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Author Topic: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.  (Read 17604 times)

Offline The Laughing Policeman

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I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« on: February 10, 2013, 12:16:32 PM »
Dear Mr. Lerner,
                     Today my football club are playing West Ham at home and I wont be going to the game simply because I feel that I as a fan and supporter  not valued by the club anymore.
I was taken to Villa Park as a nine year old in 1955 and was smitten. Since that day I have experienced all the highs and lows that go with supporting a football club but I've never before had this feeling that I just can't be bothered to travel the four miles to Villa Park from my home.
Even when the wheels well and truly came off in the late sixties early seventies I still went to every home game and for three years never missed a game home or away. Maybe it was youthful enthusiasm that kept me going through those dark days, but I believe it was because the club had a plan and it was communicated to us the fans so that we knew where we were heading.
Today in the age of instant communication we don't know what your vision for the club is or where you are trying to take us. A rudderless ship is exactly what The Villa looks like at the moment.
Some of the things being done off the pitch are excellent, but you can't parade through the city to a civic reception  waving carbon certificates.
I'm sorry Mr. Lerner but I still don't think that you really understand the depth of feeling that football fans have for their clubs. You have never had to go to work in a factory or office on Monday morning after a bad defeat at the weekend and have a lot of your work colleagues really take the piss. It really does hurt deep down in a way that I can't explain.
When you took over the club you said that you were the custodian of our great club and you laid out a plan that we all bought into, we now know that the plan was flawed for certain reasons but we haven't been told what the revised plan is. We just seem to be drifting on a downward spiral with no effort being made from on high to put a stop to it, it really does look to us as if the club is resigned to relegation.
During the January transfer window Paul Lambert said he was looking to bring in a decent central defensive midfielder and a couple of defenders. What happened?
We're not asking you to spend your entire fortune on overpriced, overpaid players (we know that doesn't work) all we ask is that we have players good enough to give a good account of themselves and not have us scrabbling around at the bottom of the league. A few years of mid table obscurity is preferable to what we are going through at the present.
We know that you are a very private person and you aren't keen on being in the limelight and I don't think any Villa fan is asking that you make pronouncements after every game or even to attend every game (although that would be nice) but please, please come out at this very important time in the clubs history and tell us what your plans are for our club, all we have at the moment is rumour and supposition and it isn't very good for the morale of the fans turning up in cold wet weather not knowing what is going on and this makes for a not very good atmosphere  at matches which must transmit it's self on to the pitch and affect the players.
If you really do have the best interests of our club at heart then come on and tell us where you want to take us.
                                                                                                                        Yours sincerely,
                                                                                                                          Kevin Dean. VTID. 

Offline Singapore Villa

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2013, 12:29:03 PM »
Good read that Kevin.

Offline richard moore

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2013, 12:30:01 PM »
Yours sincerely Kevin Dean + Richard Moore + every other Villa fan + every Cleveland Browns fan

Sadly some of what you say is as much a reflection of modern day football as much as it is about the Villa

Online Clampy

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2013, 12:39:58 PM »
Well you've certinlay chosen the right game not to come and give the lads your support.

Offline Holtemeister

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2013, 12:51:21 PM »
Sad thing is there are many more who feel like this .... including me although I am 12 months ahead of you in my relationship break down with the Villa.

I didnt renew, thought I would go through cold turkey each and every game, shall I sharnt I well I can honestly say I havent felt like that at all...the missus said last night "will you be getting a season ticket next year" and without hessitation I responded no chance.

To say I dont care about the villa anymore wouldnt be true...I just dont care in the same way as I used to

I care that my club is disintegrating before my eyes and there is nothing we as fans can do to halt its decline ...I care about the name, the heritage and history...I dont care about the obscene money in the game, the shit attitude of players and the general arrogance of football.

Whilst the best get better and better there is no doubt Messi Ronaldo ect .... there are also too many poor players and managers making a ludicrous living at our expense.

Football is about to eat itself ...Im out !
« Last Edit: February 10, 2013, 01:01:26 PM by Holtemeister »

Offline sidcowans10

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #5 on: February 10, 2013, 12:52:56 PM »
Good letter. Sums my thoughts up exactly

Offline JUAN PABLO

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #6 on: February 10, 2013, 01:24:01 PM »
lose today and knock another 3/4000 off the home crowds in the remaining season.

Offline mattjpa

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2013, 01:28:53 PM »
Well you've certinlay chosen the right game not to come and give the lads your support.

I've not turned up today, I've just had enough of being desperately disappointed. Last year against Bolton when the team needed me. Even including Bradford that was my worst experience as a fan

Offline claret and blue blood

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #8 on: February 10, 2013, 05:03:03 PM »
Well I,m sorry you all feel like that , and I posted in the pre match thread that I was grumpy and irritable and I wasn't looking forward to it , but when Clattenburg blew that whistle ? still the best feeling in this world lads and the players Need your support, **ck Lern.er !  Keep the faith !

Offline Witton Warrior

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2013, 05:34:18 PM »
Can't disagree with someone's opinion, action or decision not to attend a match. It is choice. There is little to disagree with. We went today with heavy hearts.

All I will say Kevin is that the people who run football clubs have never given a damn about us fans. The players can't stand us, they think we are mad idiots who make unreasonable demands on them. I have very low expectations these days and took immense pleasure in today's win as we have seen so few in the last three seasons.

Hope you will find the motivation to attend VP again afte rputting in all those years. We make football what it is.


Offline Oscar Arce

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2013, 05:50:12 PM »
Absolutely agree with everything there Kevin, I'm sure there are may more of us who feel this way.
I've seen the Villa from the lows of being knocked out of the FA Cup First Round to Southend, to the highs of Rotterdam, I've always loved and always will love the Villa, but after 25 years as a season ticket holder this season I didn't renew and I didn't attend today with a heavy heart.
I just feel like my Villa has somehow gone.

Offline villasjf

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2013, 05:57:51 PM »
I felt like i was visiting a sick relative in hospital today doing it out of duty, thinking its peeing down its on TV ok I am a season ticket holder and still felt a bit empty when I left the ground.

Offline atticus snood

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2013, 05:58:17 PM »
30,000 today. Looks like a few are feeling the same way.

Offline BoldmereVillan

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #13 on: February 10, 2013, 06:20:01 PM »
Joined this forum today and reading this disappoints me

You sign VTID,but wont travel the 4m to a game when the team needs you the most

Aston Villa will be around long after the likes of Lerner and chunts like Faulkner are gone

Offline MyNameisEarly

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Re: I'm losing my religion. An open letter to Randy Lerner.
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2013, 06:54:48 PM »
The annoying and hypocritical things about the opening letter is, should we be appearing in Middlesex in a couple of weeks time, you'd be first in line for a ticket along with 15,000 other fickle arsed "fans".

 


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