GaztonVilla

Hello General.. Quick question again... How is Doug Ellis? Do you see him much? G.

And the award for most illogical thread bump of a 4 year old thread goes to....

Hello General, Went to the reserves match last night. By a nice coincidence, I was in Birmingham on business, so I was delighted to be able to take in a match with our young stars. Being exiled 250 miles north of Villa Park, I don't get down as often as I should. After the game, I thought it would be a good opportunity to sample the delights of the Holte pub. Not being a season ticket holder, I've never been inside, so no better opportunity eh? Made a beeline straight to the pub after the game, only to be turned away. They had just finished cashing up and were closed, I was told. Seems a crazy decision to have the pub open all the way up to the end of the game and, at 9pm, to close the doors. There was (at the very least) 50 people walking towards the Holte for a celebratory drink, all of us turned away. Just a little disappointed that, given that its unlikely I will ever be invited to the Holte on a match day, there was no opportunity to have a drink there after the match last night. Surely, after a very well attended reserves match at Villa Park, its short sighted in the extreme to close the doors and turn people away. It was only 9pm. 50 people turned away, all would have spent a few quid each, and the overheads for the day would most likely have been covered.

Hello General. Are you in the UK right now? I can't keep track of your movements haha.. And if so, will you be at the reserves game tonight?

General, Just thought I'd give you some feedback from the Sunderland delegation on Saturday. I believe you were speaking to the husband of one of the directors. He was the one who got all excited when you approached him and gushed "You must be THE GENERAL that I've been hearing about." Needless to say, being surrounded by Sunderland fans in my office this week has been excruciating. However, Bernie (the guy you met) has nothing but good things to say about our club and the way things have changed at Villa Park. He also told me that the "Krulak Model" (his words, not mine) of interacting with supporters is ground-breaking, and something they will be looking at implementing. He also said that you didn't look like the sort of guy he would want to get into a fight with. Which is always nice to hear

NewYorkVilla, Firstly, I'm so sorry for your loss, but I wanted to tell you how much your post touched me this morning. My Villa experiences don't stretch back as far as your father's, or as far back as yours even, but I lived every one of them when I read your stories. Your dad seems to have lived a life full of every kind of experience imaginable, and the fact that Villa was as important to him as any of them shows just how beautiful our club is. I know every club will have supporters like you and your dad, but today I say Aston Villa is unique because of your father. I know exactly what you mean when you talk about Chris Nichol's bit from the DVD. Even thinking about it sends a shiver through me. I really do hope that the Club will allow you to put your father at rest in his Villa Park. I love the thought of your parents resting at 2 of the most beautful temples in the world. I know there are potential problems with the pitch etc, but I hope they let him rest either there or in the Holte End. And speaking of which, next time I sing "Holteenders in the Sky", I'll be singing it with a tear in my eye for you and your dad. Condolences again, Gary.

Yeah I hear that one all the time.. Either that or "I'm washing my hair".. On the subject though General, did you ever consider politics after you left the military? Obviously a very different kind of "public service".. And if its a "no", why not? Thanks

One of David Moyes, Mark Hughes or Stuart Pearce for me..

General, At the game yesterday, one idiot decided to celebrate our equaliser by encroaching onto the pitch, goading the home fans and generally being an idiot. If AVFC know this man's identity, is there some way we can ensure that he never again has the opportunity to dirty the club's good name by making, what was already a difficult ticketing and stewarding situation, even worse?

Well said sir.. I think it's unfortunate that the generosity that Randy has shown to fans since he took over the club has become taken a bit for granted by some sections of the support. Your point about loyalty is a very valid one. Its a shame that, after free buses to Chelsea, frozen season ticket prices, cheaper than cheap season tickets in the North Stand, and the not insignificant gestures to students, armed forces and the local community, some fans expect the club to perpetually subsidise the supporters. As an aside, whats your thinking General about the CIA destroying video tapes in the name of "protecting their agents identities"?

General, On the flip side of this, I was at Villa Park on the day of Villa vs Inter Milan and the AVFC security man at the front of the Holte Pub was a shining example of friendliness and customer service. It was the first match day that the Holte had been open for, and the poor fella was inundated with supporters trying to get in despite not having invites. However, this guy still allowed me and a friend to pose for a photo just inside the gate with our Irish flag, and he even held one side of the flag and took a photo using our camera for us. What I'm getting at is that, while I'm sure there can be bad experiences, my experience of this person was excellent and I would hate for one bad apple to spoil the bunch. G.

Hi General, This is a genuine question because we never see or hear from the guy anymore, but how is Doug Ellis?

I can see you're online at the moment General.. *BIG WAVE* Just want to compliment Dan Meredith in Marketing. He's been a great help in getting the North East supporters club up and running. Super super efficient.

Do we have a "Situation Room" in a bunker under Trinity Road? Sorry, I'm having a West Wing day today..

Thanks General.. Edit to say, half an hour later, Lee has responded to my email. I love the new Aston Villa

General, I've been trying to set up a supporters club in the North East (Newcastle/Sunderland/Middlesbrough) region, and have emailed the address on the official website a couple of times, but haven't heard anything back. Can you recommend a name for me to call, or the best way to get the ball rolling on this? Thanks, Gary.

I don't think anyone will sign him, he signed a new Reading contract in January and has publically said that he wants to stay at Reading for as long as possible to repay the faith they showed in him. He also has a lot of Cork teammates at Reading and is settled and using it to gain experience in English football. However, I do believe that Doyle has shown natural finishing instincts. He's very good at pulling off his marker (ooer), especially at the back post, and has proven he's not scared to put his head in where it hurts. His strikes for Reading and Ireland, as well as for Cork City before his move, show a striker who knows where the goal is. With good service he'd score bagfuls of goals, with average service he is still a sizeable danger.

Why? Did J'Lloyd sell all the "E"s? (oooh, allegedly)

Amen to that... In my opinion, appointing someone in this capacity would be "overkill". The new board are doing many of the things we craved from their predecessors. - Communicating regularly with the supporters and accepting and reacting to criticism. - Conducting regular and structured consultation with supporters groups and websites through the SCG. - Acknowledging and celebration the great history and traditions of the club, not attempting to sweep any of it under the carpet. General, you're right to be confused about the need for an Ambassador. I honestly can't think of another club with such a role. The way things are going at the minute far exceed my wildest dreams for the first 9 months of new ownership. I appreciate beyond words the time and effort you put into communicating with us through this medium, but I've noticed a lot of the questions being posed to you are repeats or rehases of questions from before and I'm worried that this will dilute the value you get from being here. Do you see your presence on this and other websites as a permanent thing, or will you wind down your communications once the "transitional" period is over?

Haha, brilliant!! I wonder what the General sees as Villa's five elements of power which will make us a "superpower"?

and i will start supporting Leyton Orient!!! So much for support through thick and thin eh?

After the glowing reviews of his performances for Ireland, I think young Mr. O'Halloran is knocking on that door.

Younger blood? Notquiteasmuchofatwatashisbrother Gallagher turns 40 today... My last offtopic post, I promise.

I could go for that. Definitely on my list.

Panic!!! Panic!!!!!!!