jimgriff

Hi General, I read online today that in 2003 you were invited by Ken Bates to give a teamtalk before Chelsea played Liverpool in the match that clinched their Champions League qualification. Firstly, is that true? Secondly, how did you find that experience? Thirdly, it obviously worked, so if MON was so inclined to ask would you be willing to do the same at Villa, or would you feel that your directorial role would preclude you from doing that kind of thing at Villa? Keep up the good work!

Hi General, Hope you and yours are well. I was just having a look online at tomorrow's The Times newspaper, and there is an article in which Martin Samuel (who wins a lot of sportswriter awards btw) commends Aston Villa for being the lone Premier League dissenter in a recent meeting about allowing players to be loaned between Premier League clubs. His main point is that it undermines the integrity of the league by allowing 3rd party influences over clubs. TheTimes. (As you're quite clearly a very busy man, here is the paragraph mentioning us) "Technically, there is nothing to stop an elite club placing the talented young players from outside their first-team squad throughout the league, like booby traps. The potential problems are clear and Scudamore has argued against the loan system for several years (he made a similar speech at the 2007 annual meeting, too). Put to the vote again this year, however, he was defeated by 18 to one, with Chelsea not present (Peter Kenyon, the chief executive, had left at the end of the first day). Aston Villa were the only club who saw sense and put what was best for football above self-interest, although even their attitude may have changed had the naysayers' vote been taken first and Villa's representative had realised that he was going to be in a minority of one." This struck me as interesting, seeing as we have taken advantage of the system obviously this year with Scott Carson. I understand that details of Premier League meetings etc are probably governed by confidentiality obligations, but I was just wondering if you were able to elucidate a little on why Villa voted against this, and maybe why you think it was only us against it. Anyhow, as this is my first post here I just wanted to thank you personally for the time and effort you take to bring us all closer to the club, and to all the team (especially Randy!) at AVFC for the manner in which you've given us back our faith in the club and that a top-flight club can behave with integrity and succeed.

Q'est ce-que c'est? Last time I checked N.Ireland was part of the British Isles.... Makes him British in my book. Can see where you're coming from though :winkold: I always thought it was the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland so... Indeed it is. Great Britain is only our little island. However, being British extends to a fair bit further than just Great Britain. People from Northern Ireland are definitely British, as are those on the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Wrong.... People from Northern Ireland are either 'British' or Irish. Enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement is the fact that people from Northern Ireland have the right to self-define as regards their own nationality, and this for obvious reasons tends to fall along the lines of Catholic=Irish, Protestant=British. A 'Northern Irish' (ie born in Northern Ireland) person today has the automatic right to choose whether to have an Irish or UK passport, and thus choose their own citizenship (nb they would be citizens of the UK anyway, not British). They have always had the right to opt out of British citzenship and take Irish, but now there is no deafult and one must opt-in to whichever they want. Martin O'Neill is Catholic. However, he used to play for Northern Ireland, and I personally haven't seen his passport or heard him speak on the matter. Therefore I don't know whether he would class himself as being from the UK or Irish, but he is definitely not 'British' per se.