Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: Dave Clark Five on October 09, 2013, 07:22:50 PM
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On behalf of the team and my staff, this is a genuine note of appreciation for your ongoing support of the Club and for the strong contribution you have made to the vibrant, passionate atmosphere that has typified our games here at Villa Park and at away games up and down the country.
From the outset, we knew that establishing a tight, robust relationship between the fans and what has essentially become a new group of players in the Villa shirt would be crucial in our efforts to build the Club again. The support of the fans has been a key element in the team’s growth and emergence and that mutual bond has been very evident again this season.
Collectively, we all want to see a team that is exciting, a team that wants to try to attack and a team that steps out in every game to try to win. We have started off playing really well, the team is doing well at the moment and this is very pleasing.
Inevitably, we experienced growing pains last season but over the second half of the campaign there was a big coming together and a massive effort to secure the results which gave us that platform to continue to build and develop. We’re a different team from that now. Everyone can sense this and see it, too, and some of our results so far have provided a real measure of just how far we have travelled in not much more than a year.
The level of performance has been particularly satisfying. Even the most dyed-in-the-wool optimist might have struggled to see too many points coming from the run of games we were dealt at the start of the season, including Arsenal away, Chelsea away, Liverpool and Manchester City. These teams will aspire to be right up there when the Barclays Premier League comes to a conclusion in May.
That we competed all the way with each of them is testament to the work ethic, the sense of team and the quality within the group in addition to the powerful collective desire which underpins their effort on a daily basis. The players enjoy coming to work, they work hard, they enjoy representing this Club and they have taken upon their young shoulders a massive responsibility based on expectations which inevitably exist given the heritage and history we are proud to have here.
Your backing of the team has helped enormously. It will continue to take time for the group to realise its true potential but the foundations are strong now, the players' increased resilience will help them to deal with setbacks and to overcome them and the further strengthening of the squad that took place in the summer augurs well for its continued development. We won’t always experience days like we did against Manchester City, for the squad is still predominantly young, still learning and that level of consistency will be difficult to maintain.
But that’s our challenge over the coming weeks and months – to continue to strive to move forward as a Club and to build on what we have, an ethos and a philosophy which sees the players and the fans at the very centre of what we want to achieve together.
Paul
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Bugger, I thought that it was a personal email from Paul to me
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Ah, ain't that nice? We love you too Paul.
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I am just gutted that he doesn't appear to have noticed all my efforts for the safe standing campaign! He just doesn't care!
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He hasn't sent me one :'(
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He hasn't sent me one :'(
He sent me one.
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Can you imagine him saying/mumbling this?!
I guess he's more comfortable writing (or someone on his behalf is). Still, nice touch.
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Blimey. That's confident with only a few games under his (our) belt.
But nice of him phone me. You didn't get one?
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Can you imagine him saying/mumbling this?!
I guess he's more comfortable writing (or someone on his behalf is). Still, nice touch.
Yes. Marketing department.
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I don't think I'm on his mailing list as I didn't get the last one he sent to season ticket holders either. The club have got the right email address as I checked when I was missed off before.
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He sent one to all aftabs wives too.
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Can you imagine him saying/mumbling this?!
I guess he's more comfortable writing (or someone on his behalf is). Still, nice touch.
Yes. Marketing department.
As I have said on many occasions, Villa's head of marketing is the manager. He's also the head of ticket sales, customer relations and the commercial department.
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Never heard you say that before, but I see your point.
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Can you imagine him saying/mumbling this?!
I guess he's more comfortable writing (or someone on his behalf is). Still, nice touch.
Yes. Marketing department.
As I have said on many occasions, Villa's head of marketing is the manager. He's also the head of ticket sales, customer relations and the commercial department.
He's the Queen?
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He hasn't sent me one :'(
He sent me two.
I'll let you have a glimpse of one - I'm putting the other one on ebay!
Are you a member of the bomb squad?
;-)
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I am just gutted that he doesn't appear to have noticed all my efforts for the safe standing campaign! He just doesn't care!
And he does stand quite a bit doesn't he?
Is he one of the Brigada boys?
;-)
Have a quiet word with the stewards down there - they'll sort him out!
:D
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Cheers Paul. By the way this is not Randy Lerners email address, I cannot give you a new contract. Try daFabzRandy@aol.com
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He hasn't sent me one :'(
He sent me two.
I'll let you have a glimpse of one - I'm putting the other one on e
Are you a member of the bomb squad?
;-)
I'm definitely out of favour for some reason aren't I!
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I am just gutted that he doesn't appear to have noticed all my efforts for the safe standing campaign! He just doesn't care!
And he does stand quite a bit doesn't he?
Is he one of the Brigada boys?
;-)
Have a quiet word with the stewards down there - they'll sort him out!
:D
Those buggars will probably invite him to leave the ground. Too verbal. Can't understand a word he says but too verbal.
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Oi int got one
I should perhaps rephrase that - an email, I mean!
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amfy - has he filled a form in?
Bet he's got a top notch client reference number!
;-)
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Now, look. This may read like flim flam, only because we already understand what is going on, for the better.
I received a literal slap in the face last Saturday at a wedding. I got chatting to the father of an absentee Villa ST holding son, who was in Hull watching the dull yet useful 0-0.
Even though that Dad's family ambience at Sunday lunch depends upon Villa (mis)fortunes, he had no idea that Lambo has a masterplan & only swaps eager youths for complacent veterans.
When the Lambo plan reaches fruition, fans in actual & gloryhunting catchment areas will all go nuts for the Villa.
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Ooh is there a new 5 year plan?
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It was just sent to ST holders wasn't it?
Whatever, I think from listening to him he was really humbled by the support of him and the side last season when in truth the results and form could have turned things nasty at VP. He benefited from circumstance and understanding, but whatever it was he got that backing in a big way. He may well want to thank the fans for that in some way and the club have chosen this as a conduit for that after what we all looked at and thought was going to be a horrible first few games. Fair play to him and the club.
Now get a playmaker Paul and we can send you one of these thanking us for a cup win in the next couple of seasons!
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The club are trying really hard to help us to forget the worst bits of the last couple of seasons, and though we'll continue to have bumps it's working. My only tiny gripe is that at some point I want him to say that our objectives are every bit like the clubs aspiring to win major trophies, not just to be competitive.
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I am just gutted that he doesn't appear to have noticed all my efforts for the safe standing campaign! He just doesn't care!
And he does stand quite a bit doesn't he?
Is he one of the Brigada boys?
;-)
Have a quiet word with the stewards down there - they'll sort him out!
:D
I knew it!
(http://oi36.tinypic.com/10pam9y.jpg)
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I got one. I replied to it asking if Paul would be my
(http://fatalfacts.com/uploads/gallery/album_21/gallery_2_21_153165.png)
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Wonder who came up with this idea?
Can't imagine PL walking into VP saying, I've got an email ready for the fans.
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Doesn't really matter that much who it was actually sent to, it's written to Villa fans so thanks for posting it here.
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What's Paul's email address?
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Can you imagine him saying/mumbling this?!
I guess he's more comfortable writing (or someone on his behalf is). Still, nice touch.
Yes. Marketing department.
As I have said on many occasions, Villa's head of marketing is the manager. He's also the head of ticket sales, customer relations and the commercial department.
That would be like putting a Production Manager incharge of all of the above, that structure does not and can not work long term.
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I don't think Dave means literally in charge of those matters, but everything he does affects those departments massively one way or the other.
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I don't think Dave means literally in charge of those matters, but everything he does affects those departments massively one way or the other.
Agreed, but the Marketing Dept should be telling the rest of the company how it needs to operate to meet the demands of the market that it operates in, not the 'product dept' giving the company a product and then saying "Sell it!"
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Blimey. That's confident with only a few games under his (our) belt.
But nice of him phone me. You didn't get one?
Just a phone call? He came round my house to read the email out loud. Brought a pizza for me too.
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I wonder how many Out of Office replies he got? I bet his inbox went into meltdown.
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Bit of a contrast from the last manager's email
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What I don't understand is why he had to leave Nigeria in such a hurry.
And why does he need my bank details?
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What I don't understand is why he had to leave Nigeria in such a hurry.
And why does he need my bank details?
And how does he know that I suffer from erectile disfuntion?
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What I don't understand is why he had to leave Nigeria in such a hurry.
And why does he need my bank details?
And how does he know that I suffer from erectile disfuntion?
Everyone knows you suffer from erectile dysfunction.
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What I don't understand is why he had to leave Nigeria in such a hurry.
And why does he need my bank details?
And how does he know that I suffer from erectile disfuntion?
Everyone knows you suffer from erectile dysfunction.
Great banter!
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What I don't understand is why he had to leave Nigeria in such a hurry.
And why does he need my bank details?
And how does he know that I suffer from erectile disfuntion?
He's seen you play. He thought you were Pele.
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It's was nice of Paul to send us all a e mail nice one Paul.
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We're not fickle and we like you too.
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I don't think Dave means literally in charge of those matters, but everything he does affects those departments massively one way or the other.
Agreed, but the Marketing Dept should be telling the rest of the company how it needs to operate to meet the demands of the market that it operates in, not the 'product dept' giving the company a product and then saying "Sell it!"
Not anywhere I've worked it doesn't.
Lots of businesses are based around product first, and then the marketing department is brought in to sell it (although that's a very simplistic term).
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It's very rare that a marketing department tells a selling organisation anything. The purpose of marketing should really be abut research and gathering unbiased opinion. It is then an internal sales job to executives who decide on the direction of an organisation based on that information. Marketing then creates a program based around that decision. They work with Advertising to sell that program to customers.
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I don't think Dave means literally in charge of those matters, but everything he does affects those departments massively one way or the other.
Agreed, but the Marketing Dept should be telling the rest of the company how it needs to operate to meet the demands of the market that it operates in, not the 'product dept' giving the company a product and then saying "Sell it!"
Not anywhere I've worked it doesn't.
Lots of businesses are based around product first, and then the marketing department is brought in to sell it (although that's a very simplistic term).
You're right, lots of businesses - particularly in the UK, and particularly SME's with MDs who believe that marketing is some kind of American term for selling - do operate in that way, using the marketing department to find some way of selling something that the market may not even want.
The really successful companies however, understand the importance of getting it the right way around, so that products can be designed to satisfy latent or real demand in the marketplace.
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What I don't understand is why he had to leave Nigeria in such a hurry.
And why does he need my bank details?
And how does he know that I suffer from erectile disfuntion?
He's seen you play. He thought you were Pele.
With our squad he knows there's stiff competition for places.
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I don't think Dave means literally in charge of those matters, but everything he does affects those departments massively one way or the other.
Agreed, but the Marketing Dept should be telling the rest of the company how it needs to operate to meet the demands of the market that it operates in, not the 'product dept' giving the company a product and then saying "Sell it!"
Not anywhere I've worked it doesn't.
Lots of businesses are based around product first, and then the marketing department is brought in to sell it (although that's a very simplistic term).
You're right, lots of businesses - particularly in the UK, and particularly SME's with MDs who believe that marketing is some kind of American term for selling - do operate in that way, using the marketing department to find some way of selling something that the market may not even want.
The really successful companies however, understand the importance of getting it the right way around, so that products can be designed to satisfy latent or real demand in the marketplace.
Correct.
Many companies really get it wrong, and are product led.
A Production led comapny says "I can make X loads of this widget, please go and sell it" Even though there may be no demand
A Marketing led company asks "What does the market want?" and then feeds that back through the company and produces the plan to meet that need
There is very little point in making a product that nobody wants or needs.
Strategic marketing is very different from what many perceive marketing to be [its all about pretty pictures isn't it?"] I have heard that lots of times in my line of work
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Whilst it's very nice to be reading about marketing strategies, I feel in the interests of balance it's important to point out that marketing is the work of the devil himself, and those employed in it (deservedly) will spend an eternity in hell.
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Whilst it's very nice to be reading about marketing strategies, I feel in the interests of balance it's important to point out that marketing is the work of the devil himself, and those employed in it (deservedly) will spend an eternity in hell.
well I'm royally fucked then
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I don't think Dave means literally in charge of those matters, but everything he does affects those departments massively one way or the other.
Agreed, but the Marketing Dept should be telling the rest of the company how it needs to operate to meet the demands of the market that it operates in, not the 'product dept' giving the company a product and then saying "Sell it!"
Not anywhere I've worked it doesn't.
Lots of businesses are based around product first, and then the marketing department is brought in to sell it (although that's a very simplistic term).
You're right, lots of businesses - particularly in the UK, and particularly SME's with MDs who believe that marketing is some kind of American term for selling - do operate in that way, using the marketing department to find some way of selling something that the market may not even want.
The really successful companies however, understand the importance of getting it the right way around, so that products can be designed to satisfy latent or real demand in the marketplace.
Correct.
Many companies really get it wrong, and are product led.
A Production led comapny says "I can make X loads of this widget, please go and sell it" Even though there may be no demand
A Marketing led company asks "What does the market want?" and then feeds that back through the company and produces the plan to meet that need
There is very little point in making a product that nobody wants or needs.
Strategic marketing is very different from what many perceive marketing to be [its all about pretty pictures isn't it?"] I have heard that lots of times in my line of work
All well and good, except that the 2nd most profitable company in the world currently has built their entire strategy around being product led and creating things that people "don't even know that they need until they have them" (Apple by the way).
There are other models to do business and to state that companies who are product led 'get it wrong' is getting it wrong. You might work in the industry and might well have your way to work that is successful, but to state with such conviction that you're right and anything else is wrong is very arrogant.
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Not sure about that. Apple are very marketing focused in understanding where the market is heading and being astute enough to get there first through intensive study. They then come out with a product that is ahead of the curve. I wouldn't say they are product led. I understand why it might appear that way.
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He sent one to all aftabs wives too.
Not just an email a genuine Mulberry handbag as well and reminded them how lucky they all were to have me!
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Toronto's right. Apple is a classic case of a successful proactive marketing led company. It may seem arrogant to suggest that this is how to be successful, but it is just basic marketing stuff.
As I said earlier, I've encountered quite a few MD's who have had a Eureka moment in the bath tub and lived to regret the money they threw at a great product that no one wanted.
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Whilst it's very nice to be reading about marketing strategies, I feel in the interests of balance it's important to point out that marketing is the work of the devil himself, and those employed in it (deservedly) will spend an eternity in hell.
well I'm royally fucked then
You'll be alright pal, God's clearly a Villa fan.
Why else would Birmingham City exist?
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Whilst it's very nice to be reading about marketing strategies, I feel in the interests of balance it's important to point out that marketing is the work of the devil himself, and those employed in it (deservedly) will spend an eternity in hell.
well I'm royally fucked then
You'll be alright pal, God's clearly a Villa fan.
Why else would Birmingham City exist?
and just imagine where those employed in marketing for that lot are headed. If there is a place worse than hell then no doubt that's where they'll be going on the day of judgement.
As for me, I'm likely beyond salvation but I hope that Lord McGrath is at the gates when I knock.