ALOTBSOL - Silver Linings - Once in a lifetime opportunity

[Whiney MacWhineface]

I just want to know what ALOTBSOL means.

Always look on the bright side of life.

[Legion]

Ta muchly.

[brian green]

No chance. Not even Walt Disney on a slow day would consider such a fantasy. My plan of blackmailing Randy Lerner is infinitely more do able.

[Jon Crofts]

No chance. Not even Walt Disney on a slow day would consider such a fantasy. My plan of blackmailing Randy Lerner is infinitely more do able.

Are you threatening to release documents that suggest he isn't a clueless moron?

[brian green]

No Jon. It is my get rid of Lambert plan revisited.

Half a dozen of us smarm a personal meeting with the owner in his Wall St office.  We go up. One of us says it is very hot in here can we open a window please.

Once the window is open I rush to it, climb out and stand on the ledge.

BE, VID, TV, Dave Shelley, Footy, Leeg or whoever says

Sell the club to somebody who actually gives a f*ck or Brian jumps.

Like Crocodile Dundee said about his knife.  That IS a plan.

[LTA]

I'm always wary about fan buyouts.  I know of one sports club (I won't say which one as it wouldn't be fair) where a group of supporters bought the club, but were so desperate for success that they actually offered to pay the players MORE than their initial demands.  They were bankrupt within 12 months.

[Tugby Villain]

I'd be up for this.  At the moment we have no communication or inkling of the strategies behind the running of the club.  Some kind of ownership model that gives supporters a vote on how the club is run and opens up more direct channels of communication would be good.  A hybrid of the German/Barcelona models would be interesting.  Potential Chairmen could be voted in or out and we would have open target-setting and statements of ambition and direction.  Count me in IF Waters.

Me too.  For Christ's sake, are we just going to sit here and watch our Villa getting pulled apart, or actually do something to save what we love about our club?  Of course, it's not as simple as nodding your head and smiling and there are things we'd need to seriously think over, but why not?

[Risso]

No Jon. It is my get rid of Lambert plan revisited.

Half a dozen of us smarm a personal meeting with the owner in his Wall St office.  We go up. One of us says it is very hot in here can we open a window please.

Once the window is open I rush to it, climb out and stand on the ledge.

BE, VID, TV, Dave Shelley, Footy, Leeg or whoever says

Sell the club to somebody who actually gives a f*ck or Brian jumps.

Like Crocodile Dundee said about his knife.  That IS a plan.

"Reception, this is Mr Lerner, we're going to need a shovel and some Domestos."

[AV82EC]

I'll have a piece of Risso's leveraged buyout please.

[dave.woodhall]

I'd be up for this.  At the moment we have no communication or inkling of the strategies behind the running of the club.  Some kind of ownership model that gives supporters a vote on how the club is run and opens up more direct channels of communication would be good.  A hybrid of the German/Barcelona models would be interesting.  Potential Chairmen could be voted in or out and we would have open target-setting and statements of ambition and direction.  Count me in IF Waters.

Me too.  For Christ's sake, are we just going to sit here and watch our Villa getting pulled apart, or actually do something to save what we love about our club?  Of course, it's not as simple as nodding your head and smiling and there are things we'd need to seriously think over, but why not?

I'll give you two examples of why it's totally impractical.

1) At the second VFC meeting Howard Hodgson stood up and announced plans to buy out Doug. He was greeted with rapturous applause. Then he said he wanted £500 from each supporter to do it. I' ve never seen "deafening silence" so well demonstrated.

2) Doug's 34% of the shares was too much for any one man to own. We wanted a Barcelona model. Along came Randy, and the same people calling for a membership democracy suddenly said equally loudly that the only way forward was for the owner to hold 100%.

[ChicagoLion]

I suppose it could involve the club being run by lots of well meaning idiots as opposed to one well meaning idiot.
Where do I sign?

[tomd2103]

What would it take or how could the fans buy out Randy and own Aston Villa ?

Before you all throw the poo at the idea, here are some examples of clubs owned or majority-owned by fans / members :

Exeter
Portsmouth
Wycombe Wanderers
AFC Wimbledon
All clubs in German 1st / 2nd divisions cannot have a single owner / company owner
Panathanikos
Most clubs in Ireland
Hearts
Barcelona
Real Madrid & half of other La Liga clubs
All clubs in Turkey

Swansea are as well aren't they?  Might be wrong, but pretty sure their supporters bought the club for £1 when they were in League Two (or whatever is was called back then).  Think Lerner's asking price involves a few more zeroes!

[ChicagoLion]

A Load Of Total Bolocks Spent On Losers

[dave.woodhall]

What would it take or how could the fans buy out Randy and own Aston Villa ?

Before you all throw the poo at the idea, here are some examples of clubs owned or majority-owned by fans / members :

Exeter
Portsmouth
Wycombe Wanderers
AFC Wimbledon
All clubs in German 1st / 2nd divisions cannot have a single owner / company owner
Panathanikos
Most clubs in Ireland
Hearts
Barcelona
Real Madrid & half of other La Liga clubs
All clubs in Turkey

Swansea are as well aren't they?  Might be wrong, but pretty sure their supporters bought the club for £1 when they were in League Two (or whatever is was called back then).

The club was bought for something like £20,000 by a consortium, of which one member was their Trust, who each put in an initial £50,000.

[tomd2103]

What would it take or how could the fans buy out Randy and own Aston Villa ?

Before you all throw the poo at the idea, here are some examples of clubs owned or majority-owned by fans / members :

Exeter
Portsmouth
Wycombe Wanderers
AFC Wimbledon
All clubs in German 1st / 2nd divisions cannot have a single owner / company owner
Panathanikos
Most clubs in Ireland
Hearts
Barcelona
Real Madrid & half of other La Liga clubs
All clubs in Turkey

Swansea are as well aren't they?  Might be wrong, but pretty sure their supporters bought the club for £1 when they were in League Two (or whatever is was called back then).

The club was bought for something like £20,000 by a consortium, of which one member was their Trust, who each put in an initial £50,000.

Right you are Dave.  Just had a quick look and they were sold twice for £1 before the fan takeover.