Is someone suggesting financial mismanagement? If this is the case they had better be able to provide irrefutable evidence to their Law Firm to work with otherwise they could find themselves in a very difficult situation personally.
Karl Court was, until last week, my supervisor at work.
In a nutshell, without any inside information, it would be appear that Ken McNaught wanted to take things in a different direction to those who have run the Villa Old Stars for some years and they obviously didnt like it. It would appear Ken has the backing of the European squadwho seem to agree with his ideas. Stephen Staunton (a touch of the Andy Coles it would seem!) has also got involved. No doubt finance is the major factor in this disagreement or possibly ego's.Its all rather disagreeable dont you think.Interesting to hear what Neil Rioch has to say.
Wife of Neil Rioch says player association row is 'killing' her husbandLynee Rioch revealed her partner had attended hospital and shed five stone since the feud beganThe devastated wife of former Villa star Neil Rioch has hit out at a bitter legal dispute between rival ex-player associations to warn: ‘‘This row is killing my husband.’’Loyal Lynne Rioch revealed her partner had lost FIVE STONE and attended hospital since the feud began between his group, Aston Villa Former Players’ Association, and the breakaway faction, Lions and Legends – which includes members of the 1982 European Cup winning side.The bitter war of words went public this week, with both sides releasing online statements, as revealed exclusively in the Birmingham Mail.Mum-of-two Lynne, 57, slammed internet comments made against her husband’s group.“It’s horrible. It’s vile,’’ she said.The ill-feeling between the two camps has turned ugly following demands for greater transparency over AVFPA’s charitable deeds.Lions’ leading light and ex-Villa star Steve Staunton has publicly asked for proof of their rival’s proud boast to have raised £5 million for charity.But the dispute has taken its toll on Rioch, 62, said Lynne, his wife of 30 years.“It is killing Neil, all this, because he is the most trustworthy person you could meet. This has devastated my family. It is horrible,” she said.Lynne spoke out after news the rift between the newly set-up Lions and AVFPA, set up by Rioch 20 years ago, is now so wide solicitors letters have been exchanged.The dispute between two groups who raise cash for charity to help former terrace heroes who have fallen on hard times, is complex and acrimonious.The Lions and Legends were set-up by former AVFPA member Ken McNaught last year. The breakaway group includes Steve Staunton, Peter Withe, Gordon Cowans, Gary Shaw, Dennis Mortimer and Jimmy Rimmer.Staunton says some members have taken legal action to ensure their names are not used to promote AVFPA.Aston Villa Former Players Association was set up 20 years ago by chief executive Rioch and the Old Stars team. Members include Tony Daley, Charlie Aitken, Peter McParland, David Norton and Mark Draper. The dispute has been cranked-up on the internet.Former Irish international Staunton has publicly spoken of the “deep disillusionment” felt by some ex-Villa stars towards an alleged lack of transparency by AVFPA. The Lions have demanded Rioch’s group provide evidence of their boast of raising £5 million to charity.Yesterday Lynn stressed she would not allow her husband’s reputation and health to be ruined. She said: “It is horrible because there is nothing I can do (to stop this). My husband doesn’t get paid. He does it for the sheer love of it.“It is about one man who is after Neil’s blood. It is killing him. He has to go next week to hospital again. He has lost five stone. Don’t they realise the £5 million goes to the charities they (the Old Stars) play the matches for?“He is my husband and I know nothing untoward has gone on. I will stake my life and my daughters’ lives on that. My youngest daughter is beside herself. She has defended her father on Facebook.”Fighting back tears, Lynne added: “People were friends and they have just turned and thought they could do it better and they are ruining my husband’s reputation and integrity and I am not having it. I am not having it.“We went to Bulgaria and played for children with leukaemia and raised £70,000. We are not charity status, but everything we do is for charity. Neil would never do a wrong thing to anyone. He is the most kindest, genuine person.”The bad blood thickened after AVFPA issued a statement following “wholly untrue and potentially libellous” comments were said to have been posted on the net.The statement pledged: “The Aston Villa FPA is an open and transparent organisation whose core purpose has always been to provide essential health and welfare support to former players in need, whilst the Aston Villa Old Stars football team has to date raised well over £5 million for charities.”It added: “The Aston Villa FPA will maintain its integrity at all times and rise above the smear tactics employed by misguided and misinformed opponents. However, we cannot allow serious allegations that are potentially libellous to continue unchecked and we will take necessary action where appropriate.’’In the statement, AVFPA also labelled its rival organisation as a ‘very small group of disaffected former players’.But the comments brought a swift response from former claret and blue captain Staunton, who won two League Cups with the Premier League club. He demanded an apology and maintained Lions and Legends were not behind the Facebook smear.In a long response, the former Republic of Ireland boss said: “Lions and Legends were formed, along with my own foundation, because a number of high profile players had become deeply disillusioned with the AVFPA and the way it operated.“The AVFPA claims it is run for the health and welfare of former players. It has only the ex-players as its vehicle to achieve this, yet when the players wanted a say and asked for the detail of what money came in and what went out, it was ignored. This was not acceptable to many who gave their time and reputations to that association. We see the AVFPA makes a claim that it has raised £5,000,000 for charity. We have asked before for proof of this, but have never been shown it, not forgetting it is our names and reputations that have been used to achieve all the AVFPA claims to have achieved.’’He added: “To see European Cup Winners, League Championship Winners, League Cup winners and proven full internationals referred to as ‘disaffected players’` is slur on what we achieved and the support the wonderful public gave us. A full and unreserved apology is expected.”McNaught, who gained European Cup and European Super Cup medals with Villa, was less forthright when The Mail approached him. He did reveal, however, he had received legal letters from AVFPA.The 58-year-old added: “We are just doing what we set out to do. What the other group want to get up to, is up to them.”Aston Villa FC declined to comment.
He's, as far as I'm aware, in (or will soon be in) Spain having bought a bar over there. Nice chap for sure.
Chris Price and Shaun Teale are having an argument about this now on Facebook.
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Topic: Villa Lions and Legends statement (Read 19932 times)
