The General's thread - do not respond to other posts!

[VILLAFC2000]

General what do you think the club can do support the UEFA fair play rule...?

The UEFA fair play rule will only be as good as the way it is enforced by Platini and co.

As fans, Stakeholders and ambassadors of this fine historic football club we should be doing everything in our powers to make sure that this rule is not made a mockery of.

There are 20 teams in The PL, and Probably 75% of those teams would fight tooth and nail for a more even playing field and for the Rulings to be enforced.If all these clubs come together as one and sing from the same Hymn sheet, then this could make a diffidence.

However if clubs sit back and do little then the injustice is likely to go unnoticed.

All these clubs, fans and stakeholders needs to be pro active and put weight on UEFA to make sure the rule is acted out as it should be.

After all the PL is becoming the BORING. The same teams constantly winning everything.

[thegiddygambler]

General do you think this so called "fair play rule" has ben pretty much fatally undermined before it's even begun? By that I mean. One of this country's true great clubs arsenal sell ground naming rights and shirt sponsorship for £90million. An arab owned club with ZERO history sell naming rights and shirt sponsorship for £400 million, coincidentally to an Arab company!!! :shock:

[Corleone]

General

have you ever played in a football match

what position did you play.

if not , what type of footballer do you think you would have been in your prime, a speedy winger, creative midfielder ,defensive cloggero perhaps a goal poacher?

[Dodgyknees]

General what do you think of this?

Youth, the way forward

Just about to watch the AFC Wimbledon game and all football fans should rejoice at what their great fans have achieved.

What Wimbledon have shown us is that the fans are what counts the most at any football club and not money, not franchising, not ‘brands’ but the fans. This links nicely to the German football post I did last night because as PL fans we have been fooled and bribed into thinking football is about money.

I am like any other fan, I want money to be spent, money to be provided for signings but that era is over. Some clubs have realised this, some clubs do not care but as a fan we should. This is not about backing what Randy has done so far this summer because that is still not clear without his words. However I have pleaded before but I want Randy to state what his plans are and how we are going to achieve them. for me the only way is the German model.

OK there are things which can not be changed of course but there are certain factors I WANT to see implemented at Villa given the new reality and the last thing I want is some corrupt Arab owner. So what I am asking for is this

A CLEAR statement that the next few seasons will be about stability within the PL

For us to buy the odd good player but for the wage savings being made to help reduce the cost for the fans at the gate

For investments to be made in the Youth Academy, what I am talking about is for wage saving to be put into that to attract the very best in the UK.

I have no doubt that we as a country can create the next Spanish or German teams, I am 100% sure the players out there. What Randy needs to do is to set up a youth Academy far greater than we have now, the NEW Barca or Ajax if you like.

For example why can Villa not take over a few Birmingham youth leagues and run them under our academy status where certain guidelines over style of play, performance, player behaviour, respect towards refs and parental behaviour are set. Imagine how leagues would react knowing every game is possibly watched by someone from Villa.

I know it may be idealistic but let Villa start a revolution in how to develop players. Make the Birmingham and wider West Midlands Youth leagues the model of how to produce and develop players. Make it clear to those youth at Man city, Man U who will really struggle to break through that there is an alternative.

If Barca can produce 7 home grown CL winners, so can we, there is no reason why not.

However this would require patience on all our parts, no more quick wins, maybe some mediocre seasons in the name of long term progression and talent acquisition.

[jackbauer24]

General,

Please clarify for me, in very simple terms if need be, how exactly you feel the Villa board have 'backed' our new new manager.

I understand there are numerous ways one could quantify 'backing' but none of them stand up to scrutiny on this occasion.

You may argue we've spent loads - well we haven't, we've not spent a penny on transfers this season (I won't even go into previous ones)

You may argue we've improved the squad - well we haven't, we are lost a considerable number of 'starts' compared to last season (NRC, Young, Downing, Friedel amongst our top appearances)

You may argue we've improved the first XI - Friedel/ Given; perhaps, but N'Zogbia is probably not as good as either of Young or Downing (definitely Young) but certainly not better than both)

So how exactly do you quantify that he's been 'backed'? Please don't say we've 'bought two good players' because that only counts if you haven't sold your two BEST players for a ton of cash. No manager would have taken on the job without the belief that they could at least buy two players given all the departures. In fact, a goalkeeper HAD to be bought. So you've only 'treated' us to one player really at approximately a third of the cost in transfer fees of the two main departures and I'd guess a much higher percentage of wages.

I try to be civil and reasonable but some of the PR coming from your end is infuriating. We'd much prefer to hear "we'd LIKE to back him, but we can't this year" or some REAL information with maybe light at the end of the tunnel but you will never win trust with truly angering, and clearly rubbish PR, statements full of too much unrealistic positivity.

At least you've re-aligned your predictions for next year to 5th to 9th. Unfortunately I feel you've also missed the 1 on the start of both on those numbers....

[jackbauer24]

Oh and quick P.S.;

Most of the fans on this board have a job, I do too. In fact I am actually on holiday in the middle of the Czech Republic typing away on a dodgy hotel wifi connection and I can get on here more than a prescribed once a week.

You see, all us fans can. It's not hard. Once a week is a 'job' or, if you will, a PR commitment. We all care enough to find time,even if it be 5 mins in a foreign country to talk/ discuss/ worry about Aston Villa and we're not privy to 1% of the information you are.

I get so angry at PR. I don't even care whether facts are a little depressing, or realities need to be faced; it's when companies (and individuals General) start trying to talk rubbish to their consumers that gets me very irritated. I'm not speaking for everyone, but I imagine I'm also not alone in these views.

[Richard]

General can you explain something on wages to revenue please. If we have a youth player on low wages that then performs to an exceptional standard and helps drive the team to success at our level in the league, if that player then seeks a pay rise or through contractual negotiations a rise that would see him exceed the budget for that player will he be retained or let go to help us achieve the wage to revenue budget?

[Baalberith]

General,

I have STILL not received my season ticket and there is 10 days to go until the season kicks off.

This is shocking. I know we aren't at home, but I haven't been able to listen live to tonight's game for example or access the content on AVTV.

I probably speak for many when I say this is very poor service. The club are eager to take your money ok, but when it comes to sending out the Season Tickets, they are shockingly slow. Mates support Chelsea (got his mid July), Arsenal (got his 23rd July), Fulham (mid july).

Please let me know what is going on here and what we do if they dont arrive by season kick off. At least if the codes were sent out for AVTV before the season tickets we would have something to watch.

Totally agree. A multi million pound organisation. Yet it would appear that the word "organisation" needs the 3 letters; d, i & s in front of it.

[Alec]

General,

I have STILL not received my season ticket and there is 10 days to go until the season kicks off.

This is shocking. I know we aren't at home, but I haven't been able to listen live to tonight's game for example or access the content on AVTV.

I probably speak for many when I say this is very poor service. The club are eager to take your money ok, but when it comes to sending out the Season Tickets, they are shockingly slow. Mates support Chelsea (got his mid July), Arsenal (got his 23rd July), Fulham (mid july).

Please let me know what is going on here and what we do if they dont arrive by season kick off. At least if the codes were sent out for AVTV before the season tickets we would have something to watch.

Totally agree. A multi million pound organisation. Yet it would appear that the word "organisation" needs the 3 letters; d, i & s in front of it.

General,

I would have to echo this point.

I am still also waiting for my season ticket after having been told it would arrive no later than 6th August by the ticket office when I purchased it. In addition to the minor inconvenience of not being able to access certain aspects of the website as others have mentioned above (AVTV), I am also currently unable to secure further match tickets for the Wolves game due to apparently not having sufficient priveleges on my account (aside from now being a season card holder I also attended more games via online booking last season than the site states I require in order to purchase these tickets so there are also clearly issues with the ticket purchasing system/booking history itself). Very frustrating and, again, very disappointing when the season is now so near.

Maybe it is all a string of unfortunate coincidences but the facts are that Villa were the last to unveil their kits this summer, the last Club to put them on sale, the last Club to commence pre-season training, and now, it would appear, the last Club to issue season cards to the very supporters that have dug deepest to make a considerable financial commitment to the Club following a summer in which many feel - with some justification -that they have been ignored and taken for granted.

Can the Club guarantee that all season card holders will receive their packs before the first home game and are steps being put in place to ensure that the Club will not continue to be the last to conduct any of the above business in the future?

Many thanks.

[blandy]

For the people whose season tickets have not arrived yet, rather than wait for an appearance from the General, contact the ticket office and they will let you know what to do - probably along the lines of if you still haven't received them by a few days before Blackburn, then they would arrange for replacements to be sorted. CONTACT THE CLUB 0800 612 0970 (or +44 121 327 5353 from outside the UK), they are very helpful and it's better than venting on VT

[The_Rev]

General, you still have friends in the corps I presume? Can you make a phonecall or two and send in the boys to crack a few skulls in Birmingham? All of the SKY and BBC cameras are in London so nobody will notice!

[PIW]

General, Are we entering the Birmigham Senior Cup this year? Also - and this isn't a question - please make sure you have your contingency plan for a new manager in place because we'll need a new one quite soon I'd imagine.

[DelboyVilla]

General

When will we have straight short answers on the issues facing our club? You told us Randy would be issuing a statement in the near future? Where is this! There are a lot of concerned fans ATM and the silence on the boards part is only going to heighten this feeling.

Striaght forward statements is all we want!

[symmouk]

General,

Can you get your military buddies over here to kick some ass in London and Birmingham!!

[pacbuddies]

General,

Are you concerned that the USA has lost its AAA credit rating or are you of the same opinion as Mr Obama and it don't really matter what some agency says?

I am concerned if the US$ takes a tumble as I am doing some work for an American outfit soon and I may not get so many £'s for the $'s I will be paid!

If you are concerned it's okay because Uncle SAM has a friend across the pond that still has its AAA rating.

[Fuse]

General K

Any update from you on Randy's statement and when we might see this? Personally I am concerned that Randy may no longer have the funds available to shore up the finances of the club and that this is behind the lack of incoming transfers this season. If this is the case then given the global economic situation I am sure the fans would understand, however the not knowing causes more concern.

Appreciate you are very busy but if you do get 5 mins to update us I would be grateful.

[Biffta]

Hi General,

What does it feel like to be treated like a Secretary? most of my friends (theres about 8 of us) got our season tickets last week, one of our Friends did not, so he called the ticket office, they had sent it. He was told to wait a few days if nothing had arrived to call back. Which he duly did and his ticket was re-issued and he got it this week, very efficient...so back to my question, do you think as adults people should get on the phone and sort their issues out or are that stupid that they can't? did you know that the post office in the UK has a failure rate, that is not any fault of AVFC? Do you think that people are just looking for excuses to have a go at AVFC? Do some people make your blood boil? Do you wish you could still use napalm?

[Baalberith]

Hi General,

What does it feel like to be treated like a Secretary? .........so back to my question, do you think as adults people should get on the phone and sort their issues out or are that stupid that they can't? did you know that the post office in the UK has a failure rate, that is not any fault of AVFC? Do you think that people are just looking for excuses to have a go at AVFC? Do some people make your blood boil? Do you wish you could still use napalm?

Errm.....I had phoned the ticket office 5 times, same response, it is being processed. Nothing to do with the "Post Office", Father Christmas, or the Easter Bunny. It was still being dealt with by AVFC.

I just wanted to point out to "The General", and make him aware, that there were a lot of us who hadn't had our season tickets, as I don't believe that those at the "top" were aware of this situation.

Do you think that people are just looking for excuses to have a go at AVFC?

I am happy for you that you got your tickets last week Biffta. I am not looking for excuses to have a go at AVFC. But when I pay for goods, I expect them to be delivered.

As for the Napalm........harsh

Update........arrived today

[Richard]

General just to confirm the letter as sent by Mr Lerner to the season ticket holders, is that the statement you said he would make or is there another due ?

[blandy]

Club Announcement: For those with Season Ticket problems

Villa are calling on season ticket holders who have yet to receive their welcome pack by Monday to contact the club.

Season ticket holders who purchased their membership BEFORE Tuesday July 19 and are yet to receive their welcome pack are asked to contact consumer sales if they still haven't received it by Monday August 15.

If there has been an issue, a new welcome pack will be sent out.

Alternatively a new welcome pack may be collected from Villa Village.

Supporters asking to collect are asked to call ahead and leave at least three hours before pick-up.

The welcome pack is the must-have item of the summer, showcasing all elements of a bumper season ticket package.

As well as the season card itself, the pack contains an AVTV activation code card, vouchers for all elements of life at Villa Park, pinbadge, window sticker, seat plaque and DVD, featuring hilarious outtakes with legend Ian Taylor.

Don't forget, as well as the welcome pack, there are also additional benefits like news and views from the people that matter at the club and exclusive prize draws.

Call 0800 612 0970 for further guidance.