General Krulak (No Transfer Questions allowed)

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. Yes, the 32Red.com contract is up at the end of this season. We are currently looking at other options but it is far too early to say anymore than that.

2. Chris: Please call Nicky Keye and relate to her the problem you had with Wigan tickets. We obviously need to learn from these difficulties. Nicky DOES read this thread but a call from you would also help.

3. Fuse: I don't think I have ever said or hinted that I did not want to hear the "good, bad, and ugly." The issue has never been the topic...good or bad.

4. Robulas: Bottom Line, I think you are wrong. I honestly do NOT believe that the empty seats at the ManU game can be TOTALLY laid at the feet of the price of a ticket. YES, that was a part of the problem but there were other issues...to include timing near the holidays, on the telly, desire not to deal with ManU and ManU fans, number of times we have played ManU, importance of the FA Cup in some folk's minds, etc. etc.

5. Shortshadyuk: Lee Preece can help you with the brick.

6. Stadium improvement for Olympics and for our own Club. As I have mentioned before, we are looking at taking action re. the stadium. We have people looking at potential construction options now. It would be premature for me to make any specific comments because we just aren't at that stage right now. When decisions are made, we will absolutely make the fans aware of what we are doing...just like we did with the Holte Hotel and Bodymoor Heath...to include pictures.

[sm]

On ticketing, you make a choice on whether or not you want to go to the game. I am a season ticket holder who did not go, not to do with tickets but because something else came up. Don't blame the club. Our ticket prices are one of the best in the top flight. Man U were going to charge up to £47 if there was a replay.

General - Being ever mindful of the parking situation near Villa Park, I know from the Supporters Consultation Meetings that the club have set up a working group on this to look at options. I believe the four bus routes were set up as a result of those discussions. Is the club looking at a park and ride scheme for motorists? if so, do you have any idea when the issue may be progressed.

Finally, thank you very much once again for taking the time to answer fans queries. Much appreciated.

[holte_k1]

General Krulak here:

1. At the same time, what if the score had been 2-nil Villa and you had been there, in your seat, to see it? How much would you have paid to see it? .

General your missing the point. It would have been marvellous to see us win 2-0 but i still wouldn't have been there. Because i and many others couldnt afford £32 quid in a period of 3 games in 10 days just after Christmas even if gaurenteed a 10-0 win.

LV has already posted that the ticket price issue has now been covered. Both set of views and the answers. No more on the same points already made please, folks. Ta. Blandy

[Guest Ricardomeister]

General, you missed my question on the Blackburn game. Can you please advise if this will be re-arranged to a more suitable date. Thanks

[hughser]

General, quick thanks for all the work that has been done over the last 18 months. If the next three and a half years maintain this sort of progress I'll be more than happy.

[uncle_junior]

I wish the General would just make it clear. Did we or did we not try to get lower ticket prices only for Man United not to agree?

[terrytini]

Hello General

A few quick ones ;

1. A while back I asked about having benches/seats around the wall of the Upper Holte concourse, and 'bar stools' under the big windows - for those oldies amongst us who get there early but could do with the odd rest. At the time you said you'd look into it..any news ?

2. Whats happening with the music for the teams coming out ? Most liked the old piano "Theme from unmade silent Movie", and most I know were also happy when we changed to Arcade Fire - but now it's changed again. A silly little point in one way but I think most would agree we should decided on something and stick with it. Which leads me on to..

3. I know you know, but the P.A. announcements have gone from bad to worse - now completely inaudible in the Upper Holte.

4. As is the acoustics from the crowd singing - any chance of an Anfield style acoustic roof so our singing really resounds around the ground ?

5. Opening times - I've always got to the ground early, but it opens later and later these days and we get stuck outside - for a 3pm kick off it always used to open about 1pm, to 1.15pm, now it's more like 1.50. This is now a regular occurence, which I think is odd as I know the club liked the idea of fans making more of a day of it.

And, sorry, but I have posted on here regularly supporting every single thing Randy and MON have done, never said one single negative comment, except once - yes you've guessed it. The Man U game has gone but I hope the Market Research people at the Club do a poll to discover at what price points (in the future) they can economically fill the ground for cup games, as they missed a trick here as so many have said.

Notwithstanding any of that, can I again express my gratitude to you and Randy for giving us back our club to such an extent that it again plays a huge and positive part in my otherwise difficult and stressful life.

All the best.

[BOF]

Hi General,

I am wondering if Martin O'Neill realises just how nasty the reaction would be from the fans if Martin Laursen was somehow allowed to leave the club? I can't help thinking that he doesn't, and I hope for his sake he never has to.

Are you able or willing to convey to us just how hard the club is actually trying to hold on to our best player? I wouldn't normally ask that type of question, but I feel so strongly on this issue that I just have to ask. I would be sick to my stomach if we let him go.

Kind Rgds

Brian

[TheSufferingVilla]

New York to Villa Park 2008 Review

General you will no doubt remember my trip over to Villa Park last Christmas and the lengthy review I compiled afterwards to refresh the memory it's here, well this year I was back for the Spurs game and as an added treat I brought my American wife for her first Villa park experience. We met up with a fellow US Villan and his first time wife who were in the area visiting family, here's the full rundown:

Club Shop To start last year review I had a little rant about the club shop in the city centre, General the new shop blew me away, what an improvement. Reading about it on here I made an assumption to its location, I was wrong, the actual location is better than I could have imagined. Nobody, of that I'm sure, could visit Brum and not see the store. Get off the train and take the logical walk up the main street, seeing all the usual stores Primark, BHS and... what is that classy looking joint right there? is it an Apple store? no, is it Gucci? no, could it be Chanel? doubtful, Prada? surely not, it's Aston Villa. The shop oozes class from the outside. Last year I was a little disappointed by a lack of branding/presence in the city, this simply surpassed all my expectations.

Inside the shop is equally as tasteful albeit a little lightly stocked (though that could have been due to the time post Christmas), was surprised by the empty space near the front upstairs, I assume this is set aside for a future ticket office or something. The staff were friendly and the product presentation top notch, in all highly impressed. I also visited both club shops by the ground, the mini one beneath the Holte Hotel is very cool. The main shop looks a lot better than last year, new signage and a facelift? Couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Two minor gripes with the inside - no mirrors, I simply cannot bring myself to splashing 50 pounds on a jacket without seeing it in a mirror. No American Express accepted, granted this is the norm in England but surely it can't be too difficult for the club to handle.

Around the ground Huge improvements General, the signage is excellent. I was delighted to see the new signs on the train platforms, bravo. Although I'm sure many people (first timers) get off at Aston not knowing Witton is closer, not sure how you could convey via station sign that the next stop is less of a walk. I'll jump back to my suggestion last year that on match days the club should pay 1 or 2 people to stand around New Street station giving instructions on getting to the ground and back, it would be a nice touch for visiting fans. The North Stand really deserved that cleanup, another job well done it really dragged down the overall appearance of the ground, amazing what a bit of sand blasting can do. Love the new signage on the stands and it's glorious when lit up. The giant TV's are a great addition and one I'm sure that will be appreciated for years. Tickets were Lower Holte this year, the concourse like the Trinity looks bleak and dreary, could do with a little updating. I noticed a big improvement in the food stalls, service was very efficient and the product well priced, the bathrooms were also quite good and I for one saw no evidence of smoking.

Holte hotel Love it, it's a real jewel in the crown of Aston Villa. Not sure really how to put it into words but the club finally has a club house where the fans can go and feel like they belong. It is a pity that space is limited on match day to invite only, but what can you do? It's not like the place could accommodate 20,000. I was surprised by how many staff were on hand, seemed a little excessive. The atmosphere is a little odd and I am struggling to understand it, I suppose it's like going to your bosses house for dinner, you appreciate the hospitality still it's hard to relax and put your feet up. In time I expect as people become more accustomed to it 5 or 6 invites down the line they may let their hair down a bit and raise their voices to more than a whisper. Pre match aside it is a glorious addition to the club and a place all Villa fans can be proud to have year round.

other notes and suggestions

This year we escaped the ground by car and got to experience the horrific traffic. It's astonishing how quickly people attempt to disperse Villa Park and it's not hard to imagine that if even a small percentage hung around for a bit then everyone would get home easier. Not sure how many attractions the club could provide to keep a couple of thousand people around after the game. Perhaps the club could arrange some action on the pitch after the big game ends, such as a youth game or reserve training session, perhaps it's a hair brained idea, but I'd happily stick around if there was something worth doing.

The City Center shop was closed on New years day, normally I can understand a shop closed on a bank holiday but this was also a match day and I saw more than a few disappointed fans going up to the closed doors, considering the time of year they may well have been home from overseas and taking a trip to their Villa.

Still see nothing Villa related at the Airport.

Is there any way to have the post match interviews broadcast on the screens inside the ground? On my way out I noticed one of the TV cameramen was watching them on a little screen, it couldn't be too hard to pipe it through the PA and would result in less of a scrum exiting especially if they delay the broadcast for 5 or so minutes.

The ticket office as always were a great help in accommodating visiting US Villans. Throughout the year we have people jetting over to see games and in most cases it's the class 'A' games that are chosen, as you can imagine it's better to make a 6,000 mile round trip to see Villa play the likes of Arsenal rather than Scunthorpe. With games like this being class 'A' we can't get tickets through the normal channels since they are only made available to those with a purchasing history. Granted all we have to do is call Nicky or anyone at the ticket office and they will sort us out but this is surely a strain on their time that could be better spent elsewhere. Perhaps the club could establish a channel for overseas fans to get their tickets via their nearest supporters club by maybe giving the clubs special accounts on the online box office. Anyway something to think about down the line.

We received an offer for a guided tour from Dan Meredith before the match, Katrina Adamson had emailed us but unfortunately we failed to check our email and weren't able to take up the offer a big thank you to both of them and Alan Perrins, they are doing a cracking job.

In conclusion General, off the pitch the Randy and his A-team are doing a fantastic job rebuilding our great club and I honestly believe we could not be in better hands, since we started our little supporters club in New York last year interest is growing in leaps and bounds, we are now in contact with fans across the US with more appearing each and every week. Many are old Villans who lost their way but never their love and were awoken by Randy's new dawn. More importantly others are new fans picking a club for the first time and identifying Villa over the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal. Why do they pick Villa? is it the history, is it the players? or the poetic name? No it's the whole package. Later this year we hope to bring a good number of US based Villans over for a game, some will be returning for the first time in many a year some will be experiencing Villa Park for the first time regardless I have no doubt that all will be impressed.

As I was browsing the club shop prior to kick off, I noticed two young lads maybe 16 or 17, could have been brothers, judging by their physique and matching tracksuit tops they were young footballers possibly South American. My instant guess that the two lads were over on trial or considering joining our academy, they picked up a scarf each after reviewing all the options and I saw them in the car park a few minutes later scarves on taking in their surroundings and full of excitement. Now who knows the identity of the two young lads or what they were doing at VP, my assumptions could be way off but if either of them was the next Ronaldo then how impressed he must have been when he left our fine stadium 2 hours later.

Aston Villa are back, the jobs not finished but I can't help but feel it will be a masterpiece upon completion.

Now for a picture or two

Just what was needed.

Sinage is brilliant all round the ground.

Hotel is simply stunning.

North Stand cleans up very well indeed.

Texas sized TV's, a great addition.

A bunch of happy visitors, myself and wife on right.

[paulanddonya]

gen

I forgot to ask the question I came on here for:-

Last year you said the release of the new kits was delayed due to the late signing with Nike. therefore, have you an idea when the 2008-2009 kit will be available this year. If at all possible, the club would make a fortune if it come out late May-June time as people like me will buy it to show off on my Tunisian holiday in the summer !!

Or, can we not even think about it until the sponsor is sorted ?

On that note, I've just seen an advert for MBNA - the first time I have ever seen a TV advert for them - so does this mean they are trying to get into the UK market, if it does - it makes sense doesn't it ........

[1982corp]

Why the hell are we offering council workers reduced ticket prices?

What is the difference between them and the rest of us?

The club have really pissed me off over ticketing in the past few weeks and this just really sums it up. Your doing a great job of alienating fans who pay through the nose to follow this football club at the moment. You won't subsidise families who can't afford to pay £19 per child for a game straight after Christmas but you will subsidise council workers who earn more than most private sector workers. Thanks a lot.

Are we starting to see the real picture all of a sudden? All this talk about you wanting this club to be about family and the fans seems very hollow at the minute.

[Stevo985]

Hi General!

First time posting in your thread, most of the questions I have tend to be asked by others.

What I'd like to know is can you give us any indication of how far along the search for a new sponsor is? Obviously you can't give us specifics, but how close are we to knowing who it will be? If we are nowehere near that stage, do you know when that stage will come?

I'm in no rush to know the outcome, as long as the club gets a hatful of cash for it I don't really mind what my shirt says! Curious is all!

[markavfc40]

General,

Another nice gesture with the 2000 tickets at £10 for Birmingham City Council workers.

On top of all the other ticket offers this last 18 months I am sure 99.9% of fans are very appreciative.

[Tomaszk]

Hi General,

Same as BOF really. I know you don't have direct interaction on the playing side, but could you maybe clarify if we are in advanced contract dicussions with Martin Laursen? Or have they hit a bit of a brick wall?

It would be devestating to us as a club to lose a player of that ability. It would set us back big time next season, no way we'd be getting these clean sheets unless we plan to buy a £15-20m defender to replace him.

Thanks

[VillaAsh]

General,

When you offer discounted tickets in an effort to attract new supporters and then you receive comments like the one 4 posts back, you must feel that you can do no right!

I for one am greatful that the club is now prepared to be so generous and make offers such as these.

[villianusa]

I am new to the site but seeing a refreshing change to see someone so close to something important to so many, take the time out to respond to the questions.

I moved to Texas a few years back but I do get to see the Villa play on Fox soccer world. I have seen great improvements in the team, and the quality of players coming to the club. I am sure January will be a little crazy but keep up the good work.

Thank you.

Only one negative, if the forums on the Villa site could be updated to the quality of this it would be nice. But know I have arrived here, I'm not so worried.

[kurtsimonw]

General,

Sometimes I wonder why you bother! The complete lack of respect you find around here is amazing, you offer some of the lowest prices in the league, but as usual, people want them even lower and extra discounts, shocking really. I think people should appreciate the low prices Villa have, not only that but the extra offers you've given out (Council worker discounts, free travel to Chelsea..) I would like to thank you for everything MON, Randy, the board and yourself have done for this club in the last 18 months!

Anyways, to the questions.

1) Obviously it depends on when the new kit sponsorship deal is sorted out, but that aside, can you give us an idea of the date you'd like to get the kit out on general sale?

2) Not sure if it's been asked/answered.. Is there anything the club can do to take action against United for one of their fans throwing a flare onto the field of play? It's quite disgraceful, and something I don't want coming into English football.

3) And finally, when are Randy and yourself going to be coming over for a Villa game?

Thanks, Kurt.

[b6bloke]

General i would like to congratulate the club yet again for doing another 2000 ticket offer this shows again that the club are going in the right direction. I know a few who took up the 2000 ticket offer for the portsmouth game. Keep up the good work!

[chrissmith921]

General,

Another nice gesture with the 2000 tickets at £10 for Birmingham City Council workers.

On top of all the other ticket offers this last 18 months I am sure 99.9% of fans are very appreciative.

I'd be even more appreciative if they offered free tickets to computer programmers from South Wales!

Anyway back to my main point - obviously the roads around Villa Park are completely out of Villa's control, so can spend upto an hour queuing to try to get out of the area, ultimately, I aim to leave when the 4th official holds the board up with remaining time - as I have a 2 1/2 hour drive afterwards so those 3-4 minutes save me an hour usually.

My point is, as others obviously do the same thing, it means many are left in and around the ground after the game - is there anything the club can do to help with the traffic situation in the area after games? Park and Ride, deals with the train companies that people with match tickets or season tickets travel for free on trains to Witton, etc etc..

I'm not alone in people who leave early to avoid the traffic - but I wonder if theres an opportunity for some brownie points in terms of PR here?

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Chris

[avilla1982]

General,

Another nice gesture with the 2000 tickets at £10 for Birmingham City Council workers.

On top of all the other ticket offers this last 18 months I am sure 99.9% of fans are very appreciative.

could this be a clever way of getting the council on our side before planning goes in for the north stand rebuild as doug didn't have the best of relationship with the council :?: :?: