brommy

General,

I know you don't comment on exact transfers etc as it's all up to the manager but I think Villa fans deserve an answer to this question.

Is the lack of strengthening the AVFC squad down to:

a) Lack of funds.

Failure to identify available players at the right price

Or

c) Non of the above.

General,

Does the current American financial 'crisis' have a knock on effect to AVFC?

From memory, the General has already answered the same question posted a few weeks ago. His answer was along the lines of no, the current American financial 'crisis' will NOT have a knock on effect to AVFC.

I guess this means Randy won't need to sell any U.S. property or shares in order to financially support the club. Nice! 8)

In the early days of Randy's bid and subsequent acquisition I did some light research (mostly on the internet, so it must be true :winkold: ) on the man that was buying our beloved club. There are many aspects to Randy that most people are unaware of due to his modesty. Randy is an extremely rare breed - an astute businessman with a conscience. He doesn't brag about the good causes he supports. I get the impression he doesn't take his wealth for granted and likes to make life better for others. As a Villa fan I can honestly say I feel enriched by his ownership of our football club.

Hi General,

following my gripe about the Blackburn fixture I have just a word of thanks to whoever waived the magic wand because I got a call today from a lady called Nicola in the ticket office and she sorted me out with some complimentary match tickets as a gesture, and a brilliant one at that.

So my issue is resolved and we can get on with life supporting the team on the field

Zip a dee doo dah, zip a dee day......

Nice one! See... your club DOES care.

Really pleased to see you happy again.

Well done Villa.

General Krulak here:

2. Brommy: Thank you for your post and complete rundown of the day. I have provided your input to Alison Plant so she can take necessary action where required. As for your timeline, it may be a tad ambitious.

Thank you for noting and forwarding my experience of the Holte. A few minor tweaks will elevate a visit from very good to great.

I have received a detailed letter from Claire Peakman which explained why the problems with the Pantomime occurred and apologised for any inconvenience. Despite the fact that the faults were outside of Villa's control, I find it very commendable that Villa took ownership of this relatively minor matter and I have now received a full refund. Please pass on my family's thanks for handling the issue in such a fair and professional manner.

If my guess at completing the North stand for August 2010 is 'a tad ambitious', it doesn't leave much time for completion and use before the 2012 Olympics (maybe August 2011 to spring 2012?). Does the use of Villa Park for the Olympics have any influence on the reconstruction of the North Stand?

Happy new year General. I hope you and your family had a good festive season and it is good to read your back is better.

I took my wife, children, mother and father for a meal at the Holte on Friday 28th December before watching the panto in the Holte Suite. It was my father's first visit to Villa Park as he is a more of a country sports fan. He was impressed with the quality of the stadium, the new signage, rotating screens etcetera. He was even more impressed with the Holte itself. The quality of construction, materials used, stained glass windows and mosaic floor tiles was first class. Even though the bar was understaffed and it took a few minutes to be served the woman behind the bar was professinal and friendly. The food was good value and we all enjoyed our meals. On a slight down note, I phoned the day before to reserve a table for 6. My name was taken and the reservation confirmed. When we arrived there was no knowledge of my reservation and a table was only arranged when I requested it. The process of ordering the food was also not clear. I would suggest a couple of wall signs and adding 'choose a table, pay for food at bar, hand over receipt when collecting food' to the menu sheets. Also the layout is more like a large house than a pub or restaurant. I guess this is because of its origins as a guest house and the building restrictions due to its protected status.

The panto was poor! It started more than half an hour late (nearly 5 hours late for those expecting the morning performance!) and whilst it was reasonably cheap at £3 for adults and £6.50 for children, it was very amateurish. Due to its late start, we had to leave before the end. We were promised a refund but I'm not sure how this will be handled, its not back on my card yet.

Overall though, it was a positive experience for my parents. My father has since been spreading the word that our club is a quality outfit going places.

Regarding a thread discussing the increasing attendances at Villa Park and the need for expansion, I posted the following -

My guess would be:

Summer 2008 - plans released for consultation with fans, planning authorities and local residents.

Summer 2009 - work starts.

August 2010 - Work complete for start of 2010/11 season. Villa Park now seats 52000 fans.

How far from the truth is my guess?

Also, what are the latest plans and timescale for the Holte End signage/exterior refurbishment?

I'd like to thank the Villa board and staff for all of the great work completed to date.

General Krulak here:

1. Jimmy, the car belongs to one of our employees...we let him keep it just to show that we are an equal opportunity employer. Seriously, the car does belong to one of the folks who works for the Club...an individual who does a superb job for us. I understand where the sticker might cause you some "pain" but it does not represent his efforts for the Villa.

Perhaps this should be 'leaked' to the press. It would gain even more positive PR for the club via headlines such as - Villa score with 'Care in the community'. :winkold:

general this is my first post to you and i would like to thank you and randy and martin the list goes on for what u have done for our beloved club. anyway to the point this may well be inappropriate but a couple of years ago my dad had an absolutely brilliand villa related idea and i was wondering if it would be possible to talk to yourself or anybody at the club about this confidentially and if so how?? thanks for your time danny

Danny, I suggest you PM (private message) the General. You can do it from this forum. Just click the PM icon adjacent to one of the General's posts, type your message in the text box and submit it. The General has referenced dealing with numerous PMs before so he will be familiar with the communication method.

General,

In recent times Britain has encountered somewhat of an upheaval in what society sees as right and wrong, and ultimately what it is prepared to accept. With that in mind would it be appropriate for an organisation whose core business is the pursuit of physical excellence, to bring in a blanket ban both alcohol and unhealthy foods? After all, we would be appalled if Gareth Barry was to indulge in a burger and a pint before a game, so as an organisation should we be seen to encourage this lifestyle in our fanbase? Should we set a better example by outlawing these products from villa park?

Not sure if you are serious Tim as your question for the General might appear illogical.

The UK government legislated against smoking in public enclosed or partially enclosed places. It is not the choice, but legal duty of the club to ensure that this legislation is complied with. To date, the UK government has not legislated against the consumption of alcohol or fatty foods in public enclosed or partially enclosed places.

hi general, sorry if i have missed this in previous pages, but i was just wondering if you could tell me if there will be a womens replica shirt this year, and if not if there will be one next year?

Just to save the General's time, his previous response(s) to this question was along the lines of:

No womens replica shirt this season (due to late deal with Nike).

There will be a new replica kit next year which will include a womans shirt. This should be available earlier than this season as the Nike deal is currently in place for 5 years.

General, have you ever considered putting on a pair of boots and join the lads in training? I bet you'd make a mean centre half, half Roberto Ayala half Neil Ruddock.

I have met the great man twice (yet to have the chance to buy him a beer though), and despite his tough training and extraordinary military experience, I think the General would agree that his stature is more suited to being a wizard on the wing than a centre half. He is still just taller than me though!!!

General,

My son's 10th birthday was his best birthday ever. I will save the exact details for the memories of my son, my wife and myself, but I wish to pass our sincere thanks to the staff of Aston Villa Football Club for making our day so special.

My fellow VillaTalkers,

I personally cannot understand the negativity expressed by a significant minority that post on this site regarding this summer’s transfer activity to date. We can only guess that by buying Mr. Superstar X and Mr. Fancypants Y, it would increase our chance of success this season. Since none of us can accurately gaze in to the future and none of us have time machines to take a peek at our clubs status next May, or the successive Mays within the Board's stated five year plan, why don't we all let MON do HIS job? Last season was a decent, some may say significant, improvement over the previous season. None of us know that this season won't show the same or greater improvement towards our jointly held goals. Let us all wait and see. In the meantime we could start enjoying watching the beautiful game again.

The threads, on this and other Villa forums, questioning whether the current owner is proving to be any different from the previous owners are laughable. We all want a Villa victory in every game Villa play but the vast improvements in the infrastructure and general 'behind the scenes' issues are NOT to the detriment of the teams results. In fact, the infrastructure improvements will hopefully improve our results in the medium and long terms. With regard to the 'behind the scenes' issues, during my son's special day, we spoke to spoke to several members of the match day staff. All but one appeared very happy in their duties. I made a point of asking the guy who appeared 'neutral', although professional, in his attitude, 'So is it really any different working for the new Board than the previous? His immediate reaction said it all. "Yes. Definitely. YES!"

Our beloved Aston Villa Football Club has had several opportunities over the years to 'give something back' to myself as a season ticket holder of twenty years, my wife as a season ticket holder of fifteen years and my young son as a season ticket holder of four years. These included our wedding and 30th birthdays, all of which the club was made aware of. The club failed to raise an acknowledgement on each occasion. Never mind, I thought, our love for Villa was obviously a one way street. For the first time in my twenty plus years of attended support, I genuinely believe the club does care.

Finally, my only disappointment during my family’s special day at Villa Park on Saturday 25th August 2007 was after the three of us were introduced to Doug Ellis. After shaking hands and exchanging a few words regarding my son’s availability to play for Aston Villa, we said goodbye. I failed to thank him for handing over to someone who genuinely cares about our club and has the business brain to help us succeed. Intentional or unintentional, I think it’s the best thing Doug Ellis could have possibly done.

I don't want to delete this part of the post, but it shouldn't be in this thread - as you say it is not for the General, but for everyone but the General. Feel free to post it elsewhere. I'll leave it here for now, but it would be better posted in another thread where people can reply to it without clogging up this Q&A thread. Blandy

1) Mascot day packages are available to purchase in advance. I'm not sure of the price (not cheap!), but I remember a report a few years ago that compared prices between clubs. Villa were amonst the cheapest whilst blose were criticised as a rip-off.

It`s £225 this season (again one of the cheapest). That includes your child coming out with the team, plus one adult. Full tour (including dressing rooms). Meeting and autographs of past players, sometimes a current player - warm up on the pitch - and then watch the match from a North Stand Box.

Business Villa will be able to let you know what matches are still available for the rest of the season.

£225 is slightly cheaper than I thought and although still not 'cheap' it certainly seems good value for what you get. I remember from the report that some clubs charge way over £500.

General, I needed to do a bit of seat swapping along the same row with my 3 season tickets and a fellow season ticket holder. We went to the ticket office 30 minutes before the Liverpool game. Mark informed us that he didn't want to print our new cards right before the game as they might not work. As the seat shuffle was not that simple, Mark wrote down our requirements and promised to ring me by the following Tuesday to confirm the changes had been made. I had a very polite phone call from Mark on the Monday and received the new cards, first class, on the Tuesday. No mistakes, no hassle, no admin charge, just great service. People are quick to point fault in every walk of life so I believe praise, where it is due, is important. I know you help out in the ticket office when you can, so could you thank Mark for his great service?

General, or anyone else who might know...

How do I go about arranging my son being mascot?

Is there a minimum age?

Any info would be great!

VB

Unless the mascot rules have changed, there are 2 ways:-

1) Mascot day packages are available to purchase in advance. I'm not sure of the price (not cheap!), but I remember a report a few years ago that compared prices between clubs. Villa were amonst the cheapest whilst blose were criticised as a rip-off.

2) A random draw from the Junior Villains Club. Children can join this for a small annual membership fee or get free membership with their season ticket. Whilst this is 'luck of the draw', I think it is great that a child who's family might not be able to afford a package will get a chance to be a mascot.

My son, who has had a season ticket for 4 years, is 10 on Saturday. It is the first time his birthday has fallen on a home matchday. The General told me to ring the club as I wondered if something could be organised for him. I was hoping for something like a PA announcemnt at half time. The club rang me back, exactly as promised, and have arranged something for him on Saturday. I won't go in to details until after the event, but it sounds great. General, Lee's proposal for my son, wife and I will be a wonderful surprise for my lad and is far more than I hoped for. I hope to post the details and my gratitude to all concerned next week.

General,

Do Aston Villa have a wage cap? Can they only pay wages of up to 45,000 p/w to a player, e.g. Gareth Barry.

If this is in fact the case, i seriously recommend the club rethinks the stance on wages as we are never going to move forward and attract 'big name signings' (Richard Fitzgerald).

Cheers

With respect, the General has stated numerous times that signings and contract details are outside of his remit. Contract details are private for most players at most clubs. It is usually the media who 'guestimate' and/or exaggerate players salaries in the absence of the true facts. Who would have thought the UK media would be capable of that eh? :winkold:

General, after some of the difficult Villa issues you have dealt with recently, you may be glad of this less challenging matter!

My son has had a season ticket for the last 4 seasons but Saturday 25th August will be the first time Villa have had a home match on his actual birthday. He will be 10. My wife and I have been season ticket holders for 15 and 20 years respectively and we are looking forward to his proud event and hopefully 3 points for Villa.

I would like to arrange something special to mark the event for him and I know there are matchday packages available at a cost. The problem with this is that I have just spent £1150 on our season tickets and new kit for the season. Hopefully something like an announcement at half time wouldn't cost much. Can you please point me in the direction of someone who could organise something for us?

Hi General,

I ordered the new shirt from the official site the very first day that it was available but haven't recieved it. This is more than a little frustrating as I could have gone to the shop and bought it yesterday and no doubt paid less. Surely fans who pre-order should either get the goods a little early or at very least on the release day?

Not wishing to respond in place of the General, but, might this be down to the numerous postal strikes that have affected the whole country at various times? If so, whilst it is unfortunate, it may be out of Villa's immediate control.

Agreed.

That's an awful idea.

It wasn't an idea for Villa Park! It was a mis-interpretation of 'logo on the stands'. This was a reference to the stands roof lines, not the seats.

For me if she sits and watches the game there would be no problem mate as I said above I have one ticket for the Liverpool game booked for my cousin.

There is a new thread entitled Merged Away fans in home seats I expect you will find further information on whether your practice is okay in the other thread (legally it is wrong, I suspect over 90% of Villa fans would say it is morally wrong as well). The mods tell us to save this thread for questions/comments for the General.

NeilS, as the General has said, Villa are trying very hard not to allow non Villa fans in the home seats at Villa Park. Many games at Villa Park will be sell-outs (including Chelsea), so bringing your wife would deprive a Villa fan from seeing the game. I would politely suggest that your wife watches the game with her fellow supporters in the section of seats specifically designated for away fans. If this option is not available then please don't bring your wife at all, like I said, its not fair on other Villa fans trying to get home seats.

can we move this discussion now please to the thread for discussion of away fans in "home" seats. blandy

Let's start with the long term contract for MON. Obviously I cannot talk about that for many reasons but...we all want a longer contract and it should come.

Has any progress been made on MON's contract?

I have fears when news of Wenger giving Arsenal ultimatums about leaving arise as to whether MON might leave.

He is an outstanding manager and will therefore be in great demand, except by the FA who are a bunch of idiots.

To answer for the General - MON's contract is on a rolling basis and as such get automatically renewed ever year until either party says - that's enough. So on Aug 4th (or whenever it was) MON will have another 1 year contract. I think that he has always had this kind of deal throughout his management career.

I believe MON's 'rolling contract' works differently to this, in that there is always 1 year left to the end of MON's contract. At the end of each day an extra day is automatically added. This way, notice of 1 year would need to be given should either party wish to end the contract. In practice MON or Villa would need to pay the value of the contract to end it immediately (you can't force someone to work somewhere they don't want to or are no longer welcome at). I don't see an issue with this. If MON had a 3 year contract for say £6M and he left Villa say 1 year into the 3 years, he would pay Villa £4M in compensation. Using these example figures, this is 'only' £2M more compensation than a 1 year constantly rolling contract. In my opinion, this kind of money wouldn't be anywhere near enough to compensate Villa for his loss anyway. Also, MON could let a 3 year contract run out to nothing, at least his rolling contract always has 1 year left. MON's contract also shows a great deal of trust between Randy and MON.

General, could you clarify this matter, please?

General, GerryHitchens is right that the correct shade of claret is absolutely vital on 99% of all things Villa, especially kit (and other imagewear) and the crest and stadium decor. This free DVD came with a box and 'brand book' which, in my opinion, are spot on with the shade of claret. My DVD spent less than 5 seconds out of its sleeve before it disappeared into my DVD player in eager anticipation. After watching it for a few more times, it will be quickly placed back into its protective (claret) sleeve for safe keeping until I need my next Villa 'pick me up'. The DVD could be lime green for all I care!

General, thank you and the rest of Randy's team for this excellent production.

GerryHitchens, I guess we will have to disagree as to exactly how minor this point is.

General,

Don't know if you can answer this or not, but will cameras be allowed at the new training ground tour, or do the club want to keep things "under wraps"?

The General has previously stated that cameras will be welcome, take as many pictures as you like. 8)