Heroes & Villains, the Aston Villa fanzine
Heroes & Villains => Heroes Discussion => Topic started by: spangley1812 on October 10, 2011, 05:57:26 PM
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taken from Birmingham Mail - please move if already mentioned thanks
FUTURE Aston Villa contracts will contain a mandatory clause stating players must live within a 30-mile radius of Bodymoor Heath training ground.
All new signings and stars agreeing extensions to existing deals will be required to commit to residing in the Midlands.
It follows the board and management’s concerns that long daily commutes could have an adverse effect on the physical well-being of players.
Villa are also keen for their stars to develop a greater affinity with the club and community.
A line has been inserted into the new club rulebook requiring players to live within a comfortable travelling distance of Bodymoor Heath.
Stephen Ireland and Stephen Warnock have recently bought into the new philosophy by moving into properties in the area.
Ireland and Warnock agreed to look for homes in the Midlands after receiving encouraging pep talks from manager Alex McLeish about their importance to Villa.
The duo had preferred to travel from the north west, although it put them on a collision course with Gerard Houllier.
Houllier wanted his players to live within the area, despite giving special dispensation to Robert Pires to be chauffeur driven to training and back from London.
One of the reasons Luke Young was sold to Queens Park Rangers was because of fears his daily journey to and from Wimbledon could take its toll on him.
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I don't see a problem with this. The club are paying these players a hell of a lot of money and if said player has to either get a flat in B'ham or surrounding area then they can easily afford it and still keep their main residence further afield.
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Didn't this use to be a requirement?
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I dont see it as an issue for new signings the only problem may be when existing players who live outside the 30 miles are offered new deals like Emile for instance if their family are settled
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Credit where it is due, one of Ged's few good ideas. Shame he undermined it by indulging his waste of space teacher's pet.
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Why on Earth players want to travel long distances every day for training is beyond me - however flash their cars are?
30 Miles is a reasonable distance and if you are being paid shedloads of dosh its a small thing to ask and quite reasonable IMO
Any player that does not want to do this when their contract is up for renewal, then phuk em (I`m thinking Heskey)
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The ruling gives a rough ring of Wolverhampton, Kiddie, Warwick, Rugby, Leicester, Derby and Stafford. If you cannot find somewhere nice to live in that ring you really do have problems.
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Didn't this use to be a requirement?
Surely they couldn't of insisted during O'Neills reign as he didn't
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Im not sure its an employers business where an employee lives. As long as they turn up and time and do the job they are paid to do then whats the problem.
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It does affect players form as merson pointed out in his book
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I'm just back from a physio appointment. I've been having a lot of trouble with my left knee for the past few months and it just got worse over the past few weeks. I have not been able to jog or cycle and walking caused me a lot of pain. The knee would sometimes just 'collapse' in on itself as I walked and you can only imagine the agony.
It turns out its not my knee that's the problem. She asked if I had I done much driving lately? She was able to pinpoint the problem to the fact I spent the whole month of July commuting from my parents house over 70 miles away. This involved a 145 mile round trip each day for about four and a half weeks. The amount of time spent behind the wheel caused problems with my posture and resulted in severe muscle tension in my lower back. However, the problem manifested itself in my knee. I could just about manage the stairs so, as you can imagine, football would have been quite a challenge.
To make a very long story short, the club have made the right decision. Too much time spent driving can do serious physical damage.
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Im not sure its an employers business where an employee lives. As long as they turn up and time and do the job they are paid to do then whats the problem.
That's my opinion, too.
The days when players needed to live no more than a stone's throw away from Villa Park because they travelled by tram are long gone. Today's lot can afford the chauffeur/private plane/large crash pad in Brindley Place for the days when they don't fancy the drive. Ergo I don't think it is an issue if they rather live somewhere other than Four Oaks.
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Anything that adds a modicum of discipline is fine by me.
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Common sense prevails for once.
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It's a good idea to make them live within 30 miles of Bodymoor Heath it stops all that travelling back and forth from far away places it will mean more rest time.
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Its a good idea in principle.
Although I would probably realistically give it a 50 mile radius. Until recently i lived 35 miles from where i worked and i know people that travel further. The only difference being i guess footballers can quite easily afford a second home nearby. 50 miles is still less than an hour depending on how far you live from the motorway, maybe 30 miles does keep you within the Villa catchment area a bit more with the idea of living amongst fans.
Then as previously mentioned It cause a problem for existing players that live further away. I could be wrong has Bent recently moved to cambridgeshire?
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I dont see it as an issue for new signings the only problem may be when existing players who live outside the 30 miles are offered new deals like Emile for instance if their family are settled
I don't see a problem either. Although the club should encourage players like Heskey to live outside the 30 mile radius, until their good enough to live by the fans.
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See no problem in enforcing a 35 mile radius.
If they don't want to move the family, then rent somewhere locally and go home or get the family to visit you, when you can.
I leave home at 05.00 on a Monday morning and get home 22.00 Thursday night, then work from home on Fridays. If I can do it on my money, then so can they.
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i thought it was totally reasonable for robert pires to have a chauffer driven car for 120 miles every day!
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Im not sure its an employers business where an employee lives. As long as they turn up and time and do the job they are paid to do then whats the problem.
That's my view.
Living in London is probably too far away but why the 30 mile radius ?
Players have plenty of time to drive to/from Bodymoor. Its not as if they've got a 10 or 12 hour shift to do when they get there
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It's a solidarity thing, backed up by Irish Villain's bad posture argument and I reckon it's a good thing!
The Midlands are (is?) the best place to live anyway: they should be grateful!
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It's up to an employer to decide what terms to offer its staff and for staff (in this case players) to negotiate back. I bet it will never be a barrier to signing a player we 'really' want.
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I don't see what the issues are to be honest. Alan Wright used to commute and he never gave anything less than 100%.
I work more than 30 Miles away from where I live and I can understand that they don't want people living in Glasgow for example, but a broad time frame if say 90 minutes, would not make much difference in my opinion.
A 30 Mile "limit" seems a bit petty.
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Steven Ireland is going to have to get an orbiting spaceship several miles above Warwickshire as I doubt his planet falls within the 30 mile limt.
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It's up to an employer to decide what terms to offer its staff and for staff (in this case players) to negotiate back. I bet it will never be a barrier to signing a player we 'really' want.
Exactly.
"So Mr Messi, we've agreed on your £300K a week salary and your lucrative image rights. However, your insistence of living in Uttoxeter, which according to the AA route planner is 30.6 miles away, means that the deal is off. OFF! "
Who've we got running training these days, Mrs Unsworth?
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It's not just about the physical demands, the club are rightly asking "their stars to develop a greater affinity with the club and community".
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The Guardian loves it (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/oct/11/aston-villa-30-mile-rule)
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It's not just about the physical demands, the club are rightly asking "their stars to develop a greater affinity with the club and community".
30 miles takes in places like Coventry, Sandwell and Wolverhampton. It's a load of nonsense, and probably against employment law anyway.
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It's not just about the physical demands, the club are rightly asking "their stars to develop a greater affinity with the club and community".
30 miles takes in places like Coventry, Sandwell and Wolverhampton. It's a load of nonsense, and probably against employment law anyway.
Bollocks to employment laws, why should certain players be relieved of their civic (club) duties, whether it be visiting kids in hospitals, Acorns, etc just because they prefer to live 100 miles away? Considering how much they're paid, it's not to much to ask them to contribute to the local community on behalf of the club.
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It's not just about the physical demands, the club are rightly asking "their stars to develop a greater affinity with the club and community".
30 miles takes in places like Coventry, Sandwell and Wolverhampton. It's a load of nonsense, and probably against employment law anyway.
How can it be against employment law ??? Its in a contract you are being offered, if you dont like the contract dont sign it. It is not like its being imposed on anyone
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It's not just about the physical demands, the club are rightly asking "their stars to develop a greater affinity with the club and community".
30 miles takes in places like Coventry, Sandwell and Wolverhampton. It's a load of nonsense, and probably against employment law anyway.
What has employment law got to do with it? This is for new signings and new contracts, the club has every right to decide not to sign a player or extend a contract if they don't agree to the 30 mile rule.
Personally I think it's nonsense as well, but it's not against the law.
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It's not just about the physical demands, the club are rightly asking "their stars to develop a greater affinity with the club and community".
30 miles takes in places like Coventry, Sandwell and Wolverhampton. It's a load of nonsense, and probably against employment law anyway.
Bollocks to employment laws, why should certain players be relieved of their civic (club) duties, whether it be visiting kids in hospitals, Acorns, etc just because they prefer to live 100 miles away? Considering how much they're paid, it's not to much to ask them to contribute to the local community on behalf of the club.
And what's stopping them contributing to hospital visits etc just because they don't live nearby? They only work half a day, it's hardly a shift down t'pit.
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Anyway, how on earth would they enforce it. Even if a player agreed to the condition, how do you define "live"? What's to stop a player having a house close by and another in London or Alderley Edge? Are the club going to tag them and monitor where they actually sleep?
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Anyway, how on earth would they enforce it. Are the club going to tag them and monitor where they actually sleep?
They're using the same technology as supermarket trolleys. The ones where the wheels lock at the edge of the car park. In the players' case their microchip kicks in on the edge of 30 miles from BMH.
It's a little homing transplant behind the ear that keeps them driving in circles until they turn round.
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I think it's a good idea in principle, but nostalgic/naive to think all players have affiliations to clubs/areas in this day and age and it's difficult to enforce if players aren't interested. As others have alluded to, uness it's ridgidly policed, what's to stop players buying/renting accommodation that they don't permanently live in?
Anyway, I reckon the only way to enforce this kind of employment condition is to mobilise eco warriors and shame players into reducing their carbon footprints.
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It won't be against employment law at all.
Doctors, for example, have to live within a certain distance of their hospital for when they're on call.
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I see why the club would want players living close the training ground, but i'm struggling to see how they can make it a requirement for them signing contracts, purely from a practical point of view.
As someone else said, they are all loaded, they could buy several properties. Will it be in the contract what time they have to be in bed by too?
They have got oodles of spare time. Just having them living near the ground isnt going to stop them driving places miles and miles away to bang a bird, visit family, sponsor commitment, play golf etc. The list is endless. Sometimes it would probably be better if they did spend the night miles away rather than driving home late, not getting a decent nights kip, just so you are close to the ground.
I just dont see how it would work practically. I suppose there could be discipline measures for all of the above. I think Mourinho actually did set bed times for Chelsea players amonhst other things.
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A scenario.
Player X is in his late 20s. He is originally from London and has played for a London club throughout his career .
In his decade of enjoying a Premier League salary he has secured a multi-million pound Home Counties pad and a trophy Essex WAG within whom he has a couple of kids, whilst retaining the mates he used to kick around with on Hackney Marshes.
During the transfer window he leaves his club and joins Villa and, as per his contract, ups-sticks to live in Knowle. Initially, Villa fans are delighted to have him on board, but are then perplexed and finally pissed off with his failure to deliver the sort of performances they remember him turning in for his previous club.
The Player, on the other hand, has a WAG who is pissed off for being uprooted from her roots and her proximity to London, kids who can't settle in their new school and mates who find it difficult to get up to have a night out in 'Birminum'. All-in-all he's not that happy and is beginning to regret the move.
Player Y is at exactly the same stage in his career and his personal profile is remarkably similar, albeit he is from the North West and played there all his career. He joins Villa but his canny agent plays hard-ball and insists the 30-mile residency clause is dropped. The Player continues to live in his Alderley Edge mansion, his WAG continues to enjoy the Manchester scene and seeing her mum every day, his kids don't even know dad has changed jobs and his Scally mates still come round to enjoy playing FIFA 12 on his 90" plasma screen. Despite the hardship of having to drive his Aston Martin/Bentley/Range Rover/Ferrari to Bodymoor Heath and back everyday, the Player is very happy at Villa and is rightly voted Player of the Year in his first season.
What I'm saying is if you're happy in your personal life, you can deliver in your professional life. That applies to footballers as much as anyone.
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Anyway, how on earth would they enforce it. Even if a player agreed to the condition, how do you define "live"? What's to stop a player having a house close by and another in London or Alderley Edge? Are the club going to tag them and monitor where they actually sleep?
Spot on, Legion. Guy Roux was manager of sleepy Auxerre in France for over 30 years, taking the club from French division 3 to winning the league and four French cups in the 90s. Many top French players and subsequent inernationals were developed by him - Cantona, Laurent Blanc, Basile Boli, Djibril Cisse, Philippe Mexes - and he was a strict disciplinarian. When managing potential superstars whose heads could be turned he used to note the mileage on their cars after training and had a network of spies at the bars and clubs in Auxerre to inform on any infringements.
I don't think that would work now - how many players only own one car for a start?
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Maybe Villa should take the Anzhi Makhachkala approach. All players would live and train in Moscow and just fly to Birmingham for home games.
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They should all live in Aston. Makes sense.
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I can see the sense of it but doesn't it make the cllub look a little parochial in the context of the 'global village'?
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Anyway, I reckon the only way to enforce this kind of employment condition is to mobilise eco warriors and shame players into reducing their carbon footprints.
I like your thinking, Lizz, but we are dealing with a bunch of people who - in the main - would not know their carbon footprint from their ronnie wood print; with as much social conscience as Peter Sutcliffe; and as much shame as Rio Ferdinand (Xmas party organiser extraordinaire).
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Good article here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/oct/11/aston-villa-30-mile-rule
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30 miles as the crow flies or via the shortest/quickest road links? Dion lived in Stratford which is probably under 30 miles as the crow flies, but must be about 35 miles via M42/M40 etc.
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When I signed as a professional for Surrey County CC I was informed I had to move from the South Coast to London, They put me up in a bedsit for the first year and then I rented after that. The theory was one of team bonding, closeness to the ground etc etc. It did work but there again the majority of the team were Surrey based. The contract said we had to live within Surrey. Apart from the overseas pro we all did.
It was good to be around the area and it also got me more kip.
According to friends the rule still stands although pietersen gets away with it just
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(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2011/10/11/1318348579613/Gabriel-Agbonlahor-007.jpg)
Class photo, taken directly from Shaun of the Dead.
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They should all live in Aston. Makes sense.
Now that really is lateral thinking !
I guess it's within 30 miles of Bodymoor as well,, and they could walk to games.
Maybe they could buy a whole row of houses in Aston at above market value, knock the internal walls down and put in swimming pools, snooker rooms, fish tanks, 6 car garages ... the lot in the building.
Makes sense.
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So where do the Villa players live currently?
I know Emile is in Cheshire.
Dunne, Collins around the Solihull area.
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I'm just back from a physio appointment. I've been having a lot of trouble with my left knee for the past few months and it just got worse over the past few weeks. I have not been able to jog or cycle and walking caused me a lot of pain. The knee would sometimes just 'collapse' in on itself as I walked and you can only imagine the agony.
It turns out its not my knee that's the problem. She asked if I had I done much driving lately? She was able to pinpoint the problem to the fact I spent the whole month of July commuting from my parents house over 70 miles away. This involved a 145 mile round trip each day for about four and a half weeks. The amount of time spent behind the wheel caused problems with my posture and resulted in severe muscle tension in my lower back. However, the problem manifested itself in my knee. I could just about manage the stairs so, as you can imagine, football would have been quite a challenge.
To make a very long story short, the club have made the right decision. Too much time spent driving can do serious physical damage.
i feel your pain, i have right knee problems from my flt driving days due to sitting funny and i get regular siattic(cant spell) flare ups from office chair sitting that come in the form of very painful tight hamstring or excruciating groin pain, im 27 imagine the risk for the likes of given, heskey and dunne after the wear and tear long careers and countless niggling injurys over the years
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I leave home at 05.00 on a Monday morning and get home 22.00 Thursday night, then work from home on Fridays. If I can do it on my money, then so can they.
I'm not sure I like the idea of the players working from home.
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The Transport Museum is due to close. If the club don't own the building they should buy it and convert it into a hostel where the whole squad have to live. Then mark out a pitch on the coach park next door for training, that way the club can sell Bodymoor Heath for a fortune to invest in players.