Christian Purslow - Resigned

[PeterWithesShin]

Overall he's been a success. We're almost unrecognisable from the club he arrived at. Back then we were hoping we'd get out of the second tier in the next couple of years, now we're talking about the potential for winning trophies and how close we are to the top 6 or even 4, preparing for a bigger capacity than we've had for nearly 50 years, a waiting list for tickets for the first time, and so on. His big fuck up was Gerrard, but then, without Gerrard being here we wouldn't now have Emery.

Some of the changes are good, some not so much, to me at least. But the club has been dragged into the present day and that means modern football and a lot of that is stuff I don't like. But if we want to be a successful football club it's where we need to be, and modern football isn't aimed at people like me. We're already a lot closer to acting like the clubs we despise than many of would care to admit, but if we don't, the odds of us achieving anything of note are slim.

I didn't like the way he seemed to think of us as walking wallets rather than people and I don't like the fucking lion facing the wrong way either, as a couple of examples, but if we are about to enter a period of success, then just like Smith and Grealish, he'll have helped lay a lot of the foundations that got us there.

[Sexual Ealing]

He'll probably be running for the Tories in one of the upcoming by-elections. He strikes me as a Rishi-loyalist.

Is all this Tory-stuff simply Red Scouse, chip-on-the-shoulder nonsense? I recently read Purslow's father's obituary and it seems Mr Purslow Sr was a devout Catholic and paid up member of the Labour Party.  Now, that doesn't necessarily mean CP was the same, but still...

I'm not a Scouser, nor a Liverpool fan, so no.

[Hookeysmith]

Batted for us above our average at the EPL.

Negotiated the FFP rules and progressed the club from mid table Div 2 to European football next season.

Several missteps along the way, but imo he's been a big positive for us.

Fans are always going to moan.

He can't on his own improve transport to VP - that's down to Network Rail, Andy Street and West Midlands Travel.


We sell less than 750k shirts so are going to be at the back of the queue at the manufaacturers (who have a finite capacity) when it comes to ordering - 3m Real/ManU shirts  for Nike/Adidas is much more attractive the in terms of setting up production lines and profitability.

And don't compare facilities at Villa Park with Arse/Spuds and their Legobowls. Granted improvements could/should be made, but we've got  a unique ground standing on a Victorian footprint with space limitations which is yhe major problem.

Income comes from 4 sources - sponsorship/commercial, TV/EPL, UEFA income and ticket sales. NSWE have put millions into the club and as we move up, then the other revenue sources should increase and that is why Heck has come in. Despite price increases our tickers are still reasonably priced compared to the competition. It seems to me that some of us expect to pay pop bottle prices for champagne football.

Gerrard will always be held against him, but what doesn't kill  you makes you stronger and the subsequent and ingoing  transformation will I am sure see the Gerrard era and how it resulted in change as a  positive pivotal moment.

Purslow wasn't here to be liked, he did  what he was brought in to do.

Let's thank him for what he did, recognise that there's more to be done and move forward.

Great post, as I see it.

Very good summary

[Billy Walker]

He'll probably be running for the Tories in one of the upcoming by-elections. He strikes me as a Rishi-loyalist.

Is all this Tory-stuff simply Red Scouse, chip-on-the-shoulder nonsense? I recently read Purslow's father's obituary and it seems Mr Purslow Sr was a devout Catholic and paid up member of the Labour Party.  Now, that doesn't necessarily mean CP was the same, but still...

I'm not a Scouser, nor a Liverpool fan, so no.

Fair enough.  I'd be surprised if he was running for the Tories any time soon, given his Labour family background, but you never know.

[Des Little]

And if he did, who cares?  I come on here for Villa chat, i don't give a flying fig who he votes for or what he has for dinner.

[Paul.S]

And if he did, who cares?  I come on here for Villa chat, i don't give a flying fig who he votes for or what he has for dinner.

Absolutely

[The Edge]

And if he did, who cares?  I come on here for Villa chat, i don't give a flying fig who he votes for or what he has for dinner.

I'm with you on that. My politics lean slightly to the left of Stalin but this isn't the place to discuss it. I'm interested in what he done for villa during his tenure. Overall I think he's been a solid 8 out of 10. I wish him well.

[Billy Walker]

And if he did, who cares?  I come on here for Villa chat, i don't give a flying fig who he votes for or what he has for dinner.

I agree.  Bottom line is his performance as CEO and I think, on the whole, he did a more than decent job.  I wish him well and onwards and upwards for Villa.

[cdward]

I've come on here to find out what he had for his last Villa dinner? Prawn sandwich maybe?

[PeterWithesShin]

I can't believe someone doesn't care if he has red sauce or brown.

[Des Little]

I'll say this, and this only.  Red sauce has no place on any food, ever.  Brown is the only sauce.

Now back to the Villa.

[Jon Crofts]

Wouldn’t surprise me if he rocked up at the basket case that is Chelsea.

[Drummond]

I'll say this, and this only.  Red sauce has no place on any food, ever.  Brown is the only sauce.

Now back to the Villa.

Brown sauce on Fish Fingers? You're a wrong-un.

[Goldenballs]

It's so easy to chuck around phrases like 'out of his depth.'

Where exactly has he looked out of his depth whilst we've moved from Championship to top 7, grown to a 30k ST waiting list, designed and about to implement a stadium redevelopment, and persuaded the council to spend millions on transport links?

Is he out of his depth because he sounds smarmy and has put up prices above what most of us would like?   I assume no other successful CEO has made a bad manager appointment?

Completely agree. If I bumped into him in a bar I'd let him buy me a pint and say good luck to him.

[stubbsyandy]

Genuinely Christian a heart felt thanks for your contribution to our amazing club..I wish you well in your next endeavour! Thanks again.