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

[desensitized43]

General,

Just a couple of things (kind of related). First of all the last couple of games the half time entertainment has been just that, extremely entertaining! The guy with the throw in against Fulham was particularly funny and please pass that along to whoever is arranging this.

Secondly, at half time against Fulham while the guy with the throw ins was top notch the quality of the sound from the tannoy system was definately not. Sitting in the Holte End the sound was little more than a muffled inaudible noise (one of the guys in front of me who was a neutral from what I overheard also commented on how bad it was). I know this has been mentioned before so maybe plans are afoot to improve this or perhaps given the configuration of the stadium this is simply the best we can make it but is it possible we could get an update on what is going on with this?

Many Thanks for yours and everyone behind the scenes hard work!

[andycv]

General,

On the kit, can you give us an idea of when the club will be in a position to announce who the manufacturer will be?

[Shillzz]

General

Apologies if already mentioned, but a suggestion if I may, regarding ticketing.

It seems a shame that the first few rows of the Holte rarely sell out. It gives the impression of a half empty stadium on TV, and probably to the players aswell.

Might it be a good idea to introduce some kind of initiative to promote these seats to the public? Surely selling these seats perhaps cheaply to Football clubs, Kids, or even the public in general would be better than having them empty most of the time. Whatever the club has done seems to have worked wonders with the lower north, which is always packed, despite being a poor stand with a view that can be considered no worse than the lower holte.

[ChrisNichollsToe]

General,

When i bought my tickets first thing on Saturday morning via phone, i was told that only the Upper North was left, when clearly looking around the ground, that was not the case.

My preference was the Holte, and no disrespect to the good patrons of the upper North, its like a frigging morgue up there. If you sing, or attempt to sing, your looked on as something like an alien!!!

Why do ticket office staff say an area is sold out, when its clearly not the case?

[Denis_B]

General, if the club doesn't know which manufacturer we have, I assume any new or even existing one will need to design the kit, how will it be out earlier given the delays previously have occured when we knew in March who the supplier was and who the sponsior was?

[dudevillaisnice]

General, will Villa be doing anything for Comic Relief?

[Fuse]

Hi General K

I imagine the club are currently looking at season ticket schemes for next year. Could you look at having more group based discounts? I sit with a number of friends and family and I am sure this is mirrored across many supporters. It would be good if you could put together a scheme where the more in your group is relative to the greater discoutn you can achieve. Whilst it would potentially give existing supporters access to a better pricign scheme, it may also entice other people in to buying a season ticket for friends/family. Also it would need to be flexible as we sit in two rows as we can;t get all the seats together.

Also well done on the PA system in the Holte End, it is far better now than earleir in the season.

Oh and a big well done to all concerned - GH, PF, Randy etc for a fantastic transfer window. New hungry players coming in and a net reduction on the wage bill I gather.

Hi General K,

Not sure if you missed my question on page 9 (above) on possible group season tickets?

On a different note. The crowd on Sat was disappointing in compariosn to previous family fun days and I wodnered if the club were factoring in that there are many pubs showing Villa games live on a Sat afternoon where people can go and spend the price of a ticket getting drunk as a lord whilst watching the game. I think that we could be losing a lot of support due to this factor.

On the same note, does Randy still believe we can average more than 40k a game again like we did a few seasons ago? I personally think if we get it right on the pitch and we see some silverware then we still ahve the potential to have crowds worthy of increasing capacity.

[deeps]

Hi General,

I just want to ask about the kits again. Nike have done a top job on the kits and gear since we signed a deal with them and in my opinion they are the best we have had in a long long time. I was just wondering if what you say is true and that the deal with Nike ends this season will the club continue getting kits and gear with them?

I do hope so because as I said they stuff is top!

Cheers!

[c-krulak]

General. Krulak here:

1. Correction. Our contract with Nike ends in the summer of 2012....my mistake...senility setting in. Kit manufacturer will be decided like any business decision is made.

2. Mackavfc40: I am not sure that it is worth answering your questions other than to possibly feed headlines for the local papers. I am not going to do that.

3. Fuse: I have passed your comments plus those that have been made on other threads to Nicky Keye so that she has a good idea of what suggestions the Fans have re. Ticketing.

4. My sense is that we will be doing something for comic relief.

[Pricey_1984]

Hi general,

just wanted to state on the kits, i think nike is the best we have had in a long while not just kits but the training tops and tracksuits as well etc, so when the contract expires would like to see nike continue if theres no one better.

anyway my one gripe about kits this season is that i haven't been able to get the goalkeeper shirt in a adult size all season as i dont think they have been on sale in adult sizes all season. is there any reason for this?

ive tried the online shop and the club shops on a game to game basis all season.

[theunderstudy]

Hi Gen

Are there any plans for a repeat of the open training session like we had in October? (I think)

[darrenm]

Hello General.

When I go to the games I can't help but feel that a lot of tricks are being missed by the hierarchy. We seem to be stuck in the same mindset as all other clubs, in that everything is done in a certain way, and that must be for a good reason. I always expected that with yourself and Randy bringing fresh ideas from outside the box and across the pond, we'd see some pioneering developments in English football. Allow me to elaborate:

Internet Access / mobile cell : Most people can't get a mobile signal and / or mobile data inside the stadium (Personally I'm fine, I'm on T-Mobile and get incredible signal, if anyone needs a good connection around VP, look for the AndroidAP hotspot and I'll share ). It would be easy to get someone in (or do a deal with a mobile provider) to set up a cell inside Villa Park, and charge an extra £2 per ticket if required, or run a membership scheme etc.

Food court / restaurants / pubs inside the stadium : Even if the North Stand doesn't need to be rebuilt for current attendances, for the price it would cost, it would still be worth rebuilding this over the car park with lots of money-making potential housed above. You could have lots of franchisees such as Subway, McDonalds, KFC etc. and make it so the act of visiting Aston Villa for a match doesn't just consist of turning up 5 mins before kick-off and making it out as quick as possible after the final whistle. This kind of thing would really enhance the match-day experience.

Cash-points inside the stadium : Every single time I go to a match I spend more than I thought I would and need to get more cash. I think the club must miss out on so much revenue from people running out of money and not being able to spend more on food and drinks.

Redesign of the food areas with more modern approach : There has to be a more effective way to sell 20,000 people a Balti pie or Chips n Curry sauce within 15 minutes? Separate queues for simple items? Industrial-scale vending machines for drinks / cold food. McDonalds do that kind of thing in their busiest stores.

Ability to select specific seats on eTicketing : Speaks for itself. Easy to do, coupled with Print-Your-Own-Tickets, and as mobile phones are starting to support NFC in the same way as Transport for London works with Oyster cards, why not a wireless entry system, with Oyster-type passes available to buy, or data downloaded direct to someone's phone?

I've got loads more, feel free to give me a shout if you want any more ideas / details

It seems that Randy has supported the club by allowing the fans to take the lead with items such as the McGregor statue, Holte Pub refurb etc. which are brilliant gestures but now, to me, I think the club has to maximise revenue from every area.

Thanks for reading.

[Shoody]

+1. Technology and increased revenus streams will be huge in the future, If we can get in on this early it will be fantastic for the club. General I would strongly insist on NFC payments. By this time next year everybodies phone will have it in and every shop in the country will be scrambling to add it in. Getting it into Villa Park will increase revenue. Similar to people with debit cards and in putting a pin number - people don't see the money so don't realise they've spent it. With a swipe of a phone across a machine it is noticed even less so. Heck, most stadiums don't have ATM's inside (was very surprised Old Trafford doesnt!). A £1 fee for using an NFC enabled phone for payment (it will be cutting-edge technology and people will use it to look cool) will not only pay for the implementation for it. but if just half of the normal attendance uses NFC payment (lets say 16,000) by next year (new Google and iPhones will have it). would = £304k revenue

More things from American Sport can make the trip across the pond. Activities at Half Time on the field. with a 'lucky fan'. Cross Bar Challenge with a few fans. Penalties vs Siegrist. Anything like that can create an atmosphere, a sense of a real event inside the stadium... And if you raffle off the spots to do it (take a penalty infront of 36,000 people) at 50p a go, your on to a winner.. some might say its a bit cheesy but if 6,000 people a week were giving it a go by the start of next season we'd be looking at £3k a week in revenue throughout a season.

(estimated Revenue only calculated for the 19 Home Games in a PL season. Get us into Europe and do well in the cups - more games - more revenue - bigger crowds - more revenue )

[cheltenham_villa]

general, just to touch on an earlier comment regarding selecting seats from e-ticketing. if you are a registered member of the Leeds website, when you go to select tickets it allows you to book seats that you have previously sat in. Excellent feature if you know somewhere was particularly good.

[micflair]

Food court / restaurants / pubs inside the stadium : Even if the North Stand doesn't need to be rebuilt for current attendances, for the price it would cost, it would still be worth rebuilding this over the car park with lots of money-making potential housed above. You could have lots of franchisees such as Subway, McDonalds, KFC etc. and make it so the act of visiting Aston Villa for a match doesn't just consist of turning up 5 mins before kick-off and making it out as quick as possible after the final whistle. This kind of thing would really enhance the match-day experience.

These would be awesome General inside the actual concourses, and unique to us - they have these places in Amsterdam (I only went for the sights honest)

[symmouk]

General,

Please pass on my huge thanks to Nicky Keye and her male colleague (I have forgotten his name :s) who arranged me to pick up a ticket at Chelsea for the game. I had an amazing game, sat next to Guzan's brother too!

Thanks again and its great to have you back!

[Alec]

General,

Hope you're well sir.

A further ticketing question - and one that ties in with hopefully turning around any disappointment with recent attendances;

I have been attempting to purchase the Spring Hat-trick Ticket package for the past week (since it started advertising) to no avail. I keep getting the message that I don't have the correct priveleges but, unless I am mistaken, there are no prerequisites listed as being needed to buy these tickets. I waited until the Blackburn tickets went on general sale (as they have this morning) but this has made no difference. The Wolves and Newcastle games are not currently on general sale but I assume the latter two won't be until after the Blackburn match has already been played which makes the fact that there is no information that would confirm when I will be able to buy the ticket package or what I need on my booking history in order to qualify, confusing and frustrating.

Now, having bought my first house last year, football had to take a bit of a backseat for much of 2010 but having got Christmas out of the way I have been able to start attending again in the last few weeks and hopefully I will be able to go back to having a season ticket again in the summer. In the meantime, any saving I can take advantage of (such as the 20% on offer here) is massively welcomed and would make it possible to go to each of these three matches where previously I would maybe have had to choose two. I'm sure there are many others that would agree and this would hopefully go some way to ensuring that each of these games - none of which, with the best will in the world, are going to sell out - will have higher attendances. So does one just continue to wait? Or do you take the plunge, forget about the deal and buy a Blackburn ticket then choose one of the remaining two nearer the time?

You have a good product to sell, at a good price - and I can't currently buy it. If others are in the same boat then it makes even less sense. I appreciate that priority should be given to those who have attended more games where tickets are scarce but that situation is plainly not an issue at Villa Park at the moment and with no indication as to when this offer will be available or what one needs to have in order to take advantage of it, I am frustrated that I need to chase the club for information that should be clear for all whenever these things go on sale. I haven't been able to get through to ticketing as of yet this morning but I'm sure I will soon enough - my point is that there are simply too many variables that are not satisfactory regarding tickets and, as others have said, the system in place is both not good enough in respect of other ticket-purchasing facilities for sports or other events, nor the management of what is still in place.

Attendances need to be higher; I think we all appreciate that. And as nice as family fun days and pre-match entertainment is, the club could be doing a lot more to help itself by making the process of buying tickets a lot easier. If not, this will continue to be another factor as to why turn-outs are lower than hoped for.

Thanks.

[Richard]

General Krulak here:

1. don't_do_it_doug: Our goal now that window is closed? To win as many games as we can...preferably all of them! Realistically? To not drop points against teams we should beat and get points off of teams that are a bit tougher. We want to rise in the table as far as we can.

General do you feel Fulham was a team we "should beat" and can you advise which of our remaining games are against teams you think we should beat.

[Richard]

General another question from me please. I have read the opening post of this thread and the bits in it about hard and ugly questions and the bit about questions of an incendiary nature. Also I have read the questions and answers on every page of this thread upto this point just to make sure this question has not been asked so, is your presence on this and other sites now permenant or have you told the owners of these sites that you will disappear should there be too many questions you deem to be incendiary ?

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Richard: Thank you for reading the opening post of this thread...because it lays out the ground rules of how the mods and I believe we can have the most helpful thread...both for the Fans and the Club. Simply put, as long as the comments are respectful of all concerned...as long as we do not identify specific players or people associated with the Club in a disparaging manner....as long as we don't get into the specifics of transfers (players, targets, money, etc)...then I am more than willing to take on the "good, bad, and ugly." We all need to remember that this thread is read by more than just Villa Fans...it is read by the media. The media has shown themselves to be more than willing to take comments out of context and splash them across the papers. This doesn't do any good for our Club. I did NOT "disappear" because there were "too many questions you deem to be incendiary:...I had a medical issue of long standing that kept me from being on the Boards. Simple as that. As for games we should win....I think we have a good chance in the vast majority of the games we have left to play...but I am just one fan and do not have a crystal ball. From my background in the Forces, I really never think about NOT winning.

2. Alec: You make a good point...I will pass your comments on to Nicky Keye.

3. There are some VERY good suggestions on technology enhancements and their use at Villa Park. I am discussing them with our IT folks and we will be looking hard at them. You all are correct, the quicker we can take advantage of what we know is coming from a technology standpoint, the better off we will be.

4. For those who have specific questions on ticketing, please contact Nicky Keye. We are, in fact, working hard at getting our site up that will allow visibility on seating options.