General Krulak (No Transfer Questions allowed)

[CVByrne]

I'm a foreign fan and even I think this idea of playing Premier League games abroad is wrong. I would be willing to take action against the idea. It's just totally wrong, wrong, wrong.

[El Zen]

General K, sir:

May I say, as a foreign fan who fell in love with Britain and the English game years ago, I would be very disappionted if my club supported this proposal. Like I said in another thread, if an English league game were to be played in Oslo, where I live, I would not attend. It is my opnion that playing league games abroad would upset the competetive balance of the league, it would be very unfair to the loyal fans who is the heart and soul of every club. The way I see it, the Premier League would be digging its own grave if this went through.

Take it from a foreign fan; this proposal is something that Aston Villa FC should not be backing. It would, on the other hand, make me extremely proud if the club spoke out against the idea.

[Shillzz]

General

Ive never posted in this thread before so i'd like to start with a massive thankyou. I cannot express in words just how much i appreciate the work being done by yourself and Randy. Regardless of the ups and downs we ALL know that fantastic work is being done and we're all thankfull for it.

I would also like to say thankyou for the vast amount of time you must spend on these and other boards. Although ive not posted in this thread before, i read your replies daily. I just hope that we do not deter your enthusiasm with typical british whinging.

I am here to raise 2 points if i may though.

Firstly I'd like to raise my hand for the "anti-playing-abroad team". If you could imagine that we spend the rest of the season fighting tooth and nail and finish 1 point above Liverpool, only to lose out due to a silly draw made out of a hat, then you will understand ,my concerns. Further more it could be possible that the club's fans are not there to witness one of the most important games of the season.

Im only saying this so that you are aware of my opinion on the matter, and would like to thankyou for taking into account our opinions on the matter.

The second point is more of a request.

When you walk through aston park to get to the ground you get hoards of people falling down the embankment right outside the holte/trinity road. Could i please suggest some steps?

Thanks Gen

[1982corp]

I cannot believe what I have just read on the OS. If you approve this you will prove my previous comments entirely correct. The question now: is Randy Lerner just another man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing? We'll find out over this.

The fans don't want this Mr Krulak The Football Supporters' Federation poll currently stands at 94% against even the very idea.

Like the overwhelming majority I'm disgusted that our club has even agreed to consider it. Disgraceful.

[stewiek2]

General,

Hate to bring more woe but I'm with everyone else on the subject of the league games abroad. Sure the NFL game at wembley sold out, but let's see how it does once it becomes a regular fixture, like the disasterous attempt of setting up a European NFL league, the London Broncos had to become a rugby team due to the huge fall off of support.

William McGregor must be turning in his grave at this preposterious idea.

[avillafan.com]

Well im very surprised villa agreed to this if im totally honest. The General did a interview with my website a few weeks back and we asked him a question about this and this was his reply..

Do you have any views on the globalization of the premiership?

From a personal standpoint, I would not like to see the Premiership go "global" at this time.

So im very shocked. I think its wrong to put down randy also, without knowing the reasons behind agreeing to this.

[c-krulak]

General Krulak here:

1. BELIEVE ME, I have heard you. I have communicated directly with Randy and he hears you too! My sense is that every owner in the Premiership is also hearing from their fans...the difference is that I have read your comments and passed them directly to Randy. First and foremost, Randy is not a money-grubbing foreigner who doesn't care about his Club. He, like me, loves England, loves English Football, and loves Aston Villa Football Club (I think he has shown that time and again). He would not do something that would hurt his Club or English Football. Part of "exploring" is to see and hear the feedback coming our way...we have certainly got that. I would ask one thing...trust Randy. He will not do anything that will hurt AVFC.

[PompeyVillan]

General Krulak here:

1. BELIEVE ME, I have heard you. I have communicated directly with Randy and he hears you too! My sense is that every owner in the Premiership is also hearing from their fans...the difference is that I have read your comments and passed them directly to Randy. First and foremost, Randy is not a money-grubbing foreigner who doesn't care about his Club. He, like me, loves England, loves English Football, and loves Aston Villa Football Club (I think he has shown that time and again). He would not do something that would hurt his Club or English Football. Part of "exploring" is to see and hear the feedback coming our way...we have certainly got that. I would ask one thing...trust Randy. He will not do anything that will hurt AVFC.

Thanks general, its great to know that Randy gets fan feedback, the one thing that I love about the US is something you mentioned a few posts back, quality service for the fan! Easily the best customer service in the premiership!

And now for a question regarding the Browns. What do the team and the coaches etc do during the off season over there, I realise there is a draft system, but do the coaches 'scout' players in the same way that we do here? And also, due to the good season that the Browns had, how high up on the draft picks will they get? I'm just getting in American football and enjoyed the Superbowl alot, all my friends are 'glory supporters' and have gone for the 'big' teams. Due to Randy and his regime, I'm Browns all the way!

[Flec]

General Krulak here:

1. BELIEVE ME, I have heard you. I have communicated directly with Randy and he hears you too! My sense is that every owner in the Premiership is also hearing from their fans...the difference is that I have read your comments and passed them directly to Randy. First and foremost, Randy is not a money-grubbing foreigner who doesn't care about his Club. He, like me, loves England, loves English Football, and loves Aston Villa Football Club (I think he has shown that time and again). He would not do something that would hurt his Club or English Football. Part of "exploring" is to see and hear the feedback coming our way...we have certainly got that. I would ask one thing...trust Randy. He will not do anything that will hurt AVFC.

Thanks again for your time, we can't ask for anymore than this!

[El Zen]

General Krulak here:

1. BELIEVE ME, I have heard you. I have communicated directly with Randy and he hears you too! My sense is that every owner in the Premiership is also hearing from their fans...the difference is that I have read your comments and passed them directly to Randy. First and foremost, Randy is not a money-grubbing foreigner who doesn't care about his Club. He, like me, loves England, loves English Football, and loves Aston Villa Football Club (I think he has shown that time and again). He would not do something that would hurt his Club or English Football. Part of "exploring" is to see and hear the feedback coming our way...we have certainly got that. I would ask one thing...trust Randy. He will not do anything that will hurt AVFC.

Thanks for the reply, General sir.

Believe me, as strongly as I oppose this proposal, I don't for a minute believe Randy's intentions aren't the best. I just think it's a very bad idea, and I'm glad Randy listens to us when we communicate that view.

On a brighter note, I'm leaving for the airport in just over half an hour to join the 80 man force of Norwegian Villans who'll be attenting tomorrow. Will you and Randy be at the game?

[1982corp]

All I can say on this occasion is thank you for coming back to us with reasurance but as always the proof will be in your actions.

Judging by the various threads on this board there is nothing further to explore that isn't to do with money. An overwhelming majority of our fans and football fans in general want nothing to do with it. Now let's set the example and be the first English club to come out and veto the very idea in public and no more articles from AVFC spokesman hailing it as exciting because that is very anti what your fans feel.

Don't let us down.

[ianrobo1]

I echo the sentiments of those above General, I am pleased to hear you have communicated with Randy and I hope that the plan is thrown out.

Howeverit has to be said we do not want to hear about any plan that includes moving PL games abroad.

thanks for Listening General.

[nrogers]

Cheers, General.... but if you could arrange a pre-season tour to NZ, that would be bllody superb!!

[myb]

thanks for the reassurance General... we trust you and Randy fully on this given your ace track record. Sure all fans of other clubs are able to communicate their feelings in the same way and get feedback from the director...

[markeefc]

General - I'm sorry that your worthy method of communication is becoming a single issue thread but this proposal strikes at the very heart of what English Football is all about. A local club playing in its local area supported (in the main) by local fans. I am surprised that Randy would consider it as to me its one step removed from what the Browns went through when they relocated to another US city. Terrible idea there, terrible idea here

[Daholteend]

Thanks for the re-assurances General Krulak .

A win win solution to the thorny issue being presented by Mr Scudamore might possibly be to play those "extra games" during the summer at some future date in the five cities they are considering overseas. The outcome of those games should have no bearing pointswise on the traditionally accepted system of the Premiership as it is currently played. Perhaps the Premiership could devise a Summer Cup Tournament in those five cities. This may have the benefit of promoting the Premiership internationally and help enhance the already considerable revenues for all the clubs involved and stave off the possibility of considerable fan unrest being ignited by the "concept" currently under discussion.

With perhaps only a couple of minor exceptions, the majority of Villa fans are considerably grateful for the huge personal investment Mr Lerner has made in AVFC and we do trust his integrity, as indeed your own integrity is never in question. Your exceptional history of Public Service is on record, and we are benefitting in so many ways from your regular contibutions and direct action in voluntary service for Aston Villa. So please excuse us if occasionally we come across as ungrateful,we are not, but we are somewhat passionate about our football clubs and even the remote possibility that our sacred icon might one day be globalised is as great a concern to us Villa fans as was the middle of the night flight that the original Browns owner did when he took the old Browns to Baltimore to the Dawg Pound.

As many know, Mr Lerner's father, your military comrade and friend, purchased back the name of the Browns from the owners of what is now the Ravens and using his own money gave back the city of Cleveland it beloved Browns. Because of this great family history, we Villa fans should rest assured that Mr Lerner is not likely to do anything that would compromise the fans of Aston Villa and we should, and in most cases do trust, his integrity to pursue his and our goals in accord with the Proud History, Bright Future mantra.

I do not question that Mr Lerner will always maintain the highest, brightest and best actions on behalf of Aston Villa. Thank you General Krulak . We appreciate the time and dedication that you place with us. I hope our passions for Aston Villa are not mistaken for ingratitude.

As you know, many of us fans have families that have supported Aston Villa for several generations and some even from the very beginning in 1874 . For one of the founding clubs like Aston Villa whose families have followed the various fortunes of the club through two world wars and the depression the idea of having the club start playing in Hong Kong and Beijing on a regular basis is anathema to us and our views are echoed by Malcom Clarke of the Football Supporters Association.

Ironically, clubs that are less entrenched in their proud history, because they don't have one seem to think it is adventurous. My own view is that owners of those clubs might be better suited to promoting mud wrestling and leave the playing of football to those clubs whose fans, players and owners truly love the game and their teams. Aston Villa is undoubtefly the club that personifies the very best traditions and ethos as Mr Lerner has often said. I am very happy that you have taken the time to voice our opinions to Mr Lerner and hope it will help him decide what is the best course for Aston Villa.

[stewiek2]

Like everyone else, many thanks for the feedback General.

Simply put, if the manager, players and supporters are against it, I'm sure that Villa, as founding members of both the football league and the premiership, will lead by example and voice our concerns.

[chrissmith921]

General Krulak here:

1. BELIEVE ME, I have heard you. I have communicated directly with Randy and he hears you too! My sense is that every owner in the Premiership is also hearing from their fans...the difference is that I have read your comments and passed them directly to Randy. First and foremost, Randy is not a money-grubbing foreigner who doesn't care about his Club. He, like me, loves England, loves English Football, and loves Aston Villa Football Club (I think he has shown that time and again). He would not do something that would hurt his Club or English Football. Part of "exploring" is to see and hear the feedback coming our way...we have certainly got that. I would ask one thing...trust Randy. He will not do anything that will hurt AVFC.

General, I appreciate the difficult spot this puts you (and the board) in - I can forsee that we will have the powers-that-be insisting we play abroad, and I feel it'll be you on here who gets the flack for it.

However, I believe it would be ridiculous of the club not to explore this, from purely a financial point of view. A lot of us have followed Villa for a long time - certainly pre-1995 when the big Sky cash came in (I know the deal was 1992, but 1995/6 saw the first massive bucks arrive) and remember a time when football was not so much governed by the money as it is now.

If it becomes that important to the club to play a game in China, to earn us 10 times the gate receipts that we would have had at home, please consider the price that long term, it will bring.

I can safely say I will never, ever return to Villa Park if this goes ahead, I will still support and love the club, but I will not be financially supporting it (buy purchasing merchandise, organising buses to the games for others in my area, buying tickets etc...) because it goes completely against everything I follow football for.

I hope to god that this decision isn't being rushed through and there is an opt-out clause available, because although Man Utd, Arsenal, etc will continue to fill their grounds, sell their shirts etc, we will not. We're not big enough, we don't have the global fanbase or recognition and the loyal fan base we do have will walk away, that I'm certain of.

I will certainly become a full time supporter of Bridgend Town (Welsh Div 1 - a side who pay their players in beer tokens) should this happen.

But General, I know you and Randy will do everything you can for the club, and will do whats right, but I urge you to understand what damage this will do.

[Yuen_Biao]

chrissmith921 -

I can safely say I will never, ever return to Villa Park if this goes ahead, I will still support and love the club, but I will not be financially supporting it (buy purchasing merchandise, organising buses to the games for others in my area, buying tickets etc...) because it goes completely against everything I follow football for.

However, to counter that there is some thought that Villa will indeed have to move with the times and that we do not want to be in a position of 'cutting off our noses'.

Financially speaking, Villa will have to agree for fear of not competing with the others in the league; we can still do this and keep our heritage and tradition as this will not be hindered.

Some of us are too keen to live in the past; I for one would love to see Villa playing overseas and reaping the financial rewards.

All things in life evolve and develop, football, business, and life all are entwined in this process; it is known as flux!

[b6bloke]

General although i am against the idea of playing games abroad i have faith in the Aston Villa board that this will not be rushed through without some sort of consultation.

I know that Randy is not a money grabbing chairman and i suggest to others to look back at when Randy said he would not sell the Villa Park name to make more money and it must be said more money than this playing abroad will make.

This anger is not aimed at you and Randy but we have seen football tradition get lost bit by bit every season.

Thank you for passing on our thoughts to Randy and though i know it would be mad to not even listen to what they are offering i hope we do not crawl over and die. I think the words go along the line of "pry the gun from my fingers"