomed to failure.

It's not because it hurts me personally either. I'm pretty numb to it. But my dad, who has had a season ticket every year for 40 years, called me 15 minutes ago and told me that he is not going on Tuesday to the Everton game. Not because he can't, but for the first time ever because he doesn't want to.

And for that, **** you Randy Lerner you absolute word removed.

I really understand your Dads pain. It feels like the heart of is being cut out of our club. After five seasons of absolute garbage and now facing almost certain relegation many are going to walk away and never come back. To the younger generations AVFC are perpetual losers  - no wonder so many of them want to support the 'big 4' or cannot be bothered with football. 

This will be my third experience of a relegation from the top flight. The first two were terrible, but this time round it feels much, much worse. I will see the season out but I don't know if can stand being treated like a **** any more. 

Despite the ignominy and humiliation of past relegations, I always felt that we would come back and be great again. That was very true in the 70s and in the late 80s and early 90s we very nearly cracked it. This time it is different, I don't know if we will come back again and it really hit home today.

Normally I go to the game with a good friend but he couldn't make it today and my son who makes the occasional game and had a weekend free asked if he could come along. On the way up to VP he was really excited as we both talked about the 'glimmer of hope'. Driving home we hardly spoke for three hours - I didn't know what to say him and was almost ashamed. He has never experienced the glorious Aston Villa that I did at his age and I don't think he ever will. The chances of him "keeping the faith" diminished dramatically today :-( 

Edited February 14, 2016 by MikeMcKenna

[dounavilla]

If Randy Lerner was a film he would be Police Academy 6.

[TRO]

21 minutes ago, dounavilla said:

If Randy Lerner was a film he would be Police Academy 6.

I would say " nightmare on elm st"

[a m ole]

14 minutes ago, MikeMcKenna said:

I really understand your Dads pain. It feels like the heart of is being cut out of our club. After five seasons of absolute garbage and now facing almost certain relegation many are going to walk away and never come back. To the younger generations AVFC are perpetual losers  - no wonder so many of them want to support the 'big 4' or cannot be bothered with football. 

This will be my third experience of a relegation from the top flight. The first two were terrible, but this time round it feels much, much worse. I will see the season out but I don't know if can stand being treated like a **** any more. 

Despite the ignominy and humiliation of past relegations, I always felt that we would come back and be great again. That was very true in the 70s and in the late 80s and early 90s we very nearly cracked it. This time it is different, I don't know if we will come back again and it really hit home today.

Normally I go to the game with a good friend but he couldn't make it today and my son who makes the occasional game and had a weekend free asked if he could come along. On the way up to VP he was really excited as we both talked about the 'glimmer of hope'. Driving home we hardly spoke for three hours - I didn't know what to say him and was almost ashamed. He has never experienced the glorious Aston Villa that I did at his age and I don't think he ever will. The chances of him "keeping the faith" diminished dramatically today :-( 

I was hooked in the early 90s, I never had a choice who I supported but I didn't care. I've never experienced anything other than the premier league, but it's sad to hear people like yourself and my dad who were still going when we were in division three saying that this slow deterioration is much worse. I support this club because of him, and if he can't take it any more it makes me question why I let it affect me. I really hope one day soon we can all come back to the club together, free from the cement shoes that Lerner has cast on us, with a bit of positivity about the future of our club.

[Zatman]

29 minutes ago, dounavilla said:

If Randy Lerner was a film he would be Police Academy 6.

more like a reverse Rainman

[TheAuthority]

34 minutes ago, dounavilla said:

If Randy Lerner was a film he would be Police Academy 6.

11 minutes ago, TRO said:

I would say " nightmare on elm st"

2 girls one cup. Without the boobage.

 

[Mark Albrighton]

36 minutes ago, dounavilla said:

If Randy Lerner was a film he would be Police Academy 6.

Ah come on now. I know we're all unhappy, but there's a limit. "Police Academy 6: City under siege" at least had Jones' Jimi Hendrix impression. That was classic.

[terrytini]

1 hour ago, Morley_crosses_to_Withe said:

Well done you. 

But despite how you've been posting about this for a while, you've failed to offer any information as to what the nature of this debt is, which is peculiar for someone who has been so persistent with trying to get across the fact this debt exists.

I've asked questions about this debt before, yet nobody seems to have any answers. It's too easy to keep mentioning it, but it's harder to understand what it exactly entails. 

So, come on Richard - in your obvious wisdom about this debt, please enlighten posters like me who lack your understanding.

How much is the debt currently? What is the nature of it? How is it structured? To me it appears to be shareholder loans which is effectively equity.

Or maybe not? 

Is interest being charged? If so, how much? And where is this stated in the accounts because I couldn't see it. And how much are the yearly repayments? And where do they specifically show on the accounts? 

When is this debt due for full repayment and how quickly can it be recalled?

And why do a lot of owners fund clubs with loans or a mixture of equity and debt? Abramovich created a parent company for Chelsea to which he has loaned over 1 Billion. Is there a benefit to the person giving the loan (such as tax)? Or does the benefit exist to the loanee? Were the loans from the Lerner Trust or out of Randy's personal funds? 

Now I'm asking this not in any defence of Lerner, but because I have a desire to fully understand this debt and the impact it is/can/will have on the club. 

These are all interesting and, as you say, would increase everyone's understanding. I mean, never mind debt, why can't Randy even publicise the sale Price ? Why is it secret !

But whilst I understand your urge to know these things, and even more so respect your right to ask...- what difference does it make ?

In the end, Randy has spent X, in total. Doesn't matter what on, or how it is structured. It is X.

He wants, in return Y. Again, regardless of the science of money, he wants Y.

But no buyer is offering Y. He has been offered Z, or at any rate Z is all he will be offered.

So if he takes Z he can sell. 

It doesn't matter how that figure is arrived at, the simple equation is he can fulfill his promise to move on if he accepts Z. That is what we are worth, because that is what someone is willing to pay, whether it's called equity, loans, or sherbert dabs.

The detail just stops us seeing the wood for the trees IMO.

 

 

 

[danceoftheshamen]

Have to say i'm finding it very tough now to continue caring for this version of AVFC. It's atrocious..a mere shell of the once decent club i grew up with.  I've been a supporter for some 43 years now since i was 6 or 7 and was so delighted when my daughter followed in my footsteps having bought her 1st ever babygrow with the Villa badge emblazoned on it! She now plays football and is coached by Burton Albion and it's frankly embarrassing to see how that club is run so much better than Villa and will actually be playing them next season. They were non league when my daughter was born and she's only 8!!

As for Villa? Well i'm done with them until Lerner sells....I know he's already effectively quit but the fact is this club is trapped in his shadow until he releases it and will continue to rot and fester until he does. I do not intend to go to anymore games nor put my poor daughter through the shocking distress of taking her anymore as to me that would be cruel on her and a humungous waste of money and even more precious time!

Can't wait for the huge push in the summer to turn us into a promotion team