thetrees

Beggar me, I've referred to that quote regularly and now I've got it in it's entirety - excellent.

Good trip General adn I hope you're not trying to get into Heathrow this morning as it's pretty darn foggy out there

Landed safely (in the fog) at Birmingham just before 0900 this morning

SM,

I will pass your words on to Russ. I have asked him to do one thing for all sites....and that is to have a "before" picture of the training ground building as it now looks...and then have the new site to compare against as we move forward. We are making huge progress.

Randy and I depart for UK tomorrow so I will be off site for a few days.

A safe trip General, and don't forget to travel in the new aircraft and land at Birmingham, not Luton

I appreciate that Randy has just upgraded his jet, but when you arrive at Birmingham you will park next to a factory fresh BBJ. This was ordered by a local Gazillionaire who has now decided that he doesn't want it, but he ordered it, so he's had to take it.

A reasonable offer will buy it, so if Randy fancies something a bit more luxurious.....

If you have ever checked out Wayne Huizengas aircaft, a BBJ would look great in Villa colours one side, Browns the other.

If you land from the North I'll make sure I lean out of the window and give you a wave. Don't forget to sit on the left side of the aircraft :winkold:

Sorry, Christmas irreverence is getting the better of me ........

Try not to say "support your local team" to William.

In fairness Villa have been the local Premiership team for kids who are raised in Gloucestershire for a very long time.

In that respect he does support his 'local' team.

I have gone for Ride of the Valkyries-tenuous Brummie link. Wasn't this the tune that use to back Cozy Powell's live drum solos? (Cozy's dad used to live in Sutton)

I still quite like the idea of Sabbath/Ozzy, but would think that Mr. Crowley would be a rousing intro.

Hurricane Smith should also feature in the playlist as it relates to our most glorious era.

The present practise of playing the intro music again as they run out for the second half should be stopped.

And please none of this plastic new stadium-music when we've scored crap that is so common at Bolton, Middlesbrough and Blackburn

BFR by a country mile

I never eat pig. It taste like shit, literally. You can taste how the dirty thing eat, breath and lives in shit.

I ate Andouillet sausage recently, which is made of pigs intestines, and it tasted exactly of what it was made of. Horrible!

Cows are my very favourite creatures. Beef is my very favourite protein.

I just get upset if a chef cooks a steak badly, given that such a beautiful creature has died to provide us with such fine food.

My opinion is that if you actually want to pursue a profession, then go to Uni. If you don't, then don't.

As an employer a common problem with young people in this country is that they have been to every academy imaginable, except the one of common sense. Universities are turning out graduates with nothing degrees who then expect to walk into jobs with a fat package before they have even done anything.

As an employer of commercial people, an 18 year-old with a good attitude and reasonable A Level passes is a far better proposition than a 21 year-old graduate who thinks that he is already there.

General,

Going back to the potential US tour. Can you please keep in mind that Birmingham schoolkids break for summer around July 26th next year, so a pre-season tour would potentially allow families to watch the team while on their holidays (as well as boosting US tourism!). I will be in Michigan, so I have my fingers crossed.

Back to your car. If you ever drive an MV-22, can I have a ride? I can make New River at very short notice! (Sorry guys, but my title does say it all!)

A question ;

Are you aware of our member "the Trees" and his ongoing mission to track the flights of Mr Lerner and yourself across the globe ?

Thanks OBE, I am awaiting the knock on the door :oops:

In my defence, I only posted what had happened without going into specifics of active destinations etc., so hopefully I can be forgiven.

General, thank you for your participation on this forum. I find it difficult to believe that we have the opportunity to communicate with someone who rubs shoulders with Presidents. If I may make three points.

1. Please consider the stadium developments carefully. You may not be aware that Simon Inglis, a Villa fan, is also the foremost authority on the history and development of UK football stadia. He published a book entitled 'Football Grounds of Britain' and would serve as an excellent consultant.

I for one would like to see the corners filled in, but not necessarily in the soulless (my opinion) athletics stadium type that has been favoured at Old Trafford and the Emirates. Ibrox stadium in Glasgow is worth a look.

2.Last season I was a corporate guest for a game in the North Stand. The service and standard of the food served was appalling, in my opinion unacceptable. I did not complain as I did not wish to embarrass my host, but the hospitality side of the business, if not already addressed, could do with looking at. Last season's experience made me shelve plans to host my own clients at a later fixture.

3. This one for everyone else. Please forget the Witton Lane/Doug Ellis Stand thing. The last regime lacked respect for the supporters and (most of) the employees of the club. Respect is the bye word of the new regime. Respect for the history of the club, respect for the supporters, respect for the players and management, and respect for everyone, including their predecessors. Don't knock it. I for one find it incredibly refreshing.

Personally I would like to see some sort of mural on the back of a redeveloped North Stand, encompassing iconic Villa images, such as DM raising the European Cup, JD receiving the FA Cup from the Queen.

Alternatively single, large images like the ones detailed outside the corners of the ground.

I find large images on the side of tall buildings extremely striking.

Presumably the cost could be tied in with a new kit sponsor?

My point when raised PB was to try and assure people that these things take time hence the current silence. Also as the club is a PLC there are as you know many rules from the stock exchange re takeovers and making public comments etc. OK in the grand scheme of public companies Villa is not very big but its still a big transaction to buy this business. I guess that is what I was getting at. Good lord its like being on the money programme being on here!

I remember the half hour special well :winkold:

The trees, I would think anything between 2 and 4 weeks depending on how smooth it goes.

So if we assume that the week spent here early in July was Lerner and associates talking to Rothschilds and evaluating targets, eventually deciding on the Villa.

That the visit of mid-July was a firming up of the interest and a first meeting with Ellis, a point in which the due diligence may have started (?)

Then 10 days later the infamous visit to the club, with all the negative press that followed.

Finally the visit on the day of MON's appointment, presumably to reassure MON that things were still very much on.

It's the visit to VP that I can't work out. Despite the fact that the press reported that RL went off in a huff, he did have important high profile business of the Browns to attend to, so it's likely that he was always going back to the US when he did anyway.

Did he come to sign some form of letter of intent, or was that the point where the due diligence started?

Either way, next week does seem to be the week of RL's official bid.

He's going to be at the Reading game folks, and I am going to miss it! (Don't feel sorry, my toes will be in a warm sea)

Or am I completely confused? :?

I personally don't think there is a problem. Lerner just wants it to be as low key as possible whilst his team carry out due diligence. !

Forte, can you or anyone else offer an estimate as to how long due diligence would take on such a company?

I have no experience of how long it would take.

It's just that they seem to have been at it for a while.

For those seeking updates on RL's jet it seems pretty much definite that it won't be heading in our direction this week. After a couple of quiet days it is flying elsewhere in the US this evening.

My updates are likely to stop or be flakey at best as I'm off on hols this weekend. I had almost convinced my wife that I needed to take the laptop, but today's events have brought the subject up again.

Unlike the takeover, on this subject there's only likely to be one winner :oops:

Quite strong rumours on the mailing list, unsubstantiated at this time, that lerner is borrowing the money to fund this, rather than use his own money

Is this such a shock?

Surely it is fairly normal practice for a businessman to borrow to expand his portfolio?

The crucial points are that no one borrows money if they do not believe that they can make a success of their investment, and it does help if you have the necessary credit line in the first place.

[quote="MWARLEY2

Fascinating stuff thetrees.

Think I'm going to knock this messageboard on the head.It just doesn't do it for me anymore.

Boeingtalk.com for me from now on ]

Nah, stick with VT

The guys on Boeingtalk just aren't interested in the opinions of others..

...and they hate Europeans

Do we know it was him that flew in? Not just his plane with someone on his behalf?

In short, we don't.

What we can do is make educated guesses.

The jet is very much the private jet of Mr Lerner.

It is based at East Hampton, NY, which is the far reaches of Long Island, and probably one of the more 'remote' areas of NY (if that's possible)

In order to fly transatlantic eastbound it needs to first go to West Hampton for enough runway with a full fuel uplift.

It is therefore fair to assume that if the flight originates in East Hampton without a pick up in a metropolitan area, then the man is on it.

For the record it landed at Luton 1014 on Friday and departed 0959 on Saturday. The time suggested in my Saturday evening arrival back in the USA posting was wrong. One of my resources sometimes recalculates times and sometimes doesn't!

I will continue to monitor things and advise if it points this way again. I will not advise times or arrival points until after any flight has been completed, which you may have noticed is the way that I have done things up until now.

Here's to another interesting week!

Rumour is Lerner has flown to Germany. Can anyone confirm this?

Lerner flew home. He arrived safely just over an hour ago.

lerner has already gone I think

According to TT RL's jet left Luton Airport earlier this morning

seems a bit strange, as if he's waited till saturday morning, so doesnt have to worry the LSE, so leaves the proposal today so the board (doug) can mull it over before doing something with it on monday.........

ok I'm hoping

AFAIK Mr Lerner's jet departed in the last 10 mins, back to the USA.

I think that he came to put the seal on the MON deal, hence the timing of the press conference being put back a couple of times.

But I'm not 'in the know' like some......... :winkold:

I promise I'll keep watching next week, but 7 days from today I'm history

Oh I dunno - All Ellis has to do is open his gob and his foot lands straight in there.

Very True!....

Tx for info TT you're a star!!...Are you really doing this from the airport at Brum or can you track all this from home??!!

As far as I am concerned only footballers should work at weekends.......

Randy's jet is going home

Everything complete in time for Monday?

Or an end of his interest?

Or a good possibility is that he came to sign O'Neill

MON's 'accidental' "brief meetings" slip definitely suggested that he had been negotiating with others, and the fact that he was late suggested he was tied up in a meeting.

The only way you would be late for your new employer is if you were in meetings with your true new employer

Randy's jet is going home

Everything complete in time for Monday?

Or an end of his interest?

yes it is shut Tom ....

TT, any plans for Lerner's jet ?

Nope, but bear in mind that by the the time I find out, it could well be flying past my window.

ATM I am comtemplating an early duck to go home to my lad 'cos he's just-a-little-bit-excited

But then I am conscious of my responsibility towards you guys and gals :winkold:

Pete Colley has said on SSN theres a Canadian consortium.Does anyone know who they are?

he was referring to a consortium that was seen being led around by Elli$

The 3 dodgy looking blokes from Tuesday.

So that would be the 3 dodgy blokes that i wrongly attributed to a private jet that had arrived from Dubai?

which has just left for Luton.

Which had a curious flight plan that was filed in.............

..........Montreal!

I'm making myself crazy here. Somebody pass me the valium........