General Krulak (No Transfer Questions allowed)

[pablopicasso]

can i just pass on my compliments to the ticket people over the phone...

julie was extremely friendly and helpful when i spoke to her today...

some people dont get enough praise when they do their job well...

and you should know that "barneybears mate", thinks she is doing a sterling job..

[stato]

Thanks for being upfront with us General.

I must say that since I watched the farewell video on AVTV yesterday, I felt less inclined to insist we see him on the pitch as I think he knows what we all think of him.

[AvfcRigo82]

Hi there general,

I don't think we have spoke before and this is the first time i have posted on this thread!!

Firstly, just to say what a privilage it is to have such a great gentleman on board who listens to us fans and acts so responsible keeping fans enlightened, its just pure brilliance along with the rest of the great chaps you work alongside that are going to bring great success back to this club.

Secondly, regarding the post to the Rockingham Speedway thing and what they did to entertain fans!

I live literally 10 minutes walk from the actual Rockingham Speedway track itself and up until last year i used to go to the Nascar race day events when they happened, (it was something like 1 race every month from May-Oct) which would be the time they had bands/solo artists appearing to entertain before the racing itself!!

I agree 100% with this type of idea to, RE: getting stars in for say pre match entertainment, good recoginsed bands maybe?... I.E, Kasabian, Keane, Killers, U2, Foo Fighters, Justin Timberlake, Scissor Sisters etc or something like this that is gaurenteed to draw people.

It proved a success for the short term when they did do it up there, ok it was not the best of names of artists up there they had appearing, i.e Darkness, Honeyz, Rooster, ..maybe the 50 cent visit was the only best one of artists that was to appear because it was mainly new bands that were coming into the music scene that were mainly booked up there aswell as some other older recoginsed bands like Sugababes, Status Quo etc!, But the times they brought these bands to the venue, it generated extra crowds and proved a huge success, for which they have now stopped hiring bands to perform now for whatever reason i don't know, but its not as good now either because of it.

Now i don't know if it is something we could do every game but say bigger games, like FA cup matches, or Big Premiership Fixtures, i.e vs Manure, Arse, Liverplop, Chelski etc. and maybe if it was 4pm KO.

It could be an idea to start the show at 2pm before the game itself starts! (obviously 15 minutes at halftime for it to happen would be impossible!

Some may not warm to the idea.. but if it generates extra income, Club recognition and other fans warm to it then i think its a worthy idea! I don't know of any Premiership teams that do this.

What do you and the rest of the posters here think?

Up The Villa!

[Ginge]

In rugby i know they all stay behind after the match and drink,it could catch on in football but this would mean keeping the refreshment areas open after the game ,but if there is extra revenue in it why not give it a try?

[sparky]

Its such a shame that JPA will not be at Villa Park on Sunday.

Hopefully he may come back as suggested in the posts above. Ian Taylor came back after he had left and I think I speak for the majority of Villa fans in saying that we all really appreciated this chance to say farewell to a Villa legend and I think JPA would get an amazing reception if something similar could be organised.

Thanks for being straight to the point with us General, and even though this time it was bad news its quite refreshing to have such excellent communication with the people running the club. Top stuff.

Edit:

Just had a thought from another thread - General, what would the possibility be of arranging an extra friendly in the States with the New York Red Bulls? I think it would be excellent for us to follow JPA out there to help get our name about?

[OutByEaster?]

General,

A couple of thoughts on JPA;

Why not invite NY Red Bulls to Villa Park for a friendly prior to the 2008-2009 season. There's been some talk about having a friendly at Villa Park, it would help with getting the Villa name out to the States, JPA's name would ensure a bumper crowd, and the Red Bulls would get some excellent exposure.

Also, is there a possibility of having a book in the club shop until the end of the season, in which supporters can write their goodbye messages to JPA, with the book being presented to him in NY at the end of the year ?

Cheers,

OBE

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. I will run the idea of a friendly with Red Bulls up the flag pole and see if anyone salutes. I will get back to you. My sense is that it would not be this year.

2. New kit will be out late July/early August.

[nrogers]

Hi General,

I have say I am extremely disappointed with the departure of JPA, would it be possible to releasea DVD of highlights/Golden Years of JPA, I feel he has been a massive part of the club and I would also like to see some sort of salute to him around the ground, museum, just to remind us of what a great player we had.

Thanks

Nick

[Denis_B]

General,

A bit 'off topic' but you may not be aware of a charity that has been established to set up a hardship fund for UK nurses. It's latest theme is to sign up Premiership Players to donate their wages for the last day of the season and also for supporters and ex-players to pledge the same.

The novel way of showing support is to produce a League table to show where the support is coming from. I understand MON has signed up to this together with a couple of players but we are currently in 14th place in the table.

Could I ask you to circulate this worthy cause to players and staff at VP, and of course our beloved Chairman, so as well as making a good name for Villa we may all contribute to a good cause.

Please follow link http://www.maydayfornurses.com/index.php

And of course all you VTers are more than welcome!

[bully]

General,

I had the pleasure of playing in the Aston Villa golf day at The Belfry yesterday. In keeping with many other current Villa projects, the day was a marked improvement on the last one in which I participated. Martin O'Neill, all the players and staff really made us and our guests feel a part of the club. It was a fantastic day, please pass on my thanks to all concerned, we're already looking forward to the next one.

[lazarus_chin]

PS - any chance of sending the Villa to Australia for a pre or post season tour?

yes please.And if it Melbourne could be one of the destinations that would be fantastic.Football's really taking off here with the success of the A-League so there is a big market for football.Maybe a friendly against Melbourne Victory FC?

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. We are in the midst of a huge re-branding campaign that will be unveiled shortly. It will include sinage around Villa Park. Stay tuned, you will like it.

2. I have already asked a few people to look into what we might do for the Fund for UK nurses. Not sure what the result will be but...I am sure we will do something.

3. No trip to Australia is in the offing at the present time...sorry.

4. We are on page 201 of this thread....congratulations to the Fans of Villa Talk.

[mrshnn]

General i would just like to say thanks for your reply to my pm to you,and would like to especially thank nicola keye that lady is fantastic and she is a credit to the club,keep up the good work

[paddy]

and would like to especially thank nicola keye that lady is fantastic and she is a credit to the club,keep up the good work

Agree completely, her Alison and Janet are a real credit to this football club.

[paulanddonya]

Gen.

Why are you thanking us !!! , the fact you even looked on unofficial sites in the first place was a miracle, now, the fact you take time out of a schedule I couldn't even dream about (talking to presidents and stuff) to speak to me is absolutely gobsmacking !!!

Anyway - enough of the brown nosing !!!

I am sure this must have been covered somewhere but I can't find it. When the Holte was rebuilt in the mid-90's the geriatric told us "you will have a stand you will be proud of" - now, the pitch view I can't fault, the outside I can fault but you are putting those faults right , the concourse level is dowright depressing !!!

Now forgive me, I sit in L5, which if looking from the pitch is to the right of the goal - i've never ventured down the other end, but in my half there is one male and one female toilet block, one pie stand, one bookies and one programme seller. The walls are not painted and are just grey concrete and the floor, well I don't know what it is but it sure isn't pretty.

Will this be given a lick of paint and a spruce up? I know (and it's a sore point with me) we won't have anymore semis at Villa but I am sure Watford fans must have thought "so whats the big deal about this Holte End "

Heres to the next 200 !!

Paul

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. As many of you know, I spend a good bit of time walking around the stands...and the Holte End is where I have been the most. I know exactly what you are talking about. The plan is simple: We will improve the concourse (to include restrooms) and will improve the Holte Suite, the entrance, and continue to clean the place us. Many of you may not realize but Randy has had the entire stands steam-cleaned over the past two months. It had not been cleaned in years...decades. The amount of filth and accumulated dirt was amazing. If you could see the stadium when it is totally empty, you could see that it almost shines. Bottom Line: Randy and Richard know that we have work to do and is getting at it. We just need to understand that NOTHING happens overnight when it requires the type of effort needed at Villa Park.

[thetrees]

General Krulak here:

2. I have already asked a few people to look into what we might do for the Fund for UK nurses. Not sure what the result will be but...I am sure we will do something.

General,

Without questioning the validity of this and other causes, I am a little concerned about the number of requests that you and Mr Lerner are receiving to 'help' out.

Might I suggest that if you decide to donate in any way to the nurses cause, you link the size of any giving to the Villa fans performance in the league table shown on the website.

This I think would incentivise people to donate and reward performance, just as league standing and team performance is rewarded by higher attendances

[AvfcRigo82]

General Krulak here:

Bottom Line: Randy and Richard know that we have work to do and is getting at it. We just need to understand that NOTHING happens overnight when it requires the type of effort needed at Villa Park.

I totally agree with you General.

I and many others do accept the state of the club it was in when you first arrived 9 or so months ago, in which basically we were going downhill, backwards and beginning to rot!.

Many fans never returning, Key players ready to leave, 18th Century training ground facillities which our ex chairman tried to revamp but then stopped halfway through!, No money (or so we were forced to try and believe by the same ex chairman), just everything we looked at was turning into a disaster and really depressing in many ways.

In the course of the the last nine months that Yourself, Randy and Co have been here, the changes that have happened so far is just something i am and im sure i speak for others on this, still catching up and coming to terms of whats happening, its just phenomenal!

I could be here for hours explaining all the changes that have happened so far, - Brand New State of the art training ground facilities, Coach Trips for fans to away games paid for, Holte Hotel refurbishment, Money being spent on players we could only dream of doing 12 months ago, One of the best British Managers, The whole new setup of staff that are bringing this club on leaps and bounds, One of, if not, biggest kit supplier names in the sports industry is now apart of us, Stadium cleaned, pitch being watered again, A thread to be able to talk to you direct General where we can offer ideas, plus being informed regulary from yourself as to all the new changes and goings on in and around Villa Park is also unimaginable from what we had before.

Just from what i have reeled off, its just unbelievable all this and more has happened in the last 9 months or so and were not even finnished yet in terms of where Mr Lerner wants to take this club.

To say that what has changed so far, if only half of this amount had been done in the time you have been here would still have been brilliant!!

I get the feeling sometimes people don't understand things from this way and expect things to happen to quickly.

These days its not just about whats on the pitch in many cases.

If we want to be a top 4 club consistantly its going to take longer than some people may understand and have the patience for, they just want it at the click of a finger to sum it up. Proberly through no fault of there own but thats just the way it seems to be these days and i guess thats football.

I am pretty confident with the great Team on top we now have running our club that there is going to be more suprises instore along the journey to where we are heading and i am personally looking forward to it and i don't expect anything at all on a basis of, what can the Club do for me, it is more what is given in gesture from the club proves far greater when u don't expect it and it is always accepted now by myself no matter what. (Before, we would all question everything that came out our ex chairmans mouth)

Its going to take longer than nine months, longer than even 2 years or more yet for everything to be the way we all want it to be.

Its not going to happen overnight, it never does, because if you build the foundations properly at the start you will be stronger for the journey, if that makes sense.. suffer shorterm to be successful longterm! could be another way!

I fully accept that what has happened so far and from what we had before it is just a blessing, and i would just like to say i hope everyone that reads this, understands a bit better with the way things are happening if you were unsure up until now.

On this final note just once again a big big Thankyou to you General for your communication with us, and also please pass on a personal thankyou to Randy and everyone else involved bringing this club back to life.

Many Thanks!

Up The Villa!!

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Either I wrote the wrong reply or someone read my answer wrong...the new Badge will NOT be on the scarf. We could not put it on the scarf because it would have become "public" way before intended.

2. AvfcRigo82. Thank you for your most kind remarks...they meant a great deal and I have forwarded them on to Randy. NOW, you must stand by for comments about "kissing butt"!!! Treat them like water on a duck's back!! I expect to be given the good and bad over the next years...and I will accept both with the same attitude.

[Tubby]

hI General,

so the new badge wont be out before May 5th??

General Krulak here:

1. Either I wrote the wrong reply or someone read my answer wrong...the new Badge will NOT be on the scarf. We could not put it on the scarf because it would have become "public" way before intended.

Slightly concrete evidence don't you think?

On that note, when is it's release intended General?

Cheers

Jon