OutByEaster?

I'd say yes, and if the right players played I'd go. If you say no to a testimonial for Lee, I think you need to do away with them altogether. If the rule is that you play for ten years and you get a testimonial, that should be the rule. If the rule is that you play for ten years and if people like you then you can have a testimonial, then you open a can of worms. I've never been interested in what Lee's done off the pitch (except when it's been funny) and he's had a good career with us, think of some of the best moments of the last ten years, and you'll find that Lee was there for most of them, regardless of whether he's a dick. It would need to be for charity though, I think the days of footballers feathering their own nests with testimonials are long gone.

I'm a yes, although as ml1dch says I'm no expert on pre-season training. If it's a matter of getting together with players to get them used to certain things away from the pressure of games, then we've just done that. My reasons are largely selfish though in that I just want to see more football, especially given how little we've had lately.

General, Just wanted to ask about a couple of things I don't think you've mentioned here, Are the European cup squad going to open the new training ground and the Holte Hotel as part of the 25th Anniversay celebrations ? Will the Holte Hotel be open to everybody? And also I can recommend the White Swan in Digbeth for your St Patricks day delectation and delight. Most years they host a group of New York firemen that worked through September 11th, they were on the pitch at Villa Park one year ( a miracle if you'd seen them the night before!) so they'd be more than happy to look after another American or two. Ask for Agnes !

Bring back the brick ! Bring back the brick ! Bring back the brick ! Ian, I couldn't agree more, to update the North Stand you'd have to take away the roof, its supports, re-model the rear which looks poor, and find a way to model the profile to match the seating in the Trinity. Surely it would just make good sense to start again ? Still, it's a challenge I'm looking forward to seeing Randy and co tackle. The Bendalls fell on it, Doug didn't seem to know quite what to do with it, Randy has a chance to make a statement. The development of the North Stand will be another good sign post as to where the club is headed.

Excellent report Lancs, a thoroughly enjoyable read. I'm looking forward to keeping that "Played Shane" going. Stieber and McGurk seem to be improving quickly to me, I'm not sure if you'd agree ? I just hope Stieber puts on a bit of a growth spurt. Moore seems to have mastered looking bored in reserve games but grabbing the headlines, I think it's time we saw him back with the first team. Here's hoping that the Chelsea game brings you the opportunity to see a reserve game that isn't played in stinking weather !

Me like a lot.

General. I'd like to say a big thank you and well done to everyone at the club that has been involved in backing Alan Perrin for the Barclays fan on the month award. The articles on the official site have been excellent, and it's great to know that regardless of the result of the BBC's poll you've made sure that Alan is already a winner, and in a way I think that means we all are. Thanks again General, that's great work.

General, On the potential for questions for players, if we e-mailed them, it would give the club plenty of scope to pick out nasty questions (and nasty answers.) Now if you don't mind I'm off home for the opening of my newly re-named Bushmills-Krulak front gate ! :winkold:

As a child, Stephen King would read the obituaries in the papers and cross the names out of his local phone directory.

General, I know you've mentioned elsewhere that we're going to be pretty happy when we see next seasons ticketing policy. Can you tell us when details will be released ? It's great to hear that the relationship with the council has improved, it hasn't always been a positive one. We look like we're becoming one of the best run, best prepared teams in the Premiership, please pass on our thanks and good wishes to everyone that was around that table with you. Remember though, as a great man once said :

Oops. :oops: I was looking at the last three home games ! (and he came off injured after 20 minutes of one of those.) He is a very versatile player though, and I think he's worth keeping. Are you doing the Arsenal game LV ?

General, With no first team games going on it's very very quiet at the moment, and I was wondering, would it be possible for you get a player to answer some questions from us if we were to e-mail them ? I know it's difficult with first team players as they have all sorts of complicated commercial arrangements, but maybe somebody from the reserves or youth team, just so that we can get a flavour of what it's like growing up at Villa. Maybe Marc Albrighton, or site favourite Barry Bannan might answer our questions ?

Y eh, or N eh? Either way.

Eh ?

Fan of the month vote May I encourage you to cast your vote for Mr Alan Perrin in this national poll Sir ?

General, You must enjoy the reaction you get on here. What's it like being the good news bear ?

Great report Lancs ! Looking forward to your Arsenal one, hope you didn't get too wet. Hopefully you'll get to see Albrighton against the Gunners. Luke only really sparked into life in the last game after he'd scored, he's a bit of a mood player in some ways. Laursen is an awesome sight at that level though isn't he, and as you say, a great pro. I think Steiber is only young, I hope he can grow. He's got some talent.

Did you find any takers LV ? I get the feeling that with no Premiership games for a while and this squad needing to get to know each other we might see an extremely strong reserves side.

Genetically we're all predisposed to some extent, but I'm very much of the nurture rather than nature school. I'm also a former Catholic, what a load of nonsense.

Point taken PP, but I don't think that who or what we are is set in stone. Our personalities in my opinion are created by ourselves. At points in our lives we decide that we will react to certain situations in certain ways, and in doing so we create our "selves." I believe that you are who you decided to be, I also believe that because that's true, you could change it if you had the right impetus. I don't know if you've ever read "The Diceman" by Luke Reinhart, but he puts it a lot better than I. If you are something, it's because you have decided it.

is blonde hair a condition too? what about blue eyes? What about contact lenses and hair dyes ? I just think it opens the door for a lot of people who think "no choice" or "born with it" means that they think there's something they can "cure." I have a friend who came out not long ago and had been married previously, I don't neccessarily think that she made a choice to be gay or not, nor do I think that she was born one way or the other. I just think she met someone that made her happy. Don't underestimate that.

I'm with choice. To say you haven't got a choice suggests that homosexuality is a condition rather than a lifestyle.

Thanks NV. I didn't realise that buying direct or through another retailer made such a huge difference (although I guess it should be fairly obvious.) S'interesting stuff !

I hadn't considered the idea that Nike would make more money on a shirt sold in a Nike shop and Villa would make more money on a shirt sold in the Villa Park shop. Whichever way you look at it, it would appear that Nike can afford to be more generous than Hummel, as it seems safe to assume judging by the reaction on the board that they can have a great deal of confidence in selling an awful lot more "product" than their competitors.

NV, how do deals like this work ? I presume there's a payment up front or an annual payment, and then payments based on performance ? TV appearances ? How do shirt/leisure sales figures affect the clubs deal ? Does the club get a percentage on each shirt sold, or are there bonus's for target levels ? Is the industry standard deal based on payments or sales results ? In the simplest terms, I'm wondering if I spend £50 on a shirt, how much of it can I expect to go into the club ?