Ginge

4. I am almost certain that the Holte Hotel can be booked for a wedding. Please contact Alison and she can give you the definitive answer.

If they cant get beer and pies on a matchday would you trust them with a wedding??

The General said he will be away until after the weekend so dont expect any answers too soon. Just pleased somebody (JC and V111AFC) have finally put into words what i have been trying to say, english never was my strong subject at school.

Maybe Alison and Nicky are already posting can we take it as read that they're more than welcome and leave this thread for GK, please. Thanks. Blandy.

General with a majority of the catering departments jobs bein put up for redundancy are you expecting a big company to come in and invest money into this area? i.e Compass?

Just reading the players out thread and one thing is for sure if even half of those we suspect will be leaving do actually go we will need to spend BIG! Wonder if money is no object or if we have a transfer limit? Sorry if this has already been talked of but i cant read 336 pages to find out. This surely is going to be Aston Villas biggest ever transfer spend window.

If I remember rightly work had actually started on the Holte hotel before the takeover. At least 18 months ago it was cleared of all rubbish and pests and was being made safe for work to commence. Or am i wrong?

General Krulak here:

Finally, the entire weekend was superb. Much of the credit goes to 3 people: Nicky Keye, Alison Plant and Phil Mepham. These folks from Villa Park were absolutely magnificent.

Not to mention the staff who work under these 3 and put there plans into action!!!!

To be fair our ticket prices were never that much under the old regime either though and the football this season hasnt really been much better than last year, next year is the time to see what changes.

General,

Fancy watching a game from the Holte End? I'll buy you a Balti pie at half time.

General, ever tried a balti pie? cant imagine its something you would get in the States.

In rugby i know they all stay behind after the match and drink,it could catch on in football but this would mean keeping the refreshment areas open after the game ,but if there is extra revenue in it why not give it a try?

General, just out of interest is Stuart Ryan still at the club or did he leave?

For me he is a hero. He had a really hard time when he moved to play for us and deserves credit for carrying on in such a professional way. 100% every time he played shame there werent more in the team that did the same at the time.

A roaming season ticket is a really good idea, i have said on here before that i had to miss 2 big games due to fixture changes and work commitments this way i could buy for 4 matches at a time and not lose out. Please could it be looked into?

Before anyone else cuts in Gen, can I just add a point to the above.

My only worry about spending £500 on tickets in June is the fact that come December all these offers are going to start again. I see there is another one next week - a season ticket holder can buy two tickets for his friends for £5 each. All well and good but it hacks me off that I have forked out over £20 when my mates can go the game, have a shed load of beer and food and still not spend as much as me.

Are the board going to "Guarentee" that there will be no repeat of this year - if not, I won't renew and take my chances.

Im with you on that, especially as i have had to miss 2 big games due to fixture changes. Easier and cheaper to buy match by match.

Like somebody elses idea about the refreshment bar for season ticket holders only, cant see how it would ever work though. A new challenge for them to deal with next season perhaps??

General thanks for getting back to me with regard missing matches and a refund scheme - excellent news. Obviously as a season ticket holder i do aim to get to every game but with re arranged fixtures this is not always possible so thanks for listening.

Can i just say that with regard the parking at VP on a match day it has never been allowed without a pass but obviously they are much stricter on the security now than they used to be which is prob why it caused problems on the Arsenal game.

Is there any way you can offer a cash back scheme for re arranged fixtures? I bought a half season ticket at Christmas and have had to miss both Arsenal and Liverpool due to work commitments that no matter how hard i tried i could not get out of. 2 of the biggest fixtures of the season and i had to miss them its very frustrating and as my season ticket is with friends and my Dad i have nobody else to offer it to.

General you say you dont like to wear a suit and tie to watch the game , most clubs in this country have an "us and them" feel with corporate hospitality members and the average fan on the stands being very seperate with hospitality members having strict suit and tie dress codes etc, will this be something you will do away with at Villa park for next season so that all fans are equal, maybe even opening up hospitality areas to the everyday fan instead of having memberships etc?

Very cleverly answered General, you could have been a politician!

I have just read on a website that we are looking at James Wilson from Bristol City, apparently he is only 17 but has huge potential. Not claiming its true at all as there is just so much speculation at this time of year and ive never heard of the lad but thought i would share in case it is true!

Spoke to somebody I know at the club today who told me that the view they have of the general,Randy etc is that they are very much for the fans before anything else. Whereby the old regime was more for the corporate guests etc this new regime are more for the man on the Holte End, only what i was told today but thought i would share the view of an "insider" as it were with you all.

What will be on Richard Fitzgeralds list of things to put right first? He must have known he was letting himself in for a big job but having now started is he shocked at just how big a role he has taken on and just how much behind the scenes needs putting right? The club was effectively left to get on with things for the past year or more and some very good staff left and were not replaced is this first on his "to do" list?

Wonder which of TSV points the CEO will act on first!!

Excellent post from tsv have to agree with everything he has pointed out, nice to hear it from an "outsider" point of view. Have to say though i have never found the food served to be poor just the service.

Cleavland Browns have a General manager, will that be something Villa park might soon have as well or will it just be down to the CEO? Must be a massive job but also makes sense to have one person to deal with.

There used to be a cash machine in the shop when i went in a few weeks ago to buy Christmas presents they told me it had been removed because it was always breaking down, very annoying to then have to drive round looking for a bank. Im glad somebody else has bought this up as i was meant to suggest it myself.