Tony's Tweets

[Villa75]

Weren't we already tumbling down the table and in massive debt by the time Ellis returned?

I thought we finished mid table the year after winning the league?

Also, to be a bit pedantic, Ellis was back with us when we won the Supercup.

One thing I know for sure. In my 40 years of supporting Villa we have never been thought of of more irrelevant and worthy of nationwide ridicule than we have in the last few years.

I'll hold my hand up and say I wanted Doug to move over years before he did. I thought, like most on here, that the next person would come along and prove how easy it is to get our club back to the very top, especially with having money.

I'm man enough to admit I was wrong. It's not easy, and it never was. But, good god, Lerner really made a complete fuck up of it.

In hindsight I enjoyed the Ellis years a damn site more than I did the Lerner years. I'm not going to pretend I didn't, just because it offends those who continue to hate Ellis with a passion.

[dave.woodhall]

Weren't we already tumbling down the table and in massive debt by the time Ellis returned?

I thought we finished mid table the year after winning the league?

Also, to be a bit pedantic, Ellis was back with us when we won the Supercup.

One thing I know for sure. In my 40 years of supporting Villa we have never been thought of of more irrelevant and worthy of nationwide ridicule than we have in the last few years.

I'll hold my hand up and say I wanted Doug to move over years before he did. I thought, like most on here, that the next person would come along and prove how easy it is to get our club back to the very top, especially with having money.

I'm man enough to admit I was wrong. It's not easy, and it never was. But, good god, Lerner really made a complete fuck up of it.

In hindsight I enjoyed the Ellis years a damn site more than I did the Lerner years. I'm not going to pretend I didn't, just because it offends those who continue to hate Ellis with a passion.

We finished tenth the season after winning the league but we did have a minor consolation trophy at the end of it. We were in no more debt than any other club, despite what Doug likes to say, and were sixth in the season he took over. We were relegated four years after that.

I'm not offended, I don't particularly hate Ellis, but I don't see why he should now be beyond criticism just because his successor left us in as bad a shape as Ellis took us to.

[Villa75]

In 1983 we were beating Barcelona in the Super Cup. 4 years later, we're playing Plymouth Argyle in Divison 2. That takes some doing.

Man Utd did it before us. It happened in the days before money took over and protected the big clubs.

If the people running the club before Ellis came back had done a better job of not getting us into massive debt then, perhaps, things would have been different.

I'd still take those days over the last few years.

[Villa75]

Weren't we already tumbling down the table and in massive debt by the time Ellis returned?

I thought we finished mid table the year after winning the league?

Also, to be a bit pedantic, Ellis was back with us when we won the Supercup.

One thing I know for sure. In my 40 years of supporting Villa we have never been thought of of more irrelevant and worthy of nationwide ridicule than we have in the last few years.

I'll hold my hand up and say I wanted Doug to move over years before he did. I thought, like most on here, that the next person would come along and prove how easy it is to get our club back to the very top, especially with having money.

I'm man enough to admit I was wrong. It's not easy, and it never was. But, good god, Lerner really made a complete fuck up of it.

In hindsight I enjoyed the Ellis years a damn site more than I did the Lerner years. I'm not going to pretend I didn't, just because it offends those who continue to hate Ellis with a passion.

We finished tenth the season after winning the league but we did have a minor consolation trophy at the end of it. We were in no more debt than any other club, despite what Doug likes to say, and were sixth in the season he took over. We were relegated four years after that.

I'm not offended, I don't particularly hate Ellis, but I don't see why he should now be beyond criticism just because his successor left us in as bad a shape as Ellis took us to.

That's fine. As long as the same goes for Lerner.

Having been an avid reader of this forum for the last few years, I'm not sure it does. From some people at least.

[Clampy]

I don't hate Ellis either. I've got a lot of respect for the old bugger but I think some of the criticism is fair, just like some of the criticism of Lerner is.

[VILLA MOLE]

Anyway chaps what about  60,000 stadium the new regime
are planning ?? Onwards and upwards 😉

[Villa75]

Anyway chaps what about  60,000 stadium the new regime
are planning ?? Onwards and upwards 😉

Yes please!

Failing that, a decent paint job on the outside of the North Stand would do me. 😁

[dave.woodhall]

In 1983 we were beating Barcelona in the Super Cup. 4 years later, we're playing Plymouth Argyle in Divison 2. That takes some doing.

Man Utd did it before us. It happened in the days before money took over and protected the big clubs.

If the people running the club before Ellis came back had done a better job of not getting us into massive debt then, perhaps, things would have been different.

I'd still take those days over the last few years.

We weren't in massive debt before he came back. That's the whole point - he didn't dismantle the best team in Europe because he had to, it was out of sheer spite and jealousy. And that really should be my last word on this subject. 

[Villa75]

We were in debt. Very considerable for the time, before big money could quickly be made.

The rest of it is a very one sided opinion based on the views of people who are only interested in that one particular side.

Ellis was a man who made mistakes, whilst still making us competitive, with very little money.

Lerner had shite loads of money, won nothing, and broke about every negative record in our near 150 year history.

I'm well aware of your views on Ellis, Dave, and I agree on some of them.

What I'm less sure of are your views on Lerner, despite years of reading this forum. Now those views I would be really interested in, as they would be new to me.

Perhaps I'll see you in the Lerner thread, if I can find it.😉

[old man villa fan]

Wasn't a lot of the debt caused by our success in that we paid high bonuses in winning the league.

We can compare the Ellis and Lerner years in how quickly we fell and to what depths but, for me, I will not forget the massive opportunity Ellis passed up when we came back up and re-established ourselves.  We could have been part of the massive financial growth as the PL took hold.  Instead, Ellis continued with his corner shop mentality.  Financially, Ellis grew at a far greater rate than Villa.

[dave.woodhall]

We were in debt. Very considerable for the time, before big money could quickly be made.

The rest of it is a very one sided opinion based on the views of people who are only interested in that one particular side.

Ellis was a man who made mistakes, whilst still making us competitive, with very little money.

Lerner had shite loads of money, won nothing, and broke about every negative record in our near 150 year history.

I'm well aware of your views on Ellis, Dave, and I agree on some of them.

What I'm less sure of are your views on Lerner, despite years of reading this forum. Now those views I would be really interested in, as they would be new to me.

Perhaps I'll see you in the Lerner thread, if I can find it.😉

1) We were not in considerable debt. If we were, I'd be very grateful if you could find evidence.

2) I'm interested in every side. That's why this forum exists.

3) The Ellis Years have been done to death and I have no intention of revisiting them, except to ponder on whose fault it was that we had very little money, as you put it. 

4) Lerner can have spent as much of his own  money as he wanted. That doesn't make him any worse, or offer any defence.

5) Why do I get the impression that your real reason for being on this thread is to move towards slagging me? If so, please hurry up and get it over with.

6) There are plenty of Lerner-based threads on here. Have a look round for them.

[Ads]

All above the slooooooooow boat!

[olaftab]

Anyway chaps what about  60,000 stadium the new regime
are planning ?? Onwards and upwards 😉

I think that's it. We start by building a 60k stadium and everything else will follow😆Not sure about this paint job though.

[Richard E]

Anyway chaps what about  60,000 stadium the new regime
are planning ?? Onwards and upwards 😉

I think that's it. We start by building a 60k stadium and everything else will follow😆Not sure about this paint job though.

Build it and they will come....

[saunders_heroes]

Weren't we already tumbling down the table and in massive debt by the time Ellis returned?

I thought we finished mid table the year after winning the league?

Also, to be a bit pedantic, Ellis was back with us when we won the Supercup.

One thing I know for sure. In my 40 years of supporting Villa we have never been thought of of more irrelevant and worthy of nationwide ridicule than we have in the last few years.

I'll hold my hand up and say I wanted Doug to move over years before he did. I thought, like most on here, that the next person would come along and prove how easy it is to get our club back to the very top, especially with having money.

I'm man enough to admit I was wrong. It's not easy, and it never was. But, good god, Lerner really made a complete fuck up of it.

In hindsight I enjoyed the Ellis years a damn site more than I did the Lerner years. I'm not going to pretend I didn't, just because it offends those who continue to hate Ellis with a passion.

We finished tenth the season after winning the league but we did have a minor consolation trophy at the end of it. We were in no more debt than any other club, despite what Doug likes to say, and were sixth in the season he took over. We were relegated four years after that.

I'm not offended, I don't particularly hate Ellis, but I don't see why he should now be beyond criticism just because his successor left us in as bad a shape as Ellis took us to.

That's fine. As long as the same goes for Lerner.

Having been an avid reader of this forum for the last few years, I'm not sure it does. From some people at least.

Exactly.
And let's not forget that Ellis didn't relegate us with one of the worst teams ever seen in the top division of English football either, and didn't leave us with a skeleton of of a club like Lerner did. He has put this club back years and turned us into a genuine laughing stock. There's no comparison between the two in my opinion.