Christian Purslow - Resigned

[RamboandBruno]

I'm surprised at the hostility towards Purslow on this thread.

I appreciate non of this would have happened without the owners, but he joined us just after we had narrowly avoided bankruptcy in the Championship.

We are now knocking on the door of top 6, have a 50k seater stadium in the pipeline, are part of the Euro 28 bid, are hosting major music events again. are likely to get a massively upgraded train station and have a respected voice in the premier league.  We have been universally praised for the quiet and efficient way we conduct our transfer dealings.  In short, we are once again being looked at as a very serious club - and it's been 15 years since you could say that.   

When he joined the thought that we would be in this sort of position in just a few years was unthinkable. There's been many times he's been praised on here about the way he's dealt with certain issues and conducted himself in that time.

I don't like the price hikes, think the Holte view is a terrible idea and obviously the appointment of Gerrard was a disaster.  But Villa are on a hugely upwards trajectory.  It seems strange to me to be crucifying the CEO who has been at the helm during that period.

I don’t disagree with a lot of this, but ultimately with the current trend in price rises, if Im about a season away from not being able to go in the same way as i have done for forty years or more, then it starts to become a bit hollow to be honest, watching it on the tv just wont mean as much.

[Drummond]

It strikes me from these comments that some of the areas he is being criticised are outside his responsibility. Hopefully the new guy from Barca will take the front foot on all future managerial appointments and Lange should have dictated how the Joe money was spent.

That said, we appear to be missing an individual in charge of the supporters’ needs; so everything from creating new ones, community engagement and what happens on match days.

This is the problem. Purslow is good at networking, he might be good at the commercial side in the long term but everything about him to date indicates that he sees supporters as a necessary evil to be taken for every possible penny.

I think that's a bit of a negative spin. 'Necessary Evil'? I'd say that supporters are indeed a good source of commercial income, though the missing element seems to be providing a better offer off the pitch as well as on; having said that though, I'd rather the on pitch product is improved first!

[oldhill_avfc]

It strikes me from these comments that some of the areas he is being criticised are outside his responsibility. Hopefully the new guy from Barca will take the front foot on all future managerial appointments and Lange should have dictated how the Joe money was spent.

That said, we appear to be missing an individual in charge of the supporters’ needs; so everything from creating new ones, community engagement and what happens on match days.

This is the problem. Purslow is good at networking, he might be good at the commercial side in the long term but everything about him to date indicates that he sees supporters as a necessary evil to be taken for every possible penny.

I think that's a bit of a negative spin. 'Necessary Evil'? I'd say that supporters are indeed a good source of commercial income, though the missing element seems to be providing a better offer off the pitch as well as on; having said that though, I'd rather the on pitch product is improved first!

It's fairly obvious that we need both more supporters (in everysense - match day, overseas, corporate) and to get more money out of each of them individually.   We've all known this for ages.  There's been endless debates about the massive difference in Spurs and Chelsea 's revenue from a traditionally similar sized match day fan base.

The more supporters bit depends on success on the field, that comes from having more to invest from existing income given the supposed constraints of FFP.

When you think about it we should almost be glad the prices are going up  :-)

[ChicagoLion]

It strikes me from these comments that some of the areas he is being criticised are outside his responsibility. Hopefully the new guy from Barca will take the front foot on all future managerial appointments and Lange should have dictated how the Joe money was spent.

That said, we appear to be missing an individual in charge of the supporters’ needs; so everything from creating new ones, community engagement and what happens on match days.

This is the problem. Purslow is good at networking, he might be good at the commercial side in the long term but everything about him to date indicates that he sees supporters as a necessary evil to be taken for every possible penny.

Is there a Premier League chairman who that doesn't apply to, though?  If we want Villa to be successful and compete for the top 6, then it's going to cost money, and the supporters are one source of cash.

It seems like he keeps coming back to the Well because he isn’t generating anything like he should be from other commercial activity.
Alienating the fan base in the process is a very slippery slope to go down.

[Risso]

It seems like he keeps coming back to the Well because he isn’t generating anything like he should be from other commercial activity.
Alienating the fan base in the process is a very slippery slope to go down.

Alienating the fan base? There's a 30,000 waiting list and we sell out every game.

[chrisw1]

And as difficult as it is to accept the % price rises, particularly for those in recategorised seats, the reality is our prices in general remain pretty average in PL terms.  It's not like they're doing a Fulham (or Arsenal or Spurs) here and charging over £1k a ticket (yet).  It's unfortunate, but Purslow is hardly ploughing a lone furrow here.

[edgysatsuma89]

And as difficult as it is to accept the % price rises, particularly for those in recategorised seats, the reality is our prices in general remain pretty average in PL terms.  It's not like they're doing a Fulham (or Arsenal or Spurs) here and charging over £1k a ticket (yet).  It's unfortunate, but Purslow is hardly ploughing a lone furrow here.

Fulham's prices are fucking nuts.

[PeterWithe]

If there's one phrase I hate, it's 'The Match Day Experience'.

same here, but I don’t know what to call the assault to the eardrums in the build up to kick off and all the other bollocks that goes with it.

The loud shity music that’s played up to a second before KO and then again a second after the final whistle is doing my head in

Same here, I like the people who sit around us, I like them and often enquire after their families, life away from the match etc. I've no idea what the fucking answers are as I cant hear a word above that god awful row they play.

[dave.woodhall]

It strikes me from these comments that some of the areas he is being criticised are outside his responsibility. Hopefully the new guy from Barca will take the front foot on all future managerial appointments and Lange should have dictated how the Joe money was spent.

That said, we appear to be missing an individual in charge of the supporters’ needs; so everything from creating new ones, community engagement and what happens on match days.

This is the problem. Purslow is good at networking, he might be good at the commercial side in the long term but everything about him to date indicates that he sees supporters as a necessary evil to be taken for every possible penny.

Is there a Premier League chairman who that doesn't apply to, though?  If we want Villa to be successful and compete for the top 6, then it's going to cost money, and the supporters are one source of cash.

We shouldn't be the main one, and it would be good if we were seen as more than just an income stream.

[oldhill_avfc]

And as difficult as it is to accept the % price rises, particularly for those in recategorised seats, the reality is our prices in general remain pretty average in PL terms.  It's not like they're doing a Fulham (or Arsenal or Spurs) here and charging over £1k a ticket (yet).  It's unfortunate, but Purslow is hardly ploughing a lone furrow here.

To put it into context - I'll be paying £69 to watch Spurs vs Palace at the weekend from high up in the single tier home stand, a view that's nowhere near as good as the upper Holte.  I imagine these are not far off the cheapest tickets in the ground. 

I'll end up having a couple of pints of Beavertown and an upmarket pie.  That'll be the best part of £100 for experience.

Come on you Eagles! (or whatever they say)

[pauliewalnuts]

To put it into context - I'll be paying £69 to watch Spurs vs Palace at the weekend from high up in the single tier home stand

Why oh why?

[astonvilla82]

And as difficult as it is to accept the % price rises, particularly for those in recategorised seats, the reality is our prices in general remain pretty average in PL terms.  It's not like they're doing a Fulham (or Arsenal or Spurs) here and charging over £1k a ticket (yet).  It's unfortunate, but Purslow is hardly ploughing a lone furrow here.

To put it into context - I'll be paying £69 to watch Spurs vs Palace at the weekend from high up in the single tier home stand, a view that's nowhere near as good as the upper Holte.  I imagine these are not far off the cheapest tickets in the ground. 

I'll end up having a couple of pints of Beavertown and an upmarket pie.  That'll be the best part of £100 for experience.

Come on you Eagles! (or whatever they say)

you never know you might get a refund if the Eagles stuff the Cockerel

[oldhill_avfc]

To put it into context - I'll be paying £69 to watch Spurs vs Palace at the weekend from high up in the single tier home stand

Why oh why?

Why not?

Watch Spurs, see the coronation - all the things us fickle supporters from the shires do according to our neighbours

[algy]

I quite like in Germany, Netherlands and so on they play energetic Dance Music

Something like this down VP? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=M6mj66sf018&t=877s

Ravers of the Universe, you keep the spirit alive! C'mon, c'mon, Villa hardcore...

It's all about this as far as dance music at football matches goes...

[Sexual Ealing]

I'm more than happy to admit my dislike for him is immature and childish and should therefore hold no weight. I can't stand Alan Titchmarsh and that's literally because of his smile. The gurning prick 

Similar here. He (Purslow, I harbour no ill will towards Titchmarsh) reminds me of an oleaginous mid-ranking Tory cabinet minister, which is just too much for me tolerate.