stewiek2

I think Reo-Coker is almost nailed on to leave the cheating spammers. He was asked after the game if he was gonna stay and he nervously laughed then said he'd not made his mind up over his future.

Money talks. He is not a proven international. Would McClaren put him straight in the England team if he went to Chelsea? He would be competing with Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Kalou, Makele (is he leaving?) for a central midfield position. Terrible decision but I think he is over rated anyway. Once he signs for Chelsea he'll be a nailed on cert for the England squad. McClaren is an idiot, to put it mildly. He'll pick him cos of playing for them. Then shoehorn him into a midlfied with Stevie G and Fat Frank. Oh no, he can't drop fat frank. McClaren=gormless moron

Well MBNA is based in cheshire so fair play on you General for not going the glory hunting path in that area in terms of team support. Needless to say you're now villa through and through! You do know that's it now for life and all your children, grand children etc must be villa supporters too. I've seen tragedy in my own family where the whif of other teams support, esp the scum down the road, has brought sadness, shame and, frankly, disgrace on whole communities! Okay, seriosuly point now. General I think someone needs to have a word with whoever did the printing of on the t-shirts with the new badge in the club shop. The Claret is very pink and the overall quality is quite poor to be honest

:shock: :evil:

Sellers market now, so if Young is worth 9.65m then 12m for Fernandes is what you have to pay. When the Mancs bought Ronaldo for about 13m people went who? yet he is worth easily 3, 4 times that now

Either Fat Freddie is joking, being VERY tongue in cheek or he wants OWEN off the wagebill. If so then Geordies are gonna be very disappointed regarding the money they actually have

General, I've just seen the OS video from the training ground yesterday and well what can I say? Well first thought is pleas keep Mr Woodward as the presenter, he really is like our very own Alan Partridge (if you watch BBC America you'll know who he is) I was laughing so much at his partridge'esque presentation. But moresoe seeing you in your interview. I've never in my life seen such enthusiasm, such passion, such love and wanting of success from a chairman or board member of a club in my life! It really gave me so much encouragement and shows the true genuine love and want of success of this club you all have. It really excited me to the potential and future of this club under the leadership of Randy and of course, Martin. I had to write this mail at nearly 1am after a few family drinks as I was so taken by how you, a yank who has no past affinity to Villa (please, bare with me I mean no offence) can be so drawn in by the game of football, the Villa, it's history, it's meaning is just brilliant. I could see it in your eyes, your mannerisms, your choice of words, your gesticulasms. General, quite frankly, I am proud to have you, have Randy, as my clubs board members and he as my clubs owner, IF as I suspect Randy has the same passion as I saw in that film that you have then people, we are in for one hell of a glorious ride!!!!! Stew

Actually Ian it looked 'OKAY. Not great but okay.' This is an argument no one is going to win as with all pieces of design it's a question of taste. I am in both parties here on this. I do actually like it as a supporter, I can see the historical relevnce of it., I can see that it looks retro, I can see that it does look alot better than people would have hoped. However, from a designer sense I do not like it at all. It has a hodge podge mix of fonts, the lion is quite frankly pitiful, the star an aferthought and the overal design seems like it was in the studio at the agency as a job no one wanted to do but an account handler or studio manager/creative said that the deadline was upon them so they needed something so this annoyance of a job (which we all get) was looked at, the spod junior designer or most probably artworker/mac op did a quick search online at our old crests and came up with this. IT is very obvious that this is what happened. Now either by luck of by chacne they came across a badge which, whilst I like in some degree, I hate the obvious lack of professionalism in its execution. It is a really badly executed piece of design. Trust me!! The fact that it's outcome is something that people like is an absolute stroke of luck, and those involved I would guess KNOW THIS!! You and others like it for it just looks good, it says history, it says we've not forgot. But us professionals (and please, I am NOT being patronising at all), can see it's faults. We are not knocking the design as such, but the fact that the club have paid what must be alot of money to what should be a major agecncy to come with a design that doesn't look professional, and we arre staggered that the club would allow a good agency to do this. It's really that simple.

Sidwell's off the Chelski?!?! Oh well Fat Frank will get crucified at Barcelona. Though christ if we were moaning at some of the names we are linked with then I can see the Surrey/kent chavs getting the right goatse over him signing.

I am just amazed, humbled and have ann incredible sense of priode abut our club when I see comments such as yours General towards Matt's sacarf situation and his sick child. Such pride, and relentless passion for doing what is right by peole is truely a humbling thing for uis all and sir, I applaud you and you having American relatives you prove what I know already and which people do not see but are blinkered by image... That you are very moral people and very family orientated. I hope Matt's son is looked after, and I am so proud to be a Villa fan at this point for I know the pride, honesty, and passion that you all running our club have. It means alot to us all. Stew

But Ashley Young seems to be finding his feet Jez, would bringing Milner in upset his development?

Oh, forgot to say, I'd take Ashton over both of them anyday. Absolutely gonna be a top top playuer in the Shearer with skill mould, trust me, we have to sign this player!!!

The statistics you quote are highly misleading. For a start they take no account of minutes on the pitch, and secondly they take no account of cup goals. For example, for 04-05 you say '13 goals', when actually Defoe scored 22 goals in all competitions (top scorer). PS. The 06-07 tally now reads 9 goals (and 17 in all competitions): add on the extra one for another 10 minutes played tonight :winkold: Do those stats take into accout his loan deal at Bournemouth? I knw its lower league opposition but you still have to put the ball away. For thte record, I like Defoe, I like his poacher instincts which are very Gary Linekerish witha hint of the Ian Wright attitude. As for bent, I honestly can't comment. I really havbe not seen enough of him, but I am weary of signing him. You can score lots of goals ina small team yet not raise your game at a higher level. Defore has scored goals in the Premiership at 2 clubs and against tp oppositions and IF I am not mistaken both Man U and Arsenal were sniffing around him but the spuds spent more to get him.

General, I couldn't make the game today through to illness (sorry Seb - Belgian supporters club), but watching it on TV they had a shot of the 82 squad which panned across to yourself and fellow directors and Randy in the box, all with your scarves on as the fans chanted 'THERE'S ONLY ONE RANDY LERNER!' This really brought a lump to my throat and a real sense of pride. I was wondering how yourself, fellow directors, the 82 squad and most importantly Randy felt at the gesture of acceptance and support from the supporters, especially as it seems other clubs with foreign (sorry no offence), let alone American owners seem to be slightly hostile. You all really proud and joyess to be there today! Stew. PS - Pride does not even cover today, nor dos class. Randy, yourself, the rest of the board, Martin and his staff have show true class so far. I will admit I do not like the new badge, but to everything right is not human, and forgiveness of faults is even more so. GOd bless you all, and thank you for your involvement in this great club.

General, I coudln't make the Rotterdam '82 night tonight but I heard someone mention a testimonial for the team. Is it possible for something to be arranged. I think it's a cracking idea and, well I don't think the new Wembley, let alone Villa Park, would be big enough but my gosh you'd get a full house and then some for that game!

We as designers are not saying what we think to belittle anyone else ro give it a billy big bollocks, we just say what we think from a professional standpoint thats all. Non-designers views are just as valid, if not more, as they are views that come from the heart.

Well, I'd have thought by the amount of responses and general level of feeling on the subject that it was pretty obvious it does matter, a great deal, to a lot of people. Sir - in the grand scheme of things this has to rate as utter minutia... Yikes - I regard the last years of Doug Ellis of being an important issue, but I think a badge is attracting more attention than that did!!!! :shock: Look, it so happens that I am not over the moon about the design, but it does have certain good qualities i.m.o., and therefore I'm happy to go with it... Us pontificating about fonts and other trivia is not going to change a thing - the club and what the managment's direction is are the two important things, and so far I have no complaints on that much bigger issue. I think they know where they're going, and I believe the direction issue will be solved on the pitch. Let's get a life and move forward. :arrow: Next topic? The thing is John that as supporters we were asked what we wanted, so when the product delivered is not to peoples liking, we have the right to say if we like it or not, AND say why? Okay so the bedge is here now and we are stuck with it, but that doesn't mean we can not raise our concerns about it if we feel so. For something to cause such debate shows it's flaws in my opinion. Paulo is bang on about it. Don't forget, we are critiqueing the final execution, not the concept. The conecpt is god, but the execution is flawed. To be honest all they needed to do was take the stripes out the old badge and, if desired, added a star to that. IT's a nice badge IMO.

Paulo, From one fellow designer to another, which agency would that be who did both ours and spuds badges? Stew

Couldn't have put it better myself. Totally agree with every single word Paulo

TBH I think MON could handle any player. He's hard as **** is Martin.

Trekka, That's the camera I just bought. Nice piece of kit. I'm no expert but I like it.

I think it's a nailed on cert that Bellamy will be a Villa player in the summer.

I thought he was great in Hi-Di-Hi

Oh for the love of god please. Most people who like it do so cos it's not a Doug Ellis conception. Get a life people. You'd have slagged this badge off mercilessly if Ellis's regime had put it out as the badge. So stop this arse licking please. And do not lie and say I am wrong. This new board are brilliant but everyone is prone to **** up once in a while, this is one occassion. I 'get it' about the new crest. I just, like most, do not agree with the execution of the it. Can you not accept that? I get what the new crest means, but that doesn't mean that we should accept the first different thing off the conveyor belt. It is not a well designed badge simple as that. It's meaning is great, it's **** magic! I love what it represents, but you must understand that as retro it is it is not a well put together badgre. Trust me on this! I have shown it to people in regional and national, and in one case a mutli-national agency and they have all said it is a bad piece of design. I've explained the meaning behind it, the reasoning behind it, and they have all laughed at the shoddyness of it and said that it's bollocks and that they would NEVER show it to clients. So please stop looking at it with your heart and look at it with with your heads. They better have good marketing plan as I have said this til I'm blue in the face, this badge is NOT just about a thing on a kit anymore, it's all about a big marketing plan and frankly this is not a strong enough thing to pin our marketing plan on.

A spritely 35