villabromsgrove

General, it's great to know that you're as human as the rest of us and have really been caught up in the excitement of a good old english transfer window. Today demonstrates that you're a real fan and as nervous and enthusiastic about the success of our pursuit of signings for Villa as we all are.

Steve Sidwell is a terrific signing, please thank Mon for his dogged pursuit of a long term target. Steve is your kind of player General, he's the kind of guy that you would want alongside you when you're going into battle. UP THE VILLA!!!!

General, if it was possible to have highly visible Acorn cash collection boxes all around Villa Park it would give Villa fans the opportunity to donate regularly to Acorns by dropping their loose change [and notes ] into these boxes. We are all enthusiastic and well meaning when it comes to such a good cause as Acorns but human nature being what it is we tend not to go looking for the opportunity to donate, but are usually more than happy to give if it is made easy for us. If this is possible then an announcement over the public address system at games would probably be well responded to by both home and away fans alike. An update on fan collection totals could then be given at subsequent home games, and we could make sure that we acknowledge the away fans contributions and thank them on their relevant fan forums. If this causes a problem with administration and manpower I'm more than willing to help out, and I suspect that others on here and other fan forums would be more than happy to assist on a voluntary basis with any such ongoing fan based collections. It's just an idea, and it would be great if Villa fans were able to make a real difference to these young peoples lives.

General, at a time when in the eyes of the rest of the world the Premier league is seen as greedy and totally focussed on grabbing the next handful of big bucks, I am proud to be a supporter of a club that puts caring for the well being of life limited children and their families before profit. Acorns is our charity of choice at the high school where I am chair of governors and I have been privileged to experience the amazingly cheerful atmosphere inside an Acorns hospice as children lead meaningful lives with the full involvement of their families and the robust and caring support of the Acorns staff. Todays announcement will offer the Acorns Trust an enormous platform to raise awareness of the very finite lives of these wonderfully courageous children and teenagers, and the huge cost involved of providing an enviroment in which they and their families can get the most out of each remaining day. Please pass on my profound thanks to Randy for making this decision, as it could well be a catalyst for football clubs to start looking beyond themselves at the really important issues of their local communities.

General, this is a plea on behalf of Mrs. K. and Villa fans. Please make sure you do take time out of your schedule for a good relaxing holiday. Mrs. K needs you as much as we do, and we all wan't you with us for many years to come, so make sure you get enough R & R.

I always try to be positive about things so I can see the therapeutic benefits of this thread! After all life's just not as much fun since we stopped burning warty old ladies as witches is it. I'll get the wood, CVB and LTLOAV you can grab Barry and we can have a good old bonfire. That will teach Gareth the danger of being too ambitious won't it! :winkold:

CV, a lot of us can remember Gareth when he was a fresh faced kid with "L" plates on his peugeot hatchback. He's been a one club man since then and has definitely earned our respect. I can understand that you are very upset at the prospect of losing a top player, but repeatedly calling Gareth Barry a traitor for daring to think of pastures new after 10 years faithful service is extreme and uncalled for in my opinion.

I've watched Gareth Barry live from the first match he played for Villa and I've met him at Bodymoor Heath on a number of occasions when there was open access to the training ground. Watching him play for Villa over the last ten years has given me immense pleasure as not only is he talented but he always gives 100%. Gareth Barry is almost like part of the family after all these years and although I would be sad to see him leave I would have nothing but praise for all that he has done for Villa. To here some of you preparing to hate and villify one of aston Villas' greatest players is frankly bloody annoying! I never had much time for "Boo Boys" anyway.

Gabby makes the most of his talent and still wants to learn. He doesn't appear to have an ego and has pace to burn. He is a team player imo. Luke has god given talent but has wasted it because he can't be arsed most of the time. He appears to be lazy and needs his ego massaged, and although he has almost as much pace as Gabby when does he ever show it! He is not a team player imo. Mon has seen them both on a daily basis over at least 18 months and he has clearly decided that Gabby is the better prospect and that Luke is a lost cause.

General, I will just add my point of view if I may. My season ticket is and will always be one of my most treasured possessions. I know that in comparison to other Premiership clubs that I and my family are getting a very good deal and we will of course renew asap. I do have the greatest of sympathy for those fans whose family circumstances mean that they wont be able to renew because I can imagine how disappointed I would be if it were me. I think we all understand that a premiership football club has to be run as a viable business and your comment about someone else will buy your seat if you don't renew is purely and simply a true statement of fact, although naturally upsetting to the fan whose seat it was. Aston Villa in marketing terms is fast becoming an entertaining product which will attract an even greater fan base in the next few years. Season tickets will not only be treasured possessions but highly sought after. Thanks General for your unbounded enthusiasm and tolerance in dealing with both the praise and criticism that is the nature of all fan forums. UP THE VILLA!!!!

!!!! YES !!!!

General, The recent doom and gloom has surprised me because I've really enjoyed this season and have worn my colours with pride. For 28 games we have surprised the premier league with a brand of competitive and entertaining football. We have suffered a dip in form during the last three games but it happens to most teams at some time or other. Please pass my thanks on to Randy, Mon and the team and all those of you at Aston Villa who have made me proud to be a Villa fan again. I will be one of the first to renew my season ticket for next season. UP THE VILLA!!!!

I thought that 8th place would be a satisfactory finish when the season started and would demonstrate steady sustainable progress. Now with 14 games to go at the approximate rate of a game a week it looks as if we can do slightly better than 8th. 6th would be an excellent finish given the size and experience of our squad but it could happen as we have enough classy players to keep getting the points as long as key players avoid injury and suspension. God forbid that we have a tremendously successful run in and get a championship league place because this squad could not cope with both premiership and CL campaigns and could lead to a really dodgy season in 08/09, and experience now tells us that one summer transfer window would not solve that situation. We are still a couple of years away from adding the quality and depth to the squad to survive at that level. So, 6th it is then! UP THE VILLA!!!!

General, just a thought on the Holte hotel on matchday. How about inviting a large group of Villa Talk members on the same day before one of our matches, I'm sure we could create a bit of that pre match atmosphere. It would be relatively simple to administrate as interested VT'ers could pm their season ticket reference numbers to you. If you can arrange this, would you make sure it is on a matchday when you are available, as it would be my great pleasure to buy you a pint! PS. I have used my 1000th post to make this request and I hope it brings a positive response. Enjoy the match today, UP THE VILLA!!!!

General, who was that slim, good looking 30 year old guy pretending to be Randy Lerner yesterday? Can you get Randy to post his diet sheet because I sure could do with it.

General, please ask Craig Gardner via Mon to read the "Gardner pens deal" thread on VT, I'm sure he will be delighted with the high regard in which he is held by Villa fans. Can you pass on our thanks to Mon for securing the future of a new Villa hero. Also please give our thanks to Randy for investing in our superb young players.

Always a believer, but a knackered one. Good night all.

General, I wandered around an empty Villa Park on saturday and I was moved by the beauty and grandeur of the stadium. I sat for a while in the dugout and shouted imaginary instructions to long gone heroes, and was awestruck by the sheer size of the Holte End from down at pitch side, it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. The point of my post is that often in the crowded arena that is VP on matchdays we can lose sight of just how unique and special our stadium is. Whatever necessary and imaginative improvements are made in the next few years we must preserve the majesty of Villa Park.

Trust Mon and sit back patiently and wait with confidence for the new signings. Reasons: Jon Carew - brilliant deal. Ashley Young - superb signing. shaun Maloney - an absolute steal. Stilyan Petrov - a classy player who will come good. Chris Sutton - a really shrewd deal spoiled by a freak injury. Gavin McCann and other sidelined senior players moved on to make way for further real quality buys. Just half a dozen reasons why we should stop arguing amongst ourselves and wait for the excitement to begin.

Edgar Davids? :? what has he got to do with Spurs? - he plays for Ajax And why not mention Bouma who's dutch and plays for Villa? Davids in Ajax can be both good and bad for Spurs. Either he'll tell Sneijder that they're a bunch of idiots in that club, or he'll tell him it's a great place and club to be. If he goes to them you'll surely read how Davids praised them. I think they're a disgrace. I got the impression that Davids regretted signing for Spurs (apart from the money) and in contrast Bouma loves being at Villa, so we should be ahead when it comes to player references.

Smith is crap We've got Petrov for that job. Smith is not crap and I would love to see you say that to his face. which is the best way I can think of demonstrating what Smith would bring to Villa.

Ah but we've got his big mate Freddie Bouma! Your assuming he is even friends with Bouma, not all dutch people are automatically friends with each other. If it is indeed between us and Spurs then they have a greater pull imo, this is not at all similar to the Young scenario. Saying that neither Spurs or Villa could be even interested. If Freddie wants to be your mate then you don't say no to him!

Ah but we've got his big mate Freddie Bouma!

He wasn't. He was rumoured to be at that game, but was actually at the game between Ajax and Alkmaar which was on the same night. Thanks for the info, I'm gonna have to go away and clutch at some more straws now. :oops:

centre It's a little know fact that Ledley King is actually half man half horse, so I believe that the correct spelling is actually "left, right and centaur."