naming rights to Villa Park....

[paul_e]

Any company would be mad to buy naming rights for an existing stadium.... no value in it. The only time this works if for new stadiums.

Agreed, the long standing association means there's no real value to sponsors.

It really depends on what they do, shove some lettering on the side that you can see from the expressway and you've got a massive billboard being seen by a few million people a week, that alone is worth a fair few pennies.  Add to that all the sky/etc reports stating they're from the xyz stadium and any live games having footage from above showing a massive corporate logo on top of the stand and it starts to make sense for someone to spend a bit on it.  Particularly someone who's trying to expand outside the UK into countries where the premier league is the main domestic football (Middle East and Far East being the obvious examples) they're interested in.

[ROBBO]

The money bought in for naming rights is a drop in the ocean and i cannot see Lerner doing it. He said when he bought the club that he would give it his best shot but if it didn't work out he would move aside for someone else
to have a go.That's what he is working up to.

[ASHTONVILLA]

I am still call the Witton Lane end, the Witton Lane end, and would still call Villa Park, Villa Park whatever it got changed to. That said I still wouldn't like it changed.

There is a difference between 'legal rights' and 'natural rights', Randy may well have the legal right to sell the name of the stadium, but he does not have the natural right to. That belongs to the many people that the name has value to (the fans mostly).

It's all part of the modern obsession with valuing everything only in monetary terms, which devalues all other less quantifiable but equally important values. The worst case of this is when it allows people to trade the right to pollute by, depoluting elsewhere (carbon credits), but it is creeping in everywhere.

Anyways, I'd rather it didn't happen. The last time we had an owner that sold the family silver for a one off cash injection was when Herbert floated the club on the stock market. I suspect most of the cash from naming rights would be trousered by Randy to pay the clubs debt off, and little or none would end up going on players. Plus even if Lambert did get it, he may well blow it on the wrong players.

[DeKuip]

The millions we already get from TV deals hasn't made the football anymore enjoyable, and selling out in re-naming our home would guarantee nothing more than more money in the pockets of agents and average players. The best players will still go to City, Arsenal, Chelsea, United and Liverpool.

Players, managers and owners will come and go but the names Aston Villa and Villa Park, along with the club colours, are untouchable so far as i'm concerned. At any price.

[paul_e]

rubbish. He's selling up.

What are you basing that on though?  Everything that's happening, whilst being good ideas if we're trying to sell up, are also good ideas to build a long-term, sustainable business model that sees the club grow naturally.  This article, whilst possibly complete bullshit, firmly suggests that the latter is the goal, I'm not sure how you can call that rubbish, it does fit with what has been happening.

As for him not attending games, which appears to be used as an example that he's lost interest, could it be that he really is the shy person he's stated to be and he realises that the current situation at the club would see him getting lots of attention.

[eastie]

rubbish. He's selling up.

What are you basing that on though?  Everything that's happening, whilst being good ideas if we're trying to sell up, are also good ideas to build a long-term, sustainable business model that sees the club grow naturally.  This article, whilst possibly complete bullshit, firmly suggests that the latter is the goal, I'm not sure how you can call that rubbish, it does fit with what has been happening.

As for him not attending games, which appears to be used as an example that he's lost interest, could it be that he really is the shy person he's stated to be and he realises that the current situation at the club would see him getting lots of attention.

I don't think he's staying away because he is shy or doesn't want to attract attention- he could attend games without being bothered by the press or the like , the current situation is we are in mid -table and I doubt he would get that more attention than he has done in the past .

[Steve67]

As long as we invest in the squad I don't mind selling naming rights.  Whether Lambert is the man to give the money to?  I am all for investment but instead of building more stadia, build the team.

[paul_e]

As said, if you don't want to sell the naming rights would you accept an increase in matchday costs?  If not will you be happy to float in mid-table with the odd cup run?  If no to the last one then just where do you think we should find the funds for a shot at achieving more?  Loans secured on future income?  Randy to bankroll us like Man City and Chelsea are with their owners, is that fair to ask of him?

As I said we can't have everything, if we want to challenge the top 6 and eventually the top 4 we need to make more money, if nothing else so we can afford to keep the stars that our current transfer policy finds, but longer term to give us the finances to buy from the £10-15m category every summer.

[paul_e]

rubbish. He's selling up.

What are you basing that on though?  Everything that's happening, whilst being good ideas if we're trying to sell up, are also good ideas to build a long-term, sustainable business model that sees the club grow naturally.  This article, whilst possibly complete bullshit, firmly suggests that the latter is the goal, I'm not sure how you can call that rubbish, it does fit with what has been happening.

As for him not attending games, which appears to be used as an example that he's lost interest, could it be that he really is the shy person he's stated to be and he realises that the current situation at the club would see him getting lots of attention.

I don't think he's staying away because he is shy or doesn't want to attract attention- he could attend games without being bothered by the press or the like , the current situation is we are in mid -table and I doubt he would get that more attention than he has done in the past .

Do you really believe that their wouldn't be fans giving him shit for the cut backs?  He'd get dogs abuse at games right now and if he is as shy as he's stated to be I can imagine him not wanting to expose himself to that, makes perfect sense to me.

[Chico Hamilton III]

We must have the only shy owner in the history of football. I'm trying to think why a shy person would buy a football club - 2 football clubs if you include the rugby club he had in America.

I wonder how shy he'd be if we were winning every week and challenging at the top?

[eastie]

rubbish. He's selling up.

What are you basing that on though?  Everything that's happening, whilst being good ideas if we're trying to sell up, are also good ideas to build a long-term, sustainable business model that sees the club grow naturally.  This article, whilst possibly complete bullshit, firmly suggests that the latter is the goal, I'm not sure how you can call that rubbish, it does fit with what has been happening.

As for him not attending games, which appears to be used as an example that he's lost interest, could it be that he really is the shy person he's stated to be and he realises that the current situation at the club would see him getting lots of attention.

I don't think he's staying away because he is shy or doesn't want to attract attention- he could attend games without being bothered by the press or the like , the current situation is we are in mid -table and I doubt he would get that more attention than he has done in the past .

Do you really believe that their wouldn't be fans giving him shit for the cut backs?  He'd get dogs abuse at games right now and if he is as shy as he's stated to be I can imagine him not wanting to expose himself to that, makes perfect sense to me.

He attended browns games regularly and their fans had far more to complain about - I don't think being shy would keep him from villa park or the possibility of criticism from fans.

Lambert is hardly getting dogs abuse from fans and  I doubt  Lerner would get that much either - if anything I expect he thinks things are progressing well with the team in the top half and the high earners mostly off the books.

[Rigadon]

The millions we already get from TV deals hasn't made the football anymore enjoyable, and selling out in re-naming our home would guarantee nothing more than more money in the pockets of agents and average players. The best players will still go to City, Arsenal, Chelsea, United and Liverpool.

Players, managers and owners will come and go but the names Aston Villa and Villa Park, along with the club colours, are untouchable so far as i'm concerned. At any price.

That's it for me too.  Selling 'naming rights' would feel all wrong.  As for the fact we'd all still call it Villa park, yes that's true, but we'd also have to hear others call it the Red Bull Dome or something equally as vomit inducing. And for what?  The chance to attain 7th or 6th?  Maybe?  It just wouldn't be worth it.

[eastie]

The millions we already get from TV deals hasn't made the football anymore enjoyable, and selling out in re-naming our home would guarantee nothing more than more money in the pockets of agents and average players. The best players will still go to City, Arsenal, Chelsea, United and Liverpool.

Players, managers and owners will come and go but the names Aston Villa and Villa Park, along with the club colours, are untouchable so far as i'm concerned. At any price.

That's it for me too.  Selling 'naming rights' would feel all wrong.  As for the fact we'd all still call it Villa park, yes that's true, but we'd also have to hear others call it the Red Bull Dome or something equally as vomit inducing. And for what?  The chance to attain 7th or 6th?  Maybe?  It just wouldn't be worth it.

That is a good point , how much money would we get for the naming rights and would that money be invested in the team ?

I don't see the necessity to build in the north stand and extend capacity until the team are regularly attracting full houses.

Improve the team  and the gates will improve and so will the prize money for placings.

[Witton Warrior]

This idea that he is shy and doesn't want any stick doesn't wash with me. Under TSM I never heard his name chanted positively or negatively, nor in the last two seasons. People grumble but no mass outcry.

Apparently he comes to the UK but doesn't come and watch us, I find that really strange. If I owned the Villa I would go every time we played at home - Oh I do go every time we play at home ;-)

[Nev]

The millions we already get from TV deals hasn't made the football anymore enjoyable, and selling out in re-naming our home would guarantee nothing more than more money in the pockets of agents and average players. The best players will still go to City, Arsenal, Chelsea, United and Liverpool.

Players, managers and owners will come and go but the names Aston Villa and Villa Park, along with the club colours, are untouchable so far as i'm concerned. At any price.

That's it for me too.  Selling 'naming rights' would feel all wrong.  As for the fact we'd all still call it Villa park, yes that's true, but we'd also have to hear others call it the Red Bull Dome or something equally as vomit inducing. And for what?  The chance to attain 7th or 6th?  Maybe?  It just wouldn't be worth it.

Quite right. It would not pull in enough money to make any difference and if it did there are no guarantees, Arsenal fans will attest to this.